Embryo Transfer: The Longest Two Weeks
After an embryo transfer, the two-week wait to find out if it worked can feel like an eternity. During this time, I immersed myself in podcasts where women shared their stories. Many spoke about positive signs and home pregnancy testing. Personally, I chose not to test early — I knew the trigger shot and IVF medications could raise hCG levels and give a false positive. Patience, though difficult, felt like the better option.
Those two weeks didn’t fly by; they crawled. I analysed every little feeling in my body, wondering if each twinge was a sign of implantation. Some women say they just knew when they were pregnant, but I second-guessed everything. I even questioned whether I should have taken more time to recover after the egg collection.
As the end of the wait approached, I took a day off work so I could be home when the results arrived. On the morning of the blood test, I had a gut feeling it hadn’t worked, though a flicker of hope remained. The clinic told me results would come by lunchtime, but the hours dragged. By 4:30 PM, with no call and the office closing at 5, I couldn’t take the silence anymore — I rang them.
When a nurse finally answered, she told me they had just received my results. Part of me wondered if they’d been sitting there all day. Then came the news: my hormone levels had dropped too low. It hadn’t worked. The call was short, maybe thirty seconds, but it felt like time froze. Sadness, frustration, anger — it all hit at once.
Questions flooded my mind: Why didn’t it work? Am I too old? What now? But I quickly realised this wasn’t the time for answers. The nurse’s role was to share results, not provide in-depth guidance. For that, I’d need to schedule time with my specialist. It reminded me that in this process, everyone has their role — and part of mine is learning to manage my expectations.
Before hanging up, the nurse said I’d need another blood test the next day. I didn’t want to go back — I wasn’t pregnant, so why bother? In that moment, I wanted to walk away from IVF altogether.
The truth is, I’ve always found it easier to support others than to sit with my own emotions. I need a few days to process, let the feelings wash over me, and then I pick myself up. This was no different. I reminded myself it’s okay to feel sad — it’s part of the process.
The next morning, I returned for that follow-up test. Later at work, I got the second call confirming what I already knew: I wasn’t pregnant. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I admire the women who go through this many times. Being at the start of my own story feels overwhelming, but I know this is just one chapter.
This cycle ended just before Christmas, but 2025 felt like a fresh chapter waiting to be written — and I was ready to keep moving forward with hope.
📖 If you missed it, you can read my previous post about IVF Embryo Transfer.
💬 Next, I’ll be sharing more about New Year, New Chances: My Second Embryo Transfer.
