The IVF Timeline: Week-by-Week Guide to Your Portugal Treatment

Understanding exactly what happens during IVF—and when—helps you plan your time, manage expectations, and feel more in control of your fertility journey. This week-by-week guide walks you through a complete IVF cycle in Portugal, from your first consultation to the pregnancy test.

Key Takeaways

• Total duration: A complete IVF cycle takes 6-8 weeks from consultation to pregnancy test
• Time in Porto: Plan for 10-14 days in Porto during the active treatment phase
• Flexible start: Initial consultations and early monitoring can often be done remotely or locally
• Key milestones: Stimulation (10-14 days), egg retrieval (day 12), embryo transfer (day 15-17), pregnancy test (day 25-28)
• Partner participation: Partners are welcome for both retrieval and transfer procedures

Overview: How Long Does IVF Take?

Key fact: A complete IVF cycle takes approximately 6-8 weeks from initial consultation to pregnancy test. You'll need 10-14 days in Porto during the active treatment phase.

Phase	Duration	Location
Preparation & testing	2-4 weeks	Home + remote
Ovarian stimulation	10-14 days	Start home, finish in Porto
Egg retrieval to transfer	3-6 days	Porto
Two-week wait	10-14 days	Home
Total	6-8 weeks	10-14 days in Porto

Weeks 1-2: Preparation Phase

Initial Consultation (Day 1)

Your journey begins with a consultation—often via video call.

What happens:

• Review your medical history
• Discuss previous fertility treatments (if any)
• Explain treatment options
• Answer your questions
• Outline next steps and timeline

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Fertility Testing (Days 2-14)

Before treatment can begin, both partners (if applicable) need testing.

For women:

• AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) blood test
• FSH, LH, Estradiol (day 2-3 of cycle)
• Antral follicle count ultrasound
• Infectious disease screening

For men (if using partner sperm):

• Semen analysis
• Infectious disease screening

Good news: Most tests can be done locally and results sent to Portugal, reducing travel.

Treatment Plan (End of Week 2)

Based on your test results, the clinic creates your personalized protocol:

• Medication types and doses
• Estimated timeline
• Cost estimate
• Travel dates

Weeks 3-4: Ovarian Stimulation

Starting Medications (Day 1 of Stimulation)

You'll begin injectable hormones to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs.

Typical medications:

• FSH (Gonal-F, Puregon): Stimulates follicle growth
• LH or hMG (Menopur): Supports egg development
• GnRH antagonist (Cetrotide, Orgalutran): Prevents premature ovulation

What to expect:

• Daily self-injections (subcutaneous, like insulin)
• Injections are given in the evening
• Mild bloating and tenderness as follicles grow

Monitoring (Days 5-12)

Regular monitoring ensures optimal response and timing.

Schedule:

• Ultrasounds every 2-3 days
• Blood tests to check hormone levels
• Medication adjustments as needed

First few appointments: Can often be done locally or via telemedicine.

Final 4-5 days: Should be in Porto for daily monitoring.

Trigger Shot (Day 10-14)

When follicles reach optimal size (18-22mm), you'll take the "trigger shot."

What it does:

• Triggers final egg maturation
• Precisely timed 36 hours before retrieval
• Usually taken late evening

Critical: Timing is exact. Missing the window can affect the entire cycle.

Week 5: Egg Retrieval & Fertilization

Egg Retrieval Day

Timeline:

• Arrive at clinic 1 hour before procedure
• Light IV sedation administered
• Procedure takes 20-30 minutes
• Recovery for 2-3 hours
• Return to accommodation same day

What happens:

• Transvaginal ultrasound-guided needle aspiration
• Eggs are collected from each follicle
• You're asleep during the procedure
• No incisions or stitches

Recovery:

• Mild cramping and spotting normal
• Rest for remainder of day
• Normal activities resume next day
• Avoid strenuous exercise for 1 week

Fertilization (Same Day)

While you recover, the embryology lab gets to work.

ICSI (standard in Portugal):

• Single sperm injected directly into each mature egg
• Higher fertilization rates than conventional IVF
• Recommended for most cases

Day 1 results:

• Clinic calls with fertilization report
• Typically 70-80% of mature eggs fertilize normally

Week 5-6: Embryo Development

The Waiting Game (Days 1-5)

Embryos develop in the incubator while you explore Porto or rest.

Development milestones:

Day	Stage	What's Happening
Day 1	Fertilized egg	2 pronuclei visible
Day 2	2-4 cells	First cell divisions
Day 3	6-8 cells	Continued division
Day 4	Morula	Cells compacting
Day 5-6	Blastocyst	Ready for transfer

Updates:

• Clinic provides daily or every-other-day updates
• Not all embryos reach blastocyst stage (50-60% typically do)

Transfer Decision (Day 3 or Day 5)

Most Portuguese clinics prefer Day 5 blastocyst transfers for:

• Better embryo selection
• Higher implantation rates
• Closer to natural timing

Day 3 transfer may be recommended if:

• Fewer embryos developing
• Previous failed blastocyst cycles
• Clinic recommendation based on your situation

Week 6: Embryo Transfer

Transfer Day

Timeline:

• Arrive with comfortably full bladder
• No sedation needed
• Procedure takes 10-15 minutes
• Rest for 30 minutes after
• Return to accommodation

What happens:

• Speculum inserted (like Pap smear)
• Thin catheter passed through cervix
• Embryo deposited in uterus
• Ultrasound guides placement
• Completely painless

After transfer:

• Continue progesterone support
• Normal activities are fine
• No bed rest required (studies show it doesn't help)
• Avoid hot baths, saunas, strenuous exercise

Embryo Freezing

If you have additional good-quality embryos:

• They'll be vitrified (frozen)
• Stored for future use
• Can be used for siblings or if first transfer doesn't succeed
• Storage costs: €200-400/year

Weeks 6-8: The Two-Week Wait

Returning Home

Most patients fly home 1-2 days after transfer.

Safe to fly: Yes, flying doesn't affect implantation.

Continue medications:

• Progesterone support (vaginal or injections)
• Any other prescribed supplements
• Don't stop until clinic advises

The Waiting

The two-week wait (TWW) is emotionally the hardest part.

What's happening:

• Days 1-3: Embryo hatches from shell
• Days 4-5: Embryo attaches to uterine lining
• Days 6-9: Implantation deepens
• Days 10-14: hCG levels rise if pregnant

Symptoms (or lack thereof):

• Some women feel nothing
• Some have mild cramping or spotting
• Symptoms don't reliably indicate success or failure
• Try not to read too much into how you feel

Pregnancy Test (Day 10-14)

Blood test (beta hCG):

• More accurate than home tests
• Can be done at local clinic
• Results same day
• Clinic will advise on result and next steps

If positive:

• Continue progesterone
• Early pregnancy scan at 6-7 weeks
• Transition to OB care

If negative:

• Stop progesterone
• Follow-up consultation with clinic
• Discuss next steps and any protocol adjustments

Sample Timeline: Your Porto IVF Journey

Week	What Happens	Where
Week 1	Video consultation	Home
Week 2	Fertility testing	Local clinic
Week 3	Start stimulation meds	Home
Week 3.5	Fly to Porto	Travel
Week 4	Daily monitoring	Porto
Week 4.5	Trigger shot	Porto
Week 5	Egg retrieval	Porto
Week 5	Fertilization	Porto (lab)
Week 5-6	Embryo development	Porto (exploring!)
Week 6	Embryo transfer	Porto
Week 6	Fly home	Travel
Week 6-8	Two-week wait	Home
Week 8	Pregnancy test	Local clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do monitoring at home instead of traveling early?

Yes. Many patients do initial monitoring locally and only travel to Porto for the final 4-5 days of stimulation, retrieval, and transfer. This reduces your time in Porto to about 7-10 days.

What if my cycle gets cancelled?

Cycles are occasionally cancelled if response to medication is poor (too few follicles) or too strong (risk of overstimulation). The clinic will discuss options: adjusting protocol, converting to IUI, or trying again next cycle.

How many days off work do I need?

Plan for 10-14 days total. Many patients work remotely during the monitoring phase and only take a few days fully off around retrieval and transfer.

Can my partner be there for retrieval and transfer?

Absolutely. Partners are welcome and encouraged. For retrieval, they'll wait in recovery. For transfer, many clinics allow partners in the room to share the moment.

What if I need a frozen embryo transfer later?

FET cycles are simpler: no stimulation, just preparing your uterine lining. You'd need about 5-7 days in Porto. Success rates are similar to fresh transfers.

Plan Your Treatment

Understanding the timeline helps you prepare practically and emotionally. Every woman's cycle is slightly different, but this framework gives you a clear picture of what to expect.

Book a free consultation to discuss your personal timeline and start planning your IVF journey to Porto.

---

Nestiva coordinates your entire IVF timeline in Porto—from initial consultation scheduling to pregnancy test support. We're with you every step of the way.