The Guide
IVF 101
- IVF is a process of stimulating your ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving them, fertilizing them, and transferring an embryo to the uterus
- The process has two distinct phases — egg retrieval and embryo transfer — which happen in separate cycles
- You will have multiple ultrasounds and blood draws throughout — this is normal
- Follicles are the fluid-filled sacs that contain your eggs — the goal is to grow as many as possible to the right size before retrieval
- Trigger shot timing is critical — egg retrieval happens exactly 36 hours after your trigger shot
- Most transfer cycles are either medicated or modified natural
- Progesterone timing is synced to your embryo's age — a day 5 embryo gets 5 days of progesterone before transfer
- Not every egg retrieved will fertilize. Not every fertilized egg will make it to blastocyst. This is normal — IVF is a numbers game and it helps to know that going in.
The Basics
This is the basic process in plain language. No medical degree required.
IVF is a process of stimulating your ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving them, fertilizing them, and transferring an embryo to the uterus. The process has two distinct phases — egg retrieval and embryo transfer — which happen in separate cycles.