Mild IVF and natural modified IVF Perth
Mild stimulation IVF uses lowest effective dose medication to support good outcomes, reduce side effects, and provide a more personalised experience.
What is mild and natural modified IVF?
If you’ve been researching IVF in Perth, there’s a good chance you’ve never come across the terms ‘mild IVF’. Yet, at MiFertility, we are passionate about the ethos of mild IVF-using gentler IVF approaches that aim to improve outcomes while reducing side effects.
In places like the UK, they’re much more established. Dr Bhanu Deval gained extensive insight into mild IVF during his time in the UK, working as the Lead Consultant for CREATE Fertility in London – one of the pioneers of mild and natural IVF, and one of the largest IVF units now in the United Kingdom.
So what exactly are we talking about?
Put simply, mild and natural modified IVF are gentler forms of IVF. They use fewer medications, they’re less intense for your body, and they’re designed to be more in tune with your natural cycle, while maintaining a focus on achieving positive outcomes.
While they reduce the risk of complications, like severe ovarian hyperstimulation, they are also better suited for women with low ovarian reserve (low AMH), focusing on better quality eggs, not just quantity.
We know what you might be thinking: “If I’m paying for IVF, shouldn’t I be getting the highest dose treatment possible?” But high dose stimulation doesn’t always mean better results. At MiFertility, we use lowest effective dose medications to optimise your chances of success. These gentler approaches may be more appropriate and effective for some women.
Ultrasound isn’t just a tool — it’s the core of how I understand what your body needs. And I believe you deserve that level of attention at every step.
Seeing more. Understanding more.
In IVF, ultrasound isn’t just a one-off scan, it’s the very foundation of your treatment. It helps us understand your ovarian reserve, follicle development, uterine lining, and more. Every key decision in your cycle depends on what those scans reveal.
Dr Bhanu Deval firmly believes in the application of advanced ultrasound during fertility treatment, right from your first consultation where he personally performs a comprehensive ultrasound scan of your pelvis.
Using advanced 3D and Doppler ultrasound, he gathers detailed insights to understand the various factors contributing to your subfertility that helps him to provide personalised advice from the outset on your fertility treatment, including surgical treatment or other assisted reproduction strategies, ranging from ovulation induction to IVF.
What can be seen during your first ultrasound scan?
By staying hands-on with the initial scan, Dr Deval can often identify issues that may be contributing to infertility; things like thin endometrial lining, polyps, fibroids (and using 3D scan- the extent of their projection into the uterine cavity), congenital abnormalities in the shape of the uterus, ovarian cysts, low ovarian reserve (low antral follicle count which usually correlates very well with low AMH) and endometriosis.
Can ultrasound detect endometriosis and adenomyosis?
Endometriosis is one of the commonest causes of subfertility and about 1 in 5 women with subfertility have endometriosis. The comprehensive scans performed at MiFertility by Dr Deval help in diagnosing varying severity of endometriosis. Whilst minimal to mild endometriosis is difficult to exclude with ultrasound scans, there are subtle signs which may point towards it. All cases of moderate to severe endometriosis are picked up on a detailed ultrasound. 3D ultrasound is vital in diagnosing endometriosis within the muscle of the uterus-adenomyosis which can have significant effect on chances of success and require personalised treatment with suppression of adenomyosis to reduce its adverse effects.
After your detailed ultrasound scan during your first appointment at MiFertility
- You get answers and a plan during your appointment: no waiting on external reports
- Your treatment can be fine-tuned on the spot
Mild IVF vs natural modified IVF vs the rest: What’s the difference?
It may seem intuitive to use a high dose of stimulation when ovarian reserve is low — and this is the conventional approach in IVF, particularly for women with low AMH or advanced age (over 40 years).
At MiFertility, we do not believe that high dose stimulation during IVF translates into more eggs in women with low ovarian reserve. We firmly believe and are passionate about focusing on quality over quantity, using natural modified IVF protocols in such women.
In women with normal to high ovarian reserve, we prefer using mild IVF protocols with lowest effective dose stimulation to optimise the number and quality of eggs whilst reducing the risk of side effects, particularly ovarian hyperstimulation.
MiFertility has partnered with Monash IVF West, to enable high chances of success for our patients using the sophisticated embryology laboratory with highly experienced embryologists and team of clinicians and nurses at their facilities located in West Leederville, Perth.
Is mild or natural modified IVF right for you?
Here’s who it could suit:
- You have low, normal, or high ovarian reserve and want a protocol that matches your ovarian reserve
- You want to preserve your fertility (egg freezing or embryo freezing) and minimise risks from high dose stimulation, particularly for oestrogen-dependent tumours like breast cancer.
- You have had multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles using conventional high dose stimulation IVF
- You’re dealing with male factor infertility
- You have Polycystic Ovaries (PCO) or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- You want to minimise medications and side effects
- You’d prefer to reduce the stress, time, and emotional toll of conventional IVF
- You’re looking for a more holistic, less aggressive approach to fertility treatment
We’ll always guide you through the best option based on your body, your preferences, and your fertility goals.
I am often asked by women how many eggs they need to have a good chance of having a child in the future. Although the chances of success are higher with more eggs, it’s ultimately the quality of eggs, not just the quantity which matters.
How effective is mild IVF compared to conventional IVF?
This is the question everyone wants answered.
Yes, mild and natural modified IVF can be as effective as conventional IVF* and often comes with fewer side effects, less medication costs and a more tailored experience.
Here’s why: when we use lower doses of stimulation, we avoid overwhelming the ovaries and reduce the risk of compromising egg quality. We focus on getting the right eggs, not just more eggs.
At MiFertility in Perth, Dr Deval strives to personally monitor all treatment cycles.That kind of hands-on attention means we can adjust and respond quickly to your body’s signals, giving you the best chance of success.
I believe in quality over quantity. IVF doesn’t need to be aggressive to be effective.
Are mild IVF protocols suitable for egg freezing?
Mild IVF protocols may be a suitable option for women who are considering egg freezing.
Egg freezing has become a well-recognised method for preserving reproductive options for the future. Women under the age of 35 often have a higher ovarian reserve and egg quality, which is generally associated with better outcomes in egg freezing. However, the decision to freeze eggs can be appropriate at various life stages, depending on personal and medical circumstances.
At MiFertility, we support women who choose to freeze their eggs for a variety of reasons. This includes those undergoing medical treatment that may affect their fertility in the future, as well as those who are not yet ready to start a family but wish to keep this option available.
We use mild stimulation protocols which involve using the lowest effective dose of medication to gently stimulate the ovaries. This approach aims to reduce the risk of side effects and is tailored to each individual’s ovarian reserve. While the number of eggs collected may be lower compared to conventional IVF, this protocol focuses on quality and individual response rather than quantity.
We encourage anyone considering egg freezing to seek personalised medical advice to understand their options and what approach may be most appropriate for them.
Step-by-step: what your IVF journey looks like
Wondering what the process actually involves? Here’s what a typical cycle at MiFertility looks like:
Initial consult and in-house ultrasound with Dr Deval in the MiFertility rooms in Ascot
Tailored plan based on your ovarian reserve, hormone levels, and goals
Stimulation phase: using low dose hormone medications for approximately 7 to 12 days.
Monitoring scans to track follicle growth, usually done by Dr Deval at MiFertility, Ascot and supported by Monash IVF West nursing team in West Leederville if required.
Monitoring hormone levels using blood tests- about 3 to 4 visits every 2 to 4 days apart from D2/5 of cycle onwards to assess response to hormone injections
Egg collection and subsequent lab work with embryo transfer – this happens at Monash IVF West facilities in West Leederville
IVF cost Perth
We’re open about our pricing, and yes, mild and natural modified IVF cycles can often be more affordable. That’s because they usually involve less medication, which means lower costs. This is especially helpful for those not eligible for Medicare rebates, such as in social egg freezing or non-Medicare funded treatment cycles.
You can see a full breakdown of our fees and what’s covered on our Pricing page. Medicare rebates are available, and the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) can help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses once you reach a certain threshold.
We understand that everyone has a unique financial situation and help support our patients to access flexible payment plans or access Super to help manage and spread out the fertility related treatment costs.
If you’re not sure what’s covered, don’t worry; we’ll walk you through it at your first appointment.
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Mild IVF
MiFertility: Personal, supportive care
Dr Deval strives to personally monitor every cycle and stays in close contact throughout your journey. We know this process can feel overwhelming at times, and that’s why we make sure you always feel supported, heard, and genuinely cared for.
Fertility treatment is a highly emotional journey-just like a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs at different stages. I’m here to support you through it all – with clarity, kindness, and compassion.
Clinic location
Monash IVF West Leederville
166-168 Cambridge Street
West Leederville WA 6007