A standard IVF treatment consists of different stages that are interconnected and need to be organized very carefully. The outcome of each stage is considered a benchmark of success for the next stage.First, the ovaries are stimulated, and then the eggs are retrieved and fertilized with sperm in the embryology lab. The appearance of two pronuclei is the first sign of successful fertilization. 3-4 cell embryos are observed two days after fertilization. Embryos containing 6-8 or more cells are observed 72 hours after fertilization (Day 3). Four days after fertilization, most normal embryos have reached the morula stage. On the fifth day after fertilization, most normal embryos have reached the blastocyst stage. The embryo or embryos with the highest pregnancy potential are transferred into the uterus with the help of a special catheter.This process that is called embryo transfer is the most important step in IVF treatment. A blastocyst consisting an average of 100 cell is generally preferred for transfer. No matter how high-quality an embryo is, the most important key for a successful treatment is to cause no trauma to the mother's uterus during the procedure; that is, transferring the embryo without disturbing the environment in which the embryo will attach to the uterus. In IVF, there are different embryo transfer options such as transferring the 2nd, the 3rd, or the 5th day-embryos. The day of the transfer is decided by considering the embryo quality, the number of developing embryos, the age of the patient, and whether a genetic diagnosis is required or not.The embryo or embryos to be transferred are checked and made ready for transfer 4 hours before the transfer procedure.

Embryo transfer is a painless outpatient procedure and doesn’t require any anesthesia.Since the embryo transfer requires an external abdominal ultrasound which allows a second physician to visualize the procedure while the gynecologist or embryologist guiding the catheter into the uterus for embryo transfer, the patient needs to come in with a full bladder to ease the procedure.The patient is taken to the operation room in the IVF center and is prepared on the gynecological table as if she were going to have a gynecological check‑up.A vaginal speculum is inserted. Vaginal region and outer region cleaned with square gauze patches moistened with sterile saline. Secretions, if any, are removed from the cervix.Depending on the preference of the physician, a trial entry into the uterus is made under the guidance of an abdominal ultrasound. This helps understand whether the embryo transfer procedure is delicate or not. Now, the patient, the physician and the embryologist are ready for the transfer.The catheter containing the embryo is gently guided through the cervix, under the guidance of abdominal ultrasound, and the embryo is slowly released into the uterus. The transfer catheter is then slowly withdrawn and checked to ensure that the embryo has been released into the uterus.The embryo transfer doesn’t usually take more than ten or fifteen minutes. Afterwards, the patient lies her back with her knees bent in the operating theatre for an additional ten minutes. After leaving the operating theatre, the patient proceeds resting in a recovery room a bit longer, and then she is discharged in 30-60 minutes.12 days after the transfer, a blood pregnancy test is performed. It is recommended that the patient should avoid strenuous physical activities for three days, and abstain from intercourse at least until having a blood pregnancy test.