Your doctor will get to know you, review your medical history and your partner’s history, and usually do a quick physical exam for you at the first visit. Many fertility doctors don’t perform a pelvic examination on the first visit, but some do. We get much more information from a pelvic ultrasound scan. Some clinics do an ultrasound on the first visit, others will bring you in for an ultrasound at a later visit, usually in the first few days of your menstrual cycle.
Typically, your doctor will talk to you about why you may need In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments, and she or he will often need to arrange testing to make sure that you’re a good candidate for IVF, even if IVF is the right treatment. If you have had any previous fertility testing or treatments it is very helpful to provide these records before the first visit so that your MD can review them – this may avoid duplicating tests that don’t need to be redone. You will usually be offered prenatal testing: checking your blood type, making sure you don’t need any vaccines before pregnancy, and offering optional genetic screening tests. Your doctor will explain the IVF process to you, either at the first visit or at your follow-up visits.
This is a general overview, but I hope it helps. Contact your fertility clinic if you have specific questions or concerns, of course.
