What are the 5 Steps of IVF?
Jun 22, 2026
While in-vitro fertilization (IVF) may sound straightforward — combining eggs and sperm outside the body before transferring an embryo into the uterus — the process itself is highly advanced and carefully coordinated. IVF combines specialized fertility medications, advanced laboratory technology, and expert monitoring to help increase the chances of pregnancy.
At Gago Center for Fertility, our experienced fertility specialists proudly provide compassionate, personalized fertility care to patients throughout Ann Arbor, Brighton, Lansing, Michigan, and the Midwest. Whether you are just beginning your fertility journey or exploring treatment options after infertility challenges, understanding the IVF process can help you feel more confident and prepared.
Below, we break down the five main steps of IVF and explain what patients can expect during treatment.
Before beginning IVF treatment, a comprehensive fertility evaluation is performed to better understand the factors affecting fertility and to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Your fertility evaluation may include:
This thorough evaluation helps identify any underlying fertility concerns and allows your physician to create the most effective treatment plan for your unique situation.
The first step of the IVF process is ovarian stimulation. During this phase, fertility medications are used to encourage the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs in a single cycle.
Normally, a woman releases one egg each month during ovulation. With IVF treatment, producing multiple eggs helps improve the chances of successful fertilization, healthy embryo development, and pregnancy.
Patients typically take injectable fertility medications containing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Throughout ovarian stimulation, fertility specialists closely monitor hormone levels and follicle growth using bloodwork and ultrasound imaging.
Careful monitoring helps ensure the ovaries are responding appropriately while determining the best timing for egg retrieval.
Most patients continue normal daily activities throughout this stage of IVF treatment. Exercise should be low impact and moderate.
Step 3: Egg Retrieval
Once the ovarian follicles reach maturity, ovulation is triggered and egg retrieval is scheduled.
Patients receive a “trigger shot,” commonly containing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), to prepare the eggs for collection. Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure performed under IV Sedation to maximize comfort.
Using ultrasound guidance, your fertility specialist carefully retrieves the eggs from the ovaries using a thin needle. The procedure typically takes about 20–30 minutes.
After retrieval, the eggs are immediately evaluated by the embryology laboratory team for maturity and quality.
Most patients experience:
These symptoms usually resolve within a few days.
After egg retrieval, fertilization takes place in the specialized IVF laboratory.
Depending on the patient’s fertility needs, the zymot device is used to sort the best sperm for fertilization:
Is generally utilized for the majority of cases.
ICSI is an advanced fertility technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. This method is commonly used in cases involving male factor infertility, low sperm count, poor sperm motility, or prior fertilization difficulties.
Once fertilization occurs, embryos are carefully monitored by embryologists for several days as they continue developing in a highly controlled environment.
Embryo development is one of the most important stages of IVF, as it helps determine which embryos have the best potential for implantation.
During this process, a small number of cells are carefully removed from the developing embryo and analyzed to evaluate chromosome number. PGT-A can help identify embryos with the correct number of chromosomes, which may improve embryo selection for transfer and reduce the risk of miscarriage related to chromosomal abnormalities. While PGT-A does not guarantee pregnancy or a healthy baby, it can provide valuable information to help guide treatment decisions and optimize IVF outcomes.
The final step of IVF treatment is embryo transfer.
Typically performed 3–5 days after fertilization, embryo transfer involves placing one embryo into the uterus using a thin catheter under ultrasound guidance.
The procedure itself is quick, minimally invasive, and generally does not require anesthesia.
Following the transfer, patients may take progesterone or other medications to help support the uterine lining and encourage implantation.
Approximately 10-12 days later, a blood pregnancy test is performed to determine whether implantation was successful.
IVF success rates vary depending on several factors, including:
At Gago Center for Fertility/Gago IVF, our team creates individualized fertility treatment plans designed to provide patients with the best possible chance of success.
If you are considering IVF in Michigan, the team at Gago Center for Fertility is here to guide and support you through every step of your fertility journey.
We provide fertility excellence in testing, IVF treatment, surrogacy, donor oocyte services, sperm and embryo cryopreservation, and personalized fertility care in Ann Arbor, Brighton, and Lansing.
To schedule a consultation with one of our fertility specialists, contact Gago Center for Fertility today or request an appointment online.