When to take a pregnancy test after IVF? Experts advise to wait at least 7 days after the embryo transfer

Do you know how IVF works?

Experts from the Mayo Clinic explain IVF or in vitro fertilization simply: "During in vitro fertilization, mature eggs are taken from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm under laboratory conditions. Then one or more fertilized eggs, called embryos, are placed in the uterus.” (2)

One IVF cycle lasts about 2 to 3 weeks. It starts with the work of hormones that help the ovaries to produce more eggs. Why do we need more of them? Because some don't get fertilized or develop properly when they connect with sperm. Hormones play a fundamental role in artificial insemination and are also important when deciding when to take a pregnancy test after IVF.

A quick note about pregnancy hormones: Do not take the test earlier than the doctors recommend

It is no exaggeration to say that the entire cycle of pregnancy revolves around hormones. At the beginning, you will undergo a test for the amount of Anti-Müllerian hormone, after which, if it reveals a low number of eggs and a slim chance of getting pregnant naturally, you will start IVF. This is the process where hormones are given to stimulate the ovaries, ripen the eggs and prepare them for implantation. Simply put, the entire cycle begins with injections of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). It helps the ovaries to produce more eggs. (2)

This is followed by an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which helps the eggs mature and prepare to be released from the ovaries. We must not forget progesterone, which improves the prospects for reliable attachment of the fertilized egg to the lining of the uterus. (2) (3)

Around here comes the moment when a woman can't stand waiting and tries to take a pregnancy test, even before the doctor recommends it. The problem is that after the stimulation injections, a relatively high level of hCG circulates in her body, and the test can therefore give a false positive result, which, as experts from the Europe IVF clinic say, is "much worse (sadder) than a false negative result". (4) (5) The difference also lies in whether you take the pregnancy test with urine or blood.

The difference between pregnancy tests: From urine after 7 or more days, from blood after 5 days after transmission

However, the results are demonstrable much later. Experts from the Natalist clinic answered the most frequent question that women asked them: When is the earliest possible time to take a pregnancy test during IVF? For this reason, they encourage clients to be patient and explain: "It takes several days for a five-day-old embryo to attach to the endometrial lining. When this happens, the woman's body starts producing pregnancy hormone (hCG) from cells in the developing placenta. This is what pregnancy tests are able to detect." (6) Then it depends on what type of test you choose.

If you choose a highly sensitive home urine test, it can detect pregnancy as early as five days after the transfer of a five-day-old embryo. However, most women will not receive a positive home test result until seven or more days after transmission (10 to 12 days is standard). (6)

The blood test is, on the contrary, somewhat more sensitive and accurate. An American study of 369 patients after IVF showed that a blood test already five to six days after the transfer very well predicted a successful pregnancy (both fresh and frozen embryos). (7)

3 popular methods of assisted reproduction = 3 different approaches to pregnancy tests

Did you know that assisted reproduction (AR) is a relatively young medical field? The first successful IVF was performed by doctors in 1978 in England. A single oocyte was removed from the patient's ovary laparoscopically, then it was fertilized in vitro and subsequently transferred to the uterus as an embryo. (8) Since then, IVF technology has spread throughout the world and is the most common AR method today. Among the popular, but already more sophisticated methods of AR are cryoembryo transfer (KET) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). Embryo transfer (ET), often referred to in discussions, is the final stage of IVF. Each method works on a slightly different principle:

1. Cryoembryo transfer (KET)

• KET means the transfer of thawed embryos, which were created in previous IVF cycles, into the uterus. According to experts from the Europe IVF clinic, up to 95% of thawed embryos are usable. (9)

2. Embryo transfer (ET)

• Although ET is considered a separate method of AR, in reality it is the "last" phase of the IVF cycle, i.e. the transfer of the embryo to the uterus. According to experts from the Europe IVF clinic, this is the "finish line of artificial insemination". (10)

3. Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

• IUI is one of the simplest AR methods, as it involves the assisted fertilization of an egg with a sperm directly in the woman's body. This method is mostly chosen by couples who are starting with artificial insemination, because it is a painless procedure characterized by the introduction of sperm into the uterus, from where it has to find its way to the egg. (11)

Each of the described methods requires a different approach to the pregnancy test, which is supposed to reveal whether fertilization has occurred.

See when to take pregnancy tests after IVF:

Pregnancy test after KET

• Experts from IVF Matters warn: "Wait at least 10 to 14 days before taking a pregnancy test!" A thawed embryo needs time to implant to start producing enough hCG for the test to detect.” (12)

Pregnancy test after ET

• As already said, ET is the final stage of IVF. The Gennet Clinic recommends a blood test 14 days after the transfer, as the results obtained in this way "are 100% reliable". Theoretically, you can take a pregnancy test (at home) earlier, but the results will not be 100% conclusive. (13)

Pregnancy test after IUI

•  IUI is a de facto "tampering" of the natural process of fertilization, i.e. the introduction of sperm into the uterus, where it has to "fend for itself". Therefore, experts point out that after this AR method, it is even enough to take the pregnancy test only after the menstruation has been delayed. Until then, it's useless. (14)

The period between IVF and finding out if it was successful is full of both excitement and fear. Many women cannot stand the wait and take a pregnancy test before their doctor recommends it. However, this does not pay off for them, because the transferred embryo takes up to 10 days to implant and start producing hCG. Therefore, we recommend listening to the doctors' instructions and not stressing unnecessarily in a situation where the first test does not bring you positive news.