Natural-cycle IVF is an approach that avoids ovarian-stimulating medicines, instead monitoring a woman's own spontaneous cycle to retrieve the single egg that develops naturally, sometimes with a small amount of supporting medicine to help time ovulation or support the retrieval. It may be considered for women who prefer to avoid stimulation medicines, who have specific medical reasons to avoid them, or who respond poorly to stimulation. Because only one egg is usually retrieved, natural-cycle IVF has a lower chance of producing a usable embryo per cycle compared with stimulated IVF, and cycles can be cancelled if the egg is not retrieved successfully or ovulation occurs earlier than expected. This approach is not widely used as a routine first-line option and is discussed individually with the treating fertility specialist.
Also known as: unstimulated IVF
Sources
- ICMR Standard Treatment Workflows (icmr.gov.in/standard-treatment-workflows-stws)
Last reviewed: 9 September 2026. Written by the Antega Editorial Team. General information only — always follow the advice of your own clinic, doctor or pharmacist.