Great question, thank you for asking!
I totally remember the excitement of when we started “TRYING” for a baby. Wow that first time was fun, legs up in the air and all. The second, third and forth were too – perhaps a little bit less but still HOT if you know what I mean. The thought of him putting a baby in my belly was incredible.
By month 5 I remember worrying a lot. I was already tracking my ovulation with a totally expensive electronic monitor. I was also tracking my body’s fertile signs like the book “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” told me to do. I was using pre-seed and those of you who know exactly what that is can laugh with me. Better not spill that stuff on the floor or else you could have a nasty fall. I also joined any fertile groups I could (this was pre Facebook so these were mainly yahoo groups). I was willing to try anything if you told me it could help knock me up quicker.
For me, because I was over 30 and had been diagnosed with endometriosis almost 10 years prior, I was ready to do the next thing. I called my OBGYN and made an appointment after NOT seeing two pink lines in month 6. I pretty much knew she was going to recommend a fertility doctor but knowing where I needed to start with all that? CLUELESS!
If you have been baby-dancing for over a year and you are under 35 and still not seeing 2 pink lines either, I would do the same thing that I did. Make an appointment with your OBGYN and get a referral for a Reproductive Endocrinologist.
Here are a few things I recommend when starting out on your journey:
- Advocate for yourself and if you truly feel like there is an issue, get in to see your OBGYN sooner.
- Do all your testing with an infertility specialist. If and when you become a patient at a clinic they will want to repeat all the same testing your OBGYN might have ordered. Since reading tests can be somewhat subjective, they trust their staff and technicians over others. Some insurance plans may not cover testing like this so save yourself the money and heart-ache.
- Once you have some names from your OBGYN do your research, ask around about the clinic and doctors. While we all want different things from a specialist, if you keep hearing the same comments (negative or positive) about a particular one, they probably are true.
- Schedule your appointment and then brainstorm with your partner about all the questions you have.
- Come prepared to your first appointment with your RE. You may spend about an hour with them so make the most of the time. I recommend going with your partner if you can. Hearing their recommendations for next steps can been very overwhelming. Having another set of ears to listen as well as support can make all the difference.
Just starting out? Grab my free ebook here:
Take it one step at a time, one foot in front of the other.
Baby dust to you 🌬🌬🌬🌬
xoxo,
Caryn
