It can be devastating when pregnancy doesn’t come easily. After months of trying to conceive without results, you may be wondering what questions your doctor will ask you at your first infertility consultation.
It's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed at the idea of seeing a fertility specialist, but don't let that keep you from making that first appointment. The sooner you find and fix any fertility problems, the sooner you'll be back on the road towards becoming a parent.
If you haven't scheduled an appointment yet,
- Click here to find a fertility doctor near you, or
- Click here and Attain Customer Care will help locate a fertility clinic near you and schedule an appointment
Before your infertility consultation
As you prepare for your first infertility consultation, make sure all your medical records from other doctors you've seen are transferred to the infertility clinic. While the reproductive endocrinologist will ask about any preconception workups you've had, past tests and treatments, your medical records will have answers to many of these questions.
Also, before your first visit, you and your partner may be sent a large packet of paperwork, asking you questions about your reproductive and medical health histories.
In this packet your doctor will also ask for an extensive family medical history. So, start gathering this information as soon as your doctor requests it.
Questions to consider
Consider the following questions before your infertility consultation:
- Do you have a history of pregnancies, miscarriages and live births?
- What is your sexual history?
- What type of contraception do you use?
- When was your last Pap smear?
- Have you had fibroids, STDs or any vaginal infections?
- Do you have a history of menstrual cycle irregularities?
- Do you have PMS?
- Do you have sisters? What is their reproductive history?
- How old was your mother at menopause?
- What is your male partner’s sexual history?
- Has your male partner fathered any children?
- Has your male partner had any infections, surgeries, or hernias?
- What health conditions do you have (or have you had since you were born)?
- How are your lifestyle habits (exercise, stress, caffeine, alcohol, smoking cigarettes—type and how often)?
- How is your daily nutrition (meat/vegetarian, starch/grain, protein/fats)?
- What medications do you take (prescribed, unprescribed, over-the-counter)?
- What medication does your male partner take?
- What is your ethnic background? (Certain ethnic groups have a higher incidence of inheritable diseases. You will have tests for these problems.)
Knowing the answers to these questions ahead of time may speed up the information-gathering process at your first infertility consultation. Then your reproductive endocrinologist can move on to greater things—helping you to get pregnant and have a baby!
