Transfer of embryos into the uterine cavity is the final stage in the artificial insemination procedure. After this, any patient is interested in whether it is possible to do a pregnancy test after embryo transfer, and on what day a more reliable result will be obtained.
Post-implantation stage
In life expectant mother, after the transfer of embryos, new rules and restrictions appear. Following simple recommendations given by experts will help increase your chances of positive result during the protocol.
On the day after embryo transfer, it is not recommended to take water procedures; you should avoid active rest, lifting and carrying heavy objects, intimacy and tight clothing that interferes with normal blood circulation in the pelvis.
It is necessary to take special care of yourself in the first 48 hours after the procedure and comply with the following conditions:
- adequate sleep, at least eight hours;
- half hour walking tour fresh air, at least three times during the day;
- exclusion of unhealthy foods from the diet and the introduction of natural products containing vitamins and microelements in large quantities;
- drink at least two liters of clean water per day;
- try not to visit places with large crowds of people to avoid contracting infectious diseases.
After implantation, for 14 days, a woman may not feel any changes in her body, which does not mean there is no pregnancy. The most reliable result will be shown by a blood test, which the patient takes at the clinic 14 days after the embryo transplant.
Indirect symptoms of pregnancy
If any of the symptoms manifest themselves clearly and frequently, you should consult with your doctor in order to promptly exclude the possibility of a natural termination of pregnancy.
Many women, a few days after the transplant, discover symptoms indicating a possible pregnancy:
- pain in the mammary glands and their swelling;
- frequent manifestations of nausea, vomiting, general weakness. During pregnancy using IVF, these signs appear more clearly than with natural conception, due to taking a large dose of hormonal drugs;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- lack of menstrual flow;
- feeling of discomfort in the abdomen, aching pain in the lumbar region;
- vaginal discharge is white, transparent, and odorless, which is associated with an increasing blood supply to the uterine tissue. If there is heavy discharge, you should consult your doctor, as it can be a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms.
But similar symptoms can be caused by other reasons. For example, a high dose of hormonal drugs that were prescribed to a woman during preparation for IVF. Occasionally, especially very emotional patients, discover non-existent pregnancy symptoms. Don't bring yourself to a nervous state. It is important to be patient and closely monitor your well-being.
Time for the test
The answer from doctors to the question of when you can take a pregnancy test after embryo transfer is clear - after at least 14 days. At the same time, the most reliable indicators will not be the indicators of tests purchased at the pharmacy, but the data from a blood test for human chorionic gonadotropin and an ultrasound examination.
How long after embryo transfer will the test show pregnancy? On the 15th day after embryo transfer, home testing can be done. Positive test pregnancy after embryo transfer means that its probability is very high. If one stripe appears, this is not a reason to claim that the embryo did not take root. Even the most sensitive test can show an incorrect result.
For many women trying to find out the results of IVF as quickly as possible, the test showed 2 stripes earlier than 14 DPP, but a blood test taken for the level of the gonadotropin hormone gave the opposite indicators.
The reasons for the discrepancies may be:
- according to the test results, a chemical pregnancy was detected when the embryo was located at the uterine wall, but implantation did not occur for some reason;
- Before puncture of the follicles, the woman is injected with the hCG hormone, and if it has not left the body, especially sensitive tests show two stripes.
A test on days after embryo transfer, at home, shows different values: positive, weakly positive and negative. Dynamics of pregnancy tests done in different days may vary significantly. Until the 11th day, only one stripe may appear, on the 12th – 13th day a barely noticeable second stripe may appear, and only on the 14th day two clearly defined stripes may appear. Therefore, it is not worth doing the test before the end of the recommended period after implantation; it is better to wait the allotted time and conduct testing after removing the artificially introduced hormone from the body.
Test result
A negative pregnancy test after embryo transfer most often occurs during the first protocol of the procedure. But, do not despair, but should be determined for further treatment, new attempts and not lose hope for a positive result.
If you do a test after embryo transfer, before 14 days have passed, you can get a positive result, and by donating blood for the hCG level and performing an ultrasound, it will turn out that an ectopic pregnancy has occurred.
In the IVF protocol, embryos are implanted into the uterine cavity different stages development - three days and five days, at the blastocyst stage, and the latter have better survival rate.
After transferring 3 day old embryos, tests show pregnancy on days 11-12, and then the second stripe will be barely visible and not in all patients. After transferring a 5-day embryo, the test will show pregnancy on days 8-10, while the second stripe will not be much lighter than the first, or they will both be equally bright.
But, all tests are an additional measure and are not considered reliable until an analysis is taken to determine human chorionic gonadotropin, secreted only by the membrane of the embryo attached to the uterus. How many strips it shows depends on the characteristics of the body and the rate of removal of the artificially introduced hormone before the procedure, which takes from 7 to 10 days.
If a woman does take a home test ahead of schedule, regardless of the result obtained, she should wait for the blood test. It is important to remember that any of them can show a false result, so you should not be nervous ahead of time, since unnecessary worries will not benefit either the expectant mother or, possibly, the new life that has begun.
The success of IVF should be judged by the result, namely the occurrence of pregnancy, which will become known as a result of a pregnancy test after embryo transfer. We will talk further about when such a test can be done.
Placing the baby into the uterus is the final stage of artificial insemination. After all the procedures performed, the patient is interested in the most main question about whether it is already possible to take a pregnancy test after embryo transfer and whether you can count on a positive result.
After embryo implantation
After, the life of the expectant mother changes greatly. This creates new restrictions and recommendations that must be followed. It is important to follow all this in order to get the planned result after completing the protocol.
On the day of the embryo transfer, you cannot shower. In this case, preference should be given to a measured, calm pace of life, where there is time for proper rest. It is forbidden to lift weights, refuse sex and clothes that rub and hinder movement. Otherwise, optimal blood circulation in the pelvic area is disrupted. You should treat yourself with special trepidation and care in the first days after fertilization.
The following measures must be observed:
- Create all the conditions for good sleep, which will last at least 8 hours.
- Don’t forget about walking – it should be done no more than 3 times a day.
- Be sure to exclude unhealthy, high-calorie foods from your diet, and replace them with healthy natural products that contain many vitamins and microelements.
- Drink plenty of clean water.
- It is better not to visit places where there are a lot of people. This is necessary to avoid possible infection.
After the embryo is implanted, for a couple of weeks the woman may not feel her new position or the changes occurring in the body. But this does not mean that pregnancy has not occurred. A reliable result will be demonstrated by a blood test. It should be taken 2 weeks after implantation.
How to recognize pregnancy (indirect symptoms)
If any of the listed symptoms are obvious and create discomfort, you should consult a doctor. This is necessary to exclude the possibility of miscarriage.
There are those women who, a few days after implantation, experience the following symptoms that indicate pregnancy:
- swelling, pain in the mammary glands;
- vomiting, nausea, weakness of the whole body. During pregnancy with the help of IVF, such symptoms are more pronounced. This occurs as a result of taking hormonal drugs;
- constant urge to urinate;
- no menstruation;
- discomfort in the abdomen, aching pain in the lumbar area.
Vaginal discharge has become thick and white. This is due to the fact that blood circulation in the uterus has increased. If the discharge is abundant, then in this case you should consult a doctor. This is necessary because there is a possibility of developing an unfavorable environment.
But these signs may be the result of other reasons. For example, they arise due to an increased dose of hormonal drugs prescribed to a woman when she was preparing for IVF. There are cases where overly emotional women have exhibited similar symptoms. But in this case they arise due to nervousness. You need to be patient and monitor your own condition.
When can you take a pregnancy test?
The answer to the question of when the test should be performed after the embryo transfer procedure is clear. The test should be done on the 14th day after the transfer. But the best, in terms of reliability, will not be tests purchased at the nearest store, but blood tests and ultrasound.
Pregnancy test
How long after the embryo is transferred will the test show two lines? The result will definitely be visible on day 15. Positive data indicates the odds are incredibly high. But with one line on the test, don’t despair. This does not mean that the embryo did not take root. Even the most sensitive test cannot show a guaranteed 100% result.
Here is a clear example of testing from day 6 after embryo transfer to day 14. Strips from different manufacturers were used. As you can see, the second strip begins to appear only from the 8th day after the transfer. Therefore, for an accurate result at home, it is recommended to take a pregnancy test 14 days after embryo transfer.
Pregnancy tests from 6 to 14 days after embryo transfer For some women who are in a hurry to quickly find out the results of IVF and decide to take the test earlier than 14 days, the test shows 2 stripes, but when testing the hormone level, different results are given.
The reasons include the following aspects:
- Based on the results of testing, a chemical pregnancy was revealed. This is the name of the phenomenon in which the embryo was located near the uterine wall. However, there was no complete implantation of the embryo.
- Before puncturing the follicles, the woman was injected with the hCG hormone. If it is still in the body, the test may show 2 stripes.
The test, carried out at home, demonstrates a variety of indicators: weakly positive, positive, and also negative. The dynamics of tests performed on different days may vary. Until the 10th day, only one stripe appears, but on the 13th day a pale second stripe appears. But on day 14-15 both stripes are clearly visible. This is why the recommended test completion time must be followed. It is important to wait until it is time to test.
Test results
A negative test after implantation is possible. It happens under the conditions of the first protocol of the procedure. However, there is no need to despair, but therapy should be continued. Don't lose hope to get the desired result.
HCG norms after transfer of 3 and 5 day old embryos During IVF, embryos at different stages of development are implanted into the uterus - five-day-old, three-day-old, blastocysts. It has been proven that It is blastocysts that have much better survival rates.
If a 3-day embryo was transferred, the test will show pregnancy already on the 12th day. But the other strip will be almost invisible. But this is not the case for all patients. If a 5-day embryo was transferred, the test will show the fact of pregnancy on the 10th day. In this case, the second stripe will be much lighter than the first. But there is an option that they will be equally saturated.
It is important to note that tests are considered an additional measure and are not reliable. That is why it is necessary to be tested for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, which is secreted by the membrane of the embryo. The number of strips that the test shows depends on the nuances of the body, as well as the rate of excretion of the artificial hormone. These manipulations take no more than 10 days.
In any case, you need to wait for a blood test for hCG, it will definitely show whether pregnancy has occurred or not.
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About the effectiveness of the procedure in vitro fertilization can be judged only 2 weeks after embryo transfer. To determine this, doctors perform an hCG test after IVF. Decoding the results of this study allows you to see whether pregnancy has occurred, track the condition of the fetus, the dynamics of its development, and helps prevent pathology.
The importance of hCG control during artificial insemination
The secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin in the female body increases after the embryo is fixed in the uterine wall. The hormone is produced by the fetal membrane, called the chorion. By the 12th week, it is transformed into the placenta, which supports the viability of the unborn baby until the end of the gestation period. HCG is also injected into the body of a woman wishing to become pregnant to stimulate ovulation. This method is used for both artificial and natural insemination.
Active growth of hCG after implantation is observed by the second week, so the test should be taken no earlier than 14 days after conception. The level of the hormone is monitored throughout the 9 months of bearing a child; with IVF, this control is especially important. This study allows you to determine the type of pregnancy: uterine or ectopic, multiple or not. In addition, IVF pregnancy is characterized by a very high probability of miscarriage, and monitoring gonadotropin levels makes it possible to prevent it.
Methods for determining hormone concentrations
Carrying out a test for gonadotropin during successful IVF is no different from testing during normal conception. The difference is that with natural fertilization, the test will be positive already 6–9 days after this, although it is usually carried out only after a delay in menstruation. During artificial insemination, the level of gonadotropin becomes indicative only two weeks after cryotransfer or insemination.
The simplest test option is to conduct a pregnancy test, which can be done at home. This method is convenient, but not always reliable and often shows a false negative result. And such tests only check the presence of the hormone in the urine, and not the quantity.
More exact method– find out the level of chorionic hormone in the bloodstream. To conduct the study, venous blood is taken from the patient.
It must be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. The result of such a study will determine not only the presence of gonadotropin, but also its level, which during artificial conception is of particular importance for maintaining pregnancy.
Dynamics of hCG growth during in vitro fertilization
The level of chorionic hormone in non-pregnant women is up to 5–7 IU/l (mIU/ml). It increases approximately 5 days after cryotransfer, but the dynamics of hormone release occurs rather slowly. Its concentration increases significantly after a week and a half. To get the most reliable result, doctors recommend repeat tests every 2-3 days.
By the concentration of gonadotropin you can determine:
- whether the fertilized egg has implanted;
- number of embryos (one or several);
- frozen pregnancy;
- fetal pathologies.
A table of hCG values after transfer of three-day and five-day embryos by day will help you evaluate the success of IVF and the course of pregnancy.
Table of hCG and its level by day after embryo transfer
| Embryo age (number of days after puncture) | DPP of a three-day embryo | DPP of a five-day fetus | Least gonadotropin indicator | Average value | Highest indicator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 18 |
| 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 |
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 26 |
| 11 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 45 |
| 12 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 45 | 65 |
| 13 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 73 | 105 |
| 14 | 11 | 9 | 30 | 105 | 770 |
| 15 | 12 | 10 | 39 | 160 | 270 |
| 16 | 13 | 11 | 68 | 260 | 400 |
| 17 | 14 | 12 | 120 | 410 | 580 |
| 18 | 15 | 13 | 220 | 650 | 840 |
HCG level at 10–14 DPP it begins to increase rapidly. For example, the minimum hCG value at 13 DPP is already 22, the maximum is 105. By day 36, the highest value already reaches 78,000, by 42 – more than 120 thousand.
Gonadotropin during multiple pregnancy
To increase the chances of successful IVF, several embryos are transferred, so a woman often gives birth to twins after artificial insemination. Doctors may also suggest preserving and freezing unused embryos in case unsuccessful attempt. With a cryoprotocol, a repeat IVF cycle can be completed faster.
Table HCG level in multiple IVF pregnancies by week
| Fetal week period | Gonadotropin level |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 50-600 |
| 2-3 | 3000–10000 |
| 3-4 | 20000–60000 |
| 4-5 | 40000–2000000 |
| 5-6 | 100000–400000 |
| 6-7 | 100000–400000 |
| 7-8 | 40000–400000 |
| 8-10 | 40000–200000 |
Starting from week 10, the figure reaches 400,000 and increases rapidly, then a slowdown in growth occurs. If a sharp jump is detected, both in the direction of decrease and increase, the doctor prescribes additional studies to eliminate the risks of pathologies of fetal development.
Reasons for hormone reduction during IVF
First of all, a decrease in hCG indicates that fertilization has not occurred. This also happens when ectopic pregnancy or implantation bleeding. A low hormone level may be a sign that the child’s development has stopped or has occurred. fetal death. A similar situation is also observed with a possible threat of miscarriage. Its first signs are a decrease in chorionic hormone by 50% of normal and an increase in body temperature. Symptoms include pain in the lumbar region, the presence of bloody discharge as during menstruation.
In addition, a small level of gonadotropin can be observed with normal, but late pregnancy. This is not a cause for concern, since in this case the embryo develops normally. In any case, if the indicator is underestimated, the patient is sent for a repeat analysis to check whether the result is erroneous. Sometimes the doctor performs additional diagnostics - ultrasound.
Reasons for increased hCG after implantation
It is worth noting that excess gonadotropin secretion is not uncommon. This is usually explained by the fact that during IVF several embryos are implanted, and two survive. If multiple pregnancy is not confirmed, then the reason for the increase in hCG is sought in the woman’s health. High levels of the hormone can be observed during gestosis. It will also grow while taking synthetic gestagens. If gonadotropin is exceeded many times in the second trimester of pregnancy, this indicates possible pathologies in the development of the fetus. Sometimes the reason for growth is taking early stages drugs containing gonadotropin.
My stomach hurts a lot in the morning. Unpleasant nagging pain. I want to climb the wall, not because it’s impossible to endure. Maybe. It’s just crazy that it’s flying by again. It's annoying to go for tests. I'm afraid I won't see anything there and will lose heart completely. 9.06 at my husband’s D/R, if I don’t find out the result before this day, I’ll go crazy at the holiday, I know that I’ll be like in an aquarium, I won’t be able to listen to anyone and I’ll be completely immersed in my thoughts. I find out the result and it turns out to be negative - what a holiday for dogs. In general, all this will be of no use to me.
I bought a massage cape for my car. Those. I ordered until the courier called and confirmed the delivery date. I think I was pleased with the gift. I wish I had a second stripe for his birthday
7DPP (afternoon)
Well, the poet’s soul couldn’t bear it! Feelings conquered reason. The glucophage is running out and like it or not, I had to go to the pharmacy. And there the tests are lying on the shelves and screaming at the top of their lungs: “Take me! I will be useful to you! Dogs. I was persuaded and took two. Soaked. White sheet. And I looked at it from different angles and under different light. Herrr with two, as my beloved Bearded Man says.
I also bought glasses with pink rims. The purchase was a blur. I came home and stared at them for a long time. Then look at yourself in the mirror wearing them. Then look at yourself in the mirror without them. Reproachfully. I ask Natasha in the mirror: “Why did you do this?!” And she is a fool, there is no answer. This torso took revenge for a broken promise not to buy pre-hCG tests.
It became so sickening. And empty. Fuck it, I bought them. Even tomorrow I’ll be jumping around the dough like an old sick monkey around a rotten coconut.
My stomach doesn't seem to hurt at all. I constantly listen to my feelings. I didn't wet the test. I forgot about him. But now I remember and will probably blow me up soon. Olya said yesterday that it is too early for tests, at least at 10 DPP we should try.
I slept through the alarm clock. Every morning at eight he calls to set the morning alarm. Woke up at 8.45. I soaked the test. I thought I was seeing something. But it probably seemed... After 30 minutes I looked at him again. Nothing. One stripe. Or is there something... This is already my desire. I dreamed at night that my period started. And that I drank vodka in a dream. I felt really drunk. And I thought to myself in my sleep: “It’s okay, a little alcohol won’t hurt.”
In general, my stomach feels like M again. Blah.
I finished the last test. Just one stripe. The mood is like this. Tomorrow we celebrate Vovkin d/r. How can I bear all this, I don't know. You can’t drink, you can’t smile unless you want to. A real test.
Nothing hurts, my stomach seems to be a little tight, but it seems like it’s always been like this or for so long that it seems like it’s always...
I looked at the hCG plate again, there at 10 DPP the minimum content of hCG in the blood is 39. In the urine they write 2 times or even three times less. Test with sensitivity 20. Hope is still alive.
