20% of women experience natural pregnancies after previously conceiving a baby through IVF

Around 20% of women who needed fertility treatment, such as IVF, to conceive their first child are likely to get pregnant naturally in the future, finds a new UCL study. The research analyzed data from 11 studies of over 5,000 women around the world between 1980 and 2021, to evaluate how common it is to get pregnant naturally after having a baby conceived through fertility treatment.

They found that at least one in five women conceived naturally after having had a baby using fertility treatment such as IVF mostly within 3 years. Not all women seeking and undergoing fertility treatment are absolutely or permanently infertile. And half of the couples who struggle to conceive naturally in the first year of trying will go on to do so in the second year.

Although it is typically considered ‘rare’ for a woman to get pregnant naturally, if she has previously had fertility treatment, the researchers want to highlight how it is not, in fact, an unusual event.

The team considers the findings to be particularly important, as many women may not realize that they could conceive naturally following fertility treatment. This could lead to them becoming pregnant again quickly or when they aren’t ready – which could be problematic for both the health of the mother and child.

Reference: How common is natural conception in women who have a livebirth via assisted reproductive technology? Systematic review and meta-analysis, Human Reproduction, DOI: 10.1093/humanrep/dead121