The IVF Process Step by Step for International Patients

Step 1: Initial Consultation and Fertility Testing

Every IVF journey begins with understanding why conception has been difficult and whether in vitro fertilization is the right path. During the initial consultation, a board-certified fertility specialist reviews your medical history, any previous treatments and your goals. This conversation is the foundation of your personalized plan, and for international patients it can usually begin by video before you ever travel.

Testing follows for both partners. For the woman, this typically includes blood work to measure ovarian reserve, most commonly the AMH hormone and a count of resting follicles seen on a transvaginal ultrasound, along with thyroid and other hormone levels. For the man, a semen analysis assesses sperm count, movement and shape. Additional tests may screen for infectious diseases or uterine conditions that could affect implantation.

These results let your specialist estimate how your ovaries are likely to respond and choose the medication protocol most suited to you. Honest, individualized planning at this stage is what separates a thoughtful clinic from a production line. If you are still weighing your options, our overview of fertility treatment in Colombia explains the wider range of services available, and you can learn how we work on the HealthBridge home page.

Step 2: Ovarian Stimulation and Monitoring

In a natural cycle a woman usually releases a single egg each month. The goal of IVF stimulation is to encourage the ovaries to mature several eggs at once, which raises the chances of obtaining healthy embryos. This is achieved with daily hormone injections, given just under the skin, over roughly 10 to 12 days. The medications are the same kind your body produces naturally, in carefully controlled doses.

Many patients are understandably nervous about self-injecting, but the needles are very fine and your care team teaches you exactly how and when to administer each dose. Mild side effects such as bloating, tenderness or mood changes are common and usually temporary.

Throughout stimulation you are monitored closely with periodic transvaginal ultrasounds and blood tests, typically every few days, to watch how your follicles grow and to adjust the dose. This monitoring is where international patients gain real flexibility. With coordination between your specialist in Medellin and a clinic or provider near your home, much of the early monitoring can often be done locally, so you travel only when retrieval is approaching. Dra. Olga Gonzalez helps arrange this coordination so the two teams stay in step.

Step 3: The Trigger Shot and Egg Retrieval

When monitoring shows that enough follicles have reached the right size, your specialist schedules a final injection known as the trigger shot. This medication completes the maturation of the eggs and sets a precise clock: retrieval is performed about 34 to 36 hours later, so the timing of this injection is exact and important.

Egg retrieval is a short procedure, usually 15 to 20 minutes, performed under light sedation so you feel no pain. Guided by ultrasound, the specialist passes a thin needle through the vaginal wall to gently aspirate the fluid from each mature follicle. An embryologist immediately examines that fluid under a microscope to locate and collect the eggs. There are no incisions and no stitches.

You rest for a couple of hours afterward and can return to your accommodation the same day, with someone to accompany you since you have been sedated. Some cramping and light spotting are normal. For international patients, retrieval marks the point in the journey that genuinely requires being in Medellin, which is why this stage anchors the travel schedule that HealthBridge helps you plan.

Step 4: Fertilization, ICSI and Embryo Culture

On the day of retrieval, the eggs meet the sperm in the laboratory. There are two main methods. In conventional IVF, prepared sperm and eggs are placed together in a dish and fertilization happens on its own. In ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), an embryologist selects a single healthy sperm and injects it directly into each mature egg. ICSI is often recommended when sperm quality is reduced or when previous attempts at fertilization have failed.

The fertilized eggs, now called embryos, are kept in a specialized incubator that mimics the conditions of the body. Over the next three to five days the embryologist watches them develop and divide. Many clinics aim to culture embryos to the blastocyst stage around day five, because embryos that reach this point tend to be the strongest candidates for a successful pregnancy.

At this stage you may also choose preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), an optional add-on in which a few cells are sampled from each blastocyst to screen for chromosomal abnormalities. PGT can be valuable for older patients or those with a history of miscarriage, but it adds cost and is not necessary for everyone. Your specialist will explain honestly whether it is likely to benefit your particular case. If you are still building your family plan, our guide to egg freezing covers a related option for preserving fertility.

Step 5: Embryo Transfer — Fresh or Frozen

Transferring an embryo to the uterus is a gentle, quick procedure that usually requires no sedation and feels similar to a routine gynecological exam. Using a soft, thin catheter guided by ultrasound, the specialist places the selected embryo into the uterine cavity. Most patients rest briefly and resume normal light activity the same day.

There are two timing options. In a fresh transfer, the embryo is placed a few days after retrieval, within the same cycle. In a frozen embryo transfer (FET), the embryos are cryopreserved and transferred in a later cycle, after your body has recovered from stimulation and the uterine lining has been prepared with hormones. Many specialists now favor frozen transfers because the uterine environment is often more receptive, and they are essential whenever you choose PGT, since genetic results take time to return.

For international patients, the choice between fresh and frozen also shapes travel. A frozen transfer lets you return home after retrieval, allow your embryos to be tested or simply give your body a rest, then come back to Medellin for a short, well-timed transfer visit. Your specialist recommends the approach that gives you the best chance, and HealthBridge helps you coordinate the two trips so the timing fits your life and work.

Step 6: The Two-Week Wait and Your Pregnancy Test

After the transfer comes the stage patients describe as the hardest: the two-week wait. During roughly 9 to 14 days, the embryo, if all goes well, implants into the uterine lining. You will usually take progesterone to support the lining, and your specialist will advise you to continue normal gentle activity while avoiding strenuous exercise.

At the end of this window a blood test measuring the hormone beta-hCG confirms whether implantation has occurred. A blood test is far more accurate than a home urine test, which is why your clinic schedules it precisely. If the result is positive, monitoring continues with early ultrasounds; if it is negative, your specialist reviews the cycle with you compassionately and discusses next steps, which may include a frozen transfer of remaining embryos.

It is important to be honest about outcomes. IVF success depends strongly on age and individual factors, and no responsible clinic can promise a result. Younger patients generally have higher chances per cycle, and these decline gradually with age, especially after the mid-thirties and more sharply in the forties. Some patients conceive on a first cycle, while others need more than one. Understanding this from the start protects you emotionally and financially, and it is why we never quote inflated statistics. For a clear breakdown of what a cycle involves financially, see our guide to IVF cost in Colombia.

Throughout every stage, HealthBridge acts as your facilitator rather than a clinic, connecting you with board-certified fertility specialists and embryologists, coordinating your monitoring between home and Medellin, and supporting you in plain language. Dra. Olga Gonzalez, our medical director and coordinator, walks beside you from the first consultation to that final phone call with your result.