Undergoing a Pregnancy Test After IVF
After completing a session of in vitro fertilization (IVF), you will undergo a pregnancy test at our practice to determine if the treatment was successful. The skilled doctors at the Fertility Center of San Antonio evaluate specific hormone levels to assess pregnancy with great accuracy. You can learn more about what to expect during a pregnancy test after IVF at our San Antonio, TX, fertility clinic by contacting our office and scheduling a personal consultation.
Assessing Your Pregnancy
IVF is a complex infertility treatment that involves fertilizing a woman’s eggs in a petri dish and then transferring the embryos to her uterus (or the uterus of a surrogate). About 10 days after the first step of IVF – known as ovulation induction – a patient will undergo a blood test to confirm ovulation. After completing IVF treatment, the skilled doctors at the Fertility Center of San Antonio will assess your pregnancy with hormone testing and eventually, with ultrasounds. When compared to at-home pregnancy tests, these methods allow us to confirm whether or not a patient is pregnant with far greater accuracy.
Our Pregnancy Testing Procedure
Approximately two weeks after completing a session of IVF treatment, we will measure a patient’s levels of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone. The presence of this hormone is a strong indication of pregnancy. A patient’s hCG levels should continue to rise until leveling off roughly 10 weeks into pregnancy.
Roughly eight weeks after establishing that a patient is pregnant, we will perform an ultrasound of the uterus to check for a visible fetus and heartbeat. This can help us discover important and vital information about the health of the fetus. If your pregnancy is successful, you will be advised to begin regularly scheduled visits with your primary care physician or obstetrician.
What if IVF is Unsuccessful?
IVF patients should understand that treatment may not be successful on the first attempt. Many patients will undergo multiple sessions in order to achieve pregnancy. In cases where treatment is unsuccessful, we will analyze potential causes, reevaluate our treatment options, and determine the next steps. It may be possible to explore different treatments, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or intrauterine insemination (IUI). Furthermore, we can also evaluate potential causes of your infertility. To test for male factor infertility, we can perform semen analysis, hormone testing, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), or a hysteroscopy. Your fertility doctor will review your unique options during a personal consultation.
Contact Us to Schedule an Appointment
At the Fertility Center of San Antonio, we have been diagnosing and treating infertility for more than 25 years. Our experienced doctors and compassionate staff work with individual IVF patients and their partners to help them achieve their dreams of parenthood. By performing a pregnancy test at our fertility clinic, we can accurately assess whether or not you are pregnant and avoid false positives that are common with at-home testing. Contact the Fertility Center of San Antonio to learn more about our approach to pregnancy testing and IVF treatment.