Updated by the Progyny Editorial Team and reviewed by the Progyny Clinical Team — December 2025.
Since 1978, in vitro fertilization has helped bring more than 10 million babies into the world. IVF is a medical process that helps people build their family when getting pregnant is challenging. It uses medicine to help the ovaries grow more eggs, remove the eggs, combine them with sperm in a lab, and place an embryo into the uterus.
For many people, IVF offers a strong chance of having a baby. You can talk with an obstetrician-gynecologist or a reproductive endocrinologist (fertility doctor) to learn more about your options.
During your first visit
Checking your egg supply
Your doctor will do a blood test to look at hormone levels that give insight into how your ovaries are working and how many eggs are remaining. An ultrasound may also be done to count the number of follicles (the fluid-filled sacs that hold eggs). These tests help your doctor plan your treatment.
Checking sperm
If you are using sperm from a male partner, a semen analysis checks the count, shape, and movement. This helps determine the likelihood that the sperm can fertilize the eggs.
IVF treatment steps
1. Growing multiple eggs (ovarian stimulation)
You’ll take daily hormone shots, usually in your thigh or stomach, to help your ovaries grow several eggs at once. You’ll also have blood tests and ultrasounds over 9 to 12 days to monitor your response.
About halfway through, you may start another medicine to prevent early ovulation. Around day 10, you’ll get a “trigger shot” to help the eggs fully mature.
2. Removing the eggs (egg retrieval)
About 36 hours after the trigger shot, you’ll have your egg retrieval. Your doctor uses a thin needle guided by ultrasound to remove the eggs while you’re asleep or very relaxed.
This is a short outpatient procedure, and most people go home the same day. Some soreness afterward is common.
3. Fertilizing the eggs
In the lab, the eggs are combined with sperm to create embryos, which begin to grow over the next few days.
4. Transferring the embryo
You and your doctor decide whether to:
- Do a fresh transfer, where the embryo is placed in the uterus a few days after retrieval, or
- Do a frozen transfer, where the embryo is frozen and used later.
Some embryos are tested before transfer to look for genetic conditions.
5. Waiting and testing for pregnancy
After the transfer, you’ll wait about two weeks before taking a pregnancy test. If you’re pregnant, your fertility doctor will continue to monitor you until it’s time to transition to your obstetrician-gynecologist.
Typical IVF timeline
| Day | Action(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | Daily hormone shots, monitoring visits, add medication to prevent early ovulation |
| 10 | Get trigger shot to mature the eggs |
| 12 | Egg retrieval procedure |
| 12 to 19 | Embryos grow in the lab, transfer or freeze |
| 19 to 33 | Two-week wait it’s a fresh embryo transfer |
| 33+ | Pregnancy test if it’s a fresh embryo transfer |
Please note that this is a typical timeline. Your timeline may be different and that’s OK.
If you have questions, Progyny is here for you. Please contact your Progyny Care Advocate for support.
Disclaimer: The information provided by Progyny is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical guidance.