It is a common myth that you should not undergo IVF during summer months as results are not good and that IVF when done in winters has better success rates.
This is completely incorrect.
The IVF Cycle occurs partially within the body and partially outside the body in the IVF Labs. During the IVF Cycle, patient undergoes ovarian stimulation to produce eggs, this happens within human body. After the eggs reach appropriate maturity, they are retrieved from the body by a procedure called Ovum Pick Up and the rest of the steps, like fertilization of eggs using ICSI or IVF, Blastocyst Culture etc occurs inside the IVF Lab.
Effect of Summers on Female Reproductive System
In fact, during summer, Vit. D and melatonin levels are high. These two hormones are known to increase chances of pregnancy and therefore IVF done during summer months theoretically should give better pregnancy rates. There are a lot of studies which have proven that IVF success rates are better during summer as compared to IVF done in winters.
IVF Procedure in IVF Lab occurs in Temperature Controlled Environment
All IVF related procedures (oocyte retrieval, ICSI, IVF, Embryo and blastocyst culture, Embryo Transfer etc) are carried out in temperature controlled environment inside the IVF lab, where the temperature is always stable, similar to body temperature, and does not depend on external temperature and weather.
What precaution you should take if undergoing IVF in summers?
At times, the only practical difficulty for some patients is maintaining cold chain of injections (Gonadotropins) used for IVF. These injections are to be stored between 2-8 degree and therefore while carrying these injections from one place to another, one must always ensure that they are kept with ice packs in a proper insulated box. Please follow the instructions given by the IVF Nurses diligently and make sure that you maintain proper temperature while carrying the injections. This is one of the most important steps which will determine the success of your IVF Cycle.
Views expressed above are by Dr. Gajendra Singh Tomar (MD, MRCOG) who is a leading Infertility Specialist practicing at Indore Infertility Clinic, Indore. He has almost two decades of experience and believes in making IVF treatment safe and affordable for all patients.
