Waiting for your frozen embryo transfer can be hard. After all, a frozen embryo transfer (FET) is the last step of your investment towards growing your family. It’s obvious for many women to wonder what symptoms they may experience during the 7-14 days wait time after an embryo transfer and what could be counted on as positive signs of a successful pregnancy.

Combined with the symptoms you are likely to face after an embryo transfer, it can bring about a wide range of emotions – from the hope that you can finally get pregnant to anxiety and a sense of helplessness that there’s isn’t much you can do to improve your chances of success. Although it’s normal to have these feelings, you can be sure that frozen eggs are as good as fresh embryos. In fact, some studies even suggest that they may have slightly better success rates. Moreover, having a complete understanding of the frozen embryo transfer process and things to expect after-procedure can make you feel more relaxed and ready for the outcomes of your IVF cycle.

In this article, we will discuss the various stages of embryo transfer and the possible symptoms that may herald positive signs, including:

• The frozen embryo transfer procedure itself
• Day by day symptoms after embryo transfer
• Possible positive signs of pregnancy after an embryo transfer
• Post-procedure guidelines
• Healthy habits that aid successful fertilization
• Why you should not take a home pregnancy test
• Getting your clinic pregnancy test results
• What will occur during your frozen embryo transfer appointment

What happens on the day of the frozen embryo transfer (FET)?

An embryo transfer is the last step in an IVF cycle, which is carried out to help women dealing with infertility become pregnant. It is a minimally invasive procedure that does not usually need pain relief. A fertility doctor carries out the embryo transfer using a tiny catheter to place the thawed frozen embryo beyond the cervix into the womb.

In this procedure, placing the embryos inside the womb is very specific, and thus it is conducted with the help of an ultrasound. Moreover, the use of ultrasound helps improve comfort as it enables the doctor to see where to place the catheter so that it doesn’t touch your cervix.

After embryo transfer

While a frozen embryo transfer is a routine medical procedure, it’s important to take good care of yourself after appointments in order to ensure your safety, reduce likely side effects, and raise your chances of successful fertilization and pregnancy.

After the embryo transfer is done, you will be asked to lie on your back and relax for about an hour. However, there may be no need for such a long resting time after embryo transfer since it is a minimally invasive procedure.

Overall, the embryo transfer procedure (including rest time) takes around 2 to 4 hours.

Your IVF clinic will provide you with full instructions after appointments to make you feel comfortable and confident that you are taking good care of yourself in the days preceding your post-embryo transfer pregnancy test.

Taking rest

While some doctors recommend resting for a full day after the procedure, other sources advise that patients make low-impact movements to improve the flow of blood to the womb in order to raise the chance of getting pregnant. There’s no evidence suggesting that you must take bed rest after the procedure, so feel free to do what you think is best for you – whether it’s a short walk or napping to reduce stress. However, high or even moderate levels of activity are not advised post-embryo transfer procedure. A lot of patients take time off work or school to relax at home before returning to their normal activity the following day. Patients who wish for more reassurance of healthy pregnancy may be asked to continue taking progesterone.

What to expect during the days after your procedure

Although the frozen embryo transfer procedure can be a new promising start for many, you might be anxious and uncertain about your next steps while waiting for the pregnancy confirmation test.

This test is performed to confirm whether the embryo has successfully implanted and led to a pregnancy.

Symptoms that you may experience post-frozen embryo transfer

While some symptoms you will face after an embryo transfer may look like a sign of a successful procedure, these can also be linked to the fertility drugs and other medications you have been taking prior to the procedure.

These symptoms are mainly caused by the progesterone and estrogen dosage given before embryo transfer, as well as by the progesterone hormones taken after the transfer. These hormones induce bloating, breast soreness, and fluid discharge during pregnancy.

However, many intended mothers keep an eye on these signs thinking if they indicate a positive embryo transfer outcome. You may also notice menstruation-like symptoms during the two-week waiting period between your frozen embryo transfer and a pregnancy test. Some of these symptoms are:

1. Spotting or bleeding

Spotting or light bleeding after embryo transfer is one of the earliest signs that may indicate a positive pregnancy. Seeing little blood on your underwear or toilet paper after wiping could be a sign of implantation, which means that the transferred embryo has successfully attached to the womb’s lining (endometrium).

Fertility experts say that some light bleeding or spotting blood marks 7 days after an embryo transfer may be a great sign. Sadly, bleeding is such a worrying thing that it does not give most women the reassurance they are looking for. Moreover, spotting also occurs when using hormone medications like progesterone prescribed for the two-week wait period after an embryo transfer.

Your fertility doctors will probably suggest that you keep taking progesterone to help your body synthesize the same amounts of hormones it would in the early days of pregnancy – meaning that light spotting might be or might not be a positive sign of a successful embryo transfer.

2. Sore breasts

Sore breasts are an early positive sign of pregnancy in women. You would experience this even in a natural pregnancy. If you notice that your breasts are tender to touch or swollen, it could be a sign of a successful embryo transfer. However, according to fertility experts, breast tenderness is caused by pregnancy hormones. It could be due to the hormone medication you are using during the 14 day wait period. Both oral and injectable progesterone can make your breasts soft, tender, swollen, and hurt when bumped.

3. Cramping

Cramping is a sign that indicates that menstruation is around the corner, but it could be a positive sign of a successful embryo transfer. Before you take a pregnancy test, bear in mind that mild cramping can also be caused by the progesterone you are taking during the two-week wait period. Plus, some women may experience mild cramping immediately after any pelvic procedure.

4. Fatigue or tiredness

Feeling tired and fatigued during the 7 days after embryo transfer and till the delivery date (and even beyond) is a normal symptom before and during pregnancy. However, you may feel more sleepy/dizzy in the early pregnancy days when your levels of progesterone surge up.

Generally, a woman will experience fatigue when it is time for her period. Although this may be a sign of a successful embryo transfer, it can also be an adverse effect of the fertility medications she is using.

Increased progesterone level is the most common cause of fatigue – whether due to pregnancy or the hormone medications prescribed by your doctor.

5. Nausea

Morning sickness or nausea typically begins in the 2nd month of pregnancy, so it is not a symptom that you would normally experience in the two weeks after an embryo transfer. As a matter of fact, many women who experience this symptom say that they feel sick to their stomach around two weeks after missing their menstruation. But if you experience vomiting or nausea during the two-week wait period, take note of this – particularly if it occurs frequently – and speak to your physician.

6. Bloating

Increased progesterone levels can be blamed for the extra bloat around your abdomen. When the levels of this hormone increase as it usually does when pregnant or using fertility medications, it can impact your digestive tract and cause you to experience more bloating. This may occur if you are pregnant, before your menses, or when you are taking progesterone and other medications during an IVF cycle and after an embryo transfer.

7. Changes in vaginal discharge

If you are prescribed progesterone in the form of vaginal suppositories, gel, or tablets during the two-week wait, you may see changes in your vaginal discharge, which do not have anything to do with a positive pregnancy test. Itching, burning sensation, discharge, and yeast infections are adverse effects of using vaginal tablets or suppositories.

However, more vaginal discharge during the 7 days after embryo transfer may also be an early symptom of pregnancy. If the changes are due to a positive embryo transfer, you may observe a white, slightly-smelling vaginal discharge during the early pregnancy weeks.

8. Increased urination

Frequent bathroom visits during the night and an increased need to make pit stops could be the early symptoms of pregnancy. Many women even experience a need to urinate more frequently before missing their menstruation. But this is usually a symptom you’ll notice after a missed period. The regular visits to the bathroom are due to a rise in the levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG and progesterone. If your embryo transfer was successful, the increased need to urinate occurs due to the additional blood in your body.

Sadly, increased urination may also be caused by a urinary tract infection. So, it is important to consult your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms too:

• Bleeding
• Fever
• Painful urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Nausea and vomiting

9. Missed period

A missed period can be a positive sign of pregnancy after embryo transfer, particularly if your menstrual cycle is regular. For patients who have regular periods, being late can signal that it is time to conduct a pregnancy test.

10. No symptoms

If you don’t experience any of these symptoms at all, fear not. The fact that you are not showing certain symptoms even after 7 days of embryo transfer, does not imply that your embryo implantation failed.

Take away

According to reproductive experts, the absence or presence of these symptoms does not foretell the possible outcome of a pregnancy test. The above symptoms are mostly a result of taking progesterone hormone medications.

As a matter of fact, around 10-15% of patients experience no symptoms but later have a positive pregnancy test result.

A positive pregnancy test is the only sure way to find out if your embryo transfer was successful or not.

Can I take precautions to increase the success chance of the frozen embryo transfer?

Sadly, there’s nothing you can do to increase your chances of successful implantation once your frozen embryo transfer (FET) is complete. This implies that your only job during the two-week wait is to relax.

1. So, make sure you have adequate sleep and stay away from substances that can pose risks to the pregnancy, like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
2. Most times, you will also be advised to abstain from sex and strenuous exercise because possible womb contractions can make the procedure less effective and may hinder the embryo implanting in the uterus.
3. Doctors also recommend this to enhance your comfort and safety as physical activity increases the risk of having complications, such as ovarian torsion (twisting of an ovary), which is more likely as the ovaries naturally become bigger and tender following an embryo transfer procedure.
4. Moreover, you should take a healthy diet rich in protein, fiber, “good” fats, fruits, and vegetables.
5. Steer clear of foods that are dangerous during pregnancy, including unpasteurized dairy products and raw seafood. You can consult with your doctor for a list of food to avoid.
6. Another way to ensure that you are healthy during this period is to make sure you get emotional support and people you can rely on while waiting for the pregnancy test. This support may come in various forms. It can be from:

• Your spouse
• Family
• Friends
• A therapist or
• Even a group of online people who are going through the same stress can help

Taking an early pregnancy test after a FET by yourself

You may feel like taking a home pregnancy test a few days after the transfer, but most fertility clinics advise that you wait two weeks. This is to ensure you get more accurate results and enable you to handle the emotions that normally come up during the process.

Clinics suggest a two-week wait simply because the pregnancy tests conducted soon after the embryo transfer are often false. This occurs because the levels of the female hormone evaluated in a pregnancy test (hCG) can vary based on your present phase in your fertility journey.

For example, early pregnancy may not lead to a significant increase in hCG production, which may cause you to get a false negative result.

Taking a pregnancy test after an FET with your clinic

Here comes what you have been waiting for – the pregnancy test post-frozen embryo transfer. To obtain a more accurate result, you will be scheduled for an appointment at your assisted reproduction center/fertility clinic exactly 2 weeks following the initial embryo transfer, where a blood test will be conducted on you to determine whether or not you are pregnant.

If your clinic’s pregnancy test comes out positive, congratulations! You are now pregnant, and your frozen embryo transfer was a success.

This implies that you will be under the clinic’s care for further monitoring of the pregnancy development through ultrasounds and blood tests until you are 2 to 3 months pregnant. This is when you will be referred to your obstetrician or gynecologist to continue on your wonderful journey to becoming a mother.

Do not be disheartened by a negative result

But if your pregnancy test result is negative, we know how saddening it can be. Medical experts understand how disheartening it can be not to achieve the results you want, and they can support you in processing the result of your fertility treatment.

A lot of couples find comfort in the fact that, depending on the causes of infertility, it’s common for couples to first have an unsuccessful embryo transfer before finally getting pregnant at the second attempt.

Most importantly, you need to surround yourself with a group of supportive friends and family who constantly remind you that you are a fulfilled individual whether or not your cycle is successful.

It is normal to experience ups and downs during your fertility journey, and an unsuccessful pregnancy test doesn’t mean you should give up on your journey.

Your doctor will be able to provide you an honest assessment and success rates of further treatments you may want to consider. Both of you can then work together to figure out what your next steps should be if you wish to explore other fertility options or another cycle of IVF.

While some patients and doctors like to wait for some time when beginning another IVF cycle to give the body enough time to rest, others are comfortable resuming fertility treatment as soon as they get their pregnancy test results.

Getting ready for a frozen embryo transfer with our fertility clinic

Whether you are trying to conserve your fertility for the future or have a medical condition that can affect your egg supply, frozen embryo transfers are offered at Coastal Fertility Medical Center in Irvine, California.

Our highly experienced doctors and staff are ready to see you through IVF treatments and give you the low-down of a frozen embryo transfer. Schedule a consultation with us for more information about the costs and guidelines of a frozen embryo transfer and how it can help you realize your dreams of having a baby.