Your first fertility appointment comes with a lot of emotions. You may be nervous, hopeful, and fearful all at once. And while it’s perfectly normal to be emotional before your appointment, it helps to know what happens during a fertility consult. Here’s what to expect at your first fertility appointment with RISE.
A Complete Fertility Assessment
Your first fertility appointment provides an opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to become comfortable at RISE. That’s why your first consultation is always respectful and unhurried. We want to take as much time as necessary to learn about what brought you to RISE, where you are on your fertility journey and the best ways we can help you achieve your fertility goals.
The beginning of the consultation will simply be a conversation. We’ll talk to you about what brought you to RISE and discuss any struggles you’re having. We’re best able to address your fertility challenges when we have the whole picture, so please share as much as you can with us.
We’ll also discuss your medical records and full medical history. Remember, even things that seem like they’re unrelated to fertility issues may actually play a part. We’ll want to explore anything that may contribute to your fertility challenges.
We also like to do an ultrasound during your fertility assessment. This allows us to check your reproductive anatomy for any irregularities and assess your eggs. We’ll be able to tell things like the quantity of your eggs and whether there are any obvious abnormalities. Because women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and fertility declines with age, checking your eggs is a critical first step in assessing your fertility.
It’s also important to check for male fertility issues since male fertility problems are a contributing factor for 30-40 percent of couples. We may suggest tests to check male fertility. These include things like semen analysis, sperm count, checking your hormone levels, and genetic testing. In some cases, we may also refer you to a urologist.
Fertility Preservation Options
Individuals and couples choose fertility preservation for a variety of reasons, and all are valid. For instance, you may worry that a medical treatment or health condition, like cancer, could damage your fertility. Perhaps you’re busy with your career and not yet ready to have children. Or if you are transgender and plan to transition, you may wish to freeze your eggs or sperm to preserve your fertility.
Whatever your reason for choosing fertility preservation, we can help. We’ll talk you through everything that is involved in preserving your eggs or sperm, and address any concerns you may have. Then, we’ll come up with a plan to begin the process of preserving your fertility so you can build your family when you’re ready.
LGBTQ+ Fertility Care
There are many ways to build a family, and we at RISE are proud of our role in helping LGBTQ+ partners become parents. We know that building a family your way often feels complicated so we strive to streamline the process during your first fertility appointment.
We’ll discuss your fertility goals and we’ll explain different options. For instance, you may wish to receive in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination with donor sperm. Or you may opt for reciprocal IVF so both partners play a role in the conception process. Alternatively, you may choose multiple methods, like IVF with donor sperm and a surrogate who carries the baby for you.
If you’re transgender and plan to transition, we’ll also discuss how and when your fertility will be impacted. If you would like to freeze your sperm or eggs for future use, we’ll help you come up with a timeline. Both procedures can be done relatively quickly, although freezing eggs takes longer because you’ll need to grow your eggs before they can be harvested. Once you’ve frozen your sperm or eggs, they can be stored indefinitely preserving your fertility long after you transition.
A Fertility Treatment Plan and Path Forward
Regardless of the type of treatment you’re seeking, expect to leave your first fertility appointment with a plan about your next steps–whether it’s to preserve your fertility, conceive via a donor or surrogate or prepare to carry your own pregnancy.
If you’re hoping to conceive and/or carry a pregnancy yourself, we’ll recommend a complete fertility workup to determine the source of your infertility. In addition to taking your medical history, we’ll screen you for problems that could impact your fertility. This may include:
- Testing your ovarian reserve
- Checking hormone levels
- Determining whether you are ovulating
- Testing your sperm
- Looking for structural or anatomical problems with your uterus
- Determining whether your fallopian tubes are open
- Screening for genetic diseases
Your RISE fertility consult covers a lot of ground, but we hope that knowing what to expect will help you feel at ease. Remember, we’ll spend as much time as necessary to help you feel comfortable with our team and your treatment plan–and we always approach every patient journey with compassion and understanding.
Would you like to begin your fertility journey at RISE? We can’t wait to meet you! Schedule a consult today to get started.
A concierge fertility practice, RISE Fertility has created the time and space
for elevated engagement between you and your physician. The high
touch nature of our practice feels both exclusive and familiar.
