If you’ve been exploring fertility treatment, you’ve probably seen the term mild IVF. It’s often described as a gentler version of IVF, using fewer medications and aiming to collect fewer eggs. Some clinics even suggest that this approach leads to “healthier embryos” or “healthier babies”.
It’s natural to feel drawn to something that seems lighter or more natural, especially if you’re worried about how you might respond to stimulation medications. But with so many different claims online, it can be hard to work out what’s based on evidence — and what’s more of a marketing message. But the key question is not how little medication can I take. The important question is what is the right dose for my body, based on my own biology and test results.
Here, we look at what mild IVF actually is, whether it truly makes a difference to embryo or child health, and how it compares with a personalised stimulation protocol based on your own test results.
- What's involved in mild IVF
- Does mild IVF lead to healthier babies?
- What affects the health of a baby
- Does mild IVF improve embryo quality?
- HFEA guidance on mild IVF
- Personalised protocols and eggs
- Number of cycles
- Mild IVF at Care Fertility
- Why does a personal protocol matter?
- Is mild IVF worth it?
What mild IVF actually involves
Mild IVF uses a fixed, low dose stimulation protocol. That means:
- lower amounts of hormone medication
- a shorter stimulation phase in some cases
- fewer follicles developing
- fewer eggs collected
- a set protocol that isn’t adjusted based on your hormones or response
For some people with a high ovarian reserve and a strong response to medication this may be enough. For others, especially those with more complex needs, a fixed low dose can limit their chance of successfully creating embryos.
Are babies from mild IVF healthier?
This is one of the strongest claims made about mild IVF, but it isn’t supported by evidence.
What the research shows:
Studies published in 2013, 2022 and 2023, which followed babies born after IVF throughout childhood, found:
- IVF children generally grow and develop just like their peers
- where small differences do appear, they aren’t linked to stimulation medication
- there’s no evidence that mild IVF produces healthier babies than personalised stimulation
Across these studies, the results are consistent: The amount of IVF medication used does not appear to affect children’s long-term health.
So, what does affect the health of a baby?
Where differences exist, they’re linked to pregnancy-related factors, not stimulation dose. Current evidence suggests that the biggest factors are:
- parental age
- underlying fertility issues
- pregnancy complications
- multiple pregnancies
Not the amount of medication used to stimulate the ovaries.
Does mild IVF improve embryo quality?
Some clinics claim that lower-dose stimulation produces higher-quality eggs or embryos. But research comparing mild and personalised stimulation has not shown meaningful differences in embryo health.
Egg and embryo quality depend mostly on:
- age
- genetics
- underlying ovarian health
- Lowering the medication dose doesn’t change these factors — it simply means fewer eggs.
What does the HFEA say?
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK’s fertility regulator, states that:
- IVF is safe
- most children born after IVF are healthy
- mild IVF is not recommended specifically because of better child outcomes
Read their guidance by clicking here
Do personalised protocols help you get more eggs?
In most cases, yes. Personalised stimulation is designed around your hormone levels, ovarian reserve, and previous response, which means it can support the follicles you naturally have.
And while “more eggs” isn’t about quantity for the sake of it, it does help. This is because:
- not all eggs mature
- not all eggs fertilise
- not all embryos develop
- only some embryos will be suitable for transfer or freezing
Having more eggs gives more chances for healthy embryos to develop.
Studies comparing mild and standard personalised protocols consistently show that personalised stimulation results in more eggs and more embryos, without evidence of poorer child health.
How many cycles might be needed?
One of the most important differences between mild IVF and a personalised stimulation plan is the number of cycles someone may need to achieve a pregnancy.
Mild IVF
Mild IVF usually aims for a smaller number of eggs in each cycle. Because not every egg will fertilise or develop into an embryo suitable for transfer, this can mean that some people need more cycles to reach the same end point. Fewer embryos also means less opportunity for frozen transfers, which can extend the overall time to pregnancy.
Personalised stimulation
With a personalised plan, medication is carefully adjusted to support the number of follicles your body naturally has. This often results in more eggs and therefore more embryos per cycle. For many people, this reduces the likelihood of needing multiple rounds of treatment, because the chances of having embryos available for transfer or freezing are higher.
What this means for your journey
Needing more or fewer cycles affects both the emotional and financial sides of treatment. Mild IVF can look simpler, but the lower egg numbers sometimes mean patients repeat cycles to achieve the same outcome. A personalised approach can offer more efficiency overall, with a greater chance of completing treatment in fewer cycles.
Do Care Fertility offer mild IVF?
This is a question we hear often.
The short answer is: we don’t offer fixed mild IVF packages — we personalise every treatment plan.
At Care Fertility, we don’t categorise your treatment as “mild”, “standard”, or “high dose”. Your medication isn’t picked from a list of preset protocols.
Instead, your stimulation plan is built entirely around you, including:
- your AMH
- your antral follicle count
- your hormone levels
- your age
- your medical history
- any previous treatment response
If your results show that you only need a small amount of stimulation medication, your plan may naturally look similar to what some clinics call mild IVF. But the key difference is that:
It’s personalised — not a set protocol that’s reused regardless of your hormones.
Why does this matter?
Using too little medication can limit how many follicles develop. Using too much can risk overstimulation. Personalisation avoids both extremes. It gives you the right dose, at the right time, for the right response.
Your journey always begins with fertility tests, arranged by our expert patient enquiry team before your consultation. Your doctor then builds a plan based on real evidence from your results, not preset categories.
So, is mild IVF worth it?
In conclusion, Mild IVF can be appropriate for some people, especially those who respond strongly to stimulation or have a very high ovarian reserve. But for others, particularly those with low AMH, older patients, or anyone needing ICSI, collecting more eggs through a personalised plan may give a better overall chance of success.
The key is understanding what your body needs, and that’s exactly what personalised care, like that here at Care Fertility, is designed to uncover.
Learn more about different stimulation protocols
If you’d like a clearer overview of the different IVF stimulation approaches, including antagonist cycles, long protocols, and how clinics adjust doses, you can read our guide here:
