Back in the UK After IVF in North Cyprus: Aftercare Guide

Flying home after an embryo transfer can feel strange: your clinic is now a flight away. Most of what happens next is simple and can be planned before you leave North Cyprus. This guide takes you through each step back in the UK, from the two-week wait to NHS pregnancy care, and who to call if something does not feel right. It is a practical guide, not medical advice: clinical decisions come from your treating clinic or your UK doctor or midwife.

Short answer: Before you fly, ask your clinic for a written medication plan, your transfer report, your test date and a contact for questions, all in English. At home, keep taking your medication exactly as prescribed; NICE says bed rest of more than 20 minutes after transfer does not improve the outcome. Test on the date your clinic gives you and share the result with them. If it is positive, refer yourself to NHS maternity services (in England) and see your GP; for warning signs such as difficulty breathing or chest pain, call 999 or go to A&E.

What should you ask your clinic for before you fly home?

The UK fertility regulator, the HFEA, advises people treated abroad to ask the clinic for a copy of their patient records to give to their GP back home. Before you leave, ask your clinic for:

• A written medication plan: what to take, when, how and until when.
• Your embryo transfer report: the date and how many embryos were transferred.
• Your pregnancy test date and the type of test to use.
• A named contact for questions, and the hours they reply.
• Details of any frozen embryos stored at the clinic.
• Copies of everything in English, so your GP or midwife can read them quickly.

For the flight, TravelHealthPro (the UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre) advises carrying medicines in your hand luggage, in their original pharmacy packaging, with a copy of your prescription and a letter from the prescriber. If you have injectable medication, it suggests contacting the airline in advance.

If you are still planning your trip, our Cyprus-based team can explain how aftercare works with our partner clinics in a free, no-obligation consultation: contact us to arrange it.

What should you do during the two-week wait?

Keep taking your medication, such as progesterone, exactly as your clinic prescribed it. If anything worries you, contact your clinic rather than stopping or changing a dose yourself.

There is no need to stay in bed. NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) says patients should be told that bed rest of more than 20 minutes after embryo transfer does not improve the outcome of IVF. Ask your clinic whether there is anything they would like you to avoid.

When should you do the pregnancy test?

Your clinic will give you a test date. NHS information gives this as around 16 days after the embryo transfer, but timing depends on your treatment, so always use your clinic's date. Try not to test early: the HFEA warns that an early test may give a false result. Whatever the result, tell your clinic and ask what to do next with your medication.

Positive test: how do you start NHS pregnancy care?

Congratulations. In England, you can refer yourself to NHS maternity services without usually seeing a GP first: you find a local NHS trust by postcode and fill in its form. The maternity service then contacts you to book your first midwife appointment (the booking appointment), which the NHS says should happen by 10 weeks of pregnancy where possible. In Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, check your local NHS website or ask your GP how to start.

See your GP as well. The NHS says that if you are taking medicine, you can still refer yourself but also need to see a GP or your specialist to discuss any changes to your care or medicine. Take your clinic's reports with you, and tell your GP and midwife that you had IVF abroad.

What about the early scan?

NHS information says that after a positive test you will usually be asked back to the clinic for a scan at around 7 weeks of pregnancy, to check the baby's heartbeat and confirm the pregnancy. As your clinic is in Cyprus, ask your clinic and your GP how to arrange this scan in the UK, and send the report to your clinic.

Your aftercare timeline at a glance

Which warning signs need help straight away?

The NHS says IVF is a safe procedure and most people do not have problems with their health or pregnancy. It lists two complications to know about: ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), when too many eggs develop in response to fertility medicine, and ectopic pregnancy, when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb. The NHS also notes that fertility treatment such as IVF can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

Contact your clinic or NHS 111 as soon as possible if:

• you have pain and bloating in your tummy
• you are feeling and being sick, or you feel faint
• you are coughing up blood
• you have vaginal bleeding or a brown watery discharge
• you have pain or discomfort when going for a poo or wee

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• you have difficulty breathing, or pain in your chest or upper back
• you are very thirsty and peeing less than usual
• you have swelling in any part of your body
• you have tummy pain, low down on one side
• you have pain in the tip of your shoulder

The NHS says these could be severe symptoms of OHSS or an ectopic pregnancy, and advises that you do not drive yourself to A&E.

Bleeding once you know you are pregnant

For light bleeding or spotting with no or only mild tummy pain, the NHS advises calling your maternity unit if you have the number. If you are less than 20 weeks pregnant, an early pregnancy unit may be able to help; your local NHS trust website explains how to contact one. If you cannot contact either, call NHS 111. Call 999 if you are bleeding and have severe tummy pain, pain in your shoulder, feel sick, faint or dizzy, or the bleeding is heavy. Afterwards, let your clinic know too.

What if the test is negative?

A negative result is hard news. Keep taking your medication until your clinic tells you to stop. The NHS says it is important to give yourself time to recover and to make sure you have plenty of support. When you are ready, the HFEA suggests talking to your doctor about whether to try again. Ask for your full records; our guide to what to do after a failed IVF cycle explains what to look at.

Can you get your medication once you are home?

Yes. If you need more of your prescribed medication after you are back in the UK, we can send it to you in the UK from North Cyprus. Dream IVF Cyprus patients receive 10% off all prescribed IVF and pregnancy medication. For a quote, fill in our medication request form, and ask early so that you do not run short.

What happens to frozen embryos left in Cyprus?

Frozen embryos stay stored at the clinic in Cyprus after you go home. The HFEA suggests asking any clinic abroad whether it stores embryos and for how long. Ask your clinic about storage fees and how they are paid, how long your embryos can be stored, whether and when you need to renew your consent, and who to contact to plan a frozen embryo transfer. If you later want to move your embryos to a UK clinic, our team can help coordinate the paperwork with the clinic in Cyprus and the communication with the UK clinic. Read more about embryo freezing.

Where can you find emotional support?

Waiting, celebrating or grieving far from the clinic can feel lonely. Our Emotional Support service offers 45-minute phone sessions with trained, certified women who have faced infertility themselves, and Dream IVF Cyprus patients receive 2 complimentary sessions during treatment.

The HFEA explains that licensed UK clinics must offer counselling, and suggests that if your clinic abroad does not, you might consider counselling in the UK. You can ask your GP about NHS counselling or find an accredited counsellor through the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to tell my GP that I had IVF abroad?

It is a good idea. The HFEA advises asking your clinic for a copy of your records to give to your GP, and the NHS says that if you are taking medicine, you should see a GP as well as referring yourself for pregnancy care.

When can I fly home after the transfer?

Ask your clinic, as it depends on your treatment. NICE says resting for more than 20 minutes after transfer does not improve the outcome.

Can I do a home test before my test date?

The HFEA advises against it, as an early test may give a false result.

Who do I call if I feel unwell after I am home?

For tummy pain and bloating, sickness or feeling faint, the NHS advises contacting your fertility clinic or NHS 111 as soon as possible. For difficulty breathing, chest pain or the other emergency signs above, call 999 or go to A&E.

Sources

• NHS — IVF (in vitro fertilisation)
• NHS — Refer yourself for NHS pregnancy care
• NHS — Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments
• NHS — Ectopic pregnancy
• NHS — Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy
• NICE NG257 — Procedures used during IVF (2026)
• HFEA — In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
• HFEA — Fertility treatment abroad
• HFEA — Coping if treatment doesn't work
• HFEA — Getting emotional support
• TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) — Medicines and travel

Last updated: 6 November 2026