Does a reproductive medicine perform embryo transfer?

Embryo transfer is the step in which an embryo is placed inside the uterus through a thin catheter. The reproductive medicine doctor or another trained fertility clinician plans the timing and carries out the procedure, while the embryology team confirms the embryo selected for transfer. The clinic may use a fresh embryo or an embryo that was previously frozen, depending on your treatment plan.

Before the appointment, the team reviews uterine preparation, medicines, consent, and the embryo information. During the procedure, a speculum may be used and the catheter is guided through the cervix. Your clinic will explain aftercare and when to take a pregnancy test; follow its instructions rather than changing medicines on your own.

Confirm the appointment time, medicines, bladder instructions, and whether you need someone to accompany you. Ask how the embryo is identified and how the laboratory communicates with the clinician. Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed, and tell the team about new symptoms, medicines, or a change in your health before transfer. Arrange the follow-up plan before leaving the clinic.

Call your fertility clinic if you have increasing pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, fever, foul-smelling discharge, dizziness, or symptoms that concern you after transfer. Seek urgent care for severe pain, fainting, breathing difficulty, or heavy bleeding. Do not stop prescribed fertility medicines because of mild spotting or cramping without speaking with the team.

Ask: Who will perform the transfer? Is this a fresh or frozen embryo transfer? How is the transfer date chosen? Which medicines should I continue afterward? What symptoms should prompt a call, and when will follow-up testing take place?