One of the most difficult phases of an assisted reproduction treatment is the IVF beta wait. In many cases it is inevitable that expectant parents will experience mixed emotions as they await the results of treatment.
What is beta wait?
Whichever assisted reproduction treatment alternative has been applied, the couple must go through what is known as the beta wait. If insemination (AI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) or oocyte donation was chosen, you should wait approximately 9 to 14 days to perform the pregnancy test. This period of time is called beta wait.
Although it may seem like a short time, for expectant parents, beta waiting represents long and endless days, during which emotions and feelings are inevitably altered and mixed.
The emotional burden on the couple can be exhausting, considering that they are experiencing excitement and hope for a positive beta wait and the arrival of a baby. But at the same time they may feel anxious, stressed, nervous and helpless when faced with the possibility of a negative outcome.
The name used to identify this waiting time is due to the fact that the hormone that is analyzed in the pregnancy test is called “beta-hCG hormone”.
What is beta-hCG hormone?
Its official name is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is released by the embryo from its implantation in the woman’s uterus, and subsequently by the placenta or syncytiotrophoblast.
hCG facilitates the secretion of progesterone by the corpus luteum, which allows the development of the fetus. With fetal growth, beta-hCG levels progressively increase, then remain stable until they reach approximately
10 weeks. At this time the levels begin to decrease.
This is why it is advisable to wait after insemination until day 15 to evaluate beta-hcg in blood. Let us remember that in an insemination the process of union of the egg and sperm, the development of the embryo until it reaches blastocyst occurs inside the human body and then the implantation and growth of the embryo must take place.
If IVF is performed, the result will be quicker and you will have to wait until day 14 to perform the urine pregnancy test. Prior to this period, hormone levels may not be adequate to be detected by testing mechanisms. If beta-hcg is analyzed in blood, its detection is possible 9 days after the transfer of an embryo at the blastocyst stage (day 5 of development), since an embryo that has already been evolving for 5 days was transferred, the detection of hcg will be faster than in insemination.
In this way, you can get much more reliable results from the pregnancy test, and be sure of a positive or negative beta-pregnancy.
Symptoms of beta expectancy
It is important to note that the symptoms of positive beta-expectancy are not necessarily an indication that gestation has been achieved. On the other hand, these may vary from one woman to another, and sometimes there are no symptoms at all.
Following assisted reproduction treatment, beta-positive symptoms are linked to the effects generated by ovarian stimulation, and to the progesterone that continues to be used during this phase. In other words, it is common for symptoms of beta-positive wait to be
experience, regardless of whether pregnancy has been achieved or not.
Among the beta-positive symptoms that women may experience are
are the following:
● Low back pain similar to that experienced during menstruation.
● Ovarian twinges.
● Light bleeding or brownish spotting.
● Need to urinate more frequently.
● Yellow or clear vaginal discharge, which should not be itchy or smell.
bad.
● Inflammation at the abdominal or pelvic level.
● Headache.
● Inflammation of the breasts.
● Nausea and headaches.
● Moodiness or mood swings
● Fatigue and sleepiness.
● Constipation.
● Insomnia or difficulty sleeping.
Other symptoms that women have reported experiencing in beta-positive pregnancy include dry mouth, feeling very hungry and thirsty, stomach pains, diarrhea, cramps in the uterus, gas, warm skin but no fever, acne, and general malaise.
What not to do in beta wait?
Once the embryo transfer or intrauterine insemination has been performed, all that remains is to wait for the recommended time to perform the pregnancy test and obtain the results.
Considering that this waiting period can be difficult, we share some recommendations on what to avoid during this time.
● Try to maintain your normal life routine. It is best to keep busy and avoid thinking about pregnancy as much as possible.
● Avoid extreme rest. It is best to continue with your work, unless it involves physical exertion that puts the pregnancy at risk.
● You should not create an obsession regarding symptoms. Remember that there are women who have many symptoms due to the treatment and the hormonal state in which you are and sometimes without feeling anything particular the pregnancy is progressing satisfactorily.
● They should be aware of the possibility of treatment failure. And in this sense, one must be aware of this in order to be able to cope with a negative outcome. Some people find it reassuring to consider an alternative path or plan B in case treatment fails.
● As much as possible, they should avoid stress during the wait. They should also make every effort to manage anxiety well. As stress or anxiety is common, what you should try to do is to include recreational activities, relaxation and breathing exercises, exercise such as walks or hikes, surround yourself with friends and family that make you feel good. When you have negative thoughts, understand that they are normal and try to counteract them with a thought such as: “I am doing the best I can, complying with the instructions and I am still on my way to having a healthy baby”.
● To cope with beta expectancy on a day-to-day basis, it is essential for a couple to support each other and understand the feelings and emotions that the other may be experiencing. Understanding that everyone may experience it differently and listening to each other is very important.
● Avoid focusing all conversations on the topic of pregnancy. It is best to interact with family and friends on a variety of topics.
● In case they feel it is necessary, it is also recommended to resort to psychology professionals, to manage stress and anxiety. Taking these recommendations into account, the wait can be perceived as a shorter time, and the results can be assimilated much better whether a positive or negative beta IVF is obtained.
How long does it take to obtain the betaespera results?
It should be taken into account that an in vitro fertilization treatment involves several stages.
In the first phase, ovulation stimulation is performed, which begins with menstruation and culminates with the extraction of eggs from the ovary. This stage lasts between twelve and fourteen days.
The second phase begins in the laboratory, when the eggs are fertilized and the embryos are allowed to develop. Embryo transfer can be performed between the second and fifth day of embryo development. It is during this phase that IVF pregnancy could be initiated before the beta wait.
When embryos are transferred on the fifth day of development, i.e. from a blastocyst or blastocyst, the pregnancy test is scheduled between the ninth and fourteenth day after the transfer. Performing this test during beta-waiting day 6 post-transfer, for example, would not be correct, since the hCG levels would not be adequate. This
The last phase is the luteal phase, which spans from ovulation to the pregnancy test.