Contact a Fertility Specialist

At What Point Should We Contact A Fertility Specialist?

The “average” trying-to-conceive couple has around a 20% chance of achieving pregnancy in each monthly cycle. As a result, typically, couples will become pregnant within 5-6 months of having unprotected sex. (Note that this time frame can often be significantly lowered by using at-home ovulation prediction tests which help to pinpoint peak fertility.)

For some couples, however, month after month of unsuccessful attempts can lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness. So at what point should you contact a fertility specialist?

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), if you’re under the age of 35, you should consult a fertility specialist after one year of unprotected intercourse. If you’re over 35, you should consult a specialist if you haven’t conceived within 6 months of regular unprotected intercourse.

Typically, as a first step, couples will visit a Reproductive Endocrinologist (a doctor specially trained in infertility issues) for an infertility workup and initial evaluation. A thorough evaluation of both partners would be made to determine any possible issues and appropriate treatment.

How Can I Find a Fertility Specialist in My Area?

Fortunately, the field of infertility treatment has grown dramatically in recent years, and nearly every major city has at least one clinic which provides infertility services.

As a first step, we recommend contacting IntegraMed. IntegraMed is a national network with over 100 infertility specialists located throughout the United States. (In fact, IntegraMed’s doctors perform 20% of all In Vitro Fertilization procedures in the country.) Services they offer include:

* Initial consultation and Infertility Workup
* Artificial Insemination (IUI)
* In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
* Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
* Egg Donation
* Tubal Ligation Reversal
* Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)