![]() If you feel you don’t have to do something, don’t do it.Īvoid excessive heat. No hot baths or hot tubs, and no whirlpools. ![]() You can go to the bathroom as needed, and you can use stairs but don’t run up and down them. Therefore, for the first one to two days, stay home and chill out.Īvoid vigorous activities such as heavy lifting, bending or exercise. Why? You want embryos to remain in the uterine cavity and not get pushed into a Fallopian tube, which would result in an ectopic or tubal pregnancy.Ĭommon sense goes a long way. It is within this time frame that an embryo has to “attach” to the uterine wall before it can fully implant, which may take several days. The first 24 hours after an embryo is transferred are most likely the most critical. When you do go home, you absolutely have a prescription to be a “couch potato.” You can sit up and watch TV, or work on your laptop or your iPad. Why? It’s because embryos do not fall out. We know that any fluid you may see coming out is from the sterile cleaning solution.You may even see some spotting, and that is nothing to worry about. It may seem counter-intuitive, but, in fact, a study published in a well-respected peer-review journal, Fertility and Sterility (Fertil Steril 2013 100: 729-35), demonstrated better pregnancy rates with immediate resumption of normal activities (including bathroom) compared to bed rest right after the embryo transfer.īack in the 1980s, after an embryo transfer, we prescribed that patients stay on complete bed rest for three hours and even rely on bedpans instead of going to the bathroom. Several recent studies have confirmed that immediate bed rest after the embryo transfer is completely unnecessary. Then the patient can get up and go straight to the bathroom, if needed.Īfter that, the embryos have to implant into the uterine lining on their own over the next few days, with the goal of developing into a successful pregnancy. ![]() After placement of the embryo(s), the embryologist checks the catheter under the microscope to make sure that the embryo(s) transferred properly. On the ultrasound screen the patient will be able to watch the bubble of air and fluid the embryo is contained in get placed gently into the uterine cavity. Once we have the embryo(s), we feed the catheter with the embryo(s) through the empty catheter that is in place. Then the embryologist will bring the catheter containing the embryo(s) from the lab a few feet away, so we can minimize the time that the embryos are exposed. After cleansing the cervix with solution, the doctor will place an empty transfer catheter through the cervix into position inside the uterine cavity. A thin, soft catheter is threaded through the cervix under ultrasound guidance, to be very exact in the embryo placement location, generally 1 to 2 cm from the top of the uterine cavity. The transfer itself is a fairly simple procedure with very little discomfort. For women who have undergone intrauterine inseminations (IUIs), the sensation should be very similar. The patient feels pressure, but typically there is no pain. The next step is to use a vaginal speculum to wash off the cervix with some sterile fluid. ![]() The embryologist removes the embryos from the incubator and shows them to the patient, magnified up to 1,000 times on the video screen. One of the most commonly used phrases in IVF is: “The reproductive endocrinologist implants the embryos in the patient’s uterus.” This is not how it works - the embryo or embryos have to implant on their own.ĭuring in vitro fertilization, the embryo(s) develop in a Petri dish for three to five days, and the healthiest embryo(s) are chosen for the transfer. Yes, you should relax and take it easy after an IVF embryo transfer. The fear is if they do something wrong, the embryo won’t attach or fall out. Many patients worry about what they can and cannot do after an embryo transfer. ![]()
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