by Michael Drews, M.D., reproductive endocrinologist, founding partner, IVI RMA North America
When Jane’s parents, Marilyn and Steve, first visited my clinic in New Jersey, IVF was still relatively new in the United States, and something people approached with more curiosity than certainty. Success rates were low—in the single digits. The science was evolving. Every step forward felt like a leap of faith, and every birth was a triumph.
Nearly three decades ago, Marilyn and Steve were among my early patients when I was practicing at a large NJ hospital. They worked with my colleague, Dr. Paul Bergh, another reproductive endocrinologist who was also practicing at that hospital and would go on to become a founding partner of IVI RMA North America, and me. And, despite the odds, they were willing to trust our team and the process—and they were rewarded. Jane (whose last name is withheld to protect her privacy) was conceived. Jane grew up in a small, close-knit, friendly community in New Jersey, hearing the story of her own conception as she got older and learning that science had made her life possible.
From Early IVF Breakthroughs to Modern Fertility Success Rates
What they could not have known was that decades later, Jane would seek out our Basking Ridge, New Jersey fertility clinic—the one Paul and I would go on to found after her birth—without realizing it was the same fertility team that had helped her to be conceived. She was seeking assistance with the same science that helped her parents give birth to her.
When she returned as an adult, the landscape in reproductive medicine had dramatically changed. According to current SART data for RMA New Jersey, IVF now successfully results in pregnancy for 83 percent of patients under 35, and roughly two percent of all births in the U.S. – roughly 95 to 100 thousand babies per year. Behind that progress are countless advances in laboratory science, hormone monitoring, embryo culture, and genetic screening, along with a more rigorous focus on safety, clinical standards, and patient-centered care. What was once viewed as experimental when her parents conceived her, had now become reliable, evidence-based medicine, and a pathway to parenthood for millions upon millions of Americans struggling with infertility.
A Full-Circle IVF Journey Across Generations
Watching Jane navigate this process herself so many years later gave me a sense of full-circle continuity. The earliest generations of IVF-conceived individuals have started having children of their own, and some of them come to our clinics for help. Like others in this next generation, Jane benefited from decades of scientific and clinical advancement, accumulated knowledge and refinements in care that supported her journey. That progress ultimately led to the birth of her son, Alexander.
Returning as a Patient: Jane Begins Her IVF Journey
When Jane and her husband, John, began trying to conceive, they expected their experience to unfold naturally—Jane was young and seemingly healthy. But their hope slowly gave way to concern when Jane’s pregnancies turned into repeated miscarriages. Each miscarriage carried emotional weight. They experienced grief, sadness, and a loss of hope for what they imagined was possible in building a family together.
Understanding Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL): Causes and Diagnosis
From a clinical standpoint, Jane’s experience met the criteria for a category we define as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), meaning two or more miscarriages. While RPL only affects a small percentage of women trying to conceive—approximately one to five percent—its emotional impact is profound. In
many cases, the cause is not clear. Even with thorough evaluation, the cause for RPL can be identified in only half of cases, making unexplained RPL very common. Among the known causes are genetic abnormalities in embryos, abnormalities of the uterus, hormone disorders, autoimmune abnormalities, clotting abnormalities, and environmental toxins.
Advanced Fertility Testing and Personalized IVF Care
While Dr. Bergh and I stayed on the sidelines and observed, the couple worked with Dr. Angela Leung, a reproductive endocrinologist and our colleague at IVI RMA North America’s Basking Ridge, New Jersey clinic.
Dr. Leung and her team performed a comprehensive evaluation of the couple, including checking both Jane and John’s chromosomes and genetic factors, and assessing Jane’s uterus for congenital anomalies or acquired abnormalities like fibroids or polyps. They also tested Jane’s blood for the presence of autoimmune antibodies or other immune cells as well as clotting conditions and considered other contributors that could affect early pregnancy. Each step helped the couple and their clinical team replace uncertainty with information and make decisions based on evidence.
How IVF Helped Build a Family After Recurrent Miscarriages
For Jane and John, IVF offered a way to move forward with their family building plans in partnership with trusted experts. They formed a close relationship with their care team and through IVF they created embryos that were carefully evaluated. While this didn’t remove risk altogether, it significantly improved their chances of success. IVF had made one generation of their family possible, and they were confident it would help bring the next one into the world, too.
A New Generation: The Lasting Impact of IVF
When they welcomed their son, it was a great joy for her and John, but also great because it marked the continuation of a story that began decades earlier in a very different era of medicine. It represented two generations of success, thankfully because of their access to reproductive medicine.
Jane’s story shows how far the field has come and how deeply personal that progress remains. Families like hers exist because of science, persistence, and trust passed forward one generation at a time. I may be long retired, but in the future if little Alexander, or any other next generation IVF baby needs help building their own families, reproductive endocrinologists will be there to help.
