Infertility can be influenced by several factors and is often quite complicated, making diagnosis and treatment a complex process. If you are planning on getting fertility treatment in the future, here’s what to expect from the process.
Initial Consultation
You can expect to spend most of your first appointment at a clinic like MCRM Fertility going over your medical history and any previous treatments that you have had. It’s a good idea to prepare for this visit beforehand since you will likely be asked a lot of questions and it can be overwhelming. However, this information is important to ensure that your care team understands your health and can provide answers to any of your questions or concerns. During this appointment, you are likely to have any necessary consultations scheduled, tests and procedures scheduled or reviewed, and insurance information reviewed.
Preparing for Treatment
Even if you have already had some tests done before you are referred to the fertility center, it’s possible that more testing might be necessary. This can sometimes feel like an unnecessary additional delay, but bear in mind that all tests are important for helping your care team review your circumstances and develop the best treatment plan for you. In most cases, the testing that you will undergo as part of fertility treatment will be tied to your menstrual cycle, so the testing process may take longer depending on where you currently are in your cycle. Tests may include blood testing, infectious disease testing, ultrasounds, uterine evaluation and more.
Your Fertility Plan
Once the initial processes have been completed and test results are back, you will then meet with your care team to come up with the best plan for your fertility care. There will generally be a range of different fertility treatment options that will be discussed. These include In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). In some cases, you might be able to continue your natural cycle without medication, under close monitoring from your care team. There might be instances where surgery will be required to improve your fertility chances, such as in cases where the patient has fibroids, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis. In some cases, patients might require the use of donor eggs or sperm to conceive.
After the Treatment
If you opt for an embryo transfer, IUI cycle or controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, you may be given a progesterone supplement that will support the lining of the uterus and encourage the embryos to implant successfully. You will then simply watch and wait for a few weeks to determine how successful the treatment has been. You’ll have a pregnancy test via blood test around twelve to fourteen days after your treatment. If it’s positive, you will have another test two days later. If this test is positive, you will then be scheduled for early ultrasounds at around six and eight weeks of gestation, and will then be transferred to an OBYGN or midwife.
The fertility treatment process can be quite complex, and is often overwhelming for those trying to get pregnant. Understanding your options and the steps along the way can make the process less stressful.
