2 questions: Trying to understand the process

BerriGirl

Hello. it's been a loooong time since posting on this community, but I'm back with a couple of questions - trying to learn about IF as my SIL is going through it. Just looking for some help understanding the process as she's in her two-week wait period.

1. She's using an egg donor. does it matter when the embryos are transferred? She had them transferred last Monday, 10 days before her period is due (this Wednesday). That seems late to me, since when I was ttc there was concern over my 10 day luteal phase, but this is new to me.

2. She goes in at 12 days after transfer for bloodwork (this Friday), but couldn't she test before then? Especially since she's not using her own eggs and hasn't used ovulation hormones that may give a false positive on the pg test? Seems like I tested at 9dpo, so maybe just 6 days after implantation... ?

Super excited for her, fingers and toes crossed!!!

auntjessy

ThoseThreeWords said:

I'll take a stab at these:

1.  The luteal phase is from ovulation to the first day of menstruation.  The embryo is already 3-5 days post egg retrieval (which, would be considered ovulation for this purpose).  So, that would make your SIL's "luteal phase" 13-15 days - which is normal.  Also, usually, there is progesterone (and often estrogen) supplementation...so the cycle is tightly medically controlled.  Therefore, there is no need to worry about how long it would have been naturally.

2.  Most REs recommend NOT testing at home for many reasons (false negatives, etc.).  However, theoretically, she could test a few days before...but again, it is usually not recommended.
https://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

GL to her.

This exactly.  

brooklynesque

All of this is correct. Re: testing at home, though, I'm personally all for it, if she can keep it in perspective and know that it may not be accurate, especially less than nine days after a transfer of day-5 blasts (which most donor egg transfers are). Finding out bad news in particular in a phone call without some foreknowledge always sounded like mental torture to me. But to each her own.

Good luck to your SIL! Feel free to send her over here -- I'm a DE recipient and so are a few others on this board.

BBColt78

Good advice was given above. the transfer sounds right. 

I did test before both of my betas. I did it the night before beta because I couldn't keep calm. I think just as many girls test at home as don't, but that's my opinion and I certainly didn't conduct any research!

Ylvelill

Very good advice in the first post I picked not to test, I tried very hard not to obsess about it!

jkayb123

BTW love that your educating yourself and asking questions!  That shows how much you care, way to take initiative!!

BerriGirl

ThoseThreeWords said:

I'll take a stab at these:

1.  The luteal phase is from ovulation to the first day of menstruation.  The embryo is already 3-5 days post egg retrieval (which, would be considered ovulation for this purpose).  So, that would make your SIL's "luteal phase" 13-15 days - which is normal.  Also, usually, there is progesterone (and often estrogen) supplementation...so the cycle is tightly medically controlled.  Therefore, there is no need to worry about how long it would have been naturally.

2.  Most REs recommend NOT testing at home for many reasons (false negatives, etc.).  However, theoretically, she could test a few days before...but again, it is usually not recommended.
https://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

GL to her.

That website is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for the insight;)