We turned to the team at iGin Fertility to help us understand how long an IVF cycle takes and how much time you might need to take off work for appointments.
How long in total, will my IVF round last?
The duration of the process will depend on the number of ovarian stimulations that the woman needs to reach the adequate number of eggs, and on whether the generated embryos can be transferred in the same cycle or with the next menstrual period. As an example:
From the first day of the cycle until the embryo transfer, allow 2-3 weeks approx.
If PGD testing is required (for women aged 40 or over, for example), the embryo transfer will occur on the following menstrual cycle.
If oocyte accumulation is required, two or more menstrual cycles will be needed until the minimum number of mature eggs is reached. Then an endometrial preparation will be planned with a suitable cycle towards the embryo transfer.
– There are also cases when, after egg collection, the embryo transfer needs to be cancelled due to inadequate hormone levels. In this case, the embryos are vitrified and the transfer planned for the next/other menstrual cycle after endometrial preparation.
Before I start my IVF, will I be required to come in to have several tests on several days?
Preliminary tests can be done from abroad. At iGin, we provide the list of tests required and any test done in your home country will be considered and assess by our doctors.
Depending on the country of origin, some patients would decide to come to our clinic and get all of the tests done at once. It is possible to get an appointment to have all the bloods tests, sperm analysis, scans, genetic study, etc done in one morning, so patients can return back home on the same day.
How long does the stimulation stage last?
Usually, a patient will require an average of 2 or 3 ultrasound examinations to assess the growth of the follicles. The average length of time between the beginning of the cycle and the ovarian puncture is approximately 15 days, however, every woman responds differently to stimulation.
Once stimulation starts, will I be coming into the clinic every other day?
This will depend on your preference and availability. You can choose to have your screenings done remotely with supervision from our doctors, attending the clinic only for the egg retrieval or you could also travel earlier and attend the clinic for scans and hormonal tests for the length of the stimulation stage.
How long do these appointments usually last?
These are short appointments of about 15 minutes.
Will I need to take time off work for egg collection?
This will really depend on many factors such as your working schedule, how far you are from the clinic or how quickly you can travel back home. We usually recommend arriving to the clinic the day before and departing on the day after the retrieval. When the embryo transfer occurs on the same cycle, patients usually stay for a week, covering both the egg retrieval and the transfer in one single trip.
Will I need to take time off work for embryo transfer?
The procedure for an embryo transfer is not as complex as for an egg retrieval. Like this, patients are able to go back to their home countries on the same day of the embryo transfer, as long as this does not involve a strong physical effort.
Thank you to the team at iGin Fertility Clinic.
Learn more about the IVF process:
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