# IVF Timeline



## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Hi,

This is probably on here somewhere but I can't find it....could you please give me an idea on the timeline/stage timings for your cycle? I know there's a difference between short and long protocol (not sure which we'll be on yet) but would like to have an idea on how long things take from when you start. Could I also ask if you took birth control pill before you started, if so when you started and for how long?

Thanks!  x


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Hi Tiffin, 

There probably is something on here but I don't know where so -

Day 1 - start HRT tablets for 21 days
Day 22 - endometrial scratch done
Day 2 - baseline scan and bloods done, start stimmimg and taking steroids, aspirin and HRT
Day 6 - start Cetrotide injections
Day 8 - scan and bloods
Day 10 - scan and bloods
Day 11 - scan and bloods, trigger on this night
Day 13 - egg collection, start progesterone pessaries, calcium tablets and clexane injections 
Day 16 - embryo transfer
Day 30 - test day

This was short protocol and I've continued to take the Steriods, HRT, progesterone, aspirin, calcium tablets and the clexane injections. These are all until I'm 12 weeks.

Best of luck to you. X


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## Ames xxx (Nov 24, 2014)

Hi Tiffin, 

I am on ivf long protocol and my cycle is as follows.

Day 1 start buserelin injections 
Day 24 baseline scan to check womb lining and bloods taken.
Day 25 start menepur injections 
Day 32 scan to check follicles 
Day 38 scan to check follicles  (my egg collection was put back by 2 days)
Day 40 egg collection. If it hadn't have been put back my egg collection would have been on day 38.
Egg transfer is usually 3 or 5 days after egg collection which will be day 43 or 45 for me.

Hope it makes sense. A cycle can be altered so may end up longer or shorter. My first cycle the egg collection was brought forward. 

I did not take birth control pill before starting xxx


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Thanks ladies. Where you say day 1, is that the first day of your next cycle after your PIM? x


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Day 1 was the first day of my period, then again the first day of my period the month after. X


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## Ames xxx (Nov 24, 2014)

Day 1 was the start of the actual ivf cycle. I was actually on day 8 of my cycle. I thought this was strange as usually it's day 1 or day 21 (so I have read) yet neither of my ivf cycles have I starts on these days. Apparently it just depends on the clinics.

xxx


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Think I remember reading that medication starts around CD21 for a long protocol. Guess some clinics take a more personal approach and go for the day that's best for you. Great stuff, thank you! x


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Just in case anyone is reading this and wondering the same, I found the below web page, which although only goes up to 2012, the dates are still the same and is really helpful:

http://www.ivf.ca/calcu2.htm

Thought I'd share  x

/links


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

One thing I would say is that every cycle is different. Some long protocols start on cd21, some start on cd2, some on cd8 etc. Then the days down regging can vary from 2 weeks to 3 months, and they may not so to plan (its common for DR to be extended by a week or so following a scan). 

Stims vary from 7 to over 20 days - there is a good vote on the sticky thread for number of days stimming. A lot of clinics tell people its 10 days stims, but that's just yje average and can be a bit misleading or worrying for people when they don't fit the timescales they expect.

Take one day at a time and you will be fine xxx


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Thanks Cloudy. Yes, understand it all depends on how bodies react to the medication. This was just to give people like me, who may not have any real idea on general timings for each stage a bit of info. 

For me, I've just been looking at what I've already got planned in the stages and have already sussed out that it could be better for us to wait a cycle, as if all goes to plan ET would be around the time we're on holiday. Will obvs wait to see what dates are discussed at the clinic but ready to leave it for a month if necessary. Helps me to get my head around things!  x


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

I really found writing it on an excel spreadsheet helped me work things out. I wrote the days and months on the left side, and then did lots of different columns with what I thought I could be doing on what dates, based on the quickest times, and then another column with the longest times. It sounds more complicated than it was, it was just so we would work out when things could run into.

Have they told you yet what DR you are doing? That makes a massive difference and once you know that the rest is a bit easier!

Xxx


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Ooh thanks, great idea....I'm a bit of an Excel freak so will do something similar and colour code the different possible stages!! Lol

No, not got that far yet. This is purely me doing my pre-planning and trying to be as armed with as much as poss. 

Thanks again! xx


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

Me too, colour codes are my favourite thing. To be honest I do everything in my life on an excel spreadsheet  

I did that before my first appoitment. Then when I went they put me on short protocol with no down reg and I was a but thrown and didn't ask any of my questions because I was just so shocked   

Have a look through the different sticky threads - some of the polls we have done are especially helpful for preparing for treatment.

Good luck xxx


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## Tiffin (Jan 22, 2015)

Snap! I'm a Project Manager by trade and spreadsheets are my life!!  We sound so similar, as also snap on doing this before my first appointment, so will prob get just as confused as you were!! Tee-hee!!

Thank you, will read through those.  You're a star!   

xx


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## mrschef04 (Apr 15, 2015)

Thanks, Cloudy, for all of the advice I have been reading.  I have my first IVF Information session at St. Bart's on 1st July, so I'm wondering when do I start and what happens next, if anyone has been for one?


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