There are many various combinations of IVF treatment, these are egg donation, surrogacy, sperm donation both egg and sperm donation, egg sharing, egg freezing and intrauterine insemination.
The first step in your IVF cycle would be getting a referral and having all necessary investigations to confirm infertility using the conventional methods. For the female the tests could include various hormone tests, ultrasound scans, potentially dye tests where they look into the structure of Fallopian tubes for example and sometimes laparoscopy to look for endometriosis.
Once the cause has been detected then you will be given a fertility plan in which would detail the treatments specific for your needs/journey. There can be a number of medications used or not dependent on your needs,these vary depending on the route taken. You can have natural cycle IVF where they take and fertilize a egg from your monthly cycle (this requires no medications). There is mic cycle IVF which is where you have a lower level of IVF treatment drugs. There is an option of eggs being matured in the laboratory before being fertilized. There is a method of injecting sperm into the ovary which can be used for low count sperm. There is a method allowing the embryo to break out its outer shell prior to insertion though no evidence suggesting this is effective.
Each treatment will depend on age, medical history, cause of infertility and your response to previous treatments if any.
If you are are suitable for conventional IVF then you will monitor for your cycle and then let your doctor know in order for you to begin folic stimulating hormone as an injection. This is then also monitored via the form of blood and ultrasound scans in order to retrieve the ovary where a needle is attached to the ultrasound scanner and inserted to collect the eggs. Prior to collecting the ovary you will have a “trigger shot” which encourages the eggs to mature and release from the follicle for them to collect. The eggs are then fertilized and left for a period of 6 days to have the best chance of successful development. Once ready you then go through the insemination in clinics where a small tube is inserted like with your smear test.
You then wait up to two weeks in order to complete a home pregnancy test or doctors blood test to confirm/deny the result.
Hopefully this breaks down the process for those thinking about this i am no expert and would advise that you do your research prior to commencing treatment.