Fertility doc and clinics

[Ornela]

Hi ladies,
Me and my hubby have been TTC for 14 months now and nothing has happened so far. We have determined that we need to see a specialist. Do ya'll have any advice? Has anyone gone through this? I'd love to have some feedback and suggestions.

Thank you in advance.

 

[felinity]

If I were you, the first thing I'd do is go to my doctor or OB/GYN, let him/her know that I was having problems conceiving, and ask for blood tests to see what my hormone levels look like. If you can find an OB/GYN with infertility experience, that's a plus.

When you have a better sense of what your hormone levels are like, it's possible you may know what the problem is. Then you can start thinking about things like:

-is your problem something easily treatable with medicine?

If it's not:
-do you want to try more natural/holistic approaches to infertility? These involve things like changing your diet, and maybe receiving alternative treatments like acupuncture or chiropractic.
-what kind of timeframe are you looking at? Everyone who is trying to conceive is generally in a hurry to get pregnant, but you're young, and statistically, you have a lot of time ahead of you, so you might be able to do something slower (like alternative treatments) before you decide on a more invasive course of action.

 

[Ornela]

See, the thing is that I am trying to minimize the expenses as much as possible. What is the point in spending money for an OB/GYN if they cant help me anyway. I mean the same stuff that an OB/GYN does a fertility doc would do too right? So what is the point in spending money in both places?

 

[immersedingrace]

See, the thing is that I am trying to minimize the expenses as much as possible. What is the point in spending money for an OB/GYN if they cant help me anyway. I mean the same stuff that an OB/GYN does a fertility doc would do too right? So what is the point in spending money in both places?

A "fertility doc" is going to most likely refer you back to your ob/gyn anyway. At the very least, they're going to run a hormone panel on you (if they do not, they are UNETHICAL and I'd be concerned about what other corners they're willing to cut). Also, going to the "fertility doc" is going to be more expensive in the long run rather than paying a co-pay for your ob/gyn and the fee to get tested, which you're going to do anyway. Besides, for most insurance to pay for any fertility treatment, you're going to need a referral. Before a primary doc gives a referral, they're going to want to see you. If you don't have insurance, going to your ob/gyn will most likely STILL be the cheaper option. You also don't know that the ob/gyn CAN'T help you. What kind of "fertility doc" are you looking for anyway?

 

[Ornela]

A "fertility doc" is going to most likely refer you back to your ob/gyn anyway. At the very least, they're going to run a hormone panel on you (if they do not, they are UNETHICAL and I'd be concerned about what other corners they're willing to cut). Also, going to the "fertility doc" is going to be more expensive in the long run rather than paying a co-pay for your ob/gyn and the fee to get tested, which you're going to do anyway. Besides, for most insurance to pay for any fertility treatment, you're going to need a referral. Before a primary doc gives a referral, they're going to want to see you. If you don't have insurance, going to your ob/gyn will most likely STILL be the cheaper option. You also don't know that the ob/gyn CAN'T help you. What kind of "fertility doc" are you looking for anyway?

Why would the fertility specialist need a referral from a OB/GYN? That seems burocratic to me. Can't a person choose whoever they want to be as their doc? Do I really-absolutely need a OB/GYN to suggest me to see a specialist? My case requires a specialist. I have been trying to get pregnant for 14 months, I dont want to wait another 2-3 months running tests at the OB/GYN office and then go through other stuff with another doc later. Ladies, my question is, do I really need to make an appointment with the OB/GYN? I also wanted to note that we dont have insurance. We will pay in cash.

 

[felinity]

Some specialists (my endocrinologist, for example) won't even consider seeing you unless you have a referral from your regular doctor. And there are likely some basic treatments that your regular doctor can tell you about. At your age, if you're reasonably healthy, they might do the trick for you.

All that said, phone calls are free. If there's a reproductive doctor you have in mind, try calling and talking to a nurse. You might get a better sense of your best course of action that way.

As someone who has been dealing with infertility for two years now (and no real end in sight), I can tell you that it's an expensive road, even WITH insurance, especially once you move past what your regular ob/gyn can do. It can cost several thousand dollars to receive IVF, and even Clomid costs something like $30 per pill. But, for that matter, parenting is expensive, too - especially with no insurance.

 

[immersedingrace]

Why would the fertility specialist need a referral from a OB/GYN? That seems burocratic to me. Can't a person choose whoever they want to be as their doc? Do I really-absolutely need a OB/GYN to suggest me to see a specialist? My case requires a specialist. I have been trying to get pregnant for 14 months, I dont want to wait another 2-3 months running tests at the OB/GYN office and then go through other stuff with another doc later. Ladies, my question is, do I really need to make an appointment with the OB/GYN? I also wanted to note that we dont have insurance. We will pay in cash.

Well, I'm sorry it seems bureacratic to you but the fact is, many of these specialists (be it fertility, cardiologists, etc) do not want lawsuits hanging over their heads and they want to make sure there's nothing wrong with you (that has nothing to do with their specialty) before you come to see them. Regardless of how you go about it, you're going to have to wait to run tests. Any decent doctor is NOT going to just put you on any kind of medication/course of treatment without first running tests. If they do, they're opening themselves up to a whole lot of lawsuit and malpractice claims. It might not be what you want to hear but it is reality. So, in answer to your question, IMO, YES you need to make an appointment with at least your primary care doctor, even if you don't want to see your ob/gyn, but my guess, is even your primary is going to send you to your ob.

EDIT: Here's a site to help you with some of the questions you have. They say what we've been saying:

The healthcare professional usually consulted for an initial evaluation is the OB/Gyn. This is a good place to start, since many OB/Gyns have some infertility training.

Before you hone in on the "usually", understand that they ARE saying this is the first step. Good luck.

 

[Ornela]

Thank you for the advise ladies.