Clinic Shutdown Periods Can Cost You Months: How to Plan Your IVF Timing
Written by Sydney Brickey, founder of WeFertility
Last updated: October 12, 2026
Ask your clinic about shutdown periods before you start, then plan your cycle around them. Find out too late and you can lose a month or two, because you only get one chance a month.
We almost did. Here's what happened, what to ask, and how to keep your timeline straight.
What is a fertility clinic shutdown period?
It's a stretch when your clinic pauses some or all treatment. Ours was over December and early January. Clinics can pause for holidays, lab maintenance, or staff time off.
It's not always on the website. Nobody may mention it until you're already counting on those dates.
Why can a shutdown cost you more than a few weeks?
Because IVF runs on your body's cycle, not the clinic's calendar.
You can't just start the day they reopen. If your cycle doesn't line up, you wait for the next one. A two-week closure can turn into two months.
And it's not only the closure itself. Bloodwork, consults, counseling, insurance approvals, and medication orders all have to be done before you start. If one of those is still hanging when the clinic closes, you miss the window anyway.
What happened to us
Three rounds of IUI didn't work. We were ready to pivot to IVF, and honestly, we were tired of waiting.
Gina was the one calling and emailing our clinic constantly. This was one of those calls that paid off. She asked about timing early and found out our clinic shut down over December and early January.
Because she asked, we started in November. Retrieval was right before Thanksgiving. Our transfer was February 4.
If we'd found out in December, we would have lost about two months. When you've already been through three rounds of IUI, two more months feels like forever.
What should you ask your clinic about timing?
Bring this list to your next appointment:
- Do you have any shutdown periods coming up? When exactly?
- What pauses during a shutdown: monitoring, retrievals, transfers, or all of it?
- If we want to start before the shutdown, when do we need to begin?
- What has to be done before we can start? (bloodwork, consults, counseling, consents)
- How long does insurance approval usually take?
- How far ahead should we order medications?
- If we're using a known donor, what has to be finished first?
That last one matters. Our clinic told us right away we needed a known donor agreement, and counseling was required before we could move forward. Those take time to schedule.
How do you plan IVF timing around a shutdown?
Work backward. If your clinic closes mid-December, what has to be done by November? By October?
This is where WeFertility does the heavy lifting:
| What to plan | How it works in WeFertility |
|---|---|
| Shutdown dates | Add them as a task with dates so they show up on the calendar you already use. |
| Steps before you start | Add each step in order. See what's active, what needs attention, what's blocked, and what's done. |
| Insurance approval | Assign it to whoever's handling calls that week. |
| Medications | Log the bill when it hits and track pending reimbursements. Look for nonprofit help before you start. |
| Counseling and legal | Add the sessions and appointments, and assign them to your partner or known donor. |
When something's blocked, you see it in October, not in December when it's too late.
This is our experience, not medical or legal advice. Talk to your clinic, attorney, or tax professional.
How WeFertility helps
WeFertility remembers, so you don't have to. Every step, every date, and who's doing what, synced to the calendar you already use. Try it free for 30 days, then it's less than a coffee a month. Download WeFertility on the App Store.
New to IVF? Start with how to split the tasks with your partner, or check out our FAQ.