Traveling After Embryo Transfer
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
It’s summertime… and most people are planning to travel for vacation or going away to visit family and friends. All the excitement of traveling can be dulled with anxiety if you’re also in the midst of fertility treatments.
Is it okay to travel during treatment?
Life doesn’t need to be put on hold because you’re undergoing fertility treatment. You can still plan that amazing trip.
It’s common to be worried about doing everything you can do to help the embryos “stick”, but data has consistently shown that going back to regular activity immediately has no effect on the rate of pregnancy.
It is okay to travel from the time the embryo transfer until the time of the pregnancy test. There is no evidence that travel impacts IVF pregnancy success rates.
If you are having an embryo transfer, you can usually travel on the same day.
First things, it’s important to ask about the scheduling and plan for your treatment, and tell your fertility team that you’re planning to take a trip — before you schedule your plans.
It’s possible that you might need to avoid travel during certain parts of your treatment, especially with IVF. But most doctors can find a way to work around an urgent last-minute work trip, family emergency or opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Some considerations for travel will depend on the type of fertility treatment you’re receiving.
-Traveling & egg retrieval: It is very safe but important to keep in mind that the estrogen levels are elevated during a stimulation cycle. If you grew and retrieved more eggs, your estrogen levels are likely to be higher. This may result in symptoms like bloating and fluid retention and in extreme cases increased blood clotting. Bloating and fluid can make air travel uncomfortable, but do not cause risks for traveling.
Check with your doctor before booking your trip to ask when it is safe to return, but usually, you can fly the same night or the next day.
–Traveling & IUI treatment: you can travel during the month before an IUI. You’ll want to coordinate scheduling with important monitoring appointments at your fertility clinic, such as sonograms to monitor follicular growth. And after an IUI, you are free to travel. Keep in mind you’ll have an appointment for a pregnancy test two weeks after the IUI.
-Traveling & IVF treatment: During the 10-12 days prior to an IVF egg retrieval, it can be difficult to travel. This period of time requires frequent visits (everyday or every two days) to your fertility center for monitoring, blood tests, and sonograms to ensure healthy follicle response to stimulation and decide on the most opportune time for triggering ovulation, which increases the likelihood of success in the cycle. And after an IVF, the same as for an IUI procedure, expect that you’ll need to be in the clinic for a pregnancy test approximately 10 to 12 days after the transfer.
