Luteal phase following oocyte aspiration, in vitro fertilization, and embryo transfer in clomid/HCG-stimulated cycles.

Using basal body temperature and repeated radioimmunological plasma progesterone estimations we monitored the luteal phase in seven patients after the administration of Clomid/hCG, oocyte recovery, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. In six of these women, the transferred embryos did not implant, and they bled 13--16 days after oocyte recovery. Neither the basal body temperature charts nor the plasma progesterone levels provided any indication of a luteal phase defect, being indistinguishable from those obtained in a control group of healthy women during the natural cycle. In the seventh woman, transfer of an eight-cell stage embryo resulted in implantation and a pregnancy which, to date (37th week) is developing normally.