Why do some IVF attempts fail?
Failure of IVF is usually due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances. There is a natural tendency among couples trying for a child by IVF to blame themselves if an embryo transfer fails to produce a pregnancy. “What did we do wrong?” they ask themselves. The answer is almost always the same: nothing! No matter how closely you follow the guidelines set for your treatment, and of course you must be scrupulous in this at all times, chance plays a leading role in every case. The average chance of achieving pregnancy through IVF is around 30% for each attempt. You are right to keep up your hopes, but don’t forget this still leaves a 70% chance of not becoming pregnant. If you bear these figures in mind, you will be even more delighted if the treatment succeeds and less disappointed if it fails.
