How to overcome the stress and anxiety of the IVF journey to have a baby?

After a series of busy days with the IVF process, couples enter the waiting period for embryo transfer results lasting about two weeks. This is considered the most stressful and exciting time in the IVF journey.

Testing too soon after embryo transfer may give inaccurate results due to the "presence" of the ovulation injection - Photo: X.MAI

The two-week wait for results after embryo transfer is a big challenge for infertile couples. Many people consider this the "longest period", when emotions of anxiety and hope are mixed together, not knowing whether the embryo will successfully implant or not.

The story of an actress in Ho Chi Minh City’s journey to find her child recently touched many people. How families can successfully overcome that process is a story that many people are interested in.

Time seemed to stop, guessing every sign of the body

After 2 years of "free-riding" but not getting pregnant naturally, Ms. TB (31 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) and her husband decided to do in vitro fertilization. After going through a series of procedures from examination, testing, check-up, ovulation stimulation injection, to anesthesia, egg retrieval and embryo creation, Ms. B. was finally able to transfer the embryo.

However, the post-embryo transfer period was the most stressful time for her. Luckily, on the first embryo transfer, Ms. B. and her husband had good news and now the baby is over 1 year old.

Recalling those days of waiting, Ms. B. still clearly remembers the feeling of anxiety and nervousness, each passing day felt heavy as if it were endless.

"This was an incredibly long time. Every slight abdominal pain or unusual sign made me worried, wondering if the embryo was implanting or not. I searched for information online almost every day, and then became even more confused," she recalled.

This two-week wait is even more difficult for couples who have failed IVF before. Some stay at home for fear of harming the embryo, drowning in negative thoughts due to previous failures.

According to Dr. Duong Khue Tu - Infertility Department, Tu Du Hospital (HCMC), after a period of rushing around to get injections and check-ups, couples can only wait for the results. These two weeks often pass by with a feeling of being very long. Therefore, understanding this stage will help them to be less stressed and more relaxed.

Explaining why it takes two weeks to wait, Dr. Tu said that after embryo transfer, the body needs about two weeks for the ovulation injection to completely disappear and for pregnancy hormones to appear at a level sufficient to be detected by testing.

If you take a pregnancy test early in this period, the results may be inaccurate and more discouraging, so it is important to understand your body and psychology during the two-week wait.

"During IVF treatment, you will use a variety of drugs to help the eggs develop and create favorable conditions for the embryo to "make a home" in the uterus.

However, the side effects of these drugs such as nausea, breast tenderness, light bleeding, bloating... are quite similar to the symptoms of pregnancy. Combined with the desire to have a baby, you will tend to be overly sensitive to these symptoms and always wonder if you are pregnant or if it is just because of the drugs," Dr. Tu explained and gave an example.

Two things to avoid: Obsessing over pregnancy symptoms, staying indoors all the time

Doctor Tu said there are two inappropriate things that most people do after embryo transfer and should avoid: being obsessed with pregnancy symptoms and staying at home all the time.

When too focused and worried about signs such as nausea, breast tenderness, light bleeding or bloating, many women easily mistake them for signs of pregnancy. These symptoms can come from side effects of medication or hormonal changes, and cannot confirm whether or not they are pregnant.

If you still find it difficult to get rid of this obsession, you can try simple deep breathing exercises to calm down.

In addition, after embryo transfer, many women tend to stay at home for fear that movement will "drop" the embryo, thinking that absolute rest will increase the chance of pregnancy. This tendency is even more evident in people with introverted personalities.

However, this is not necessarily effective, and can even make you more stressed because you only focus on waiting. Instead, you can consider going out for a light walk or meeting friends to help your mind relax and your body recover quickly.

About 1 million infertile couples

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , it is estimated that Vietnam has about 1 million infertile couples, accounting for about 7.7% of couples. In particular, secondary infertility (infertility after one pregnancy) accounts for 3.8%. It is worth noting that this rate is increasing by 15-20% each year and accounts for more than 50% of infertile couples.

Currently, there are about 50,000 couples in our country performing in vitro fertilization each year, and about 20,000 children are born from in vitro fertilization. This number may continue to increase in the future.

SPRING PLUM

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lam-sao-vuot-qua-thoi-gian-cang-thang-va-hoi-hop-tren-hanh-trinh-tim-con-bang-ivf-2025082911361761.htm