Unfortunately, your standard at-home pregnancy tests that you buy at a drugstore are not very accurate as an IVF pregnancy test. Too often, they’ll show false positives or false negatives, especially if the test is done too early. Here’s why.
Throughout IVF treatment, you’ll be taking fertility medications and hormones to help your body conceive. Right before egg retrieval, your fertility specialist will inject a large boost of hormones. Combined, these fertility drugs will increase the presence of the hCG hormone in your body.
The human chorionic gonadotropin (or hCG) hormone is known as the pregnancy hormone because it is produced by the body when pregnant. At-home pregnancy tests specifically look for the presence of hCG in the urine to determine if a person is pregnant.
Because the pregnancy test simply reads the level of hCG that’s already in your body due to fertility treatments, an at-home pregnancy test that is performed too early may lead to false positive results. Similarly, an early pregnancy test may produce a false negative result if your hCG hormones have not yet increased to levels detectable by an at-home pregnancy test.
You can avoid some of these at-home false positives or negatives by waiting for the 7-day period of time following your embryo transfer. This is how long most clinics recommend that patients wait before testing. At the Fertility Institute, we recommend that all of our patients simply avoid at-home pregnancy tests. Even with the wait, these pregnancy tests are simply too unreliable for IVF patients, with potentially-high emotional costs with a false positive or negative. Instead, we always suggest in-clinic IVF pregnancy tests for our patients.
Leah
Someone please help! I had 2 grade 5 embryos transferred. I’m on day 15, took 2 pregnancy tests and they were negative. I have to repeat in 3 days I have no bleeding but i’ve had stomach cramps. Is this the end of my journey or could there be a chance that I am pregnant?
03/25/2018 at 12:02 pm
Reply
Dear Leah horsler,
I’m afraid if you did two home pregnancy tests and both came back negative on day 15 post embryo transfer, the most likely is that you are not pregnant. I’m really sorry. After 15 days, if embryo implantation had taken place, a pregnancy test would be able to detect the presence of the hormone hCG in your system, and be able to show a positive result.
However, one failed IVF attempt does not mean that it’s the end of your journey. You can go for a second IVF attempt. Failing once doesn’t mean that IVF is not an option for you.
Recommended thread for you: How many IVF cycles did it take you to get pregnant?
Keep the positive vibes high!
Best wishes
03/26/2018 at 10:35 am
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Leah
I’m on day 10 of transfer and had 2 grade 5 embryos implanted i have to take another test in 3 days i took a HPT today and its still negative.i also lost 2 embryos in the thawing process and only have one left
03/26/2018 at 2:45 pm
Reply
Hello again Leah horsler,
Ok, you said “I’m on day 15” on your previous comment, hence my reply. If you’re on day 10, then there are chances for you being pregnant. If taken too early, HPTs might show a false negative when you’re actually pregnant.
Let’s wait three more days to see what the beta HCG analysis says!
Best of luck!
03/26/2018 at 3:46 pm
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Leah
I have another HPT the clinic give me and they said if that’s negative they won’t do a blood test to check for pregnancy as they believe this test is accurate but iv seen on forums that women have had negative HPT but positive blood tests I took another test today and it was negative I will wait and do it Wednesday now.i just feel devastated.
03/26/2018 at 7:24 pm
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wellspring1
It’s always better to take a pregnancy test on 12th to 14th day after embryo transfer. If you are on the 15th day, I think so the result is negative.
I will suggest not to take home test, go into your clinic and the have pregnancy test for accurate results.
04/02/2018 at 8:25 am
Reply
Question:
Dr.Ramirez,
I have written to you in the past and you have always been such a great sounding board. I need help and closure and I am hoping that you can help.
In September I went through IVF (in vitro fertilization). On 9/7 I transferred 2 embryos- 1 7cell grade AF and a 4cell grade BF. On 9/16 I had some light spotting and cramping. My beta was on 9/19 (12dp3dt)was negative & my RE instructed me to stop taking the PIO & Estrace. A few days later, what I thought was my period arrived. It was a medium flow w/some small clotting & lasted about 4 days & stopped. A couple of days later, I started bleeding very heavily & passing large clots. I went in to see my RE. She conducted an Ultrasound & some blood work to make sure I wasn't anemic. At that time I asked her to run a pregnancy test. She said that there was no way that I could have been pregnant but did it anyway. The next day she called to tell me my beta was 512!
I am absolutely devastated. I can't believe that I was pregnant the whole time. My RE is calling it a biochemical pregnancy and is saying that it probably wasn’t a healthy pregnancy but I am getting the feeling that they are trying to place blame elsewhere. I feel like I need some questions answered by a neutral party. I am having a hard time moving on so maybe you may be able to offer me some closure.
1.Should something have shown up on the beta 12dp3dt? If not, do you think it was a lab error?
2.Could it have shown as negative because of late implantation? If the cramping/spotting on the evening of the 16th was implantation, would HCG have shown up on the morning of the 19th?
3.I have a luteal phase defect. What effect/impact would stopping the PIO and Estrace have on the pregnancy? Do you think that stopping meds was the reason for the miscarriage?
4.My beta was 512 after bleeding for over a week (heavily). I would think it was much higher to start. Do you think that this would have been a healthy pregnancy?
5.Should the clinic have done a 2nd beta?
6.Any suggestions on where to go from here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
D. from Boston, MA
Answer:
Hello D. from the U.S. (Boston),
Certainly what you have gone through is very
unusual and unfortunate. It shows that late implantation exists. I usually do my first bHCG at 8-9 days post embryo transfer. I do two bHCG's, one at that time and another 48 hrs after. I have had a successful pregnancy case where the first bHCG was negative (<1) and the second positive (14) that went on to deliver a beautiful baby. Keep in mind, however, that there are no specific protocols regarding how many bHCG's to do and it is totally up to
the medical director of your clinic.
I cannot answer the question about the cramping and spotting on the 16th. If you have a luteal phase defect, then yes, stopping the supplemental hormones can lead to a miscarriage. There is no way to know if this was the reason for your loss because there are many other possibilities as well, such as an abnormal embryo. I cannot answer your question about whether or not this pregnancy would have been healthy. The number was
certainly a good and high number.
What is important to keep in mind at this point: This experience showed that you can achieve pregnancy. IVF only has the capability of giving you the opportunity to become pregnant. It cannot force a pregnancy on you. Keep in mind that the last two steps required to achieve pregnancy, embryo hatching and exiting the shell and implantation are natural steps. We don't have the technology to make these happen. That is why I say that IVF can only give you the opportunity. The last steps are in God's hands. The fact that implantation occurred (positive bHCG) shows that the last two steps took place and you can do it again.
Now you just have to maintain your hope, diligence and savvy. You've gotten this close. After all that you have been through, why would you not keep trying? Hopefully, the next one will be a "home run" or "touchdown" depending on which sport you prefer. If you don't try, you certainly won't be any closer to success, so don't give up!
Good Luck,
Dr. Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
//www.montereybayivf.com/
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
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