3 days post 5 day embryo transfer

For any surrogate mother, immediately following the embryo transfer you will start to wonder if the embryo transfer was successful. While you know the procedure went well, you can’t stop thinking if everything is as it should be and knowing that it can take some time to be sure, this can leave you feeling a little nervous.

We understand this can be a stressful time, and first off, want to let you know that it is perfectly normal to be a little nervous after the embryo transfer. In today’s blog we would like to share some insight into what happens after an embryo transfer to help ease your nerves during the next week and a half while you wait.

Waiting After an Embryo Transfer

Usually the most stressful thing about having an embryo transfer is the waiting game. You went through the procedure but now you must wait a week and a half to find out if you are pregnant. You may be tempted to take a pregnancy test but keep in mind, during this period those tests won’t be able to help you. You should just relax and understand that the embryo transfer was performed by leading medical professionals and you will find out soon enough the outcome.

While waiting to find out if you are pregnant from your embryo transfer, we have put together an outline for you to see exactly what happens after your embryo transfer. The below outlines are based on either the 3-day embryo transfer or the 5-day embryo transfer, which shows an approximate timeline of what happens during a successful pregnancy.

What Happens After a 3-Day Embryo Transfer?

Following a 3-day embryo transfer, the below outline will show the embryo development during a successful pregnancy:

What Happens After a 5-Day Embryo Transfer?

The embryo development in a 5-day embryo transfer can be slightly different than that of the 3-day transfer. Below is a chart used to show what happens after a 5-day embryo transfer:

Am I Pregnant?

Following the final day on either the 3-day embryo transfer (day 11 past transfer) or the 5-day embryo transfer )day 9 past transfer) you will have enough levels of hCG in your blood stream to be able to determine if the pregnancy was a success.

Closing Thoughts

We know the process of becoming pregnant for a surrogate mother can be a stressful one but it doesn’t need to be. At Creative Love Surrogacy Agency, we strive to educate all of the surrogate mothers we work with on what to expect, both before pregnancy, during and after. Your journey of becoming a surrogate mother is truly a blessing and we hope the information provided in today’s article help you in some way. If you have yet to begin your surrogacy journey and would like more information, either regarding the embryo transfer or anything related to becoming a surrogate mother, we welcome you to reach out to us. Simply contact us anytime and one of our surrogacy specialists will be in touch with you shortly!

Many patients worry about what they can and cannot do after an embryo transfer. The fear is if they do something wrong, the embryo won’t attach or fall out.

This is simply not true. Yes, you should relax and take it easy after an IVF embryo transfer. But no, bed rest is not necessary.

The Embryo Transfer

One of the most commonly used phrases in IVF is: “The reproductive endocrinologist implants the embryos in the patient’s uterus.” This is not how it works — the embryo or embryos have to implant on their own.

Here’s how it works:

During in vitro fertilization, the embryo(s) develop in a Petri dish for three to five days, and the healthiest embryo(s) are chosen for the transfer. The embryologist removes the embryos from the incubator and shows them to the patient, magnified up to 1,000 times on the video screen.

The next step is to use a vaginal speculum  to wash off the cervix with some sterile fluid. The patient feels pressure, but typically there is no pain. For women who have undergone intrauterine inseminations (IUIs), the sensation should be very similar.

The transfer itself is a fairly simple procedure with very little discomfort. A thin, soft catheter is threaded through the cervix under ultrasound guidance, to be very exact in the embryo placement location, generally 1 to 2 cm from the top of the uterine cavity. After cleansing the cervix with solution, the doctor will place an empty transfer catheter through the cervix into position inside the uterine cavity. Then the embryologist will bring the catheter containing the embryo(s) from the lab a few feet away, so we can minimize the time that the embryos are exposed.

Once we have the embryo(s), we feed the catheter with the embryo(s) through the empty catheter that is in place. On the ultrasound screen the patient will be able to watch the bubble of air and fluid the embryo is contained in get placed gently into the uterine cavity. After placement of the embryo(s), the embryologist checks the catheter under the microscope to make sure that the embryo(s) transferred properly. Then the patient can get up and go straight to the bathroom, if needed.

After that, the embryos have to implant into the uterine lining on their own over the next few days, with the goal of developing into a successful pregnancy.

But Shouldn’t I Go on Bed Rest?

Several recent studies have confirmed that immediate bed rest after the embryo transfer is completely unnecessary. It may seem counter-intuitive, but, in fact, a study published in a well-respected peer-review journal, Fertility and Sterility (Fertil Steril 2013; 100: 729-35), demonstrated better pregnancy rates with immediate resumption of normal activities (including bathroom) compared to bed rest right after the embryo transfer.

Back in the 1980s, after an embryo transfer, we prescribed that patients stay on complete bed rest for three hours and even rely on bedpans instead of going to the bathroom. This is not what we prescribe today.

We know that any fluid you may see coming out is from the sterile cleaning solution.You may even see some spotting, and that is nothing to worry about. Why? It’s because embryos do not fall out.

When you do go home, you absolutely have a prescription to be a “couch potato.” You can sit up and watch TV, or work on your laptop or your iPad. Your position does not matter.

The first 24 hours after an embryo is transferred are most likely the most critical. It is within this time frame that an embryo has to “attach” to the uterine wall before it can fully implant, which may take several days. Therefore, for the first one to two days, stay home and chill out.

Avoid vigorous activities such as heavy lifting, bending or exercise. Why? You want embryos to remain in the uterine cavity and not get pushed into a Fallopian tube, which would result in an ectopic or tubal pregnancy.

Common sense goes a long way. You can go to the bathroom as needed, and you can use stairs but don’t run up and down them. If you feel you don’t have to do something, don’t do it.

Avoid excessive heat. No hot baths or hot tubs, and no whirlpools. Showers are OK because they will not elevate your body temperature. We don’t want you running around or doing vigorous exercise because it may elevate your body temperature. Embryos do not like heat.

Try to relax and stay positive during the “two-week wait”–the 10 to 12 days waiting for the pregnancy test. You don’t want to second-guess yourself regarding doing certain activities.

It’s not your fault if an embryo does not implant, but you don’t want to give yourself any possible reasons for feeling guilty or second-guessing your activity level if the IVF procedure does not work this time.

Dr. Jacobs is a Mayo Clinic-trained Reproductive Endocrinologist and board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has been practicing medicine since 1975. He completed medical school and an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Northwestern University, and then went on to complete a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Mayo Clinic in 1988. Dr. Jacobs is the Medical Director of the Center of Excellence for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

What should I feel 3 days after embryo transfer?

Many women feel fatigued and tired post-embryo transfer, especially during the first seven days after the transfer. Fatigue and exhaustion can be usual symptoms of pregnancy, but the surge in progesterone can cause patients to feel sleepier and dizzier than normal.

Can you take a pregnancy test 3 days after embryo transfer?

This is because hCG levels are often elevated from medications used to harvest eggs for IVF treatment. Because of this, women who undergo fresh embryo transfer are advised to wait two weeks before taking a pregnancy test.

How far along are you after 5 day embryo transfer?

A 5-day embryo is equivalent to a gestational age of 2 weeks and 5 days. At the close of the two-week wait between transfer and beta pregnancy test, you could be up to 5 weeks pregnant, depending on the age of your embryo at transfer.

Is a day 3 or day 5 embryo transfer better?

In women with few embryos in the lab, it is often better to do a day 3 transfer rather than “push” these few or sub-optimal embryos to day 5 for a blast transfer; these embryos may “arrest” and so there is no transfer on day 5.