Implantation & Early Pregnancy symtoms? How early can you take a pregnancy test?

So you have done your IVF, and you are now in the most difficult part, the two week wait before you are supposed to be tested.

So why the two week wait? Must you wait for two weeks?

That depends if you are doing a frozen embryo transfer or a fresh embryo transfer.

If you did a fresh transfer, you probably have taken something called the trigger shots. That means you may still have lingering HCG in your blood. When you do a blood test, you are actually testing for the HCG in your blood. So if you have HCG from the trigger shot, that may mean your test is a false positive and may caused you a lot of heartache.

If you did a frozen transfer, you probably did not take something called the “trigger shots”. That means if there should be no HCG lingering in your blood UNLESS you are pregnant. So for frozen transfer, the date you can test is actually earlier.

So what is HCG and why pregnancy test for HCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone for the maternal recognition of pregnancy produced by trophoblast cells that are surrounding a growing embryo (syncytiotrophoblast initially), which eventually forms the placenta after implantation.

Once implantation starts, the blastocyst starts producing HCG. So if you have a 3 days implant, needs another 2 days to become a blastocyst before it can implant.

So Day 5 frozen implant and then 10 days later, you get implantation and you get HCG in your blood. So you don’t need to wait 14 days, but that’s the safest.

However if it is a fresh 5 day transfer is a different because of the trigger shots.

Implantation symtoms women have observed inlcuding

  1. Sudden increase sense of smell
  2. Increase tenderness of breast
  3. Increase body temperature and then dip
  4. Implantation spotting
  5. Little Cramps
  6. nauseous

If you have any of these symtoms, you may be pregnant.

We recommending using First Response Urine Test kit because it has been most sensitive

One piece of advice you could give someone doing their first IVF

Nothing seems to hit someone as hard as miscarriage. Shrouded in secrecy, people keep very quiet about miscarriages.

The estimates is 1 in 4 pregnancies end up with miscarriages and with the number increasing due to lifestyle changes and advanced age pregnancies.

85% of miscarriages are pregnancies in first trimester. 13-24 week miscarriage is rare but does happen.

Fortunately there are so many ways you can prevent miscarriages before IVF.

For example, you can do a thorough check for

  • Fibroids
  • Polyps
  • Uterine lining infection
  • Genetic Diseases

If you have polyps and proceed to do IVF, the embryo might have a difficult time trying to implant. A failed implantation or embryo that implant but cannot divide subsequently quickly enough will result in miscarriage.

Certain predisposed diseases will give a patient a higher chance of miscarriage and a strategy should be discussed with your doctor.

A properly designed and planned strategy will prevent emotional trauma of miscarriage.

It is important to know most embryos are not viable embryos.

  • Odd shaped cells
  • Not dividing
  • Not dividing fast enough
  • Not attaching to the uterine wall

Miscarriage is “lonely, painful, and demoralizing,”

Michelle Obama writes in her new memoir

What is Octogam Infusion?

This medication is used to strengthen the body’s natural defense system (immune system) to lower the risk of infection in persons with a weakened immune system.

This medication is made from healthy human blood that has a high level of certain defensive substances (antibodies), which help fight infections.

What is Octogam Infusion Made of?

Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human), Octagam 5% liquid, is a solvent/detergent (S/D)-treated, sterile preparation of highly purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) derived from large pools of human plasma. Octagam 5% liquid is a solution for infusion which must be administered intravenously.

All units of human plasma used in the manufacture of Octagam 5% liquid are provided by FDA-approved blood establishments only, and are tested by FDA-licensed serological tests for HBsAg, antibodies to HCV and HIV and Nucleic Acid Test Test (NAT) for HCV and HIV-1 and found to be non-reactive (negative).

The product is manufactured by the cold ethanol fractionation process followed by ultrafiltration and chromatography. The manufacturing process includes treatment with an organic S/D mixture composed of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TNBP) and Triton X-100 (Octoxynol). The Octagam 5% liquid manufacturing process provides a significant viral reduction in in vitro studies (table 7). These reductions are achieved through a combination of process steps including cold ethanol fractionation, S/D treatment and pH 4 treatment.

Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency Diseases (PI)

Octagam is an immune globulin intravenous (human) 5% liquid indicated for treatment of primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI), such as congenital agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and severe combined immunodeficiencies.

Estimated Cost

The cost for Octagam intravenous solution 10% is around $370 for a supply of 20 milliliters, depending on the pharmacy you visit.

How to store Octagam?

The product is stable for 18 months at room temperature and 24 months in the refrigerator.

What’s other name for Octagam?

IVIG Intravenous Immunoglobulin

Why is Octogam used for IVF?

Women experiencing implantation failure have a higher frequency of elevated percentage of circulating CD56+ (natural killer) cells (>12%) than fertile women (3-12%). … IVIg enhances pregnancy and live birth rates in women with elevated circulating CD56+ cells who have a history of implantation failure.

Who manufactures Octogam?

Pfizer, https://www.pfizerpro.com/product/octagam-10/itp/dosing-administration

Is there any data I can read up on?

The Center for Human Reproduction, 750 N. Orleans St., Chicago, IL 60610, USA, published a paper on use of Octogam and implantation. Intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin (Ig) has been previously shown to increase pregnancy rates after previously failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryo (ET) attempts in women who are efficient embryo producers (fertilize at least 50% of oocytes retrieved and generate at least 3 embryos/cycle). Women experiencing implantation failure have a higher frequency of elevated percentage of circulating CD56+ (natural killer) cells (>12%) than fertile women (3-12%).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11723539/

Warning Kidney Failure

THROMBOSIS, RENAL DYSFUNCTION AND ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

Thrombosis may occur with immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) products, including Octagam 5% liquid. Risk factors may include: advanced age, prolonged immobilization, hypercoagulable conditions, history of venous or arterial thrombosis, use of estrogens, indwelling central vascular catheters, hyperviscosity, and cardiovascular risk factors. Thrombosis may occur in the absence of known risk factors. (See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONSPATIENT INFORMATION)

Renal dysfunction, acute renal failure, osmotic nephrosis, and death may occur in predisposed patients who receive IGIV products, including Octagam 5% liquid. Patients predisposed to renal dysfunction include those with a degree of pre-existing renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, age greater than 65, volume depletion, sepsis, paraproteinemia, or patients receiving known nephrotoxic drugs. Renal dysfunction and acute renal failure occur more commonly in patients receiving IGIV product containing sucrose. Octagam 5% liquid does not contain sucrose.

For patients at risk of thrombosis, renal dysfunction or acute renal failure, administer Octagam 5% liquid at the minimum dose and infusion rate practicable.

Ensure adequate hydration in patients before administration.

Monitor for signs and symptoms of thrombosis and assess blood viscosity in patients at risk for hyperviscosity.

Allerigic Reaction to Octogam?

OCTAGAM 10% liquid may cause hypersensitivity in patients with a corn allergy. OCTAGAM 10% liquid contains maltose, which is derived from corn.

Work Stress

Work stress can affect many parts of the female body (male as well).

Stress is directly linked to hormonal balance, and also how likely an embryo attach itself to the uterine lining and develop.

This could be the reason why many couples who were infertile, found themselves conceiving naturally during a holiday or a work break.