How Soon After Ovidrel Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
Giselda Sasao
It takes about 2 weeks from the time an embryo implants in the uterine wall to start emitting enough of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) to be detected by a blood pregnancy test known as a beta. After that period of time has passed, we can be reasonably sure that the test results are accurate.
At Shady Grove Fertility, we do not recommend taking an at-home urine pregnancy test, as it can render either a false positive or false negative. A false positive result would show that you are pregnant when you are, indeed, not. A false negative result would show that you are not pregnant when you are, indeed, pregnant. Either way, the emotional burden of a false result can be a lot for a patient or couple to bear.
On average, two weeks after intrauterine insemination (IUI) or embryo transfer, patients will come back to our center for a pregnancy test. Unlike a home pregnancy test, the beta test administered in the office is blood-based and measures the hCG levels produced by a developing embryo. The most reliable pregnancy test available is the hCG blood test performed at your local Shady Grove Fertility office.
Additional beta tests are typically performed every 48 to 72 hours after the first positive test to confirm that hCG levels are continuing to rise. We look for the level of hCG to rise about 60 percent or more in each of the additional tests. If the number continues to increase, physicians become more confident that there is likely a viable pregnancy, as the rising levels indicate that the embryo is continuing to grow.
Tarah: I had a wonderful, supportive nurse that I called almost daily to talk about different things I was experiencing. She stayed positive and did her best to calm my fears. I went for long walks and listened to inspirational music during this time as well.
Ah, yes. Everyone's least favorite thing about trying to conceive: the dreaded "two week wait." Obsessively wondering if you're pregnant, documenting your symptoms by the hour, blowing through packages of pregnancy tests even though you know it's too early to test...it's a difficult time to navigate.
As a fertility patient who has recently been through it and gets a ton of anxiety about the two week wait, I decided to ask my fertility nurse Brigitte Alicea some questions and share them with you. My hope is that reading these responses will give you a little peace of mind as you wait - or at least stop you from driving yourself crazy searching the internet for answers!
If you are indeed pregnant, you may even start experiencing some early pregnancy symptoms (more on those below). However, if you don't spot any symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you're not pregnant, so don't panic!
Whether you're experiencing any potential pregnancy symptoms or not, the most difficult part of the two week wait is usually the emotional roller coaster of it all. When you've been focusing so much energy, time (and often, money) trying to conceive, it feels like everything is riding on the end result of this two week time frame.
Know that your emotions are valid, especially during this time. Acknowledging that this is tough and giving yourself space to process all of the uncertainty and other emotions you may be feeling right now is healthy.
While each individual's experience will be different, there are some very commonly asked questions about the two week wait that we want to address. To provide you with the most accurate, evidence-based answers, I enlisted the help of one of our veteran fertility nurses, Brigitte Alicea, RN. Here's her take on the two week wait:
It's only natural to have a million questions during this uncertain time, and if you're working with a fertility clinic or other healthcare provider, we encourage you to reach out to your Care Team. We've heard it all - so don't be afraid to contact us when you're feeling worried or just need some reassurance.
Patients most frequently reach out to me to ask questions about cramping, spotting and whether X symptom is normal (or a possible pregnancy symptom). Patients on hormone supplementation experience even more of those confusing "possible" early pregnancy symptoms, leading to increased frustration.
Can I have sex during the two week wait? Generally speaking, yes. But check with your doctor or Care Team, who will be able to advise you best after taking your medical history and any other potential concerns into account.
Testing too early can cause frustrating and confusing false positives, since the Ovidrel/HCG may still be in your system. Why? Ovidrel/HCG causes your HCG levels to rise and can take about 13 days to leave your system.
If you take a UPT (urine pregnancy test) at home and get a negative result, it may also be that the HCG is not yet detected in your urine. This sometimes causes patients to stop their hormone supplementation too soon, which can (sadly) jeopardize their outcome.
Yes, it is possible to get an early positive pregnancy test, but it could be a false positive, due to HCG still hanging around in your system for a bit. So if you see a faint line one day and no line the next, this may be why. It's so hard to see two lines and then none - I've been there.
Despite the "two" in two week wait, it's not always two weeks exactly. After an IUI or timed intercourse cycle, you will need to wait 16 days to see if you're pregnant after taking your HCG/Ovidrel injection.
I can't tell you how many times I've searched Google about specific symptoms I was experiencing, desperately hoping that they were signs of early pregnancy. If you're anything like me, you've probably looked for answers too. While I'd encourage you to (try to) avoid comparing symptoms for your own sanity...I understand how hard it is to resist.
If you're a fertility patient on medications to support a potential pregnancy (like progesterone or estrogen), it can cause even more confusion. So, keeping all of that in mind, here are some of the most common symptoms you may hear about or experience during early pregnancy:
This is a BIG one. Rapid rises in hormones like progesterone during early pregnancy often lead to extreme tiredness. No one knows for certain what causes this sleepiness and lack of energy. However, a rapid rise in the levels of the hormone progesterone during early pregnancy might contribute to fatigue.
This may feel like an obvious symptom, but if you have PCOS or other fertility issues that cause irregular cycles, it can be difficult to predict when your period will arrive. Keeping that in mind, if a week or more has passed without the start of an expected menstrual cycle, it's possible you could be pregnant.
There's a huge flood of hormones in your body in early pregnancy which can make you extra emotional. Mood swings are very common during this time. (And again, often exacerbated by any hormone medication you may be on!)
Running to the bathroom more often than usual? This is a fairly common early pregnancy symptom - and maybe not for the reason you might think! The culprit for increased urination is actually the amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy which results in your kidneys needing to process extra fluid (and that all ends up in your bladder).
Ah, the bloat is REAL. And hormones are to blame (as usual). This can be attributed to the high levels of progesterone in your body that are causing decreased bowel motility, leading to more gas, air, stool in the intestines - which lead to bloating.
Also referred to as implantation bleeding, this light spotting typically happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus between 10-14 days post-conception. But keep in mind - not all people experience spotting.
Some people experience mild uterine cramping early in their pregnancy. If you have really painful cramping (or simply feel nervous about it), don't hesitate to reach out to your Care Team for reassurance.
As someone who wrote down every single thing I was feeling during my own two week wait, I know how hard it is to not want to track what you're experiencing. But if you can manage to distract yourself for the next couple weeks, it will likely lessen your anxiety a bit.
The wait time to find out if you're pregnant after fertility treatment (also coined the "two week wait" or #tww) is fraught with all sorts of anxieties and emotions. The anticipation during that window of time stirs a pot of emotions that can be hard to manage, especially with the added pressure of the old adage that stress affects your fertility.
For many, the culmination of their anxiety and emotional rollercoaster ends with the penultimate moment: "THE" blood test (beta HCG level also called "beta"). These tests are usually done at their doctor's office at the start of their day which is followed by a never ending wait for the phone call with the result.
Many people opt to "cheat" and do a home pregnancy test during their two week wait, prior to finding out the results of their blood test. Why would someone do that? Well, it makes sense for a lot of reasons.
Dr. Jill Seladi-Schulman is currently a freelance medical writer and was previously a project setup manager for clinical trials. She specializes in microbiology and infectious disease, having written her dissertation on influenza virus morphology. Dr. Seladi-Schulman has publications in peer-reviewed journals. She also has had her work featured on the cover of the Journal of Virology.
With IVF, the trigger shot is used before egg retrieval to help facilitate a process called meiosis. In meiosis, eggs go through an important division where its chromosomes go from 46 to 23, priming them for fertilization.
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