Pregnancy Test Results After a Frozen Embryo Transfer

We’ve gathered pregnancy test photos from real customers who began testing with Natalist’s early result at-home pregnancy tests after IVF to share examples of what a positive test may look like.

By Halle Tecco, MPH, MBA

Let’s review what happens after an embaby is transferred into its home for, hopefully, the next nine months. At the time of a transfer, the embryo is already usually a five day old blastocyst who beat the odds in the lab. After the embryo has been transferred, it takes a few days for the embryo to hatch out of its shell and implant into the uterus. By the fifth day, implantation should be complete, and your body will begin producing the pregnancy hormone (hCG) from cells in the developing placenta.Let's look at what the symptoms and positive signs after embryo transfer can look like.

Day by day of the IVF embryo transfer process

According to NYU Langone Fertility, the following occurs each day after IVF embryo transfer:

• Day 1: The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell.
• Day 2: The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus.
• Day 3: The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation.
• Day 4: Implantation continues.
• Day 5: Implantation is complete. Cells that eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop.
• Day 6: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone that signals a developing pregnancy, starts to enter the bloodstream.
• Days 7 and 8: Fetal development continues, and hCG continues to be secreted.
• Day 9: Levels of hCG are now high enough in maternal blood to detect pregnancy using a blood test.

The at-home Natalist Pregnancy Test is a super early test, able to detect hCG at just 10 mIU/ml. As you see in the customer photos below, some customers will begin to see a faint line less than a week after the transfer.

So, what does a positive pregnancy test look like after an embryo transfer?

After an IVF embryo transfer, you'll most likely want to take a pregnancy test. However, depending on how soon you test, a positive pregnancy test result doesn't always show up clearly and can look like the following:

1. Here is an example of a faint positive line beginning to form on a positive test result 6dp5dt:

2. Here is another example of a faint line beginning to form on a positive test result 6dp5dt:

3. Here is an example positive test result 7dp5dt:

4. Here is another example of a positive test result taken 7dp5dt:

5. Here is a pregnancy test from 8dp5dt. This mama took the test at 10:56am, so it wasn't the first urine of the day and may have been darker if she had tested in the morning:

6. Here are progressively positive results from a mama who tested 8dp5dt, 11dp5dt, and 14dp5dt:

The earlier you test, the lighter the line will be. If you are indeed pregnant, the line will get progressively darker each day. Some things to remember when testing:

• It’s best to test first thing in the morning when your urine is most concentrated, but we don’t blame you for testing more than once in a day!
• Pee directly on the absorbent tip (everything below the arrow) until it’s completely wet or dip in a cup of urine.
• Write the date and time on the test so you can compare progress across days.
• You’ll want to make sure you aren’t taking any medication that would give you a false positive. If you don’t know which medications may do so, ask your nurse coordinator!

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Post transfer symptoms

Unfortunately, many of the early pregnancy symptoms are similar to the side effects of taking IVF medications. This includes fatigue, bloating, sore breasts, cramping, and spotting. High hormone levels can be due to either successful pregnancy or medication. Some women experience these symptoms because they are pregnant, while others experience them from the meds. And others have no symptoms at all. This makes predicting pregnancy difficult from symptom tracking alone. The best way to confirm a pregnancy is with an early result pregnancy test or beta hCG test.

Congratulations on your IVF transfer! We’re thinking sticky thoughts for you.

Next up:

• When is The Earliest You Can Take a Pregnancy Test During IVF?
• Is it Okay to Have Sex and Orgasm During the 2WW?
• What is a Good Beta hCG After an IVF Embryo Transfer?
• Guide to IVF Embryo Grading

Halle Tecco is the founder of Natalist and an infertility warrior. Her experience struggling to get pregnant (which includes multiple rounds of IVF) inspired her to start Natalist and help other women on their journey. Sign up for her IVF newsletter here 💌