Stage 3 of 5Planning IVFSee the full journey ↓

Cumulative live birth calculator

How many IVF cycles might I need?

Your combined chance of a live birth across a number of transfers.

Your age

years

At the time of egg collection

Number of transfers

transfers

Planned or already available embryos

These are example numbers. Replace them with yours, then press Calculate.

Example answer

73% at least one live birth

above 70%

Strong cumulative odds. Bear in mind this assumes enough embryos are available for the number of transfers entered.

This is a guide, not a diagnosis. Share the result with your doctor.

Your result on the scale

The ranges this calculator uses. Yours is highlighted.

Your numbers

Everything worked out from what you entered.

Per-transfer chance: about 35%
Transfers: 3
Cumulative chance: about 73%
Chance of none: about 27%
Assumption: each transfer treated as independent

What each result means

Your result is highlighted. Your own clinic's advice always comes first.

Your resultunder 20%

Low even across several transfers. This is the point at which donor eggs are usually discussed openly, because the arithmetic does not improve much with more own-egg attempts.

Your result20 to 45%

Meaningful but well under even odds. Planning for more than one transfer, financially and emotionally, is realistic.

Your result45 to 70%

A reasonable cumulative chance. Most people who succeed do so within the first three transfers.

Your resultabove 70%

Strong cumulative odds. Bear in mind this assumes enough embryos are available for the number of transfers entered.

Where this fits in your journey

The usual order, from trying to conceive to pregnancy. Not everyone needs every stage. This calculator belongs to stage 3.

Stage 3 · you are here

Planning IVF

Chances, costs and options, before you start.

Your chances
→
Costs and time
→
Egg freezing

This calculator: How many IVF cycles might I need?

Calculators for what comes next

How this is worked out

Population estimateAn average for people with your inputs, not a prediction for you. Individual outcomes vary widely around it.

The chance of at least one live birth across several transfers. Cumulative odds rise with each attempt, which is why single-cycle figures understate what a full course offers.

About this calculator

?What it tells you

How your chance builds over 3 to 6 cycles. Your combined chance of a live birth across a number of transfers.

✓When to use it

When deciding how many cycles to budget for

iWhat you need

Your age (years)
Number of transfers (transfers)

!What it cannot tell you

Assumes each transfer is independent, which makes this an optimistic bound rather than a forecast.

Common questions

Why is this higher than the single-cycle number?

Because each additional transfer is another chance. Three transfers at 27% each give roughly a 61% chance of at least one live birth, provided embryos are available.

Is the independence assumption realistic?

Not entirely. It overestimates, because those who fail repeatedly tend to have below-average odds. Published cumulative rates from real cohorts run somewhat lower than this calculation.

Do I need that many embryos?

Yes — the figure assumes a transfer actually happens each time. If fewer embryos are available, the realistic cumulative chance is lower.

Sources

Calculated as 1 minus the probability of failure raised to the number of transfers, using the HFEA 2023 age bands for live birth per transfer. This treats each transfer as independent, which slightly overstates the true figure: people who do not succeed early tend to have lower per-transfer odds than the age average. Treat it as an optimistic bound, not a prediction.

In an emergency

If you have any of the warning signs listed here, don't wait for a test result or a calculator. Get help now.

112All emergencies, anywhere in India 108Ambulance

Also call your IVF clinic. Most clinics give an emergency number on your treatment or discharge sheet. Save it in your phone now, before you need it.