Vaginal Spotting in IVF

Vaginal spotting or just spotting is light bleeding which is not connected to menstrual periods. Spotting is common when a woman undergoes IVF treatment. Up to 40% of women who have the IVF treatment experience spotting at some point or the other. Women are more susceptible to vaginal spotting at three points during the IVF treatment.

• Egg retrieval
  During the egg retrieval procedure, a needle is introduced into the ovaries through the uterus. The needle is guided by ultrasound and is perfectly safe. This procedure can cause a little bleeding which can be observed as vaginal spotting.
• Embryo transfer
  Once fertilized, the fertilized eggs are transferred to a suitable point in the uterus by the fertility expert. This is done using a needle that is guided by ultrasound. This procedure can also cause a little vaginal spotting.
• Implantation bleeding
  In normal pregnancies, implantation of the fertilized egg can cause bleeding, often seen as spotting. The same is true in the case of IVF.

Please keep in mind that while spotting is normal, heavy bleeding is not. If you experience bleeding after the egg retrieval and embryo transfer procedures inform your fertility expert immediately. Bleeding after the embryo transfer during the two weeks wait can be due to failure of IVF and must be brought to the fertility specialist’s notice as soon as possible.