All the difficult and exhausting stages of in vitro fertilization are left behind. The embryos are transferred to the uterine cavity. Along with other recommendations, a woman receives advice from a fertility specialist to monitor her temperature on a daily basis. Why you need to do this, what should be the temperature after embryo transfer with IVF and what deviations there may be, we will tell in this article.
Features:
To begin with, it should be said that after IVF it is important to monitor two types of temperature - body temperature and basal temperature. The first is measured in the usual way - with a mercury or electronic thermometer in the armpit. Women planning a pregnancy are usually familiar with the basal temperature - it more accurately reflects the processes taking place in the body.
BT (basal temperature) is measured strictly in the morning after waking up, without getting out of bed, that is, before getting up. You cannot get up, go to the toilet, and then measure the temperature - the results will be inaccurate.
Therefore, the thermometer is prepared in the evening and placed on the bedside table so as not to get up behind it and not reach far. Every morning at the same time, a thermometer is inserted either into the anus or into the vagina to a depth of 2-3 centimeters. The temperature is recorded after a few minutes (usually 7-10 minutes is enough) and entered into a special schedule.
In this case, be sure to use the same thermometer, since different thermometers can show different values.
Temperature changes
The body temperature after replanting embryos in a woman can rise to 37.0-37.5 degrees. This is considered a variant of the norm, and not a cold, as some women think. The fact is that hormonal stimulation of the ovaries, which took place at the initial stage of the protocol, as well as progesterone support at this stage, significantly weaken the woman's immunity.
This internal mechanism is important for the unborn child. The embryos are a foreign body from the point of view of immunity. They are only half of female DNA. The second half is the man's DNA, which is regarded by the immune system as foreign. If a donor egg was used for conception, then there is nothing "native" in the embryo for a woman's body at all. A decrease in immunity is necessary so that the embryos have a chance for implantation and are not rejected.
It is in response to a decrease in defenses that the body raises the temperature in order to create the most unfavorable conditions for development and existence in the event of an invasion of a virus or bacteria. Basal temperature rises for the same hormonal and immune reason. But its normal values after the transfer are above 37.0 degrees and up to 37.5 degrees.
During the implantation period, and after the transfer, a single drop in the basal temperature on the graph is possible, that is, it will decrease in order to rise again to subfebrile values the next day.
Sometimes implantation lasts longer than 40 hours, and then the low temperature will remain for a maximum of two days.
Fluctuating values
If the subfebrile temperature is considered normal, then women may have a question, what kind of thermometer readings can be considered a deviation from the norm. Everything is quite simple here - a deviation from the norm decreases the reduced temperature (below 37 degrees basal) for three days in a row. Also, a deviation is considered a high basal temperature - above 37.9 degrees.
As for body temperature, the allowable increase should be at the level of 37.5 degrees.
Higher thermometer readings are a reason to see a doctor.
What does low BT speak about? The forecasts for the success of IVF in the event of a significant decrease, alas, are not very favorable. The reasons may lie with a low level of progesterone, in a failed implantation, in the unavailability of the functional layer of the uterus for replanting. A decrease in temperature after several days of elevated values and its persistent stay at low values for several days may indicate that the ovum after attachment froze, the embryo no longer develops.
A low temperature also indicates the threat of termination of pregnancy. If it does take place, you need to see a doctor to diagnose this condition and start treatment on time, which will help preserve and bear the long-awaited child.
What is the reason for the high BT? In this case, there are no less reasons for unrest. Such temperature values (especially above 38.0 degrees) often indicate the development of an inflammatory process, as well as an abnormal attachment of the ovum - for example, not in the uterus, but in the tube, cervix or isthmus of the uterus. A sharp increase in temperature after a period of low or subfebrile temperature may indicate the development of an acute infectious process.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake women make is to measure the temperature only after transfer. In order to know for sure whether there are changes in the basal temperature values, it is necessary to carry out appropriate measurements before the transfer, and preferably within six months (or six cycles) before entering the IVF protocol. The fact is that the BT level can be quite individual - in some women, 36.8 is considered an elevated temperature, and for some, the average values are at the level of 37.2 -37.3 degrees. It is possible to take into account individual nuances and draw the correct conclusions only on the basis of several graphs.
Often women begin to sound the alarm about a decrease or increase in temperature, and with a detailed survey it turns out that such readings were recorded by her after the thermometer was changed - all measurements should be carried out exclusively with the same thermometer, you must first make sure that it is functional and works correctly.
Mercury thermometers are more accurate than their electronic counterparts.
The values can be different if the woman changes the place of measurement. If a few days after the completion of the IVF protocol, she measured the temperature in the anus, and then for some reason decided to measure BT in the vagina, the data will differ, which will be perceived by the woman as a disaster.
Remember that any severe stress, tears, quarrels, lack of sleep, fatigue, significant changes in daily routine and lifestyle can affect the thermometer reading when measuring basal temperature. Body temperature is measured in the morning and evening, and BT is measured only in the morning. No other time of day is suitable for determining this indicator.
You will learn how to correctly measure basal temperature in the following video.
Duration of procedures
Typically, measurements are recommended up to 14 days after transfer, that is, within two weeks. Then comes the "moment of truth" when a blood test for hCG shows whether a pregnancy has occurred. If the test is positive, it is reasonable to continue the measurement for another week, until the first confirmatory ultrasound. This will help to understand if there is a risk of interruption, if the hormonal background is sufficient. During pregnancy, BT no longer decreases, and body temperature can rise daily in the afternoon to subfebrile values, or it can be completely normal.
After confirming pregnancy only for a certain category of women, it is recommended to continue monitoring the basal temperature and record the results in a special schedule. This group includes women with a high risk of miscarriage, miscarriage, and miscarriage. The rules are exactly the same here - BT should be more or less stable, with small fluctuations by tenths of a degree.
If the temperature drops sharply, go to the doctor, if it rises just as sharply, you should also pay an unscheduled visit to your doctor.
If we talk about an elevated temperature after the transfer, when the outcome of the protocol is still in question, then it is impossible to argue that an elevated temperature is a sign of pregnancy. She is a sign of hormonal effects, excitement and anxiety, with which the in vitro fertilization protocol is inevitably associated.
If a woman takes progesterone ("Utrozhestan" or "Duphaston", as well as an oily solution of progesterone) as prescribed by a doctor, basal temperature cannot be considered anything else at all, except as a sign that the therapy is prescribed correctly. If it is elevated, progesterone works. In this case, implantation does not necessarily take place and pregnancy will occur.
Therefore, when discussing with other IVF-schnits the first signs of pregnancy up to 14 days after the transfer, that is, until a possible reliable diagnosis, a woman should not "rely" on such a sign as a high basal temperature. Her expectations may not come true, which is fraught with serious moral injury.
