Five Questions to Ask Your Gynecologist Before Seeing a Fertility Specialist

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant and don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet, the first step prior to seeking a consultation with a fertility specialist is to speak with your gynecologist. If you aren’t aware of a preexisting medical condition that could impact your fertility, your gynecologist can assist with an initial medical assessment that can help determine if there is a need to seek infertility care.

Because so many women are used to only visiting their gynecologist for annual exams, Washington Fertility Center has provided five key questions to ask your gynecologist when you’re concerned about your inability to conceive naturally.

1. Is there any reason why we have not conceived yet?
2. Will one or both partners need to be screened? If so, for what?
3. Is there anything you recommend we change now, such as lifestyle habits? What about diet and exercise?
4. Could my family history or my partner’s family history be a factor?
5. What services are provided at your facility and do they differ from a fertility clinic?

The above questions will help guide the conversation with your gynecologist. Depending on your case, he or she may recommend that you seek the care of a fertility specialist. If this is the case, there are simple ways you can prepare for your first consultation with a fertility specialist. We’ve provided some helpful tips below:

• Bring all essential medical information
  • Personal medical history
  • Partner’s medical history
  • Family medical history of both partners
  • Other fertility evaluations, including any conducted by your gynecologist
• Provide a list of all current medications, the dosages and how often you take them
• Provide details of your attempts to conceive
  • How long you’ve been trying
  • When you stopped using birth control or contraception
  • Have you ever experienced a miscarriage?
  • Have you experienced a false positive on a pregnancy test?
  • Do you use lubricants during intercourse? If so, what kind?

The decision to seek a professional medical consultation after trying to conceive without success can seem overwhelming, as if you were “admitting defeat.” However, even though every fertility journey is different, modern technology allows for a variety of effective medications and treatments that provide infertile couples with a route to parenthood.