# Pregnancy After IVF: Progesterone, Extra Scans and Feelings

> What's different after IVF or fertility treatment: early monitoring, risks, extra scans and emotions.

Stage: pregnancy - Topic: Your pregnancy - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/pregnancy/ivf-and-fertility-treatment-pregnancies

Grounded in: ACOG and American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidance on pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology, ACOG guidance on prenatal genetic screening, multiple pregnancy and low-dose aspirin, and American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine guidance on fetal heart scans. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Keep taking progesterone or estrogen until your clinic's stop date, usually 8-12 weeks.
- Most IVF pregnancies go smoothly; ask about aspirin, a detailed anatomy scan, a fetal heart scan and genetic screening.
- Feeling unable to relax after infertility is normal. Call the same day for bleeding or sharp one-sided pain.

## Early weeks with the fertility clinic

- Your due date is set precisely from the transfer or retrieval date, so dating scans rarely change it.
- Expect blood hCG tests and early ultrasounds to confirm the pregnancy is in the uterus and to count
  heartbeats.
- Many clinics continue progesterone and sometimes estrogen support until about 8-12 weeks. Follow
  your clinic's stop date; don't stop early on your own.
- You'll usually "graduate" to an OB, midwife or family doctor at about 8-10 weeks. It can feel like
  losing a safety net; ask for an early first visit if that helps.

## Health differences to know about

- Most IVF pregnancies go smoothly. Some risks are modestly higher, partly from the reasons people
  need treatment and partly from treatment itself.
- Twins and more: much more common if more than one embryo was transferred, or with ovulation pills
  or injections. Twin pregnancies carry higher risks; see the twins and multiples guide.
- Preeclampsia, placenta previa, and placenta growing too deeply are more common, especially after a
  frozen transfer using a medicated cycle and after donor eggs.
- Slightly higher chance of preterm birth, small or large babies, and gestational diabetes.
- Ectopic pregnancy is still possible, and rarely one in the uterus plus one outside it.
- A "vanishing twin" (one sac stops growing early) is common and usually doesn't affect the other.

## Extra care that's often offered

- Low-dose aspirin if you have preeclampsia risk factors; IVF itself counts as a moderate one.
- A detailed anatomy scan, and often a fetal heart scan (echocardiogram) around 22-24 weeks, since
  heart differences are slightly more common.
- Genetic screening is still offered even if embryos were tested before transfer (PGT). Embryo
  testing can miss things, so it doesn't replace prenatal screening.
- Possible growth scans in the third trimester.

## Every route to parenthood

- Donor eggs, sperm or embryos: tell your prenatal team, since it affects some screening and risk
  estimates. Thinking ahead about how to share your child's origin story helps; see the LGBTQ+ parents
  guide and the adoption and foster families guide for ideas.
- Gestational surrogacy: clarify early who attends visits, who gets results, and birth plans, in line
  with your legal agreement.
- Single parents by choice and LGBTQ+ couples: ask your clinic about parentage steps before birth.

## The emotional side

- After infertility, it's common to feel unable to relax, to expect bad news at every scan, or to feel
  guilty for complaining about symptoms. All normal.
- Feelings can be complicated by friends still trying, or by embryos still in storage.
- Pregnancy-after-infertility groups and therapists who know fertility care can help. See the
  pregnancy after loss guide if you've had losses.

## When to check in

- Ask your new prenatal team about aspirin, a fetal heart scan and genetic screening at your first
  visit.
- Contact your clinic or provider the same day for bleeding, sharp one-sided pain, or sudden belly
  swelling, weight gain and shortness of breath after egg retrieval (possible ovarian
  hyperstimulation).
- If you faint or have severe belly or shoulder-tip pain, call 911.