After an embryo transfer, the foods most important to avoid are those that carry infection risk (raw fish, deli meats, unpasteurized dairy) and those linked to poorer IVF outcomes (sugary soda, alcohol, and high-mercury fish). The two-week wait between transfer and your pregnancy test is essentially early pregnancy, so food safety guidelines for pregnant women apply from the moment the embryo is placed.
Raw and Undercooked Foods
Raw fish, shellfish, undercooked meat, and runny eggs all carry bacteria or parasites that can cause serious infections during early pregnancy. Sushi, sashimi, raw oysters, and ceviche can harbor Listeria, Salmonella, and other pathogens. Raw or lightly cooked eggs, including those in homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough, or certain salad dressings, are a common source of Salmonella. An infection like this causes more than just stomach trouble: severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration can disrupt the delicate hormonal environment your body needs to support implantation.
Raw sprouts deserve special attention because many people think of them as a health food. Alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts grow in warm, moist conditions that are ideal for bacterial growth. They’re one of the more common sources of E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks. Cooking sprouts thoroughly eliminates the risk, but eating them raw is worth skipping entirely during this window.
Deli Meats and Unpasteurized Dairy
Listeria is the particular concern here. Unlike most bacteria, Listeria thrives at refrigerator temperatures, which means cold deli meats, hot dogs, and luncheon meats can be contaminated even when they look and smell fine. The FDA advises avoiding these unless they’re reheated until steaming hot. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery, and a pregnant person may feel only mild flu-like symptoms or nothing at all while the infection causes harm.
Unpasteurized milk and any cheese made from it are also on the avoid list. This includes soft cheeses like queso fresco, queso blanco, and requesón, whether made from pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, because their moisture content can support Listeria growth. Hard cheeses and clearly labeled pasteurized soft cheeses are fine.
High-Mercury Fish
Fish is actually recommended during this period (two to three servings per week of low-mercury varieties), but certain species accumulate enough mercury to pose a real risk to early development. The FDA lists bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and Gulf of Mexico tilefish as “Choices to Avoid” entirely. If you eat a fish from the moderate-mercury “Good Choices” category, like albacore tuna or mahi-mahi, stick to one serving that week and skip other fish.
Sugary Soda and Energy Drinks
This is one area where the research is surprisingly specific. A study published in Fertility and Sterility found that women who drank even modest amounts of sugared soda during IVF had a 12% lower live birth rate compared to women who drank none. For those drinking more than one serving per day, the gap widened to 16%. Among women who did achieve implantation, drinking more than one daily serving of sugared soda was associated with a 3.5 times higher risk of pregnancy loss before delivery.
Energy drinks showed a similar pattern with poorer egg and embryo quality, though the connection to final pregnancy outcomes was less clear. Of all the beverages studied, sugared soda was the only one with a statistically significant link to lower clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Swapping to water or unsweetened drinks is one of the simplest changes you can make.
Alcohol
There is no established safe level of alcohol during the two-week wait. Research on IVF outcomes found that negative effects on fertilization and live birth appeared at even modest intake, as low as four drinks per week. Since the period after transfer is functionally early pregnancy, most reproductive endocrinologists recommend stopping alcohol entirely from transfer day onward. Alcohol is one of the few clearly modifiable factors that has been shown to influence cycle success.
Caffeine in Large Amounts
You don’t need to eliminate caffeine completely. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends staying under 200 milligrams per day, which works out to roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee. Current evidence does not show a strong detrimental effect of moderate caffeine on IVF outcomes specifically, but the studies are limited and none have evaluated the risks of very high intake during the two-week wait. Staying under that 200 mg threshold is a reasonable precaution. Keep in mind that caffeine adds up from multiple sources: tea, chocolate, cola, and some medications all contribute.
Processed Foods and Trans Fats
A growing body of evidence connects pro-inflammatory diets to implantation failure and other reproductive problems. The pattern most consistently linked to increased inflammation includes high intake of red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates (white bread, pastries, sugary cereals), saturated and trans fats, and ultra-processed foods. These foods promote a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that can reduce uterine receptivity.
This doesn’t mean you need a perfect diet to achieve implantation. It means that the two-week wait is a reasonable time to lean away from fast food, packaged snacks with long ingredient lists, and meals heavy in processed meat. Whole grains, vegetables, healthy fats from olive oil or avocado, and lean protein are the types of foods associated with lower inflammation and better fertility outcomes overall.
Certain Herbal Teas
Not all herbal teas are created equal, and some contain ingredients that may affect uterine activity. Red raspberry leaf tea is a common one in fertility circles, but it’s known to tone the uterus and is generally recommended only after the first trimester, not during the implantation window. The American Pregnancy Association also flags stinging nettles as likely unsafe and alfalfa and yellow dock as possibly unsafe.
Commercially produced herbal teas in standard amounts are generally lower risk, but teas brewed from loose herbs in large quantities or from unfamiliar blends can deliver pharmacologically active doses. If you want a warm drink, plain ginger tea or peppermint tea in normal amounts are considered safer options. When in doubt, regular decaf tea or warm water with lemon avoids the question entirely.
Artificial Sweeteners
Research on artificial sweeteners and IVF outcomes is limited, but one study found that consuming any amount of diet soft drinks was associated with lower embryo quality on days two and three of development, along with a mild negative effect on blastocyst formation and implantation rate. Artificially sweetened coffee showed a similar association with reduced embryo quality. These findings didn’t translate into a statistically significant difference in live birth rates, but they’re enough to warrant caution. If you’re looking for a sweetener, small amounts of regular sugar or honey are likely a more neutral choice than packets of artificial sweetener during this period.
What About Pineapple Core?
You’ll find pineapple core recommended in nearly every IVF forum as an implantation aid, based on the idea that an enzyme called bromelain helps the embryo attach to the uterine lining. There are no scientific studies supporting this claim. No research has tested bromelain’s effect on implantation after IVF, and no clinical evidence links pineapple consumption to improved fertility. Eating pineapple won’t hurt you, but treating it as a medical intervention sets up false hope. The foods you avoid matter more than any single food you add.