10 Questions to Ask During Your First Fertility Appointment

Dr. Erin Attaway • January 22, 2024

When going to sit down with a fertility specialist for the first time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget to ask the questions you’ve been wanting to.  Here’s a quick list to help you prepare.  Make notes that apply to you and your partner and take it with you to help guide the discussion. 

Feeling heard and understood from the origin of the relationship helps build trust and respect, which prove to be vital to also feeling cared for by your physician and clinic. 

Informed patients are good at self-advocating, so plan to speak up when you have the opportunity. 

  1. What are the most common causes of infertility for our age group?  
    Understanding the potential causes of infertility is crucial. Ask your RE about the factors that could be contributing to your difficulty in conceiving, such as ovulatory disorders, sperm abnormalities, fallopian tube blockages, or endometriosis.

  2. Ask about the specific tests needed to identify the root cause of your infertility.  
    The most common tests include hormone level assessments, semen analysis, ultrasound evaluations, hysterosalpingography (HSG), and even laparoscopy. Knowing the diagnostic process can help you prepare mentally and emotionally.

  3. What treatment options are best suited to your specific situation?  
    These may include timed intercourse (TI), intrauterine insemination (IUI), or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Understanding the range of options can help you make informed decisions about your specific infertility journey.

  4. What are the success rates associated with different treatment options?  
    Inquire about success rates related to your age, diagnosis, and any specific circumstances that may affect outcomes. Then ask how your clinic’s success rates stack up to the national average. You can look up your clinic’s live birth rates on: https://www.sart.org

  5. For our age group, how many cycles are usual for TIC?  IUI? IVF?  
    The number of cycles can vary depending on the age and health of the couple.  Find your clinic's average number of cycles for each option presented.  

  6. What is the average cost for the diagnostic process?  Subsequent treatment series?  
    Costs can vary tremendously based on the clinical approach and the factors involved in your case.  Planning your budget based on the national average can help you forecast the future of your journey.  

  7. Are there any scholarships or financial assistance options available?  
    Investigate these options even if you think you won’t qualify for them.  Sometimes you might get assistance for a portion of treatment, such as evaluations or medications. Don’t forget to look up grant options outside of your clinic!

  8. Are there any financial returns if we are unable to generate a pregnancy or embryos via treatments?  
    Some clinics have offered some money back for cycles or procedures that cannot continue if there is an undesirable result.  Inquire how your clinic handles that scenario.  

  9. Are there any lifestyle modifications, such as dietary changes, exercise routines, or stress reduction techniques like acupuncture, that may enhance your fertility or treatment outcomes?  
    These vary tremendously between clinics and physicians.  Have a candid conversation about how your doctor likes to approach this topic, it can also influence how you approach any treatment they recommend.   

  10. What are treatment risks and complications for either partner to know about in advance?  Is there any evidence that suggests fertility treatments can negatively affect your health?   
    Depending on your age, health, risk factors, and medical history there might be aspects of fertility treatments that cause concern.  Open the door for discussion and any personal concerns from the outset so that your physician can incorporate them into the treatment plan and approach as you move forward.  


Remember, different clinics and physicians can have very different treatment approaches.  If you feel the need for a second opinion from the start, go get it.  The fertility journey can be much longer than anticipated, so feeling comfortable and confident in your care team is important from the start.   

It is easier to investigate up front and get prepared for what lies ahead, instead of finding out while you're already well into treatment.  Do the best you can gathering information from the outset. 

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

By Website Editor • October 3, 2024
The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Endometriosis and IVF: Everything You Need to Know

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 18, 2024
It’s National Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Awareness Month, so we should take a moment to consider these conditions and how they are often overlooked. The common presentation for either condition usually includes very painful menstrual cycles, but you can still have this condition without those indicators. Many women are never diagnosed until they have difficulty conceiving. “Silent” endometriosis, or a mild form, is usually just accepted as normal menstrual pain and medicated or tolerated. What then, is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a medical condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it. It can be found on other pelvic organs, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the outer surface of the uterus, and other parts of the pelvis. This condition can cause pain, heavy periods, and fertility issues.

Notes on Vitamins

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 11, 2024
Most people are simply unaware of what a vitamin is and its physiological importance. A vitamin is the short form of the term “Vital Amine” which was coined about the discoveries of organic compounds and proteins that contained amine groups, which were deemed VITAL for metabolism and health. What we think of today as vitamins are only a fraction of what was discovered and what is intended by the term. The term "vital amine" refers to a type of organic compound known as a vitamin. Vitamins are essential nutrients that are required for the proper functioning of our bodies. "Vital amine" described the earliest discovered vitamins which were organic compounds containing an amine group.

5 Coffee Habit Stacks to Improve Your Health

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 4, 2024
Each year around this time people create unrealistic expectations for themselves and then suffer from low self-esteem when they don’t pull it off. It’s a negative reinforcement loop: creating unattainable goals and then confirming your low self-worth when you fail. Let’s just stop doing it, okay? Learn to set a few reasonable expectations, and work on them every day. Like, two or three things. Then, in a month or so, when you’re feeling good about having made this small progress, add one more thing to your list and build that new habit. Small, simple steps over time lead to great success.

Why the Alabama Supreme Court Embryo Ruling Affects Us All

By Dr. Erin Attaway • February 26, 2024
For those who aren’t keeping up, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled on a case regarding the accidental destruction of embryos. Despite previous courts dismissing the suit, the ASC ruled that cryopreserved embryos, (frozen embryos that may never even receive a transfer into a gestational carrier), are essentially children with the full rights of children who are walking the earth. Although many people jump to agree with this, a drastic fight for logical reasoning is playing out now, in the courts and in the media. And the risk is potentially the failure of IVF treatments as we know it.

Introducing a High-Fat, Low-Carb Diet

By Dr. Erin Attaway • February 4, 2024
In 1978 the US government issued a new visual image of how Americans should eat, The Food Pyramid. A challenge to how most Americans were currently eating, the new food pyramid emphasized eating 6-10 servings of grain-based carbohydrate foods daily. The new pyramid reduced salt and dietary fats to minimal levels and put them at the very top. Americans were told to stop consuming fat and instead fill their day with bread, cereals, popcorn, pasta, and all kinds of highly refined carbohydrate products. This is the beginning of the obesity epidemic we see today. Not only that, but neurological disorders, brain diseases, hypertension, autoimmune illness, hormonal imbalance, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and most other epidemics we see today have skyrocketed since this incident.

5 Sentences You Need Hear in 2024

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 13, 2024
Time is your most precious asset. Spend it wisely. If your biggest complaint is not enough time, then you probably need to recalibrate your time management. Not to fit more in and master multi-tasking, but rather to eliminate the time-wasting elements. Scroll less. Watch less television. Declutter your house to eliminate time spent on organization and storage. Stop shopping for items you don’t need anyway. Stop researching. Go make a snowman instead. Your mind is your strongest muscle, train it well….

Which Type of Anti-Inflammatory Diet is Right for You?

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 8, 2024
Sometimes fertility clinics will recommend that you follow a diet that is intended to reduce inflammation in the body, but unless they give you specifics you can go down a rabbit hole trying to decide which one will produce the desired result but also suit your needs.  If your doctor recommends you try this approach, ask a few more questions to understand their wishes.  Be sure to understand the intended goals and desired effect, which leads to improved decision-making and an increased chance of sticking to the plan.   You might only have 30 or so days to prepare for the next cycle or procedure, so rapid intervention might be the goal.  You might have three months and a doctor who wants you to focus on getting five to eight servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.  To achieve the desired outcome you should aim to clarify as much detail as you can and make a master list of goals.   If a certain amount of weight loss is desired, make a note of it. Find other ways to monitor a reduction of inflammatory symptoms such as changes in your physical body like joint pain, skin rash or headaches.  Fill out a toxicity or inflammation questionnaire before you begin and keep your store.  Take the test again after each month of dietary changes and track your progress.  Here’s a quick exploration of the most common diets for reducing inflammation.  

Which Type of Anti-Inflammatory Diet is Right for You?

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 8, 2024
Sometimes fertility clinics will recommend that you follow a diet that is intended to reduce inflammation in the body, but unless they give you specifics you can go down a rabbit hole trying to decide which one will produce the desired result but also suit your needs.  If your doctor recommends you try this approach, ask a few more questions to understand their wishes.  Be sure to understand the intended goals and desired effect, which leads to improved decision-making and an increased chance of sticking to the plan.   You might only have 30 or so days to prepare for the next cycle or procedure, so rapid intervention might be the goal.  You might have three months and a doctor who wants you to focus on getting five to eight servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.  To achieve the desired outcome you should aim to clarify as much detail as you can and make a master list of goals.   If a certain amount of weight loss is desired, make a note of it. Find other ways to monitor a reduction of inflammatory symptoms such as changes in your physical body like joint pain, skin rash or headaches.  Fill out a toxicity or inflammation questionnaire before you begin and keep your store.  Take the test again after each month of dietary changes and track your progress.  Here’s a quick exploration of the most common diets for reducing inflammation.  

New Year, Same Me, New Habits 

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 1, 2024
Am I the only person who love-hates the “New year, new you” schtick? I love the promise of it, the romance of summing up where I am in life and then creating a new landing page for the next year. I love taking time to reflect on where I’ve come from and be proud of what I’ve accomplished. I love creating new goals. But I hate the fact that it creates a false narrative that it all must begin RIGHT NOW. The suggestion that our timeline is arbitrary to the calendar year. And I hate that most endeavors take longer than the time we ourselves to achieve them and we quit before ever really getting anywhere. I don’t like thinking of myself as the new me, like a pair of new shoes and we just toss the old ones. Starting over with a clean slate feels good but our old self informs our new self, so shouldn’t we carry it along? Instead of new you, maybe focus on same you with new habits. Habits are what we are all trying to change, really. We want to eat healthier, be kinder, read more books or take over the internet. Whatever it is you want to change it requires shifting your habits to get there.
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