Seeing your IVF treatment as a journey – not just one cycle

When you begin IVF treatment, it’s natural to hope everything works the first time. But IVF is a complex process, and for many people, success takes more than one cycle. Seeing IVF as a journey across multiple cycles can make the experience more manageable, help reduce stress, and increase your overall chance of bringing home a baby.

Why this perspective is helpful

1. Each cycle builds on the last

Often the first cycle is a fact-finding mission and every IVF cycle gives your fertility team valuable information about how your body responds to treatment. This helps fine-tune your treatment plan and gives you a better chance in the next round.

In most cases, each cycle is a step forward, part of a bigger picture rather than a one-off event.

2. It helps you feel more in control

When IVF is seen as one cycle at a time, it can feel like everything rides on that single attempt.

By planning ahead for the possibility of more than one cycle, you can:

Prepare emotionally and financially
Set realistic expectations
Feel less pressure for everything to work perfectly straight away

Knowing you have a plan in place can help you feel calmer and more confident, whatever happens next.

3. It supports your emotional wellbeing

IVF can be emotionally demanding. Viewing your treatment as a journey helps protect your wellbeing by putting each outcome in perspective.

If one cycle doesn’t work, it’s another step towards your goal. This approach can help you stay motivated, hopeful, and supported through every stage.

4. It helps with informed, confident decision-making

A multi-cycle approach allows open and honest conversations about:

Your overall chance of success
The emotional and financial considerations
What matters most to you and your partner
How to make choices that align with your values and goals

This doesn’t mean committing to multiple treatments upfront, it just encourages you to shift your mindset to be informed and prepared about the journey ahead, not pressured.

There is an excellent resource called Your IVF Success, funded by the Australian Government, which provides an indicative calculator to help work out your chance of a healthy baby. Visit the site here.

It explains, with your own data, how a cumulative series of cycles increases your chances from a single cycle versus two cycles and three cycles.

What the evidence tells us

There are several reasons to consider seeing your IVF treatment as a journey, rather than single cycle.

Research has found that people can hold unrealistic expectations about IVF success rates, often expecting immediate success from one cycle. The optimal number (clinically effective) of IVF cycles is typically considered to be three complete cycles.
Recent studies show that up to 60% of people stop IVF before achieving a live birth – often due to emotional fatigue and financial stress, rather than medical reasons.
Research also shows that the cumulative chance of success almost doubles when patients complete three consecutive IVF cycles instead of just one. People who receive clear, honest information upfront about the likelihood of needing more than one cycle tend to feel more in control, cope better with setbacks, and are more likely to continue treatment if needed.

This evidence supports taking a broader, long-term view of IVF, one that acknowledges both the challenges and the hope built into the process.

Our approach at Repromed

At Repromed, we understand that fertility treatment is not just a medical process, it’s deeply personal.

We’ll take the time to:

Explain your options clearly and compassionately
Help you plan your treatment journey step by step
Offer emotional support, counselling, and helpful guidance along the way
Adjust your plan as needed, based on how your body responds and what feels right for you

We know that multiple cycles are not financially possible for everyone. Our partnership with GEM Visa provides up to 24-months interest-free to spread your treatment costs. Credit criteria, minimum payments and T&C’s apply. Find out more here.

In summary

Seeing IVF as a journey rather than a single event reduces emotional pressure, builds resilience and confidence, helps you plan realistically and improves your overall chance of having a baby.

Choosing to start fertility treatment can feel like a big decision, but you don’t have to do it alone – our team is here to help. Repromed is the only clinic in Aotearoa New Zealand to offer a free 15-minute phone consultation with a fertility doctor.