Why would an IVF cycle be cancelled?

Usually because too few follicles grow. A cycle can also be stopped if the ovaries respond too strongly, raising the risk of OHSS, or if eggs are released before they can be collected.

What should I do right after my cycle is cancelled?

Ask which medicines to stop and which to keep, whether you still need blood tests or scans, and who to call with problems. Then book a follow-up to talk about what this cycle showed.

Does a cancelled cycle mean IVF won't work for me?

A cancelled cycle does not tell you that by itself. After a poor response, a different medicine plan may help, but no change can promise a better result. Your doctor can explain what this cycle showed and what your choices are.

Why was my embryo transfer postponed?

Reasons can include a higher risk of OHSS, very high hormone levels during stimulation, planned genetic testing of embryos, or a uterine lining that needs more time to thicken.

IVF cycle cancelled? What it means and what to ask

A cancelled cycle does not, by itself, tell you whether another attempt will work. Before anything else, find out which medicines to stop or keep, whether you still need blood tests or scans, and who to call if you feel unwell. The warning signs to watch for are at the end of this page. Your clinic's instructions come first.

Three different situations

"Cancelled" can mean different things, and each leads to different next steps:

Treatment stopped before egg retrieval. No eggs were collected this time. The questions are why the cycle stopped and what could change next time.
Transfer postponed, with embryos available. Your eggs were collected and embryos are frozen and stored. Only the transfer date moves.
No embryo available for transfer. Eggs were collected, but no embryo developed far enough to be transferred or frozen. Eggs may not fertilize, and embryos can stop growing in the lab.

Ask your clinic which of these describes your cycle, because the rest of this page depends on it.

What to do first

These questions matter today, before any talk about the next try:

Which medicines should I stop today, and which should I keep taking?
Do I still need blood tests or scans this cycle?
Who do I call with questions, and what is the after-hours number?
What should I do with medicines I have left over?
Will I get a period, and when should I expect it?
Do I still have eggs or embryos frozen? How many?

Write the answers down, or bring someone to take notes, because instructions can change quickly when a plan stops.

Why treatment is stopped before retrieval

Too few follicles grew

This is the usual reason. Follicles are small sacs of fluid in the ovaries, and each holds an egg. If only a few grow, the clinic may stop before retrieval. Cancellations for a low response become more common with age, especially after 35.

After a poor response, a different medicine plan may help in a future try. It can't promise a better result. Learn about the options in IVF stimulation protocols.

The ovaries responded too strongly

Sometimes too many follicles grow. This raises the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), where the ovaries swell and leak fluid into the belly. The cycle may be cancelled to protect your body from the effect of high hormones.

Eggs were released too early

Medicines are used to stop your body from releasing eggs before retrieval, but in a small number of cycles it happens anyway. Eggs are meant to be collected before they are released. Once they have left the follicles, they can't be collected well, and no one knows when they matured. So the cycle is usually cancelled.

Retrieval was called off at the last minute

This is rare. It may happen because you ovulated too soon, your hormones dropped, or for other medical reasons.

Why an embryo transfer gets postponed

When a transfer is postponed, your embryos stay frozen and stored, and the transfer moves to a later date. Reasons include:

OHSS risk. Freezing all embryos and transferring later is a reasonable choice when OHSS is a risk.
High hormone levels. Very high hormone levels during stimulation may affect the lining of the uterus, so your doctor may suggest freezing all embryos.
Genetic testing. If you chose testing of your embryos, freezing them makes that testing possible.
Your lining needs more time. In a frozen transfer, the lining of the uterus sometimes takes longer than expected to thicken. You may need more hormones and more monitoring visits, which can change the date and add cost.

Read more in freeze-all cycle and frozen embryo transfer.

When no embryo is available

On rare occasions, eggs don't fertilize, even with ICSI (a lab method that places one sperm into each egg). Fertilized eggs can also stop developing. Cleveland Clinic notes that, on average, about half of fertilized eggs reach the blastocyst stage. Our guide to embryo development explains the lab steps, and questions after a failed IVF cycle can help you plan the follow-up talk.

Questions for your follow-up visit

Why was my cycle stopped or my transfer moved? Was it about my safety, my chances, or both?
What did my blood tests and scans show?
What would you change next time, and why?
Would freezing all embryos make sense for me?
What will this cost, and does my coverage change?
What are my choices now, including taking a break?

How long until the next try?

Your clinic will set the timing. Most treatment centers recommend one full menstrual cycle between IVF cycles, and a short break is usually advised for health, financial and emotional reasons. Ask how the reason treatment stopped, your recovery and your next plan affect the timing for you.

If your transfer was postponed, ask what needs to happen first. A frozen transfer does not need stimulation or another egg retrieval.

Support for how you feel

IVF can be hard on the body and the mind, and many people going through it struggle with depression and anxiety. A cancelled cycle can add to that. Many IVF clinics have a mental health professional on staff, so you can ask yours for a name. It can also help to decide who you want to tell, and what, before people ask for updates.

When to get help

Your body may still be reacting to the medicines after treatment stops. OHSS symptoms often start within a week after the stimulation medicines, and they can take up to two weeks to show up.

Call your clinic right away, day or night, if you have:

A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.
Heavy bleeding: soaking a full-size pad with bright red blood in less than an hour, or bleeding heavier than a period. Before a retrieval, call for bleeding your clinic did not tell you to expect or a brown, watery discharge.
Belly or pelvic pain that is sudden or severe, gets worse, or isn't eased by the pain relief your clinic recommended.
Pain and bloating in your belly, or bloating that is getting worse.
Nausea and vomiting, nausea that won't go away, or you can't keep fluids down.
Peeing less than usual, even if you are not thirsty.
Fast weight gain. Your clinic will tell you its number, but do not wait to reach a weight threshold if you feel unwell.
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint.
Pain, redness or warmth in an arm or leg.
Blood in your urine, or pain when you pee or poop.
Discharge from your vagina that smells bad, after a retrieval.

Tell your clinic at your next contact about other milder symptoms that are new, don't go away or slowly get worse.

A cancelled cycle does not tell you, by itself, whether another attempt will work. Ask what this cycle showed, what could change and what choices you have, including taking a break.

IVF cycle cancelled or transfer postponed: what it means, what to ask