Complete IVF timeline: How long does the IVF process really take?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has helped millions of people worldwide achieve what once felt out of reach: starting a family. This treatment can be a life-changing opportunity for individuals and couples facing fertility and genetic challenges, same-sex couples, and those turning to donor options.

While IVF opens the door to parenthood for so many, the journey involves more than a medical procedure. The process requires thoughtful preparation, emotional resilience, financial planning, and time — often taking longer than people expect. Knowing what’s ahead can make it easier to plan your days and approach the journey with hope rather than worry.

That’s why this article breaks down the complete IVF timeline, answering key questions like:

• How long does an IVF cycle take?

• How long does it take to start IVF?

• How long does it take to get pregnant with IVF?

• Which factors can prolong the typical IVF timeline?

How long is an IVF cycle from start to finish?

In the best-case scenario, the core IVF cycle can take two to three weeks, though a more realistic timeline is closer to four to six weeks. It all depends on individual treatment plans and how the body reacts.

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The core cycle covers the five main medical steps in IVF:

1. Ovarian stimulation

2. Egg retrieval

3. Fertilization

4. Embryo culture

5. Transfer

While these are the core medical steps, the entire journey can involve additional steps. Many factors — before, during, and after these few weeks — can influence the overall timeline.

These factors aren’t only medical. They can be logistical, emotional, and deeply personal. For example, aspects like clinic availability, insurance approvals, or coordinating with a donor or surrogate can affect IVF timing. Life events, emotional readiness, or needing to take a pause for your mental health can also have an impact.

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That’s why the No. 1 advice you’ll hear when undergoing IVF is to “throw any timeline out the window.” Every IVF journey looks a little different, and your timeline might not match someone else’s — even if you’re following similar IVF process steps.

While we can’t cover every reason your IVF process timeline might shift, we’ll provide a clearer picture of what typically happens before, during, and after an IVF cycle, along with common situations that may extend the process. The goal is to help you feel empowered, prepared, and more in control — no matter how your unique path unfolds.

Source: Matilda Wormwood

Steps before IVF explained: How long do they take?

Although the IVF cycle typically spans only a few weeks, there’s a lot of groundwork before treatment can officially begin. This IVF preparation phase is often overlooked, but it’s a key part of setting yourself up for the best possible outcome. Depending on your health, schedule, and clinic protocols, it can take anywhere from three weeks to three months — and it’s well worth the time.

Here’s a snapshot of the key steps and how long they might take:

Step 1: Choosing the fertility clinic (1–2 weeks)

Source: cottonbro studio

The first step is finding the right fertility clinic. You’ll want to:

1. Research success rates (which vary based on patient age and diagnosis)

2. Schedule a consultation

3. Gather detailed information on costs and specific timelines

Reliable sources for clinic data include the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which provide comprehensive reports to guide your decision.

This selection process can take a few days or weeks, especially if you’re comparing options or need referrals.

Bonus read: Check out these articles to learn more about the leading companies in women’s health and fertility:

• CooperSurgical

• Igenomix

Step 2: Initial consultation and fertility evaluation (about 1 month)

Once you’ve chosen a clinic, you’ll schedule an initial consultation to go over your medical history, discuss your goals, and create a treatment plan. The initial session is often followed by several rounds of testing to better understand your reproductive health. This step usually takes about a month but can be shorter or longer depending on scheduling and how quickly results come in.

For some, testing ends up being the longest part of the entire IVF process, so it’s worth preparing for some back-and-forth, follow-up appointments, and unexpected delays.

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Here’s what testing typically involves for female partners:

• General bloodwork (e.g., thyroid, prolactin, vitamin levels)

• Ovarian reserve testing (AMH blood test, AFC ultrasound)

• Infectious disease screening

• Pap smear

• Uterine exam (e.g., sonohysterography or hysteroscopy)

Source: Los Muertos Crew

As for male partners, they might undergo:

• Semen analysis (to check sperm count, motility, and shape)

• Infectious disease screening

• Hormone testing (if recommended)

These tests help your care team determine the best treatment approach.

At this stage, many couples undergoing IVF also choose to do carrier screening — a type of genetic testing that checks whether either partner carries harmful gene variants that could be passed on to their children. While many clinics offer carrier screening, those seeking a broader understanding of inherited risks usually turn to at-home solutions like Nucleus.

Nucleus uses clinical-grade whole-genome sequencing — a much more advanced method that analyzes nearly all of your DNA to assess inherited risks of numerous diseases. Couples can test together through a simple cheek swab at home, receive synced results, and even get access to board-certified genetic counselors. It’s an affordable and non-invasive way to make informed decisions about family planning. Order your Nucleus Family kit today and get the full genetic picture before you start IVF.

Bonus read: Learn more about preconception genetic testing and screening panels for specific disorders:

• Hemophilia carrier testing

• Genetic testing for muscular dystrophy carrier status

• Cystic fibrosis carrier testing

Step 3: Pre-cycle medications (1–3 weeks)

Before ovarian stimulation begins, many IVF protocols include a phase of cycle regulation or hormone “priming.” This may involve:

• Oral contraceptives or estrogen pills/patches to improve egg synchronization

• GnRH agonist medications to prevent premature ovulation

These medications are typically started during or right after your previous menstrual cycle and may require consumption for one to three weeks, depending on your specific treatment plan. They help prepare your ovaries and uterine lining for optimal response during stimulation.

Step 4: Baseline ultrasound and bloodwork (a few days before stimulation)

Right before starting your IVF meds, you’ll go in for a baseline pelvic ultrasound and blood tests. These tests check whether your ovaries are “quiet” (i.e., have no active cysts or follicles) and whether your hormone levels are in the target range to begin stimulation.

If everything is good, you’ll start your IVF cycle process. If not, your care team may need to delay the start of the ovarian stimulation. In this case, your doctor might:

• Adjust your medications or introduce new ones

• Wait for the issue (e.g., cyst) to resolve on its own

• Schedule a follow-up scan in a few days to monitor the issue or recheck hormone levels

Step 5: Practice embryo transfer (about 1 month before the real transfer)

Some clinics do a “mock” embryo transfer to measure the depth and position of the uterus. It’s a painless procedure that takes 15–30 minutes, but it’s scheduled weeks before the actual IVF cycle begins — roughly a month before the actual transfer. 

What are the 5 stages of IVF, and how long do they last?

This is the part most people think of when they talk about “doing IVF” — the treatment itself. From daily IVF hormone injections to the embryo transfer, the IVF cycle plays out over a few weeks that can be intense. We’ll walk you through a typical IVF process step by step so you know what to expect at each stage of the journey. 

The table below shows the IVF cycle timeline at a glance:

Stage 1: Ovarian stimulation (7–14 days)

This is the first major stage of an IVF cycle — the part where your ovaries are medically encouraged to produce multiple eggs instead of the single egg they would normally release each month. 

Most ovarian stimulation cycles last seven to 14 days, though this can vary depending on how your body responds to the medications. Some people may need a few extra days, while others might need to adjust their medication mid-cycle to get the best results.

During the IVF ovarian stimulation, you’ll give yourself IVF injections each day — usually a combination of:

• FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) to encourage your ovaries to grow multiple follicles

• GnRH antagonist medications to ensure your eggs don’t release before retrieval

These daily injections might sound intimidating, but don’t worry — a nurse will show you exactly how to administer them safely at home.

The last part of the IVF stimulation is a “trigger shot” — a hormone injection that helps your eggs fully mature and prepares them for collection. Timing is everything here — the IVF egg retrieval process is scheduled about 36 hours after your trigger shot, just before your body would naturally ovulate.

During this stage, you’ll go to your clinic for frequent monitoring appointments — primarily transvaginal ultrasounds to measure follicle growth and blood tests to track your hormone levels. These check-ins typically happen every two to three days and allow your fertility team to adjust medication doses if needed.

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Stage 2: Egg retrieval (1 day)

Egg retrieval is a same-day procedure that typically occurs 34–36 hours after the trigger shot. The procedure is done under sedation and takes about 10–30 minutes. After the procedure, you’ll usually rest in recovery for about an hour before going home. You may feel some cramping, bloating, or nausea, which usually resolves within a few hours.

Though the procedure itself only takes a day, the timing of egg retrieval can vary. If your follicles aren’t developing as expected, your stimulation phase may extend. The same applies if your ovaries are difficult to access or your response to medications is poor.

Importantly, not all IVF cycles lead to a successful retrieval — sometimes no eggs are collected, or the eggs retrieved aren’t mature or viable.

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If the retrieval fails, you may be able to try again after your next menstrual cycle, usually within one to two weeks.

Support tip: Many people require multiple egg retrieval attempts before achieving success, so if things don’t go as planned the first time, be gentle with yourself. This process is challenging, but you aren’t alone — many have walked this path and ultimately reached their goal with time, persistence, and support. 

Stage 3: Fertilization (1 day)

Fertilization typically happens the same day as the IVF egg collection and is confirmed within 18–24 hours. Once the eggs are collected, they’re combined with sperm in the IVF lab two to four hours later using either conventional insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), depending on your specific medical situation.

Stage 4: Embryo culture (up to 6 days)

Embryo culture takes place over five to six days after fertilization. During this time, fertilized eggs — now embryos — are closely monitored in a specialized incubator that mimics the environment of the human body. The embryos begin as single cells on day 1 and are expected to grow and divide daily, ideally reaching the blastocyst stage — a cluster of hundreds of cells — by day 5 or 6.

The timing of this stage is fairly standard, but outcomes can vary. Some embryos may arrest (stop developing) before reaching the blastocyst stage, which can affect whether a transfer or freezing can occur. Your care team should update you during this window with progress reports and let you know how many embryos are developing as expected.

Stage 5: Embryo transfer (1 day)

Source: RDNE Stock project

Embryo transfer is a one-day procedure typically performed between day 2 and day 6 after egg retrieval. For fresh transfers, the most common timing is day 3 or day 5, depending on how the embryo is developing and your clinic’s protocol. If you’re doing a frozen embryo transfer (FET), the timeline is more flexible and can be scheduled around your natural cycle or a hormone-prepared one.

The procedure itself is quick — about 10–30 minutes — and usually painless. Once the embryo is transferred, it can take anywhere between one and five days to implant into the uterine lining, depending on how developed the embryo is at the time of transfer.

How long does it take to get pregnant after an IVF transfer?

After your embryo transfer, it typically takes nine to 14 days to determine if IVF implantation has been successful and whether you’re pregnant. This window — often called the “two-week wait” — can be one of the most emotionally intense parts of the IVF process, filled with both hope and uncertainty.

Source: RDNE Stock project

Support tip: The two-week wait can feel like an emotional rollercoaster, so having a few planned activities can help you stay grounded. Consider making a list of light, engaging tasks to occupy your mind and create structure in your day.

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Clinics usually schedule a blood pregnancy test within these two weeks to check for hCG (the pregnancy hormone) and confirm whether the embryo has implanted. If the test is positive, you’ll likely return two days later for a follow-up test to ensure the hormone levels are rising appropriately.

If the test is negative, you’ll likely need to wait one month before attempting another IVF cycle. Many people require multiple IVF cycles to achieve a successful pregnancy, and your doctor may suggest adjustments to improve your chances next time — through changes in medication, timing, or transfer strategy.

Which factors can prolong the IVF treatment timeline?

While various medical, logistical, and personal factors can affect the duration of IVF treatment, the addition of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is one of the most significant contributors to an extended timeline.

PGT involves testing embryos for genetic conditions or chromosome abnormalities before they are transferred to the uterus, increasing the chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby. After fertilization and embryo culture, a few cells are carefully removed from each embryo and analyzed for:

• Specific genetic disorders stemming from a single gene (PGT-M)

• Polygenic disorders that come from a combination of genes (PGT-P)

• Correct number of chromosomes (PGT-A)

• Structural chromosomal rearrangements (PGT-SR)

Because embryos must be biopsied and then frozen while awaiting test results, PGT typically adds two to six weeks to the IVF timeline, depending on the method used.

Although this extra step prolongs the overall IVF timeline, PGT offers peace of mind, especially for parents at higher risk of passing on genetic disorders. For those who want even more insight into their embryos, tools like Nucleus Embryo can expand on PGT-P results by offering a fuller genetic picture.

Source: RDNE Stock project

Nucleus Embryo: The full picture, made personal

Nucleus Embryo is the first-of-its-kind genetic platform designed specifically for aspiring parents. Instead of focusing solely on embryo viability or a handful of rare conditions, it analyzes the complete genetic profile of up to 20 embryos. This allows parents to compare embryos side by side and make informed decisions on which to implant, based on numerous traits, including:

• Risk for health conditions (e.g., heart disease, ADHD, and a wide selection of other hereditary disorders)

Nucleus Embryo works in parallel with standard PGT-P, using the same embryo biopsy samples. This means it doesn’t require additional procedures or delays and still gives you vital information to support one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

How to get started with Nucleus Embryo

Nucleus Embryo fits seamlessly into your IVF journey—here’s how to proceed:

1. Ask your clinic for PGT-P testing with LifeView by Genomic Prediction

2. Sign up for Nucleus Embryo during or after you complete your IVF cycle

3. Request your embryos’ PGT-P DNA data from your clinic

4. Upload the data to Nucleus Embryo and analyze the embryo analysis report

From there, you can sort, compare, and even name your embryos as you make the most informed decision before the IVF implantation procedure.

You might also like…

• How long does embryo genetic testing take?

• How long does PGT-A testing take?

• How long do NIPT results take?

Featured image source: Gustavo Fring