The embryo transfer is one of the most important steps in your journey as a surrogate. Once the transfer is complete, you’re one step closer to giving the intended parents the life-changing experience of parenthood.
Knowing the optimal time to take a pregnancy test after an embryo transfer is essential for obtaining accurate results. Typically, it’s recommended to wait 10-14 days after the transfer before testing. Following your fertility clinic’s instructions will help you avoid premature testing and ensure you get the most reliable results.
Contact us online to learn more about what you can do during your two-week wait and the questions you have surrounding when to test after the embryo transfer.
Whether that means connecting you with reputable medical professionals such as fertility clinics that can help you create these embryos that will be transferred or completing your surrogate planning questionnaire so that when you’re embryos are created, you are ready to roll, we’re here for you.
How Many Days After Embryo Transfer Can You Test?
Most fertility clinics recommend a two-week waiting period after the embryo transfer to test for a pregnancy.
The hormone that pregnancy tests use to measure a pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), has varying levels depending on where you are in your fertility journey.
An early pregnancy, for example, might mean your body isn’t producing as much hCG at that time, causing a false-negative result.
The reason for the suggested waiting period is to get the most accurate results possible. Taking a pregnancy test too soon after the transfer can produce false positive or negative results.
Although a home pregnancy test is one of your options available, most medical professionals also recommend going in for a blood test once your wait is up as the accuracy is much higher.
Here’s a look at suggested wait times depending on when you had your embryo transfer.
How Soon Can I Test After 3 Day Embryo Transfer?
You can take a pregnancy test after a 3 day embryo transfer at as early as nine days
Day three and five embryo transfers are similar in terms of the growth that happens. The embryos development, connection to the endometrium and implantation and cell division and hCG production occur with both transfers.
The difference between what happens with a day three embryo transfer comes when the implantation takes place.
Apposition, adhesion and invasion take place 5-7 days after a day 3 embryo transfer vs. 3-5 days after a day 5 embryo transfer.
When the blastocyst lands near the uterine wall and forms an initial, but loose connection. When the embryo attaches to the endometrium. When the outer cells of the blastocyst penetrate the uterine wall.
Cell division and hCG production also take place on the eighth day and beyond vs. the sixth day and beyond for a day five transfer.
By the ninth day, hCG levels may be high enough for a 3 day embryo transfer pregnancy test to detect a pregnancy.
How Soon Can I Test After 5 Day Embryo Transfer?
The two-week wait is the standard wait time that many fertility specialist suggest, but you can test for pregnancy after the blastocyst transfer as early as seven days.
Before the 5 day embryo transfer pregnancy test on the seventh day, the embryo hatches, divides and continues to expand in the first couple of days.
Days three through five after the embryo transfer are when apposition, adhesion and invasion take place.
The cells that become the fetus and placenta continue to divide and hCG enters the bloodstream on the sixth day and beyond.
By the seventh day, hCG levels may be high enough for a 5 day embryo transfer pregnancy test to detect a pregnancy.
How Soon Can I Test After 7 Day Embryo Transfer?
A day 7 embryo is typically considered a more advanced blastocyst. After a day seven embryo transfer, it can take a few days for the embryo to implant into your uterus.
A 7 day embryo transfer pregnancy test has a similar timeline to a 5 day transfer in terms of:
- The embryo’s development in the first couple of days.
- Days three through five consist of the embryo connecting to the endometrium for implantation.
- Cell division and hCG production continued on the sixth day.
As a result, the seventh day after a 7 day embryo transfer is when a pregnancy test may be able to detect a pregnancy.
At this stage of your IVF and surrogacy journey, you are close to bringing life into this world, giving the intended parents the opportunity they’ve been waiting for, for years.
No matter what type of support you need on this journey, from finding a fertility clinic to finding surrogate support groups where you can hear about and share your own experiences, we’re here for you.
Fill out our contact form to get more free information about what comes next.
Typically, it’s not too early for a pregnancy test 7 days after the embryo transfer. Any time after a day five embryo transfer takes place, the levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin may be high enough to detect a pregnancy via a urine or blood test. Yes, it’s usually too early to test for a pregnancy three days after the embryo transfer. At this point, the embryo hasn’t even connected to the endometrium or implanted into your uterus. Day three is just when the morula starts to develop into a blastocyst. The answer to that hinges on when the embryo transfer happens. The window shifts depending on whether it’s a three, five or seven day embryo transfer. After a three day transfer, you can test as early as nine days while seven days is recommended for day five and seven transfers.Embryo Transfer Test FAQs