This is one of the important points when starting a reproduction treatment that requires laboratory fertilization.
Once the eggs are fertilized, embryonic development begins. When they reach the blastocyst stage (day 5 or 6), the embryos are ready to be transferred to the mother’s uterus. Specialists assess their quality and morphology to select the one to be transferred; if there are any left over, they will be vitrified so that they can be used later if necessary.
In the meantime, the gynecologist will have been checking that the patient’s endometrium is ready for the transfer (in fact, if it is not, it will be better to cancel the procedure so as not to waste the embryos). Endometrial preparation can be done in a natural cycle (taking advantage of the patient’s cycle and with minimal medication) or substituted (with medication to achieve the necessary consistency and thickness of the endometrium). The medical decision will depend on the woman’s diagnosis and history.
If the endometrium is ready, the transfer is performed in the operating room. It is a simple procedure in which we take the embryo to the uterus using a fine catheter through the vagina. The specialist will use an ultrasound machine to position it in the best place for implantation.
It lasts just a few minutes and does not require anesthesia or sedation. There may be some slight discomfort while it is being carried out, but rarely pain. The patient must rest in the clinic for half an hour, and can then resume normal activities but avoiding intense efforts. In this article we give you advice for the post-transfer.
This is when a period of waiting begins, called beta-waiting, during which the patient may report symptoms such as nausea, abdominal distension or drowsiness, which are typical of pregnancy and often lead to confusion; they are due to the medication received.
Occasionally, light spotting may also occur. This is not your period, nor does it mean that the transfer has gone wrong. This is usually called implantation bleeding, which is the result of the embryo being correctly implanted in the uterus.
Remember that the only way to know for sure if pregnancy has been achieved is through detección en sangre de la BHCG, una analítica que realizamos en la clínica unos diez o doce días después de la transferencia.