IVF Treatment, Pregnancy Care
What are the common pregnancy symptoms after ICSI?
The weeks post any fertility treatment can be unnerving if you do not know what to expect.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a form of IVF treatment used to treat severe male-related infertility. The main difference in this procedure involves directly injecting a single sperm into the egg for fertilization, instead of using multiple as done in conventional IVF procedures. ICSI will more commonly be recommended if the male has a small sperm count, abnormal sperm motility or other sperm related infertility issues.
The ICSI lab procedure is extremely delicate and completed in phases. Sperm is collected surgically or through normal ejaculation and a very sharp needle is used to pick a single sperm before being injected into the cytoplasm of the egg. After a few days the fertilized egg, known as an embryo, is transferred to the woman’s womb.
Let’s take a look at some of the common symptoms you can experience post ICSI treatment. Symptoms are similar to those after both ICSI and IVF treatment due to ovarian
- Slight Bloating & Stomach Cramps: Medications and procedures can make quite an impact on your reproductive organs, causing fluid build-up around the ovaries, resulting in bloating and some tenderness. The egg retrieval and embryo transfer procedures can cause mild cramping as well. However, if the pain is severe, then you must consult your doctor. These symptoms may indicate your period is about to start or possible pregnancy.
- Light Spotting: Light spotting is common during the different phases of the treatment cycle. You should always consult your doctor after any signs of bleeding. There could be various reasons why spotting occurs, like implantation spotting, which can commonly appear post embryo transfer.
- Pregnancy-Related Symptoms: You can experience nausea, fatigue, and tender breasts, which can occur if you are pregnant or as side effects of the medication or hormone supplements, and even stress. The two-week waiting period, until you can take a pregnancy test, can be an extremely anxious time, causing these symptoms as well.
- Stress & Anxiety: Post any IVF treatment, it is natural to want to see results quickly. When you start experiencing any symptoms, it can lead to several questions. Although most symptoms are common, the cause can not be determined until a couple of weeks post embryo transfer. Consult your doctor if you have any concerns to help ease your mind.
