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IVF Pregnancy Care
IVF Pregnancy Care in Los Angeles
Getting pregnant through IVF and staying with the clinic that got you there are two different things. Fertility practices follow a pregnancy for the first several weeks and then discharge to an obstetrician. That handover is the part nobody prepares you for, and it goes better when it is arranged in advance.
Medically reviewed by Dr. David Kim, MD, PhD, FACOG — board-certified OB-GYN, 15 years OB/GYN residency faculty at Cedars-Sinai, over 7,000 deliveries · Last reviewed
Explained
The handover, and what changes after it.
A pregnancy conceived through IVF is followed much the same way. The difference is at the beginning.
When your clinic discharges you
Most fertility practices follow the pregnancy through the first weeks and then hand over.
The timing varies by clinic. What matters is that the obstetrician is arranged before the discharge visit rather than after it, so there is no stretch where nobody is clearly responsible for your care.
Arranging it early also means the first obstetric visit is a continuation rather than a fresh start.
The records that actually matter
A transfer letter is not the same as a chart.
What is useful to bring across: the transfer date and how many embryos were transferred, the early ultrasound reports, your medication list with the intended stop dates, and any results from the fertility workup that bear on the pregnancy.
If you are not sure what to request, ask your clinic for the full early pregnancy record rather than a summary. It is easier to ask once than to chase individual pieces later.
Medication, and when it stops
Hormonal support after transfer is continued for a defined period and then tapered or stopped.
The plan comes from the fertility practice, and it should be confirmed rather than assumed when care transfers. Patients frequently arrive unsure whether they are still meant to be taking something, and that is a question with a clear answer that is worth getting.
What is followed differently
Less than people expect, and it is worth saying so.
An IVF pregnancy is not automatically a high-risk pregnancy. What raises attention is what raised it before — age, a medical condition, a previous loss, or a multiple pregnancy — rather than the route of conception on its own.
Where there is a reason for closer monitoring, see high-risk pregnancy.
If it turns out to be twins
It happens after a single transfer as well as a double.
A twin pregnancy is followed differently from the start, and the first question is not how many babies but how the placentas and sacs are arranged. See twin & multiple pregnancy.
Questions
What patients ask first.
When do I transfer from my fertility clinic to an obstetrician?
Clinics differ. Ask yours at your first positive visit what week they typically discharge, then arrange the obstetric appointment before that week rather than during it.
Is an IVF pregnancy automatically high risk?
No. The route of conception on its own is not what makes a pregnancy high risk. Age, medical history, previous loss and multiples are. See high-risk pregnancy.
Do you communicate with my fertility doctor?
Records are reviewed at the handover, and questions that belong to the fertility practice — particularly about medication timing — are clarified rather than guessed at.
Should I stop my medications when I transfer care?
Not on your own. The stop or taper plan comes from the practice that started them, and it is confirmed at the handover visit.
Will I need more ultrasounds than someone who conceived naturally?
Not because of IVF alone. Where there is another reason, scans are performed in the office by Dr. Kim rather than referred out. See ultrasound & imaging.
Where can I find an OB-GYN for an IVF pregnancy in Los Angeles?
Yunella Women's Health is on San Vicente Boulevard in central Los Angeles, with delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and CHA Hollywood Presbyterian.
General information about care at Yunella, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your own history and examination.
Start here
Arrange the handover before you need it.
Call while you are still with your fertility clinic. The transfer is much easier when it is planned rather than improvised.
Or call (424) 404-8832 · 6330 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 418, Los Angeles, CA 90048 · delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center