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Reproductive medicine and technology have greatly developed in the past few decades. In the initial days of fertility science and innovation, patients who had an embryo transfer had to stary in complete bed rest for at least two weeks after the procedure.
That meant not standing up for any reason – not even to use the toilet. However, recovering from an embryo transfer is different nowadays.
While it’s important to rest after the procedure, strict bed rest is not necessary or even advised. Nevertheless, there are still some activities and precautions you should take following an embryo transfer to improve your chances of success.
An embryo transfer is the final stage in IVF process. During in vitro fertilization, the woman takes fertility medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce and release many healthy, viable eggs. These eggs are collected and fertilized with a donor’s or the male partner’s sperm in an IVF laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the woman’s womb.
Nowadays, IVF is a popular fertility treatment used to help couples or individuals who are struggling to have children. It is usually recommended for women with endometriosis, damaged uterine tubes, fibroids, ovulation disorders, genetic disorders.
Thanks to the progress in assisted reproductive technology, it is now possible to perform frozen embryo transfer. As the name suggests, a frozen embryo from a past IVF cycle is thawed and transferred back into the intended mother’s uterus. This means that you don’t need another cycle of hormone stimulation and egg retrieval to have children in the future.
Frozen embryo transfer can be inducted while you are on natural cycle, or utilizing hormone preparation, or through ovulation induction.
Our knowledge regarding the importance of staying in bed after embryo transfer has evolved in recent years. It’s now evident that strict restrictions were not needed – and several studies have proven that to be true.
A 1997 study found that a 24-hour bed rest after an embryo transfer did not yield a better result than a 20-min bed rest did.
In another study conducted in 2005, the researchers discovered that there was no significant difference in pregnancy rates between patients who stood instantly after an embryo transfer and those who stayed in bed for one hour after the procedure.
A scientific review published in 2011 evaluated various studies concerning bed rest and embryo transfer. According to the authors, there’s no adequate evidence to prove that patients should be on bed rest following an embryo transfer procedure.
Newer studies have also shown that extended bed rest can result in negative pregnancy outcomes, particularly for women who underwent a donor-assisted IVF cycle.
Researchers found that bed rest and inactivity, together with increased estrogen levels, caused insulin resistance and increased blood clot formation in the body. These blood clots may impact the growth and development of the baby in the womb since it impedes the flow of blood to important areas.
On the other hand, mild activity aids blood flow, reduces inflammation, and relieves stress. All these factors are linked to improved fetal development and better health for the mother-to-be.
Long story short – taking bed rest after an embryo transfer is not absolutely necessary.
You should be able to go back to your normal activities after this procedure, including light-to-moderate exercises, which can be advantageous to both the mother and her child. However, it is recommended that you stay away from any strenuous activities or workouts that can cause discomfort, i.e., jumping or heavy lifting activities.
Moreover, you want to keep away from sex immediately after embryo transfer, as it may impact the implantation of the embryo in the uterus.
Although a normal shower allowed, a lot of experts also suggest that expectant mothers avoid excessive heat, such as hot baths or tubs, at this time. This is because sustained elevated heat can raise internal body temperature, which may prevent the embryo from implanting in the womb.
If you are having mild constipation, bloating, spotting, and breast tenderness, there’s usually no need to be worried. But if the symptoms are very severe or worrying, it is important to speak with your physician or medical team as soon as possible.
Remember, that the fertility drugs you were placed on may cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). We advise contacting your fertility clinic or doctor if you are experiencing:
Sure, it is mandatory that you follow the instructions dished out by your medical team. They have a great understanding of the journey to parenthood and can provide valuable advice for your situation.
Bear in mind that it is not any fault of yours if the embryo does not implant. According to various studies, the average woman requires approximately 2.7 cycles of IVF before successful embryo implantation can occur when utilizing her eggs (compared to a donor’s eggs). Sometimes, it takes time and several tries to achieve pregnancy.
At Coastal Fertility, the entire IVF embryo transfer procedure of a fresh embryo or frozen embryo is executed under the guidance of the most experienced fertility experts.
In case you want more information about embryo transfer procedures or other infertility treatments, set up a free consultation with us. We encourage visiting our website where you can find more helpful information and chat with us.
Following the Preimplantation Genetic Screening process, which helps ensure there are normal chromosome numbers and detects possible genetic disorders, the most healthy embryo(s) are selected to be implanted into your or your chosen surrogate’s womb. 2 weeks after the transfer of the embryo, your physician will conduct a final blood test to determine the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. Increased hCG levels usually indicate a positive pregnancy test.
For fertilization to take place, the collected egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and cultured in an embryo incubator. This dish is closely watched to check whether any of the eggs have been fertilized. Once the egg is fertilized, it is referred to as an embryo or a blastocyst on the 5th day of development. Our in-house embryologist carefully nurtures every embryo to the right time, even if it means working outside the standard business operating hours. For instance: If an oocyte is not mature, our laboratory will wait for it to mature and then ICSI it at the right time.
The egg retrieval is a slightly invasive medical procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will be given an anesthetic to make you sleep for the duration of the procedure. Using ultrasound technology, your doctor will harvest your eggs transvaginally with a small, hollow needle connected to an ultrasound probe. Once your eggs are collected, your partner’s semen or donor sperm you have pre-selected is used for fertilization. The sperm are washed and prepared, and the top-quality sperm extracted is used to fertilize the eggs.
Your doctor will create a customized medication schedule that contains information about the fertility medications and hormone injections you have to take. Medication and injections are taken to encourage your ovaries to mature a large number of eggs for fertilization. Since women don’t respond to fertility drugs and hormones the same way, personalized protocols are crucial to the IVF cycle success. At Coastal Fertility, we will monitor you closely, letting you understand the changes occurring in your body and keeping track of how your egg follicles are growing.
On-site consultations typicallyinclude a standard fertility evaluation, consisting of a physical examination, complementary follicular ultrasound, and testing to enable your doctor to know your present fertility status and draw up a treatment plan.
This consultation includes a detailed medical evaluation with a doctor. You and your physician will review your health records and have enough time to talk about your goals and get answers to your questions. We recommend that you jot down all your questions before the visit to allow you to make the best use of the time spent with your doctor.
Your Reproductive Endocrinologist will take all factors into consideration and create a comprehensive plan of care, otherwise known as the treatment plan. This plan will include treatment recommendations from the physician and enable your financial coordinator to make a precise quotation once you meet.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Coastal Fertility Medical Center is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
Upon your arrival, you will check in with a Patient Care Coordinator. We will obtain your insurance information for benefits verification, a copy of your identification and take a picture for your electronic medical chart