IUI results - blood test or wait pregnancy test

[OuiOui]

following on from thread about Friend doing IUI and dodgy nurse doing the treatment. Friend was inseminated last week and is now taking the pessaries. She went in for blood test today (1 week after insemination) and asked the nurse whether they were testing to she if she was pregnant. The nurse fobbed her off and said she'd have to wiat to do the pregnancy test next week as they didn't test blood for pregnancy.

This goes against everything I know about other friends' experiences. They can test blood now. What's your view/experience? Is the nurse right? She's at the Whittington in N London.

This sounds outrageous. what were they testing for? Your friend is absolutely entitled to be told what her blood is being tested for (in fact it is an assault to take blood without informed consent).
Yes of course blood can be tested for pregnancy. They measure the level of hCG (same hormone the home pregnancy tests measure in urine). Clinics vary according to their policies - some ask you to do a home pregnancy test and tell them the result, others do their own blood test. They also vary as to exactly when they take the first test, but it shoudl be approx 2 weeks after the procedures.
My clinic tested blood at 12 days post embryo transfer (but that was ivf - for an insemination you'd expect fertilisation to occur a little later, and so test around 14 days post insemination or thereabouts). The blood test can be positive a little before a urine test (although urine tests are very sensitive these days), and gives a bit more information because it measures the exact level of hCG, not simply 'positive' or 'negative'.

Wrt your friend, it seems too early to be testing for pregnancy. But on the other hand I can't think what they would need to take blood for at this stage.

She should ask questions and insist on answers until she is happy she understands.

elliott's right, it sounds well-dodgy. when i had my first nuchal scan at the whittington, they told me they didn't do it..but it was on my file (the one the hospital keeps, not your hand-held notes) and my consultant said if she'd thought it looked dodgy she would have discussed it with me. i think that's a bit close to the line though, all aspects of treatment/choice should be discussed with the patient if it's within their comprehension!

Know very little about the subject but isn't one week too early to be testing for pregnancy?

Maybe they were just testing hormone levels generally after implantation, to see if possibly fertilized egg will attach to uterus. Presumably need to check hormone levels to ensure 'environment' is OK for fertilized egg to attach. One week later can then check for pregnancy.

Only thing that I can think of is that they are doing a "Day 21" test, where they are checking progesterone/oestrogen hormone levels. This will tell them whether in fact your friend did ovulate (assuming that the cycle was not medicated). 7 days is too soon for a pg test- 12-14 days would be more normal.

Obviously the hospital can test blood for pg, but quite often will advise on a home test - these are pretty accurate and you are not waiting around for a phone call all day - it can be tough if you're going through treatment for someone else to tell you it hasn't worked.