IVF does not prevent successful breastfeeding: What science says?

For many couples, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) marks the successful end of a long struggle with infertility. Yet after childbirth, many mothers who conceive through IVF find themselves facing another question: will fertility treatment affect their ability to breastfeed? The concern is understandable. IVF involves hormone-based medications to stimulate the ovaries before egg retrieval, leading some people to assume that these hormones may interfere with breast milk production.

What are the stages of IVF?

However, reproductive medicine specialists say there is no scientific evidence to support this belief. According to fertility experts, the hormones used during IVF are temporary and serve a specific purpose during the early stages of treatment. Once pregnancy is established, these medications are gradually discontinued. By the time a baby is born, they are no longer influencing the mother’s body or the biological processes responsible for lactation.

Which hormone is secreted during breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is primarily regulated by the body’s natural hormonal response after delivery. “After the placenta is delivered, levels of pregnancy hormones fall, allowing prolactin to stimulate milk production”, IVF specialist Dr Sutapa Sen, Delhi, tells Health Shots. Each time the baby suckles, the brain releases oxytocin, which triggers the “let-down reflex” and helps milk flow from the breast.

• This physiological process is the same whether conception occurred naturally or through assisted reproductive techniques. Early initiation of breastfeeding, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, proper positioning and latch, rooming-in, and frequent feeding during the first few days after birth are among the strongest predictors of successful breastfeeding.
• Experts note that some mothers who conceive through IVF may experience breastfeeding challenges. Still, these difficulties are often related to conditions that are more common in high-risk pregnancies rather than IVF itself.
• Women undergoing fertility treatment are, on average, older than mothers who conceive naturally and may have higher rates of caesarean delivery, multiple pregnancy, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, or hypertension.
• These factors can delay the start of breastfeeding or make it more challenging, but they are not caused by the IVF procedure itself. Mothers also benefit through faster postpartum recovery and a reduced long-term risk of certain cancers and metabolic disorders,” says Dr Sen.

What can cause breast pain for a breastfeeding mother?

Seeking help early, especially if milk supply, latching, or nipple pain becomes a concern, can significantly improve breastfeeding success. Medical experts emphasise that motherhood begins with childbirth, not the method of conception. “Whether a pregnancy starts naturally or through IVF, the body is biologically equipped to produce breast milk”, says an IVF specialist. With timely support, evidence-based guidance, and confidence, most women who conceive through IVF can breastfeed as successfully as any other new mother.