If you are thinking about IVF, you’re likely wondering: what are my chances of success? Understanding the IVF success rate helps set realistic expectations and make better decisions. Several factors can affect whether IVF works, including your age, hormone levels, lifestyle habits, and overall health. In this article, we’ll explain each factor in a simple way so you can better understand what might help or hurt your chances.
How Age Impacts IVF Outcomes
IVF and age are closely linked. Age is one of the biggest factors in whether IVF works or not. Women under the age of 35 have the highest chances of getting pregnant through IVF. As a woman gets older, especially after age 40, the number and quality of her eggs go down. This makes it harder to get pregnant — even with help from treatments like IVF.
Here’s a rough idea of average success rates by age:
- Under 35: around 40–50%
- 35–37: around 30–40%
- 38–40: around 20–25%
- Over 40: below 15%
This doesn’t mean IVF can’t work later in life, but it becomes more challenging.
AMH Levels and Ovarian Reserve
You may have heard the term AMH, which stands for Anti-Müllerian Hormone. It’s a hormone that gives doctors a sense of your ovarian reserve, or how many eggs you have left. There’s no exact number that guarantees success, but in general, if the AMH is higher it means there are more eggs, hence, better chances of success. Similarly, if AMH is low, vice versa. So generally speaking, AMH and fertility go hand in hand. However, AMH does not tell you the quality of your eggs, just the quantity. It’s helpful knowing the AMH levels, but surely does not give the full picture.
Lifestyle Factors: Weight, Smoking, Stress
The way you live your daily life can also play a big role. Some lifestyle factors can improve or reduce your chances of success with IVF.
- Weight: Being very underweight or vice versa, can mess with your hormones. Doctors usually suggest a healthy body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 for better fertility.
- Smoking: Both men and women who smoke have lower success rates with IVF. Smoking damages eggs and sperm and can make the uterus less welcoming for a baby.
- Stress: IVF is already emotionally tough. High stress can affect hormones and even how your body responds to treatment. Therefore, finding ways to relax, like walking, yoga, or talking to a counselor can defintly help.
These lifestyle choices are some of the common reasons that lead to IVF failure. But the good news is that they can often be improved with effort and support.
Medical Conditions That Reduce IVF Success
Some health issues can lower the chances of IVF working. For example, women with PCOS may not release eggs regularly, and endometriosis can affect egg quality and make it harder for an embryo to grow. Thyroid problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure can also cause hormone or pregnancy issues. In men, a low sperm count or poor sperm quality can reduce success.
Therefore, it’s important that both partners should get a full health check before starting IVF to fix any problems early.
How to Improve Your Chances
If you want to improve your chances with IVF, there are a few simple things you can do. First, try to start early, because age really matters. In addition, it helps to talk to your doctor about your hormone levels, especially AMH, and see if anything needs to be improved. Secondly, eating healthy makes a big difference too, hence, include fruits, veggies, lean meats, and good fats in your meals.
Other than that, regular exercise is helpful, but try to just keep it light and steady. And If you smoke or drink often, it’s a good idea to quit, since these can hurt egg and sperm health. Furthermore, taking the right vitamins, such as folic acid and vitamin D, will support your body during treatment. And most importantly, follow your doctor’s advice carefully and stay on track with your medicines and appointments.
When to Consider Other Options
Sometimes, even after trying everything, IVF may not work. This is emotionally hard but also common. If IVF fails after multiple tries, your doctor might suggest:
- Donor eggs or sperm
- Embryo donation
- Surrogacy
- Adoption
These are deeply personal choices, and each family must decide what feels right for them.
Final Thoughts
The IVF success rate depends on many things, age, AMH and fertility, lifestyle factors, and underlying health conditions. While not everything is in your control, many steps can improve your chances. Talk openly with your doctor, take care of your health, and keep realistic expectations.
Fertility treatment is a journey. It may not be easy, but with the right support and guidance, many couples find success and joy along the way.