The time after an embryo transfer can be emotional and stressful for the expecting parents, and they might have many thoughts during that time period. These could be them wondering whether the transfer would be successful or daydreaming of their new beginning.
The expecting mothers usually worry until they start observing the symptoms of a successful embryo transfer, but, it is also possible to have no symptoms at all. If you’re not having any symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that the transfer was unsuccessful since it is completely normal for a successful transfer to be asymptomatic. We would discuss in this article how having no symptoms is normal and what goes on in your body during this time.
As every woman is different and every pregnancy is unique, the symptoms, the situation, and the condition may vary. The symptoms and the development also depend on whether it was a 3-day embryo or a 5-day embryo transfer.
11 days Post Embryo Transfer
During the time period after the embryo transfer, the expecting parents may go through a roller coaster of emotions, from having the anxiety to feeling excited. The time period can be challenging but don’t lose hope. Feeling confused in such situations is common as to what may be happening in your body, what could be the possible symptoms or why haven’t you started observing any symptoms yet.
These thoughts can keep you distracted from your daily work and responsibilities. You are advised to take a pregnancy test 2 weeks post embryo transfer or ideally after you miss your first period, but seeing no symptoms can have you tempted towards taking one. You should know that taking an early test would not be beneficial at all as it can not detect pregnancy at such an early stage. You can save the stress for when you are ready to take a proper pregnancy test for precise results.
Instead of stressing out yourself, you can adopt healthy habits in your life for your physical and mental well-being.
- Carry out relaxing activities that could be your hobbies such as reading or cooking.
- Open up your emotions to your family or close friends
- Join and participate in online support groups for people in similar situations
- Meditate or do yoga to relax yourself
- Remind yourself that your procedure was carried out by a medical professional
- Educate yourself and gain knowledge about your current situation and procedure
Still no Symptoms after 11 Days?
Since the main concern of the article is whether it is normal to have no symptoms after a successful embryo transfer, the answer is yes! it is completely normal to have no symptoms for the first two weeks after a successful embryo transfer. Many women don’t even have symptoms after 5 – 6 weeks after the first missed period. Generally. About 10-15% of women have no symptoms at all in the 1st 2 weeks, so you shouldn’t stress yourself out too much by overthinking the possibilities. The changes may be in progress, and we would explain what might be happening in your body and some possible symptoms that you might have observed but not taken notice.
For 5 – day Embryo Transfers
The number of days in embryos is referred to as the time after fertilization of the two germ cells. The reference is taken into account as this little difference in time brings the larger difference in the number of cells in the embryo. Where a 3–day embryo has 6-8 cells, a 5-day embryo has about 80-100 cells. Clinically talking, a 5-day embryo shows a higher rate of implantation and pregnancy as compared to a 3-day embryo.
When the embryo is transferred into your body, the cells multiply rapidly. At day 3, the embryo embeds itself in the uterus lining, and the process is called implantation. The implantation process is completed at about day 5 and at the same day the development of the placenta takes place. As you now have an implanted embryo in your body, the body will now start producing hCG, a hormone that also indicates pregnancy in the pregnancy tests taken. The fetus then develops with increasing hCG production.
The Possible Symptoms after Embryo Transfer
There is the possibility of symptoms occurring after embryo transfer. However, these symptoms may not necessarily be due to a successful embryo transfer as they can occur due to the change in hormones as well. These hormonal changes take place due to the medications taken before the embryo transfer for the preparation of the body to receive an embryo.
Both experiencing and not experiencing the symptoms are something you should worry about, as both cases are normal. Everybody is unique and may exhibit unique qualities and reactions. Some symptoms that the body might experience are as follows:
Spotting:
Light bleeding or spotting can occur post-transfer, but it can be due to different reasons. In terms of pregnancy, it indicates the implantation of the embryo. This is also called implantation bleeding and occurs as light spotting or light bleeding. This can occur about seven days after the transfer procedure is carried out.
Spotting can also occur almost immediately after the transfer procedure is carried out which is usually due to the slight scraping of the uterus lining while the procedure is taking place.
The slight bleeding or spotting that occurs about 2 weeks after the transfer is due to the progesterone hormone taken as medication.
Abdominal Cramps:
You should keep in mind that progesterone medications are capable of causing cramps in the abdominal area, and it may not be a sign of a successful or unsuccessful embryo transfer.
On the bright side, implantation cramping can also occur at about day 5-7 post-procedure, and some women do complain of feeling slight cramps after the embryo transfer.
Vaginal Discharge:
The amount of vaginal discharge increases within the 2 weeks after the embryo transfer and can be attributed to both progesterone or early pregnancy. Taking progesterone is not harmful, but it is taken in order to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy. The symptoms produced by the supplements can cause confusion but it is important to take them for a better result.
Sore Breasts and Other Changes:
Another change attributed to both progesterone and early pregnancy is the changes in breasts. Your breasts can feel sore, and the areolas may darken. You can feel that your breasts may be swollen and painful. You can feel the changes at the 7-day mark, which can be more likely due to early pregnancy.
You may or may not observe these changes as different bodies react to IVF in different ways.
Nausea:
Nausea is one of the most common signs of early pregnancy and is commonly called morning sickness. It is still difficult to use as a pregnancy symptom as it can commonly occur during IVF or fertility treatments. About 20-30% of pregnant women do not feel any sort of nausea during their pregnancy at all.
A lack of nausea cannot indicate an unsuccessful embryo transfer as it is not really a strong indication. It may or may not occur. Keep your hopes up.
Fatigue:
IVF patients can feel fatigued due to the presence of both progesterone and hCG produced by the body. Hormonal supplements can commonly cause tiredness throughout the IVF process. 2-3 weeks post embryo transfer, the feeling of tiredness can occur as a sign of early pregnancy.
Instead of stressing out by constant thoughts, you should carry out activities that would be more relaxing for you and rejuvenate you so you can cope well with the situation.
Missed Periods:
Missing your period is the clearest sign of pregnancy, and you can take a pregnancy test to confirm your results. There are chances that the results show a false negative, you can wait till 9 days after you miss the first period for the body to produce enough hCG to be detected by the pregnancy tests.
When to Take the Pregnancy Tests?
You take a pregnancy after 2 weeks post embryo transfer as the body would produce enough hCG to be detected, it is still ideally advised to take a pregnancy test after you miss your first period as the hCG production increases with more time. It is also better to avoid false negatives as they could result in an emotional blow to the expecting parents.
The Takeaway:
Occurring symptoms may or may not occur after embryo transfer, and both cases are completely normal. There are a set of possible symptoms, but they can occur due to both progesterone and early pregnancy, which can cause confusion. Rather than confusing oneself, relaxing activities can be carried out for well being of the expecting mother. Relax mentally and physically.
The closest symptom for a successful embryo transfer is missed periods, while the best is to take a pregnancy test properly and on time to avoid any false negatives that can result in an emotional blow.
