![\"The](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ivf-timeline-how-long-does-a-cycle-take.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\nHow long is the IVF process from start to finish?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ann IVF cycle<\/a> lasts approximately two weeks from the time you start your injections to when you have your eggs retrieved. A fresh embryo transfer<\/a> can happen five days after the retrieval. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, a frozen embryo transfer<\/a> can occur no earlier than four weeks after your retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s the general timeline. Now let’s break it down step-by-step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An IVF treatment cycle has three distinct phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step in the fertility treatment process is the initial consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n During this office visit, you will discuss your medical history and have a physical exam. A transvaginal ultrasound may also be performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, your doctor will order several tests to look for a possible cause of your infertility. These tests vary depending on your age, medical history, and personal preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Testing includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All testing can take up to 30 days or more to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the testing is complete, you will return to your doctor’s office for a follow-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You and your doctor will review the results of your tests and discuss your treatment options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you both agree to IVF, you will return to the office on Day 2-3 of your next menstrual cycle to start the injections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (*Note: Sometimes, your doctor may put you on oral contraceptives, aka birth control pills, to expedite this process).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The IVF cycle starts with you coming in on Day 2-3 of your menstrual cycle to have a baseline ultrasound and blood work done.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If all looks good with your ultrasound and hormone levels, you will begin your injections that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, you will inject yourself once daily with two different medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you begin your injections, you will have transvaginal ultrasounds every 1-3 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of these ultrasounds is to check on the progress of your follicles.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You will also have blood tests to check your estrogen levels, LH, and progesterone levels during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On average, most cycles will require 8-12 days of injections before you take your trigger shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The egg retrieval is then performed ~36 hours after the trigger shot. It is a simple procedure done under light anesthesia and only takes about 15 minutes to complete.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A transvaginal ultrasound is used to guide a needle into each of your ovaries. The fluid in each follicle is aspirated and collected into a tiny tube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your doctor may also do a mock embryo transfer<\/a> at this time to assess the size and shape of your uterine cavity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tube is then handed to an embryologist who searches for the eggs under a microscope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The embryologist will then take your preferred semen sample to fertilize your mature eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two methods of fertilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The embryologist then checks for successful fertilization the next day (~18 hours after ICSI or insemination).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immature eggs are usually discarded as these are not viable eggs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The successfully fertilized eggs will then be left in an incubator to grow and divide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are having a fresh Day 3 embryo transfer, it will occur three days after the egg retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are growing your embryos to the blastocyst stage, they are watched until Days 5, 6, or 7.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, only an embryo that has made it to the blastocyst stage by Day 5 would be transferred on Day 5. If no embryos have made it blast by Day 5, then your fresh transfer will likely be canceled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The embryo transfer procedure is pretty painless and usually straightforward.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Any extra embryos that make it to the blast stage on Days 5, 6, or 7 will be frozen (aka vitrified).<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The embryos can remain frozen indefinitely for future use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Of note, an embryo biopsy<\/a> can also be performed before freezing to look for any chromosomal abnormalities. This is known as preimplantation genetic testing.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do not have a fresh transfer, you will do a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on your preferences, you may be able to start the cycle right away with your next period or at any time in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A FET cycle also begins on Days 2 or 3 of your menstrual cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the type of cycle you are doing (medicated cycle vs. natural cycle), you will have your transfer ~3 weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last step is a pregnancy blood test ~9-14 days after a blastocyst embryo transfer<\/a>. If your test is positive, you will be approximately four weeks pregnant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To sum it up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the entire process can take as little as four weeks from the start of injections to the first pregnancy test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you decide on a frozen embryo transfer<\/a>, you can expect an additional 4+ weeks from the start of the transfer cycle to your first pregnancy test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each individual IVF cycle has a success rate of about 30-50% in patients between 30-37 years of age.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, the more eggs collected per cycle, the higher the likelihood of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Success is defined as having a live birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, one to two cycles of IVF might be sufficient for patients between 30-37.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the success rate per cycle decreases with age,<\/a> and some patients may need multiple rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, most patients will need to take IVF injections for 8-12 days. The trigger shot is then administered on the last day before the egg retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most patients start IVF injections on Day 2 or Day 3 of the menstrual cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Occasionally, some patients can have a random start (i.e., starting on any day of the cycle) if they need to do a cycle emergently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you start in the early follicular phase (Day 2 or 3), you will need to come in for an ultrasound and blood tests to ensure optimal timing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most patients will start giving themselves daily injections from Day 2 or Day 3 of their menstrual cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, you will start with two injections nightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These usually include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A third injection (the antagonist) is then started around Days 5-6 of the stimulation. You will continue these three injections nightly until the trigger shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trigger shot<\/a> (a purified form of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone) is taken on or before Day 12 of stimulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The injections themselves are not painful. There can be some discomfort and irritation at the injection site, but these symptoms are mild.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the egg retrieval procedure can be more uncomfortable. The amount of cramping and discomfort you feel is directly related to the number of eggs retrieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is, most patients are back to their daily activities within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Note: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a rare complication of IVF that can lead to pain, nausea, and bloating<\/a> for several days following the procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An embryo transferred at the blastocyst stage will implant in the first 24-48 hours.<\/a> However, it won’t begin secreting pregnancy hormone until several days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We often recommend that you wait at least 9-10 days before checking your first pregnancy test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blastocyst stage embryos tend to have higher success rates than Day 3 embryos <\/a>when it comes to<\/p>\n\n\n\n A blastocyst is more likely to be a viable embryo as it has already proven itself in the laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that said, not every patient can make blastocysts and will elect to transfer at Day 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All types of fertility treatments typically follow the trend of your menstrual cycle, with the average IVF cycle lasting about two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The entire in vitro fertilization process can be as short as four weeks if you are fortunate enough to make healthy embryos right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it can take several years, depending on how many cycles it takes to achieve a healthy pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a fertility specialist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make An Appointment With Dr. Robles To Discuss Your Fertility Options Today!<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the IVF process step by step? (The IVF Timeline)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Phase 1: IVF Prep-work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Initial Consultation (Day 1)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: The Fertility Work-up (Day 2-30)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Fertility](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Fertility-work-up.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 3: The Follow-Up Consultation (~Day 35)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Phase 2: The IVF Cycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Ovarian Stimulation (Day 2-3)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Monitoring Ultrasounds (Days ~5-14)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 6: Egg Retrieval (Day ~14-16)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 7: Fertilization (Day 0-1 After Retrieval)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"image](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/icsi.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 8: Embryo Development (Days 3-7 After Retrieval)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Phase 3: The Embryo Transfer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 9: The Fresh Embryo Transfer (Day 3 or Day 5 After Retrieval)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"stages](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/stages-of-embryo-development.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 10: Freezing Embryos (Days 5, 6, and 7 After Retrieval)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 11: The Frozen Embryo Transfer (At Any Time)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 12: The Pregnancy Test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"ivf-timeline-](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ART-2-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOther Related Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many rounds of IVF does it usually take to see success? (Typical IVF success rates)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How many days do you take IVF injections for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What day of your cycle do you start IVF injections?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does a typical IVF injection schedule look like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is IVF painful?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How long does it take for an IVF embryo to attach to the uterine lining?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
At what stage are embryos transferred in IVF?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"image](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/blastocyst.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"alex](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/alex-robles-md.jpeg\")
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