DISCLAIMER: The following post is not intended to act as medical advice. As always, please consult your doctor with any questions about fertility.
As a new patient at a fertility clinic, you might be feeling a little excited and a little nervous. Sometimes just knowing what to expect at your fertility appointments takes a little bit of the stress and pressure off that first initial visit.
Our friends from Michigan Center for Fertility and Women’s Health are here to support you on your fertility journey. You might have caught their Fertility Friday series over on our IG page–quick videos to answer common questions and provide information. Below, they’re sharing about exactly what you can expect to happen at your fertility appointments!
The First Initial Visit
At the first initial visit, the staff will obtain a detailed history. The history provides us with information about both you and your partner, or about just yourself if you do not have a partner. Some of the topics discussed include:
- your medical and family history
- your social history
- your fertility history and any prior treatment or testing
- your overall goals
Providing this information allows your medical team to customize a plan for you in terms of what workup is needed to start the process. Prior treatment and testing varies per patient/couple. We always take into account each individual person’s history to develop the best plan of action.
Our patients walk away with a lot of information on what tests will be ordered and the reason for ordering them. Once the work-up is complete, a follow-up visit is scheduled to review all of the results and develop a treatment plan.
The Importance of the Plan
Starting with a detailed workup and follow-up assures you are given the best plan that is individualized for not only you, but also for you and your partner as a couple. It typically takes one cycle to complete the workup and have a follow-up visit.
The Follow-Up Visit
Your follow-up visit takes place upon the completion of the tests mentioned in your first initial visit. The follow-up visit usually takes place a few weeks after the last part of your testing.
We will go over all of the test results in one sitting. It’s a really great way to pull everything together, explain the results, and develop a plan. We’ll cover things like blood work, ultrasounds, cavity evaluations, sperm evaluations, etc. All of these different components are important and key to determining what our options are.
Navigating Potential Plan Changes
Our job is to give you a proper and thorough workup and to explain all of the information to you so that you understand what it means for your success rate, and what it means for your overall goals of family planning. We are here to guide you and give you the best recommendations. It is always your decision on what you choose to do and what you’re comfortable with. We are here to help you make that decision.
We take all components into account when discussing these topics at the follow-up visit. And if there’s something we obviously need to correct or address that is going to impact your overall success, we would do that first. So, for example, if a thyroid is imbalanced, or there is a polyp in the uterus, we may need to address that before we begin our treatment plan.
Typically the plan we develop is a three- to four-month plan. If we proceed with our plan and in three to four months we are not successfully pregnant, then our office will prompt another follow-up visit to dive into how things are looking and what we could change or do differently. We want to avoid doing the same thing over and over with a non-increasing success rate.
Starting your fertility journey may seem scary, but remember that you’ve got this. Your initial appointment and follow-up visits are tailored to your specific situation. And your medical team is here to work with you!
