Pregnancy Test

IVF Step 7: Pregnancy testing

You will be given a pregnancy test after your embryo/blastocyst transfer. The nurse will give you a date on which you should do the test. You must wait until this date to do the test, as doing the test earlier may give a false positive result. (A false positive occurs when the test says that you are pregnant when you actually are not.) False positive pregnancy tests are very distressing, which is why we ask patients to wait.

However, we understand that waiting to do the test can be very stressful. Please do not forget, our  dedicated team of specialist counsellors are available if you feel you need someone to talk things over with.  Support counselling is available free of charge during and after your treatment.

If you experience a period after the treatment you should still do the pregnancy test. This is because we have known patients in the past who have had bleeding, despite being pregnant.

However, a period usually means that you are not pregnant. You can expect to have a period 12-16 days after your embryo/blastocyst transfer if this is the case.

Vaginal bleeding can also occur as the embryos/blastocysts try to implant in your womb. If you experience any bleeding you should contact us.  Continue with your progesterone cream or pessaries.

You should call us after you have done the pregnancy test to let us know what the result is. If the result is negative, you may not feel ready to speak to us in person. If this is the case, you may want to call out of hours and leave an answerphone message.

If your pregnancy test is negative we will provide you with support to help you through this difficult time. We hold weekly meetings in the Unit where we review  treatment cycles that have not been successful or that had to be stopped mid-cycle. We do this to see if there is anything that could have been done differently. The weekly meetings also enable us to make recommendations to improve the chances of future cycles being successful.

We will send you a letter to let you know when this meeting has taken place. You are welcome to hear the findings of this meeting, if you wish. You may choose to have this over the phone or face-to-face at a follow-up appointment.

If your pregnancy test is positive, you should let us know straight away. We will arrange an ultrasound scan 3 weeks later to confirm that you are pregnant, the pregnancy is in your womb, and not your fallopian tube (ectopic pregnancy), is alive (viable) and to determine the number of babies present.

You will also need to come to the Unit to collect a supply of progesterone pessaries, which you will need to carry on taking until the ultrasound scan confirms that the pregnancy is viable.

You antenatal care (the care that you receive during pregnancy) will not be carried out at the Unit. You will need to get in contact with the midwifery booking service or your GP and let them know that you are pregnant, so that they can arrange appropriate care for you.

Page Last Modified: 23rd September 2024