The IVF Timeline: What to Expect Week by Week

Starting in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a big step, but the process is very doable, even on the days when IVF doesn’t feel easy. Seeing the whole IVF timeline laid out week by week can make each stage feel more manageable, because you’ll always know what’s happening now and what’s coming next.

Your calendar may also shift along the way, because your care team will tailor each step to how your body responds. You may sometimes be asked to come in on a day you weren’t expecting, and every adjustment is part of a plan made just for you.

At Fertility and Surgical Associates of California (FSAC), we’ll take each step with you, one at a time, from your first consultation through your pregnancy test.

Before Your IVF Timeline Begins – Initial Evaluation and Planning

Your IVF timeline starts well before your first medication. During your initial consultation, your board-certified reproductive endocrinologist (REI) will review your health and fertility history, order any remaining fertility testing, and build an IVF plan around your goals, and this planning phase can span several weeks.

Cost is one of the first questions people ask about. Since January 1, 2026, California’s SB 729 has required fully insured, large-group plans regulated in California to cover IVF, and our billing team will help you check your benefits. If you’re paying on your own, our financial team will help you explore ways to make treatment more affordable, including financing through PatientFi and our other partners.

Weeks 1-2 – Ovarian Stimulation and Monitoring

Ovarian stimulation begins early in your menstrual cycle. You’ll self-administer hormone injections for approximately 8 to 14 days to help several follicles mature at the same time.

Every few days, you’ll come in for monitoring visits, where your care team will check your hormone levels with bloodwork and your provider will measure your follicles using ultrasound. Your REI may adjust your medication dose based on those results. When your follicles are ready, you’ll take a “trigger” shot to finish maturing your eggs.

Egg Retrieval

Your egg retrieval will take place 34 to 36 hours after your trigger shot, which typically lands in week 2 or 3 of your cycle. Your FSAC specialist will gently collect the eggs using a fine needle guided by ultrasound, and the procedure takes about 10 to 30 minutes under light sedation.

Afterward, you’ll rest in our recovery suite for around 45 to 60 minutes before heading home with your support person. Mild cramping, bloating, or spotting is normal for a short time, and most people feel ready for light activity within one to two days after egg retrieval.

Fertilization and Embryo Development

Right after your retrieval, your eggs will go to our IVF lab, where our embryologists will carefully label them and confirm they’re yours at every step. Fertilization will begin the same day.

How Fertilization Happens

Fertilization can happen in one of two ways. With conventional insemination, our embryologists will place your eggs with prepared sperm and let fertilization happen on its own overnight. With intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), an embryologist will inject a single sperm directly into each mature egg, and our lab team will recommend the approach that fits your eggs and sperm.

Embryo Development and Genetic Testing

Over the next five to six days, our embryologists will watch your embryos develop, and by day 5, embryos that progress well reach the blastocyst stage. Some people choose preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) at this point, which means freezing the embryos while results come back before choosing which embryo to transfer.

Embryo Transfer in the IVF Timeline Process – Fresh or Frozen

Your embryo transfer can follow one of two paths, and your care team will help you choose based on your health, your lab results, and your goals:

• A fresh transfer will happen about five days after your retrieval, in the same cycle.
• A frozen embryo transfer (FET) will take place in a later cycle, after your provider prepares your uterine lining with estrogen and progesterone.

Either way, your REI will use a thin, flexible catheter to place the embryo in your uterus, and an FET takes about 15 to 30 minutes. Any additional embryos can be frozen for future family-building.

The Two Week Wait and Pregnancy Test

Your pregnancy blood test will be scheduled 10 to 14 days after your transfer. The days between transfer and testing can feel long and emotional, and planning gentle distractions and leaning on the people closest to you can help.

We recommend skipping at-home pregnancy tests during the wait, since they can give inaccurate early results and lead to unnecessary disappointment or excitement. Your blood test at our office will give you the clearest answer.

You’re never expected to get through the wait alone. Our team is a phone call away for any question, and if your test is positive, we’ll guide you through your first early ultrasounds.

A Sample IVF Timeline and What Can Change Your Own

A sample IVF timeline with a fresh transfer follows these steps:

• Weeks 1-2, ovarian stimulation with monitoring visits.
• Week 2 or 3, your trigger shot and egg retrieval.
• Days 1-6 after retrieval, fertilization and embryo development.
• About day 5 after retrieval, a fresh embryo transfer.
• 10 to 14 days after transfer, your pregnancy test.

Your own IVF cycle may look a little different, and that variation is completely normal. Your stimulation protocol, how your body responds to medication, and whether PGT or an FET is part of your plan can all add time, and your REI will walk you through your personal calendar before you start.

Talk Through Your IVF Timeline With FSAC

IVF asks a lot of you, and you deserve a team that will be right there beside you through every stage. Taking your timeline one step at a time, with a clear overview in hand, can keep the process from feeling overwhelming.

We’re here for you and with you through every injection, every appointment, and every test result.

Contact FSAC to talk through your IVF timeline, your insurance coverage, and any questions on your mind, in person in Thousand Oaks, Encino, or Santa Monica, or by telehealth.