Please can you tell me the IVF process?

[YolandaBanana]

Please can you tell me what the process and time line is for IVF once the initial scans and tests are out of the way? What is the timeframe between starting the injections and a potential positive pregnancy test? Cheers.

[physicskate]

It's not a one size fits all approach. So it's not possible to answer your questions definitively. Are you nhs or private? Have your clinic said ivf is the next step? Are you on long or short protocol?

It can be anywhere from one cycle to two to complete an ivf cycle. But there could be wait times, further tests, treatments or additional testing first.

All nhs criteria say you must have been ttc two years and some require three. Do you have a diagnosis?

[CornishMaid1]

I was private for mine, so did not have much of a wait between meeting the clinic and starting a cycle - for my most recent cycle I went for the planning appointment and started a couple of weeks later.

There are two main protocols - long and short. I have had a cycle of each.

For both of mine they started on day 21 of the cycle before.

On the short I started noresthisterone tablets on day 21 for about 10 days then had a bleed. On day 2 I had to go for a baseline scan and then could start injections with 2 a day.

On the long I started buserelin injections on day 21 for about 2 weeks and then had a base scan. That was clear so could start injections.

Some clinics start earlier on day 1 or 2, if you do not have the bleed when they expect you could be longer etc so there are lots of variables.

Once injections started I had two injections a day, a scan after 7/8 days and then other scans as needed. For the first cycle I had 12 days of injections and on the second I had 11 but people do vary.

You then have your trigger dose and egg collection is 36 hours after. The eggs are fertilised and if you are lucky you have an embryo transfer up to 5 days after that.

Clinics seem to have different lengths for testing dates, but mine was 13 days after transfer.

For both, we started on day 21 of one cycle and the test would be the end of the next cycle, so around 6 weeks. However, each clinic is slightly different and everyone can react differently, so that timescale may not be accurate for you.

[TwistofFate]

Hi, it's difficult to give a precise timeline because there are so many variables such as the protocol you're on, how you respond to meds during follicle stimulation and if you're having a fresh or frozen embryo transfer.

We had IVF for unexplained infertility on NHS. I started my period, started follicle stimulating injections on the 3rd day of my cycle and then started injections to prevent ovulation on day 5, then took the trigger shot on day 12, egg collection on day 14, fresh embryo transfer on day 19 and BFP on day 29. We were really lucky that it was very straightforward for us.

[Doritos1980]

@YolandaBanana I think there was an #IVFWEBINAR about it.