***instructions and understanding post transfer**MUST READ

[luvbabies]

The post-transfer stage is when you wait to find out if your IVF cycle has worked.

Is bed rest recommended after the transfer?
There is a wide range of opinions on the subject of bed rest. Some clinics will not recommend bed rest at all, while others will recommend anywhere from 1 to 3 days. It has NOT been proven that bed rest will give you a better chance of getting pregnant. Most clinics will recommend for you to take it easy for at least the first day after transfer. Please follow the advice of your doctor for your particular situation.

What precautions should I take after the transfer?
I have compiled this list of precautions from the women who have passed along their clinic's guidelines to me. Please always seek the advice of your doctor on what precautions you should take for your situation. If you are in the 2 week wait and have already done something which the list says to avoid, please do not worry. I have known women who have done some of the things on the list and still have gone on to become pregnant.

AVOID caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and drugs
AVOID heavy lifting
AVOID strenuous exercising and housework (this includes vacuuming)
AVOID bouncing activities (horseback riding, aerobics)
AVOID sunbathing, hot saunas, hot tubs and Jacuzzis
AVOID swimming and baths
AVOID sexual intercourse and orgasms

When does implantation occur?
Implantation can start to occur as soon as 6-10 days after retrieval (I use "after retrieval" because embryos can be transferred on different days of development. Count the retrieval day as day 0). Five days after the retrieval a healthy embryo will have reached the blastocyst stage. Six-seven days after the retrieval, a healthy embryo will start breaking out of its hard outer shell and begin the implantation process. After the healthy embryo has implanted in the uterus it will not start secreting hCG for several more days. You will probably not be able to feel the implantation process.

What symptoms should I be experiencing if I am pregnant?
From having talked to women who have gone through IVF, I have come to realize that there is not a standard set of symptoms that you will feel if you are pregnant. The range of symptoms differs so widely that it is hard to even begin to answer this question. Symptoms during the 2-week wait can be caused by a number of different sources: the medications you are taking, your body recuperating from the IVF cycle, an impending period or an impending pregnancy. Below are some of the symptoms that women have reported to me before getting a positive result. You may experience some of these symptoms before your pregnancy test, but the only way to verify what you are feeling is a pregnancy test done by your clinic.

absolutely no symptoms
pre-menstrual-like symptoms
breast tenderness
cramping
nausea
food aversions

I am experiencing spotting before my scheduled pregnancy test. Is this normal?
Spotting during your 2 week wait could mean a number of possible things: an embryo is implanting, one embryo is implanting while another is detaching, your period is arriving. Please always call your clinic if spotting occurs. You should always go ahead with your clinic's pregnancy test even if the spotting is heavy. There is really no way to tell what is happening until the pregnancy test gives the clinic some indication.

When is the earliest I can do a home pregnancy test (HPT)?
It is very tempting to do a home pregnancy test before the one scheduled by your clinic. However if you had an hCG injection (the one 2 days before your retrieval) it could take up to 2 weeks for the hCG to leave your system. If you have received hCG boosters it could take even longer. If you test while the hCG from the injection is still in your system you could get a false positive. You could also get a false negative if the hCG from the injection has left your system and the hCG produced by the implanted embryo isn't strong enough yet. If you do decide to do an HPT, please realize that it is not a conclusive result and that you should always have your cycle results confirmed by your clinic.

[katrina1]

Thank you so much for taking the time to pass on such grounded and sensible information.

Katrina

[cheekskuss]

yes thank you for taking the time to write such helpful information it is very informative.

[luvbabies]

Gotta love copy and paste

[Michelle J]

Thanks a lot for such useful information. I have actually printed it out for future reference (My next try will be in May).

My doctor also told me not to eat papaya or banana during 2WW cos they will make your uterus contract.

Anybody heard of this?

Mi

[luvbabies]

michelle j


NO WAY...I never heard that b4-that's a new one

[luvbabies]

too important to be forgotten must bring to the top of the list