2 replies to this topic

[Savvy]

Hello Dr. Sai,

We live about 9 hours from our clinic. My husband and I are planning to drive home after the ET. My question is how long should we wait to make the 9 hour drive home (24 hrs, 48 hrs, other??)? My husband and I are concerned about road vibrations, road bumps and me sitting for long periods on time in a car. I'de really like to hear your thoughts.
Thank you,
LMC

I've done a search on the forum before I asked this question and found someone did ask a question that was somewhat similar at https://ivf.ca/forums..._1&#entry54409:

gnavans on March 12, 2007 wrote that "after I had my IVF, I also had to travel (3 days afterwards). I was given the OK to travel after my 24 hours of bed rest. My Dr. told me just to take it easy and not to carry anything too heavy. He said I was free to carry on with my typical daily activities as long as I didn't over do it. I'm sure you will be fine to go so far after your transfer."

gnavans on March 13, 2007 wrote: I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I just had my consult with my RE today. I spoke to him at great length about traveling after my transfer. He told me that there is absolutely 100% NO reason why I couldn't travel after taking 48 hours of rest after the transfer as long as I didn't carry heavy suitcases, etc. He said that he often recommends it because it helps people get their minds off of the 2WW. He said that after 1.5 the implantation usually occurs and there is not much I can do to injure or make the embryo fall out afterwards. Of course, he still wants me to take it easy, but continue with my normal daily activities. Why the difference in opinion? I will be traveling back to my hometown 48 hours after my 2nd trasfer."

Dr. Peter (embrologist) wrote: There are other ways to deal with the 2WW which should be a time for relaxation and reflection, not the stress of modern travel. Travel, especially long haul over time zones, has very definite physiological effects which may or may not be detrimental to pregnancy. It is of course true that many women travel in the early phases of pregnancy and the pregnancy carries on completely normally. As long as the person accepts the possible risks and does not 'blame' the travel in the event of a negative outcome then it is OK. If it was a treatment cycle for my wife she would definitely not travel unless absolutely necessary. Good luck!

[Savvy]

Since the doc is away, I thought I would do some digging around on the internet and see what has been suggested/said about travelling after ET. Below I've listed what I found on some websites. Just a side note, when I ask 3 different nurses at my clinic they all said that I could drive home right after the ET was performed at the clinic if I wanted to. What my DH and I decided, was wait 24 hours before making the 9 hour drive home. I think the best advice was that we shouldn't do anything we might regret, or wonder if this didn't work because of our actions. As my clinic (genesis) says "Common sense is your best guide". Here is what I found on other sites:

http://www.pacificfertilitycenter.com/treat/ivf_trans.php
"When you go home, be a couch potato for 6-8 hours after the transfer. Have a good book ready to read and move between bed, the bathroom, and the couch. If you have small children you should avoid lifting them. After 8 hours, you may increase your activity, but don't do vigorous aerobics or running. Your ovaries will still be full of fluid from the effects of the stimulation and you may feel some bloating or pelvic discomfort at this time. It is okay to take stairs slowly, and walk short distances, less than a half mile. Avoid any vaginal creams, lubricants, or spermicides. Take showers instead of tub baths, and don't go swimming. Avoid vaginal intercourse or orgasm for about a week after your transfer. If you have to travel, give yourself twice as much time as usual and minimize stress."

http://www.advancedfertility.com/embryotransfer.htm
"IVF embryo transfer and travel - For our couples that travel here from out of town for IVF and embryo transfer, we recommend that they do not fly out on the day of the transfer, but wait until the next day. For patients that are diving back home - it is acceptable to drive home (regardless of the length of the drive) after one hour of bedrest in our office following the transfer procedure."


http://www.drmalpani.com/book/chapter25c.html
"It is normal to blame yourself for something you may or may not have done during this time (2 week wait) if you do not conceive. Therefore, try not to do anything for which you will blame yourself if you do not get pregnant. In general the following guidelines are offered:
You may return to "work" after 24 hours of bed rest (getting up for bathroom and meals only) and one to two days of light activity.
It's safe to travel 2-3 days after the transfer."

[Browneyedgirl]

I can comment on what we did. We lived 8 and a half hours from the clinic at the time of our ET. I couldn't have driven home the same day as my ET as I was far too uncomfortable still from ER. Anyways, we decided to wait. We ETed our twins on July 14th and drove home on July 16th. We stopped every hour and walked around to keep blood flow circulating. We didn't make it a stressful trip, took our time, etc. The clinic wasn't keen on us driving home the same day and we didn't want to anyways. Good luck to you!!!