IVF - Whose Fault Is It When It Doesn't Work?

A patient once came to me for help after two failed IVF cycles. During our initial visit, she told me about a consultation she recently had with a local Reproductive Endocrinologist from whom she was seeking a second opinion. One of the things this R.E. told her was that the previous cycles most likely failed due to egg quality issues. This was in complete opposition to what the previous R.E. had told her. In his opinion, it was mostly her uterus.

The problem is, other than a slightly less-than-optimal hormone profile (mostly age-related), not one medical test reveals an obvious or serious physical or functional problem. So, most of what she is being told is based on nothing more than a pure, albeit educated, guess.

As you can imagine, it is more than a little distressing for this patient to hear two completely different ideas from two very educated, and well-respected, doctors. When an IVF fails, we all want to know "why". In fact, I think doctors, particularly in the IVF field, feel obligated to come up with a scientific explanation when things don't go as planned. Sometimes, there is an obvious, point-blank reason things didn't work: embryos didn't divide, or didn't fertilize; the follicles did not develop in the proper timeframe or quantity; the sperm sample was insufficient.


But, sometimes it just doesn't work. And, it's really nobody's fault. It's just that IVF is difficult, because it is nearly impossible for humankind to replicate nature.

Regardless of all this philosophizing, though, the question remains... What do we do different next time to ensure a better result? The answer lies in magnifying nature's power in your body, so that the natural intelligence has the best opportunity to express itself.

Most people believe that IVF is designed to just magically create a baby. And, it can and does work quite often. But, if your body isn't ready for new life to take root, all the IVF in the world will be useless. This is because IVF controls a very small, known subset of what it takes to achieve and maintain pregnancy. The rest is still controlled by the innate intelligence of your body.

The analogy I frequently use is this: No matter how much chemical fertilizer you pour on soil that is depleted of its vital nutrients, the results will be disappointing. But, add a small amount of chemical fertilizer to nutrient-dense soil, and the results will be stellar.

For the patient mentioned above, I recommended we focus 100% on nourishing her fertile potential via nutrition, herbal therapy, and some regular acupuncture visits. All of this has been tailored to her individual needs. In two months so far, her reproductive hormone levels have improved dramatically, as revealed by the monthly tests she is still getting from her RE clinic. She is beginning to express improved fertility markers on her own, without drugs, and even Western medicine admits that a woman with fertile markers BEFORE drugs will respond better AFTER administration of drugs.

But, something else, probably the most important thing, is happening. She is gaining confidence, and seeing that her body can rebalance itself given the chance has restored her trust in her own body.

Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Fertility Enhancement and Women's Health, is a recognized expert in women's health and fertility enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients. Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to fertility patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX.