In Vitro Fertilization: IVF Calendar

The sample schedule and calendar for IVF shown below is for a stimulation using the
Lupron down regulation protocol (without taking birth control pills).

This sample in vitro fertilization cycle shows a schedule with the days various medications are
taken and timing of ovarian stimulation monitoring and IVF procedures.

The schedule shown here if for a woman with a typical 28 day menstrual cycle. Birth control
pills are not being used to control her cycle in this example.

For IVF cycles where we use a birth control pill, we usually give 12-21 days of active pills and
overlap the Lupron with the last 3 birth control pills. A period starts within a few days after the

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last pill is taken and we start ovarian stimulation injections soon thereafter.

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Sunday  Monday  Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday  Saturday

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1   2   3   4   5   6   7  

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Start Lupron Lupron Lupron
nt Lupron Lupron Lupron
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Lupron
Menstrual Menstrual Menstrual Menstrual cycle Menstrual Menstrual
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Menstrual cycle day cycle day cycle day day 25 cycle day cycle day
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cycle day 22 23 24 26 27
21
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8 9 10 11  12 13  14 

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Lupron Lupron Lupron Lupron  Lupron Lupron  Lupron 

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Menstrual Start FSH      
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period injections FSH FSH 

FSH FSH  FSH  
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starts
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Blood and Blood and

ultrasound ultrasound Blood and
ultrasound
Day 1 of  Day 2 of  Day 3 of  Day 4 of  Day 5 of  Day 6 of 
stimulation  stimulation  stimulation  stimulation  stimulation  stimulation 

15 16 17  18 19 20 21

Lupron Lupron

FSH FSH Egg Start daily Embryo

Retrieval progesterone Transfer
Blood and
 ultrasound Procedure shots or vaginal Procedure
cream
HCG (day 3
injection transfer)

Day 7 of  Day 8 of 
stimulation  stimulation 

22   23   24   25  26  27  28 

Embryo
Transfer

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Procedure

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(day 5
transfer,

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blastocyst

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transfer)
29  30  31  1
nt 2    
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Blood for
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pregnancy
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test
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Key to table: 
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Blood and ultrasound = blood test for IVF hormone values (estrogen levels in IVF stimulation
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are important) and transvaginal ultrasound to measure the follicle sizes in the ovaries. These
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visits usually take about 20-30 minutes in our offices and can be scheduled as early as 6:30AM.
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Lupron = subcutaneous injection of a medication called Lupron (GnRH agonist). This

medication is taken once daily.

FSH = subcutaneous injection of a medication containing follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),

which causes follicles containing eggs to develop in the ovaries.

HCG injection = subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of a medication called HCG, which

causes the eggs to complete the maturation process. This is taken only once in the cycle.

Progesterone = vaginal cream or suppositories or intramuscular injection of a medication

(female hormone) called progesterone. This drug helps to prepare a receptive uterine lining for
embryo implantation.
Egg retrieval procedure = the procedure that obtains eggs from the ovaries

Embryo transfer procedure = the procedure that places embryos back in to the uterine cavity

The example above is a typical IVF cycle. Most patients will need about 4 visits for monitoring
the stimulation (shown as "Blood and Ultrasound" on the calendar) before they get the HCG
trigger shot. Some patients will need only 3 monitoring visits and some require 5 or 6 visits. It
depends on the woman's response to the medications.

The duration of the ovarian stimulation process can be shorter or longer than that shown above.
The example above shows 8 days of stimulation drugs (FSH shots) before the HCG trigger shot.
The average number of days of taking the FSH injections is 9-10, with the general range being 7-
14.

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IVF due Date Calculator 

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As far as calculating a due date after IVF, the most accurate method is to add 266 days (or 38

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weeks) to the day of the egg retrieval. The eggs are fertilized that day, which is the same as "day
14" - the day of ovulation and fertilization in a "normal" 28 day menstrual cycle. Adding the 14

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days to the 266 days gives 280 days, or 40 weeks. The due date is traditionally set at 40 weeks
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from the first day of the last menstrual period in a normal pregnancy (in a woman with 28 day
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cycles).
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At our IVF clinic, we use an Excel spreadsheet to calculate the exact due date for our pregnant
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IVF patients. We enter the date of the egg retrieval procedure and the spreadsheet adds 266 days
and gives us the "due date", or EDC (estimated date of confinement). To do this manually with a
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calendar - count 38 weeks from the day of the egg retrieval to get the due date after IVF.
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
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Shivani Scientific Industries (P) Ltd 
The most friendly IVF and Sterilizer Company (An ISO 9001‐2000 Company)  
26 A, Raju Industrial Estate, 
Penkar Pada Road, Near Dahisar Check Naka, 
Mira 401104, Mumbai. 
Tel : +91 22 28456768 / 28456769 / 28456770 
Fax: +91 22 28456766 
Email: ssipl@bom5.vsnl.net.in 
Website: www.shivaniscientific.com / www.ivftraining.com