During the course of IVF, eggs are obtained from the female after her ovaries have been stimulated with infertility drugs. While under a short period of sedation and with the use of ultrasound guidance, a needle is inserted into the ovaries and eggs are aspirated. These eggs are then fertilized in the laboratory (in-vitro) with the partner's sperm and the developing embryos are cultured from three to six days.

Embryo transfer could be performed on day 3 of the IVF process or on day 5 at the blastocyst stage of embryo development. The embryo transfer procedure is performed with a tiny catheter, usually unperceivable to the patient, in which embryos are placed into the uterine cavity.