Preparing Your Body for Embryo Transfer
Getting your body ready for an embryo transfer is no easy task; it takes a lot of preparation, and we already know it took you a lot of work and time to even get to this point! You started with an application, loads of paperwork, then a medical screening, and made it through legal. It almost feels like you made it to the big playoff game, but this is just the coin toss. The real game is the pregnancy. Unfortunately, we can’t just walk into the transfer; we do have to prepare our bodies to transfer a precious embryo that can soon be someone’s child. Just as no two humans are the same, everyone is different and has to follow a different protocol from their own clinic and medical staff. Let’s just talk about some general things that might be the same for everyone as you prepare to help create a family.
Medical Preparation (Before Transfer)
You might go through some, maybe all. There is a medical evaluation. This will include a full physical, pelvic ultrasound, and bloodwork. You will have to do some infectious disease screening to check for HIV, Hepatitis, and STI’s. You’ll undergo a uterine evaluation, which may lead to a mock cycle or saline sonogram (to check uterine lining and receptivity). Some agencies will already have done this in advance, but some clinics will repeat a psychological evaluation to ensure you’re emotionally ready. Then the last thing is legal clearance. This is a contract between you and the intended parents.
Nutrition and hydration, as well as overall lifestyle choices, can all play a huge role in preparing your body for transfer. Eating a well-balanced and anti-inflammatory diet can potentially help. Focus on fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and complex carbs. Foods that also support the implantation and help you prepare your body for transfer are leafy greens, avocado, salmon, berries, and walnuts. Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated, and limit your caffeine intake. It’s important during this time that you limit alcohol and strenuous exercise.
Let’s start with SHOTS and other medications. You may not have injectable medication, but most people will. Additionally, there may be pills, patches or suppositories. Usually, these start 3-4 weeks before transfer and can go on up to 12 weeks after transfer. Also, during these weeks, you will be frequently monitored by the fertility clinic to make sure your body is doing well and the medications are doing their jobs at helping your body prepare for transfer. Some medications may include birth control pills to regulate and sync your cycle. Lupron may be used to help suppress natural hormones, and estrogen can help build and maintain the uterine lining. Progesterone help support embryo implantation and sustain a healthy pregnancy.
Transfer Day!
The embryo transfer itself is a painless, ultrasound-guided procedure. I like to say that it’s the easiest part of the whole process. After this, you will need to rest for about 24-48 hours, but all fertility clinics are different and have different protocols.
After transfer, you will continue medications exactly as prescribed. Your first Beta-hCG test is usually 9–11 days post-transfer to confirm pregnancy. If positive, you'll continue estrogen and progesterone until 10–12 weeks of pregnancy (when the placenta takes over hormone production). A few weeks later, you will go in for the first ultrasound to see a heartbeat. Then you grow a baby! It’s kind of like the first quarter of the football game. ;)
Just always keep in mind that surrogacy is a journey, and no one is perfect. You might have some bumps in the road. When that road seems long and never-ending, it’s important to breathe and remember that you are an amazing person just by raising your hand to help create a family. Use your agency to guide you and lean on them for support. At Bright Futures Families, we love to support our surrogates and parents and guide them through that journey. To find out more about how we can help you become a surrogate or help you on your journey of creating a family, visit our website.