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Preparing for egg retrieval usually involves medication, clinic monitoring and temporary lifestyle changes during the weeks leading up to your procedure.
Understanding each phase can help you stay organized as your fertility clinic adjusts treatment based on your response.
If you're creating embryos for surrogacy, American Surrogacy can help you plan what comes after retrieval.
Speak with a surrogacy specialist today to learn about matching, costs and your next steps.
How to Prepare for Egg Retrieval: 2 to 4 Weeks Before
Your clinic may begin cycle preparation several weeks before retrieval, although ovarian stimulation itself commonly lasts around 8–14 days.
You'll take prescribed medications while your clinic uses bloodwork and ultrasounds to track follicle growth.
Your medication schedule helps several follicles develop during the same cycle, increasing the number of eggs potentially available for retrieval.
Your clinic may adjust your dosage as your follicles grow and hormone levels change.
Our guide to IVF medications explains the medications you may encounter and their roles during stimulation.
What to Eat Before Egg Retrieval
Focus on balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates throughout ovarian stimulation.
Staying hydrated can also help you manage the bloating or fullness that sometimes develops as your ovaries enlarge.
You generally don't need a special "egg retrieval diet" unless your fertility clinic recommends one.
Follow your clinic's instructions if they differ from general nutrition guidance.
What to Avoid Before Egg Retrieval
Avoid smoking, recreational drugs and any medications or supplements your fertility clinic hasn't approved. Ask your care team specifically about alcohol because recommendations can vary by clinic and treatment plan.
Your doctor may also restrict high-impact exercise, heavy lifting or intense workouts as your ovaries become enlarged.
These precautions can reduce discomfort and the risk of ovarian torsion.
You may also need to avoid sexual intercourse during part of your stimulation cycle.
Follow your clinic's instructions and review our complete egg retrieval do's and don'ts.
What to Do 36 Hours Before Egg Retrieval: The Trigger Shot
Your trigger shot completes the final stage of egg maturation and must be taken at the time your clinic specifies.
Retrieval is then carefully scheduled before ovulation occurs.
Set multiple alarms and confirm your injection instructions before leaving the clinic or speaking with your nurse.
Contact your clinic promptly if you're late, miss your dose or have trouble administering the medication.
You'll also need an adult to drive you home after retrieval because sedation temporarily affects coordination and judgment.
The Night Before Egg Retrieval
Follow your clinic's fasting instructions carefully before receiving sedation or anesthesia. Your clinic will tell you exactly when to stop eating and drinking based on your scheduled procedure.
Take any approved medications exactly as instructed and avoid products your clinic has asked you not to use.
Some fertility centers request that patients skip perfume, scented lotions or other fragranced products around the embryology laboratory.
Pack your identification and wear loose, comfortable clothing that's easy to change after retrieval.
Your clinic should provide specific arrival instructions before procedure day.
What Happens the Morning of Egg Retrieval?
Arrive at the time provided by your clinic so your care team can prepare you without rushing. A nurse will typically check your vital signs, confirm your information and review your medications.
You'll also meet with the anesthesia team and have an IV placed before the procedure.
Ask any remaining questions before sedation begins so you understand what to expect during recovery.
Most egg retrievals use IV sedation or another form of anesthesia, depending on your clinic's protocol. You shouldn't drive yourself home afterward.
The Egg Retrieval Procedure
Egg retrieval is usually a short outpatient procedure performed under ultrasound guidance.
Your physician passes a thin needle through the vaginal wall to collect fluid from your ovarian follicles.
The procedure itself often takes about 20–30 minutes, although timing depends on the number of follicles being retrieved.
The collected follicular fluid goes directly to the embryology laboratory.
Embryologists identify and count the retrieved eggs before preparing mature eggs for fertilization or another planned laboratory step.
Recovery After Egg Retrieval
Most people go home the same day and spend the next day or two recovering.
Mild cramping, bloating, pelvic pressure and light spotting can occur after retrieval.
Follow your clinic's instructions about exercise, bathing, sexual activity and pain medication while your ovaries recover. Your clinic may recommend additional restrictions based on your response to stimulation.
Contact your fertility clinic for severe or worsening pain, heavy bleeding, breathing problems or other symptoms your care team identifies.
Rapid weight gain or significant swelling may indicate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and should be evaluated promptly.
If IVF Doesn't Result in Pregnancy, American Surrogacy Can Help You Continue Building Your Family
If you're creating embryos for gestational surrogacy, retrieval is one major step toward becoming ready for surrogate matching.
Your embryos can remain frozen while you prepare for the next stages of your family-building plan.
American Surrogacy helps coordinate matching, screening and next steps so you can move from embryo creation to transfer with less uncertainty.
Our nationwide agency pre-screens prospective surrogates through medical, psychological and background evaluations, helping you review qualified matches with greater confidence.
With average matching times of 1 - 6 months and Limited Risk Program protections, you can keep your journey moving while reducing the financial impact of an unexpected rematch.
Protecting Your Path to Parenthood With American Surrogacy
You don't need to wait until egg retrieval or embryo freezing is complete to start planning for surrogacy. Early preparation can help you coordinate fertility treatment with matching, budgeting and the broader timeline ahead.
American Surrogacy can explain your program options and help you understand what needs to happen before embryo transfer.
Call 1-800-875-2229 or request a free consultation to talk with an American Surrogacy specialist about your next step.