What should you know about IVF post embryo transfer?

A fresh embryo transfer places an embryo into the uterus during the same treatment cycle. Mild pelvic pressure, cramping, or a small amount of spotting can occur, but symptoms cannot confirm whether implantation has happened. Fertility medicines can also affect how you feel, so avoid interpreting every sensation as a result.

Your clinic will tell you when to take a pregnancy test; testing too early can be misleading after fertility medicines. Progesterone support may be prescribed to help prepare and maintain the uterine lining. Do not stop it without specific instructions from your fertility team.

Take medicines at the scheduled times, keep the testing appointment, and use ordinary gentle activity unless your clinic advises otherwise. Stay hydrated, eat normally, and avoid smoking or alcohol while awaiting the result. Record bleeding, pain, temperature, and any medicine concerns so you can describe changes clearly.

For background, see [IVF](/treatments/fertility-and-assisted-reproduction/ivf/) and [Micronised Progesterone](/materials/micronised-progesterone/).

Contact your clinic promptly for increasing or one-sided pelvic pain, bleeding that is more than light spotting, fever, repeated vomiting, marked abdominal swelling, dizziness, or reduced urine. Seek emergency care for severe pain, fainting, chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or heavy bleeding. These symptoms can signal a complication requiring assessment and are not a measure of the transfer outcome.

Ask when to test, how long to continue progesterone, which pain medicines are suitable, what activity limits apply, and whom to call outside clinic hours. Also ask how your clinic wants you to report spotting, pain, or a positive test.