What Happens after an Embryo Transfer?
After you have gone through the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process and have had an embryo inserted into your uterus, or that of your surrogate mother, you will likely want to know as soon as possible if the embryo implanted and a pregnancy has been achieved. Below, we examine some of the signs of successful embryo implantation and what to do after your embryo transfer.
Signs of a Successful Embryo Implantation
The signs of a successful embryo implantation are going to be the signs that you or your surrogate mother have become pregnant. The most obvious sign of pregnancy is a missed period, but bloating, fatigue, increased vaginal discharge, sore breasts, changes in the pigmentation of the breasts, nausea, and an increased urge to use the bathroom are all common in early pregnancy.
However, these are also signs of an impending menstrual cycle, so the only way you can be 100 percent sure that a pregnancy has been achieved is to move forward in the embryo transfer/IVF process and take a pregnancy test.
Taking a Pregnancy Test
Approximately fourteen days after you have had the embryo transfer, you should be able to take a blood test to find out whether you are carrying a two-week old fetus.
There are situations where the pregnancy hormone HCG takes longer to accumulate in your urine, and for this reason, it can take much longer for a urine pregnancy test to give accurate results versus a blood test.
If you find out that you are, in fact, pregnant, congratulations! One of your next steps will be to put in calls to your obstetrician, midwife, and surrogacy team so we can have you come in and confirm your pregnancy in our office.
If you have not been successful in this IVF cycle, you will need to decide whether you will continue on to your next cycle or look into other reproduction options available to you. We can help you think through this decision.
Reach Out to an Experienced Surrogacy Agency
For assistance with all of your surrogacy and reproduction-related needs, work with a respected surrogacy agency like Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc.
We can provide you with all of the information you need to optimize your chances of obtaining a healthy pregnancy, no matter what path your journey has led you to. You can call our office at 412-281-9906 or fill out the quick contact form that can be found when you click on the contact button at the top of this page.