Your ultimate guide to understanding the IVF timeline

In vitro fertilization (IVF) can be both an exciting and overwhelming journey for anyone. Understanding the IVF timeline and process can provide clarity and help you feel more in control.

As more patients travel to foreign destinations such as Thailand, Spain or Mexico for IVF, they seek clarity of understanding the steps and days in an IVF cycle, so they can plan their trip accordingly.

Here’s your ultimate guide to navigating the IVF timeline.

How long does IVF take from first appointment?

Normally the first appointment involves undertaking various blood tests and scans and reviewing the reports with your doctor to understand the possible causes of your infertility.

Once you have all the test reports and have consulted with the doctor, you can start the IVF stimulation on day 2 of your cycle and then complete the treatment in 16-18 days.

Depending upon the problem uncovered in your tests, either the doctor will give you a treatment plan to start in the next month or they’ll prescribe supplements and ask for some lifestyle changes for the next 2-3 months to optimize the quality of your gametes before you start the IVF treatment.

Do not rush this process. Healthy gametes result in healthy embryos, thus increasing your chances of IVF success.

How many days from IVF first appointment to embryo transfer?

The entire process from your first appointment to embryo transfer typically takes 6-8 weeks, if you’re not doing much pre-treatment prep or genetic testing of embryos.

Here’s a general breakdown:

1. Initial consultation (1 day): During your initial consultation, the doctor will review your medical history, fertility status, ovulation, general health, etc.
2. Pre-IVF testing (2-4 weeks): Over the next few weeks, you will be called for blood work, ultrasounds, and possibly a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to check the patency of your fallopian tubes. Around 35% of infertility in women is attributed to tubo-peritoneal diseases (1) and IVF is the ideal treatment for women who don’t want to wait or consider tubal surgery. Based on all of these reports, the doctor will create your treatment plan.
3. Ovarian stimulation (8-14 days): Hormonal injections are administered to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Egg development will be monitored by regular blood tests and ultrasounds and once they’re ready, you’ll be given a trigger shot to prepare the eggs for retrieval.
4. Egg retrieval (1 day): Once the eggs are mature, you’ll undergo a minor surgical procedure under sedation for egg retrieval.
5. Fertilization and embryo development (5-6 days): The eggs are then fertilized with the sperm in the lab and the resultant embryos are cultured for about 5 days until they reach the blastocyst stage.
6. Embryo transfer (1 day): One of the ready embryos will be transferred to your uterus while the rest will be frozen for future use.
7. Pregnancy test (after 14 days): Pregnancy test is done after 14 days of embryo transfer.

This timeline is a rough guide, your personal IVF journey may look slightly different.

IVF timeline day by day

Breaking down the IVF process day by day will help you plan your work and time accordingly. Day 1 is considered the first day of your period cycle, and that’s when the process starts.

IVF Timeline with PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing)

Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) is an optional test used to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before they are transferred.

Here’s how PGT affects the IVF timeline:

1. Ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval: The first 12-14 days of the treatment—upto egg retrieval— remain the same.
2. Embryo biopsy (Day 5-6): Once the eggs have been collected and fertilized into embryos which are grown for 5-6 days, instead of transferring them to your uterus, the PGT process will begin. A biopsy is performed to collect a few cells for genetic testing.
3. Genetic testing (1-2 weeks): The embryos remain frozen while the biopsy samples are sent to a specialized lab, where they are tested for genetic abnormalities. This process typically takes about 2 weeks.
4. Embryo transfer: Once the results are in, only the healthy embryos are selected for transfer. This can take place during a later cycle, as the embryos have been frozen. Frozen embryo transfers (FETs) are often less stressful on the body and have proven to be more successful (2).

With PGT, your IVF treatment timeline may be extended by 1-2 months, but it increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy and reduces the risk of miscarriage.

Related read: Can PGT improve IVF success?

Your doctor will tailor the treatment plan to suit your needs, whether you’re doing a fresh or frozen embryo transfer, or opting for PGT.

Understanding the IVF timeline and knowing the importance of each step can help you prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically for the journey ahead. To get started with your personal timeline and treatment plan for IVF, find the right IVF doctor.

Reviewd by: Dr. Meenakshi, PhD