Oftentimes when a new intended parent or parents begin to research and explore their options for their upcoming IVF journey, it can sometimes be confusing in regards to what a potential timeline may look like.
This blog will act as a guide for what to expect as you go through one of the various paths that you can take with us at PFCLA.
The first part of every journey begins with identifying the intended parent(s) needs. While some intended parents will continue on the conventional path of IVF, many will need to supplement their IVF cycle with additional services for one reason or another.
Some of the more common scenarios where an egg donor and/or a surrogate may be preferred or even required include:
Once you have decided on what type of path you prefer or require for your particular journey, PFCLA can help you better understand what to anticipate for a timeline. The next following sections will provide a high-level overview of some of the more common timelines.
When an intended parent decides to use an egg donor, a number of steps must be taken. On average, it can take about three to six months from choosing an egg donor to the creation of embryos.
Finding the right egg donor can be intimidating. Fortunately, our in-house egg donor agency Hatch will assist you in finding the perfect match. All the donor candidates are pre-approved by our IVF specialists.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE 4 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING AN EGG DONOR.
Typically, once an Egg Donor has been selected, PFCLA will work with you to acquire semen to create your embryos. We can freeze semen samples for the use of your IVF cycle at a later date or we can use fresh semen on the day of egg retrieval.
(Note that because semen cryopreservation is an option, this step can be done at any time during the process).
Once you are matched with an egg donor, our clinical coordinator will reach out to the donor and schedule her in-person medical screening appointment with our IVF specialist.
The donor screening process involves:
It will typically take 14-21 days to get all the results back. If all the results are normal, the donor will be considered a strong candidate ready to start treatment.
Your donor agency will connect you with an attorney that specializes in reproductive law to initiate the legal contract. This process could take as quick as a couple weeks to a few months, depending on the legal requirements of both parties.
The average time for the egg retrieval stimulation cycle ranges from 10-14 days, but each case can vary depending on the donor. This timeframe starts when the donor begins medication used for ovarian stimulation to the egg retrieval procedure.
The day after the eggs have been fertilized, we will provide a fertilization report. The fertilized embryos will be cultured for five to seven days, and then be biopsied and sent for PGT (preimplantation genetic testing). It takes one to two weeks for the final embryos results to be provided.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PGT TESTING, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Finding the right surrogate can be a lengthy process. We recommend looking for your surrogate as soon as possible, or at least while also looking for an egg donor, if needed.
Our in-house surrogacy agency Hatch will assist you in finding a surrogate, and you can start your application by clicking here.
The surrogate screening process involves:
It will typically take 10-14 days to get all the results back. If all is normal, we will approve her as a strong surrogate candidate and consider her ready to start treatment.
Your surrogacy agency will connect you with an attorney that specializes in reproductive law to initiate the legal contract. This process could take as quick as a couple weeks to a few months, depending on the legal requirements of both parties.
When it comes to a surrogate’s FET cycle, each case can vary due to several factors. In a typical scenario, the embryo transfer procedure usually takes place between days 19 and 21 of the surrogate’s menstrual cycle. This is followed by a pregnancy blood test approximately 10 days post-implantation. We will continue to follow up with the surrogate until the 10 weeks OB ultrasound. After 10 week’s OB ultrasound, the surrogate will be discharged to her OB’s care.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THE FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER CYCLE, YOU MAY DO SO HERE.
As an intended parent, navigating IVF with a donor and surrogate can feel like an intimidating process, especially when you consider that it’s expensive and your future family depends on its success.
However, it’s your unique path to parenthood and it can be the positive, beautiful experience you deserve! An experienced fertility clinic and egg donor & surrogacy agency will break the journey down into easy, manageable steps, and help you understand the timeline so there are never any surprises. Want to learn more about navigating this process? Contact our team of fertility experts today.