Natural Cycle IVF

What is Natural IVF?

Natural Cycle IVF involves egg collection aligned with your natural menstrual cycle; there are no stimulation drugs or injections involved. It works in sync with your menstrual cycle to collect the egg naturally selected by your body. During treatment, our specialist doctors use advanced ultrasound technology to monitor your cycle and check the blood supply to the developing follicle to monitor its quality.

Natural Cycle IVF is suitable for every woman who is still ovulating and wants to avoid stimulation IVF drugs or injections.

Natural IVF is a delicate and precise treatment that requires expertise and specialist consultants. For the best chance of success, the clinic must be completely committed to this type of approach - and CREATE Fertility are the only dedicated Natural and Mild IVF clinic in the UK.

Who is it for?

Women with low ovarian or egg reserve
Women who have had a poor response to conventional high-stimulation IVF (e.g. produced fewer than three eggs)
Women who want to avoid the risks and side effects of high stimulation IVF
Women with low Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) or high Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Women who are older but wish to try with their own eggs, rather than with donor eggs
Women who have a history of hormone-dependent cancers
Women with contraindication to stimulation drugs

What are the benefits of Natural IVF?

Lower doses of fertility drugs with no injections and shorter treatment times

The conventional high-stimulation IVF approach generally uses drugs to shut the menstrual cycle down (‘downregulation’) before restarting it again, and generally uses high doses of stimulation drugs to develop lots of follicles. Natural Cycle IVF does not shut the cycle down but works with it, and the process is focused on collecting the one follicle naturally selected by the body. In Natural Cycle IVF, no stimulating drugs are used.

In conventional high-stimulation IVF drugs are given in the form of daily injections for up to 21-28 days of daily injections before egg collection. With Pure Natural Cycle IVF there are no stimulation injections, shortening the overall treatment to around 4-6 days.

Reduced side effects and emotional burden

Studies have shown that higher doses of stimulation hormones can have a significant physical and emotional burden on patients. Many women considering fertility treatment have seen friends or family going through conventional high-stimulation IVF treatment struggle to cope with some of the side effects.

Potential side effects from the downregulation stage include:

Menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes)
Strong mood swings (such as feeling down or irritable)
Headaches/migraines
Fatigue
Increased psychological and emotional burden

Increased risks from high stimulation stages:

Increased risk of Thromboembolism
Increased risk of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
Weight gain
Risk of bloating and swelling
Potentially high psychological and physiological burden

Going through IVF treatment can be a highly emotive and stressful experience. For patients undergoing treatment, it can be physically and emotionally demanding. For partners, it can be difficult to watch a loved one go through a stressful experience. It is important to prioritise your psychological health, and this is also good for the health of your body. Our short, lower-drug protocols can help to minimise the stress you experience throughout the process.

Reduced risk of OHSS

Another known health risk of higher doses of stimulation hormones in women with a high egg reserve through conventional high-stimulation IVF is a potentially dangerous condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), with symptoms that can include:

Rapid weight gain
Persistent nausea
Vomiting
Shortness of breath
Tight or enlarged abdomen
Bloating

Mild OHSS can occur in up to 30% of women going through conventional high-stimulation IVF, but the severe form is rare. In contrast, Natural Cycle IVF works with your natural menstrual cycle, with no risk of OHSS.

If you are at high risk of developing an oestrogen-related cancer because of family history, or have endometriosis or other medical conditions (such as melanomas or clotting problems) that could be affected by ovarian stimulation drugs, Natural Cycle IVF may be beneficial to protect your health.

Improved quality eggs

Eggs that are naturally selected by the body can be of higher quality than those produced in a stimulated IVF cycle. Naturally selected eggs can potentially have fewer abnormalities, while embryos created in conventional IVF can have an increased proportion of chromosomal abnormalities.

Reduced long-term health complications for babies

A 2017 study found that there is a reduced risk of babies born through Natural Cycle IVF having a low birth weight and prematurity.

Better for implantation

Research has shown that high levels of stimulation can adversely impact embryo implantation.

By avoiding stimulating drugs, the womb is more receptive as there is a healthier womb lining, and therefore more chance of the embryo successfully implanting, leading to a healthy pregnancy.

Your IVF treatment journey at CREATE

Previous step

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

Next step

Scan & Consultation

The first step in your journey will be to have an Advanced Ultrasound Scan & Virtual Consultation with one of our highly experienced Fertility Consultants, you can book this online here.
Treatment Consultation

2 weeks before the start of your period you will come in to meet with a fertility nurse who will talk you through your treatment plan and go through the consent forms with you.
Scans & Blood tests

You will have 2 or 3 monitoring scans usually spaced days apart; each takes 20 minutes. The doctor may perform blood tests at these appointments.
Egg collection

This procedure is performed in the theatre under sedation and takes around 45 minutes.
Embryo Transfer

The embryo transfer is a quick and easy procedure which does not need sedation and feels similar to a smear test
Pregnancy test

We will invite you back to the clinic for a pregnancy blood test and give you the test results by the end of the day.

Start your journey

Download our free webinar

Low Ovarian Reserve Webinar

We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision about fertility treatment. Watch our free on-demand webinar hosted by our Medical Director, Professor Geeta Nargund, where she will explain all of your treatment options and next steps.

Download now

What's the difference between conventional high stimulation IVF & Natural IVF?

In conventional high-stimulation IVF, drugs are given in the form of daily injections for up to 28 days. This is to shut down the natural menstrual cycle with in order to initiate a temporary ‘menopause’ like situation (also referred to as downregulation or suppression). Following this, additional injections containing higher doses of stimulation hormones are given to stimulate your ovaries to produce a higher number of eggs. In Natural Cycle IVF, the single egg that has been naturally selected and matured by your body is collected. What happens next depends on your treatment, but either the egg is fertilised and either implanted in your womb lining or can be frozen for future use. The choice around this will be made with by you and your consultant at the time and with depend on your individual situation.

The diagram below is showing the potential difference in injection times, medication dosage and treatment duration between Natural and conventional high stimulation IVF.

IVF comparison

Natural IVF overview

	Natural Cycle / Natural Modified IVF	Conventional IVF
Patient suitability	• Older patients • Lower ovarian reserve • Want to reduce risks & side-effects • Want less medication	Good ovarian reserve (typically under 35 years old)
Injection time	None - 4 days	21-28 days
Medication dosage	None - Low	Medium - High
Treatment duration	Up to 2 weeks	Up to 4 weeks
Cycle control	Works with a woman's natural menstrual cycle	Shuts down natural menstrual cycle (downregulation)
Time between cycles	No break needed	2-3 months break due to stimulation
Focus of treatment	Quality of eggs & embryos	Quantity of eggs & embryos
For women
Reduced injections	✔	—
Shorter treatment time	✔	—
Greatly reduced side-effects	✔	—
Reduced stress/emotional impact	✔	—
Reduced risk of OHSS	✔	—
Potentially for babies
Reduced risk of low birth weights	✔	—
Reduced risk of prematurity	✔	—
Reduced risk of long-term health implications	✔	—

Natural Modified IVF

We also offer Natural Modified IVF, this is a form of Natural IVF where the treatment is carried out within your natural menstrual cycle but is modified by introducing additional medication aimed at blocking your spontaneous ovulation and supporting the growth of the naturally selected follicle. Natural Modified IVF has an improved success rate, compared with pure Natural IVF, while retaining many of the benefits. We are especially proud of our success rates for women with low egg reserve and those in older age groups.

Find out more

Natural IVF success rates

CREATE Fertility has the most experience and expertise in Natural Cycle IVF in the UK. Professor Nargund is a pioneer in this type of IVF treatment and her team have published a number of research papers to advance the field, improving health outcomes for mother and baby, and improving success rates.

As these treatments are usually offered to women who are older or with low egg reserve, the success rates can be lower per cycle but cumulative success rates with 3 cycles of treatment are often significantly higher compared to a single cycle of treatment. Natural IVF provides women with low ovarian reserve the opportunity to have a baby with their own eggs if they are not yet ready to try with donor eggs.

Clinical pregnancies per embryo transferred | Natural Cycle IVF | Jan 19 - Dec 19 | CREATE Fertility St Paul's

View our success rates

Ultrasound Scan + Virtual Consultation
From only £200*

Our Advanced 3D Doppler Ultrasound Scan makes a detailed assessment of your fertility potential

Discuss your fertility health with a highly experienced fertility consultant and get a tailored IVF treatment plan.
*Terms & conditions apply.

Book appointment online

Natural IVF costs

Our treatment package includes:

Treatment consultation
Monitoring scans
Egg collection
Embryology
Fresh embryo transfer
Early pregnancy scan

1 Cycle

£3,345 - £3,495*

View our prices

*Important information

The cost of Natural IVF will depend on your individual circumstances and your personalised treatment plan will be explained to you in more detail at your Initial Consultation.
Cycle Price: The cycle price can vary between clinics, to find your nearest clinic pricing click here.
Cycle package: Our cycle package includes monitoring scans, clinical advice, treatment plan consultation, egg collection, embryology, blastocyst culture (if appropriate), fresh embryo transfer, pregnancy test, early pregnancy scan and follow up consultation.
Required additions: There are also a number of additional costs that need to be added to your treatment. These are for Screening blood tests (HIV, Hep B & C), Cycle medication where appropriate (Ovarian stimulation medication, trigger medication and luteal support medication), monitoring blood tests (E2 & LH), sedation and HFEA fees that are not included in the cycle price. Exact costs will be discussed at consultation based on patients’ individual needs. The ‘estimated’ total cost of additional items for a cycle of Natural IVF up to and including 6 week pregnancy scan is £2,205 – £2,275, bringing the ‘estimated’ total treatment cost to £5,550 - £5770.
Pre-treatment costs: In some circumstances patients may require further exploration and fertility tests such as Hysteroscopy (£2,100), HyCosy (£495), Thyroid blood tests (£55) or other Genetic Tests such as Karyotype (£295), Y Deletions (£195) or Cystic Fibrosis (£295). These will be an additional cost, exact costs will be discussed at consultation based on patients’ individual needs. Please download our price guide for more information.
Potential future costs: If you have additional embryos after your embryo transfer procedure, you will be given the option to freeze them to be used at a later date. This will be an additional cost of £1,120 which includes 2 years of storage. There is an annual storage fee after package storage has finished to keep frozen embryos stored (£385). To use frozen embryos you will need a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedure (£2,195 - £2,295) which includes embryo thawing. The estimated total cost for an FET cycle including medication up to 12 weeks is £2,721 - £2,821. Once your treatment cycle is concluded if you require further medication scans or services as discussed with you clinician, these services are chargeable. Full details will be given to allow you to make an informed decision.
Elective freeze cycle - ‘Freeze All’: In specific cases there may be a medical need to freeze embryos called a ‘freeze all’, bringing an end to the cycle at egg collection. In these circumstances you may require, embryo freezing and cryostorage (£1,120) and a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedure. In this case, the FET cycle is discounted by £400 to (£1,795 - £1,895). The estimated total cost of a discounted FET cycle, including medication up to 12 weeks is £2,321 - £2,421.
Abandoned cycles: In the event that a Treatment cycle is abandoned prior to egg collection/embryo transfer for medical reasons, a Cancellation Fee will be incurred of £250 per monitor scan that has been completed. Medication used will need to be repurchased in order to allow you to commence a new cycle when appropriate.
Male factor: If you have a fertility issue due to a male factor, you may require additional support and treatments such as ICSI. The cost for this is £1,250. Read more about male factor infertility.
Multi-Cycles: Some patients may wish to take up our 3 cycle treatment package to give them the best chance of success in their circumstances. We explain the specific details of this during your Initial Consultation & Scan.
Terms and conditions apply: View terms and conditions.

Your funding options

Cost is one of the biggest implications of private fertility treatment, we aim to make our treatments accessible for all so that's why we offer different funding options to help growing your family less stressful. To discuss funding options with one of our advisors contact us.

Payment plans available

0% interest available over 12 months
Easy to manage monthly payments
12 and 24 month plans available

Our payment plans

3 cycle packages

3 and 6 cycle packages
Better value for patients who require more than one cycle
Can offer better success rates in some patient circumstances

3 cycle packages

Working at the leading-edge of IVF:

we have the latest scientific knowledge and use the most advanced technologies

To see our published Medical research...

Natural Cycle IVF

What is Natural IVF?

Who is it for?

What are the benefits of Natural IVF?

Your IVF treatment journey at CREATE

Scan & Consultation

Treatment Consultation

Scans & Blood tests

Egg collection

Embryo Transfer

Pregnancy test

Download our free webinar

Low Ovarian Reserve Webinar