How Do I Prepare For An IVF Appointment?

How Do I Prepare For An IVF Appointment?

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Infertility can be considered a common problem where a woman is unable to conceive even after having unprotected intercourse for more than a year. There can be various causes of infertility such as sperm transportation issues, ovulation disorders, fallopian tube blockage, and sperm morphological issues. In such cases, you must book an appointment with a renowned infertility specialist in Siliguri like our IVF Consultant Dr. Priyankur Roy who can perform an in-depth fertility evaluation. 

The fertility evaluation conducted by the doctor can help to understand the main factors affecting your fertility rates. Based on this result, the doctor will recommend an effective treatment plan. IVF or in-vitro fertilization is considered the best treatment option for infertility which can fertilize the eggs with sperm in a laboratory setting.

Things To Bring During The Appointment 

1. Medical Records

To plan a detailed and personalized treatment plan, the doctor needs to do an in-depth examination of your medical history. This is why it is essential for you to create a list of up-to-date medical records before your first appointment with the specialist. It will help the doctor to streamline the entire IVF procedure based on your medical information. 

The things that you must note are underlying health conditions, previous miscarriages, gynecological concerns, and any ongoing treatments recommended by the physician. You must also remember to inform the doctor about any previous fertility treatments. In this medical record, you can also include family history which will help the doctor to check whether your relatives have a history of infertility or not. 

Key Medical Points: 
  • Menstrual Cycle 
  • Age during first menstruation 
  • Underlying health conditions 
  • Ongoing medications 
  • Supplements 
2. Notebook
Another thing that you must carry during your first appointment is a notebook. A notebook is important to write down all the treatment details and information provided by the doctor. 

One of the common experiences that patients suffer from during their first appointment is information overload. This is why it is essential to write down the main points so that you can recheck those after recovering from the emotional distress associated with infertility. 

Key Things To Note: 
  • Tests to undergo 
  • Possible reasons behind infertility 
  • Expected duration of the treatment 
  • Probable outcomes 
  • Tips to follow before an IVF cycle 
  • Side-effects associated with the infertility treatment 
  • Success rates
3. List of Questions
The infertility specialist will ask you multiple questions during the appointment, which can make you confused. This can make you forget about all the questions related to the infertility treatment that you thought of asking the infertility specialist. 

This is why it is always a better idea to note down all the questions that you want to ask the doctor so that you don’t forget anything during the treatment. The questions can be related to anything such as the procedures of IVF, how many cycles can be done, side effects of the treatment, and success rates. This process will help you uncover all the myths that you may have about IVF treatment.

4. Your Partner
It is not always necessary for you to bring your partner with you but the doctors always encourage you to do so. This is because bringing your partner will help you get the required emotional support during the appointment. This procedure will also enable your partner to stay involved in the procedure, which will definitely add to the success rates of the IVF cycle. 

Additionally, if your partner has any confusion or questions about the infertility treatment then it can also be solved during the consultation. This method will make the treatment procedure much faster as both of you can be examined on the same day.

List Of Medical Information

  • Menstrual Cycle- One of the most important factors that can lead to infertility is an abnormal menstrual cycle. This is why you must make a list about your menstrual pattern before scheduling the first appointment. You must inform the doctor of all the details about your first menstruation cycle, average length, regularity, and flow. You must also note that if you suffer from painful periods or premenstrual syndrome (PMS). These abnormal menstrual patterns can be an indication of PCOS, endometriosis, or other gynaecological concerns affecting your fertility rates.
  • Attempts To Get Pregnant- To prepare for your first IVF appointment, you must also make a list of the attempts to get pregnant. This is because before starting the infertility treatment, it is important for the doctor to check how long you’re trying to get pregnant and what is the frequency of intercourse. If you have any previous results of ovulation testing or fertility evaluation then you can also bring those during the appointment. 
  • Underlying Health Conditions- Before contacting the best IVF doctor in Siliguri, you must also know the fact not only gynecologic concerns but certain underlying health conditions can also lead to infertility. This is why it is essential for you to make a list of the medical conditions that you or your partner suffer from. Some of the concerning conditions that you must inform the doctor of are celiac disease, obesity, thyroid, and diabetes. It is also important for you to list any hormonal imbalances that can affect your infertility rates.
  • Medications- You may find it insignificant to inform the doctor about the medications you take. However, this is another pivotal piece of information that a doctor must know before starting an IVF cycle. Before going on the first IVF appointment, you can make a list of the herbs, medications, supplements, or vitamins you have taken. You must also note the frequency, quantity, and dosage of the medications.

Questions To Ask 

It is highly important for you to be clear about the IVF treatment before starting the cycle. This is why it is important for you to ask all the questions you have on the first appointment. 
  • Available Treatment Options- The first question that you must ask the doctor during the appointment is what treatment options are available. This will help you to understand the best option for you in order to attain a successful pregnancy. This process will also help you to understand why IVF can be the most effective option for you. 
  • Success Rates- Another essential question to ask to your infertility specialist in Siliguri is what the success rate of an IVF cycle is. You must know the rates of live births associated with IVF so that you can undergo the treatment without any confusion. 
  • Duration of the Diagnosis- You must also ask the doctor what the duration of the diagnosis is. This will help you to have a clear idea about the duration expected for positive results and healthy pregnancy. 
  • Cost of the treatment- The cost of the treatment is an essential factor to consider before starting an IVF treatment. This is why you must ask the doctor what the expected cost is so that you don’t experience any financial stress during the treatment procedure. 
  • Treatment procedure- You must ask your infertility specialist what the overall treatment procedure is. This question must include a detailed idea about the duration and processes involved in the fertilization, embryo transfer, and implantation process. Proper communication between the doctor and patient is the utmost important thing for a successful treatment. 
  • Starting time- If you’re ready to start the IVF treatment then you must ask the doctor that from when you can start the treatment. You must also be clear about the fact that what measures you must take to increase success rates. 

What Tests To Expect During The First Appointment?  

On the first day of your appointment, the doctor may ask you and your partner to undergo certain diagnostic tests. These tests will help the doctor to detect the underlying causes behind the decreased fertility rates.

For Men- The main test that can be performed is semen analysis, which helps in examining overall sperm morphology along with its motility, quantity, and quality. Before starting the IVF and IUI treatment, it is also essential to recommend infectious panel testing. Apart from that a general examination of the medical history is also done to check for any inherited diseases. 

For Women- The first test that can be done to evaluate your condition is ultrasound. This test can examine your reproductive organs such as ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. There can also be certain blood tests conducted to check the hormonal levels, which include TSH, FSH, and LH. Additionally, the other diagnostic tests that can be done are ovulation testing, genetic testing, and laparoscopy. Laparoscopy is only recommended if the cause behind infertility has not been detected by any screening tests. 

These steps will help you to make the required preparations before scheduling an IVF treatment with a qualified Siliguri based infertility specialist like Dr. Priyankur Roy. If the doctor finds the reason behind infertility from the diagnostic tests and examines that you’re ready for the IVF cycle then you will be prescribed certain medications. These medications will promote ovarian stimulation to increase egg production for successful fertilization. 


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