In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an effective treatment for male and female infertility, allowing people to have a child after struggles with conceiving. Dr. Michael Vermesh and Dr. Tannaz Toloubeydokhti have helped
countless patients in the greater Los Angeles, CA thanks to IVF and other fertility treatments. Show
Many patients who undergo IVF want to know if they’re pregnant or not as soon as possible. We understand the mix of excitement and anxiety that patients feel, but they have to wait. Sometimes patients get an over-the-counter pregnancy test because they cannot stand the wait. This is a bad idea. The team at the Center for Fertility and Gynecology would like to explain why. When Is an In-Office Pregnancy Test Performed?Typically a blood test is taken to determine if the IVF procedure was successful. This blood pregnancy test is taken about 12 to 14 days after the embryo has been implanted. This blood test will measure the patient’s human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. hCG is known as the “pregnancy hormone.” Why Does It Take That Much Time?After an embryo has been transferred, it must attach itself to the tissue lining of the uterus. From there, the embryo either remains and develops or is shed and the pregnancy is not viable. This takes time, and it’s important to allow this natural process to run its course. This is why we advise all IVF patients at our Los Angeles practice to remain patient and have realistic expectations after embryo transfer and the process of pregnancy. What Happens If I Use an At-Home Pregnancy Test?If you use an at-home pregnancy test too soon after IVF, you may wind up with a false positive or a false negative. The in-office blood test will be much more accurate than the consumer home pregnancy tests available at the drugstore. But Aren’t Over-the-Counter Pregnancy Tests Accurate?They are somewhat accurate overall, but these tests analyze the urine rather than a woman’s blood. In some cases, the residual hCG from a fertility drug injection can throw off home pregnancy tests that are performed soon after embryo transfer. False negatives are possible if a home pregnancy test is performed closer to the 14-day mark simply because the chemical composition and information gleaned from blood tests and urine tests differ. Avoid False Results By Waiting on Official TestsIn order to avoid false positives and false negatives, patients should just wait until we can perform an official pregnancy test here at our practice. Avoid the disappointment of false results and leave the testing to our team. What You Should Do While Waiting for Official ResultsWaiting is the hardest part about so much in life. Our Los Angeles fertility specialists advise IVF patients to take it easy for the first first days after embryo transfer. Keep physical activity light but healthy for the next 14 days, and continue to eat a well-balanced diet. As anxious as you may be, focus on ways to de-stress and keep your mind calm. Learn More About Pregnancy and IVFFor more information about IVF and how we can help you, contact our skilled fertility specialists. The Center for Fertility and Gynecology can be reached by phone at (818) 881-9800. Related to This
One of the most difficult of having IVF treatment is waiting for the results. Getting a negative outcome may be disastrous but is a reality you have to face. You need to know the outcome of IVF before you get the results. Usually, fertility clinics have extensive
counseling sessions to make couples understand the course of the journey in IVF. Many patients undergo mental trauma due to fear and anxiety before the outcome. It’s a completely normal and understandable feeling which each couple undergo after IVF. IVF outcome is decided by several factors in assisted conception. The waiting period after embryo transfer till pregnancy test after IVF is very crucial to the patient. It can lead to a positive pregnancy test that will
complete your family. At times the positive result may end in a miscarriage or a biochemical pregnancy. A negative result in IVF treatment may be in terms of failure to respond to stimulation, failure to fertilise or a negative pregnancy test. Usually, all these negative outcomes are a big blow to the couple Due to the availability of high-sensitivity pregnancy tests it is possible to diagnose pregnancy very early. A pregnancy test can be positive after a few days of implantation due to traces of β-hCG. This hormone can be detected in your blood as
early as 7-9 days after embryo transfer. It can be even earlier if you have undergone fresh cycle blastocyst transfer. But frozen cycles take longer time to show up the positive result. Immediately after embryo transfer set of advices are explained to the patient. The couple have to wait for the pregnancy test after IVF which is done by serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG). This test is of enormous interest to the couple as it represents a decisive
point. Out of anxiety many couples go on checking urine pregnancy test though out the waiting period. It gives variable results as you are under several medications and these can interfere with your result. When can I stop the support medications following pregnancy test after IVF?The agony of waiting period after IVF is added by the painful progesterone injections. Your doctor will advise to continue progesterone after a fresh embryo transfer cycle. You can continue without any harm to the pregnancy. It is important to know that the fertility clinic will have a protocol for luteal support. It may require women to continue their progesterone supplementation several weeks. However, stopping these medications help cost-savings and reduction of side effects. Women undergoing fresh cycles using blastocyst ET can stop their medications immediately after a negative β-hCG test on days 5-6. This can be taken as a failed IVF cycle. If you have undergone a frozen embryo transfer, your doctor may advise the test little later around 9th – 12th day. Is it possible to get a false positive pregnancy test after IVF?One of the possible outcomes of the pregnancy test is a biochemical pregnancy. Here the initial pregnancy test is positive but does not progress into a healthy pregnancy. A biochemical pregnancy is different from false positive pregnancy test. False positive test detects pregnancy where the patient is not pregnant at all. It can happen due to medications like HCG, antianxiety medications, some tumour conditions and also due to a defect in the test kit. What is chemical pregnancy after IVF?In the general population, many pregnancies go unnoticed. Very early pregnancy can be detected by a test for HCG but eventually this end in a miscarriage. Chemical pregnancies are usually diagnosed when β-hCG levels are tested prior to a missed menstrual period. But may occur spontaneously following a missed period. Around 25% of pregnancies fail even before the woman has any symptoms. In other words, she misses the pregnancy before she has symptoms of pregnancy. The exact cause biochemical pregnancy of yet known. Normal Pregnancy Vs Biochemical pregnancyThe rise in β-hCG in a case of biochemical pregnancy is for a short time. This differs from a healthy pregnancy test after IVF. It is an adverse outcome of a clinical pregnancy like spontaneous and induced miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy etc. Chemical pregnancy can’t be detected in ultrasound. The rise in in β-hCG is for a short time, it doesn’t double like clinical pregnancy. Rapid fall in urinary or serum β-hCG concentration and subsequent regular menstrual period indicates a chemical pregnancy. A biochemical pregnancy causes disappointment to the couple after IVF treatment. However, you can take for sure that the embryo had implanted after hatching. Due to several reasons, the embryo may not grow further. But this shouldn’t withdraw you from further treatment. Instead, you can take it a hope of a successful clinical pregnancy in the future. Ectopic pregnancy after IVFEctopic pregnancy is a tragic event in women longing for a pregnancy. It can’t be predicted earlier and often couple lose hope on any further treatment. It can happen after IVF and appears to be related to
However, in subsequent IVF cycles the intrauterine pregnancy rate is not the same. It is diagnosed by mild rise in HCG levels which doesn’t double in 48 hours. Your doctor can suggest the next step after an ultrasound. What are the symptoms of pregnancy after IVF?You may be eager to know the results of IVF treatment while waiting for the final day. It is always wrong to assume pregnancy or negative results before the pregnancy test after IVF. However, some women may feel few symptoms which can be positively related to a pregnancy.
How do you know when IVF has failed?The results of IVF treatment are confirmatory after the blood test for HCG. IVF failure is declared if the result is below the required level of HCG. However, at times you may start bleeding before your final result comes. In this case your doctor will advise you to continue medication and wait till the pregnancy test after IVF. How to prepare yourself for the result day after IVF?If you know the following facts of IVF it will reduce the anxiety and stress during the waiting period.
Some of the new policies which may not increase success in IVFEmbryo selection
Mild ovarian stimulations
Cycle interruptions
What can you do while waiting for the pregnancy test after IVF?We have listed few activities to help reduce anxiety and worry while you wait for your IVF pregnancy results.
Most of the couple’s desire to have children to start a family. Also, a large number of them are able to fulfill their dreams spontaneously within 1–2 years of marriage. Those who are not able to conceive need treatment in different forms including Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART}. IVF appears to be a highly successful treatment for female and male infertility. |