Before the cycle begins
Preparation usually starts a few weeks before stimulation. Both partners have tests, and the doctor plans your protocol. Knowing the timeline helps you arrange work leave and travel.
Many pre-IVF tests can be done in your own city. Reports are reviewed on WhatsApp, and you receive a written itemised estimate before starting. Our article on tests before IVF lists what is usually needed.
Timings below are typical. Your doctor may change them based on your protocol and how your body responds.
The timeline at a glance
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Baseline scan | Day 2 or 3 of period |
| Stimulation injections | About 10 to 12 days |
| Trigger injection | When follicles are ready |
| Egg collection | 34 to 36 hours after trigger |
| Embryo culture | 3 to 5 days |
| Embryo transfer | Day 3 or day 5 after collection |
| Pregnancy blood test | About 2 weeks after transfer |
Step by step through the cycle
- Day 2 or 3: baseline scan and blood testsOn the second or third day of your period, an ultrasound checks the ovaries and lining. Blood tests confirm hormone levels. If all is well, injections start.
- Days 2 to 12: stimulation injectionsYou take daily hormone injections to help several follicles grow. Most women learn to give these at home. Some protocols add another injection midway to prevent early ovulation.
- Monitoring visitsEvery two or three days, you have a scan and sometimes a blood test. The doctor adjusts doses based on follicle growth. This is the stage when you need to be near the clinic.
- Trigger dayWhen the follicles reach the right size, you take a trigger injection at an exact time. This completes egg maturation. Timing matters, so set an alarm.
- Egg collection dayAbout 34 to 36 hours after the trigger, eggs are collected through the vagina with a fine needle under ultrasound guidance. You are given anaesthesia. The procedure is short, and most women go home the same day.
- Same day: sperm sample and fertilisationThe male partner gives a semen sample, or a frozen sample is used. Eggs and sperm are combined in the lab, or ICSI is done where a single sperm is injected into each egg.
- Day 1 after collection: fertilisation checkThe embryologist checks how many eggs fertilised. The clinic updates you on the number of embryos developing.
- Days 2 to 5: embryo cultureEmbryos grow in the lab. The team watches their development and decides the best day for transfer. Some couples have a blastocyst culture to day 5.
- Transfer dayOne embryo, or sometimes two, is placed in the uterus through a thin catheter. No anaesthesia is usually needed. It feels similar to a Pap smear for most women.
- Freezing extra embryosGood-quality embryos not transferred can be frozen for later use. This avoids a full stimulation cycle next time.
- Two-week waitYou continue progesterone support as prescribed. Normal light activity is fine. Avoid home pregnancy tests, as they can mislead.
- Pregnancy testAbout two weeks after transfer, a blood test checks the beta hCG hormone. If positive, an early scan is planned a couple of weeks later.
How much time you need in Delhi
You need to be in Delhi for monitoring scans, egg collection and transfer. That usually means around two weeks, depending on your protocol. Some couples start injections at home and arrive for the monitoring stage.
The male partner usually needs to be present on egg collection day. If that is hard, ask about freezing a sperm sample in advance.
Book a stay close to the clinic if you can. Early morning scans and the exact timing of the trigger are easier when travel is short.
What you may feel along the way
- During injections: mild bloating, tiredness or mood changes are common.
- After egg collection: cramps and spotting for a day or two.
- During the two-week wait: anxiety is very common. Light spotting can occur and is not always a sign of failure.
Call the clinic if
You have severe abdominal pain, breathlessness, heavy bleeding, fever or rapid weight gain after egg collection. These need prompt medical attention.
A short checklist for the cycle
- Store injections as the clinic instructs, often in a refrigerator
- Keep a written chart of doses and timings
- Plan who will accompany you on egg collection day
- Do not eat or drink before egg collection for the hours advised
- Keep the clinic's phone and WhatsApp numbers saved
If the cycle needs a different path
Sometimes the doctor advises freezing all embryos instead of a fresh transfer. This may happen if there is a risk of OHSS or the lining is not ready. A frozen transfer then follows in a later cycle. Read about this in frozen vs fresh embryo transfer.
Success depends mainly on age, egg reserve, sperm quality and embryo quality. The doctor explains realistic chances after your tests.
Cost of one cycle
A standard IVF cycle typically costs ₹1,60,000 – ₹3,56,000. Add-ons such as ICSI, blastocyst culture or embryo freezing change the total. See our IVF cost guide for the itemised breakdown.