IVF treatment involves a number of medical procedures before it reaches the final stage of pregnancy. The different stages of the process take about 3-4 weeks to complete one cycle of IVF. After around two weeks of the IVF procedure, a woman can take the pregnancy test as, during these two weeks, the embryo gets enough time to implant in the uterus, allowing the pregnancy hormones to rise up in the body. IVF is a ray of hope for many individuals as it increases the chances of pregnancy who are unable to conceive after trying for so long. Read on to learn about what to expect after the embryo transfer.
When Can I Take the Pregnancy Test After IVF?
IVF is the one last option for couples who have tried all the other methods of conception but couldn’t achieve success. Usually, the pregnancy test is done after about 5-7 days of the embryo transfer. These few days can be extremely overwhelming with various emotions and can also be stressful as a big and important chapter of your life depends upon it. An individual needs to be patient during this phase and seek emotional support from the loved ones of a healthcare professional. The embryo requires a sufficient amount of time to implant in the uterus. Therefore, it is important to wait for at least a week before consulting a health care provider.
How Do You Test for Pregnancy During IVF?
You need to be patient before you test your pregnancy after the IVF procedure. The embryo requires time to implant in the uterus, which is why one needs to take the test approximately a week. The pregnancy is tested with the help of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a blood test that determines the hormonal activity to detect pregnancy. The early days after the test may not show positive results. Therefore, it is advisable to take the next blood test after 2-7 days.
Ultrasound is another option besides blood tests. These tests detect the presence of gestational sacs or the heartbeat of the foetus, providing a certain confirmation about the pregnancy. It is ideal to contact your healthcare professional in order to burst the myths regarding the IVF procedure and to know about the tests and the expected results.
How are Pregnancy Tests Officially Performed for IVF?
Measuring the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) through blood tests is usually the official way to perform pregnancy tests for IVF. The tests take approximately after two weeks of the embryo transfer. The high level of hCG indicates a positive pregnancy result. In comparison to the pregnancy tests done at home, this test is much more reliable and accurate to determine pregnancy.
Should I Take an Over-the-Counter Pregnancy Test Post IVF?
The over-the-counter pregnancy tests are crafted to identify the presence of hCG in the urine, which may not precisely detect the hCG level present in the bloodstream. Therefore, these tests are generally not recommended for accurately testing pregnancy.
The definite level of hCG level is determined by blood tests, which is a more reliable confirmation test for pregnancy after IVF. It is ideal to contact your healthcare professional to discuss your whole journey of IVF from the first day till the pregnancy test. How do you know when you need IVF or when you need to test for pregnancy confirmation? All these questions can be answered by your healthcare professional.
