Are you experiencing any fertility issues lately? It may be the inability to get pregnant, having irregular or no periods, or experiencing pain or discomfort in your lower abdomen.
Whatever the issues are, seeing a fertility doctor can be a stressful experience. So, to make things easier for you, we have discussed some things you can expect and what you should prepare before visiting your doctor for a fertility consultation.
Be Ready to Share Your Medical History
Your medical history is crucial to determine if your past medical conditions impact your fertility in any way. Before visiting a fertility doctor, make sure you take all the relevant documents like test results, medical reports, prescriptions, etc.
You can also bring your partner with you so they can also elaborate on your medical history.
Share Your Pregnancy History
Your fertility doctor will enquire about your pregnancy history. Some questions they might ask are
- Did you have miscarriages in the past?
- Have you had a successful pregnancy?
- Did you or your partner undergo any sterilisation procedures like vasectomy or tubal ligation?
Talk About Your Allergies and Lifestyle
Sometimes, your allergies or lifestyle can impact your ability to get pregnant. Let your doctor know if you have any allergies to certain substances. They will also enquire about your lifestyle habits, like if you have any unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.
These habits can affect your fertility. So, it is best to be open with your fertility doctor and inform them if you have any of them.
Be Ready for a Pelvic Exam
Apart from analyzing your condition based on your medical records, your fertility doctor will also perform a pelvic exam and an ultrasound to examine your reproductive organs and diagnose any abnormalities in their shape, structure, etc.
This is a very helpful test as it can help your doctor determine your next course of treatment. These tests won’t be painful and will only cause minor discomfort. So there’s no need to stress about it..
Family History for Medical and Genetic Disorder
Sometimes, your infertility may also be caused due to some hereditary or genetic disorders. So, your fertility doctor will ask whether your family has a medical history of specific health conditions.If yes, the doctor will check if you have signs of infertility or not
Don’t hide, and tell them the truth. This can even be a breakthrough in diagnosing the cause of your infertility issue.
Follow-up Fertility Testing After Your Fertility Appointment
The first fertility consultation is about understanding your condition and taking some minor tests. The follow-up session is when the doctor will do other major tests to diagnose the root cause of infertility. Below are some tests you may take during your second session with your fertility doctor.
- Test to analyze your ovarian reserve
- Tests to check if you have any STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections)
- An HSG (Hysterosalpingogram) to check the fallopian tubes and uterus
- A semen analysis for your partner (to analyze the sperm count, motility, and morphology)
Questions you can ask in the first fertility appointment
- At your first fertility appointment, ask about recommended treatments, potential symptoms, lifestyle changes, and fertility basics to better understand your options.
It is natural for you to have some questions regarding your health and fertility. Jot down all the questions you have in a notebook or in your phone so you don’t forget them.
You can ask these questions after all the tests and consultations. This will help you understand your condition better and take the necessary steps to improve them. Below are some basic questions you can ask your fertility doctor.
1. What treatment do you recommend for us?
This is to understand what treatment your fertility doctor thinks will work best for your condition. This can also help you determine whether you can financially support the treatment costs.
2. What symptoms or side effects can I expect from the treatment?
There might be some symptoms you neglected as normal in the past. But they might be one of the symptoms of an underlying condition. You can ask your doctor what symptoms or side effects you will experience for a condition to prepare yourself the next time you get them.
3. Are there any lifestyle changes we should consider?
Your past lifestyle might have a major role in impacting your fertility. Unhealthy habits like eating junk or processed foods, smoking, drinking alcohol, etc., might very well be the cause of your infertility.
Ask your doctor if you need to modify your lifestyle like regular excercise, yoga, or food habits to improve fertility, and follow their suggestions meticulously. Even if it doesn’t completely treat your infertility, it is the first step towards improving your overall health.
4. What are the Basics of Fertility Treatment?
Understand the basics of fertility treatment and know about the options you have. Even if one treatment doesn’t work, you can choose the next best treatment to improve your fertility.
Conclusion
It is natural for you to feel nervous when seeing your fertility specialist, especially if it is your first time. Just know that, at the end of everything, you can walk home with your own baby. Also, know when to see a fertility doctor and don’t go to the doctor for small issues all the time.
Just be truthful to your doctor, and don’t omit any details. The more they understand your condition, the more accurate and effective the treatments will be.
FAQs
The first fertility consultation will mostly involve your doctor asking about your health condition and medical history. They will try to understand your issue and the problems you face from it.
Infertility can become a serious medical issue if left untreated for a long time. It is best to diagnose and treat it as early as possible. Here are some circumstances when a fertility consultation is necessary.
- You have a known reproductive issue
- You are over 35 or 40
- You have had multiple miscarriages in the past
- You have irregular, heavy, or no periods
- You have been trying for a baby for more than a year and failed
As you may know, women are born with the entire number of eggs they will have during their lifetime. The egg count decreases every time they ovulate. So, as a woman ages, their ovarian reserve also decreases. It is best to consult a fertility doctor and test their ovarian reserve before trying for pregnancy.
Infertility treatment usually revolves around three methods. If one doesn’t work, doctors will choose the next one. Below are the three main types of fertility treatments.
- Medications
- Surgical procedures
- ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology)