RE Question

lfk2013

I have a couple questions for all you ladies about going to the RE. 

- I have to get a referral. Should it come from my PCP or from my OB/GYN?

- How long can I expect to wait before an appointment (meaning how long until I can actually get an appointment)?

- What kind of testing will happen? I'm guessing lots and lots of bloodwork. HSG?

- Are there any questions I need to be prepared to ask of the RE?

As you can see, we are moving forward as my PCP recommended this step if I've always had issues with AF. Based on what I've learned from you wonderful ladies, I've already warned DH about what test he'll have to do. LOL.

FutureMrsWright2012

Sorry that you find yourself moving forward with an RE, but hopefully, you will be able to get some answers and a solid plan!

To answer your questions:

- I have to get a referral. Should it come from my PCP or from my OB/GYN? This might depend on your insurance. It probably makes the most sense to come from OB/GYN because you'll have to get records from them either way. All of my RE appointments, I self-referred and then had my records sent over. 

- How long can I expect to wait before an appointment (meaning how long until I can actually get an appointment)? This probably depends on where you are and the availability of RE's in your area. Where I am, there are about 10 different practices. I've been to 6 of them. My work schedule is pretty limited, but I don't think I've waited longer than 3-4 weeks to get in. 

- What kind of testing will happen? I'm guessing lots and lots of bloodwork. HSG? Yes, lots of blood work and probably an HSG depending on what your treatment plan is going to look like. If IUI is recommended, then yes to HSG. If IVF is recommended, it's not usually necessary because they are going to bypass the fallopian tubes for egg retrieval anyways. The lab work is usually done on CD2 or 3 to get a baseline of where all of your hormone levels are. They may also check other stuff like thyroid, insulin resistance, inflammatory markers, etc. based on your medical history and exam.  

- Are there any questions I need to be prepared to ask of the RE? I can't remember what questions I asked at the very beginning. Maybe about what you can do in the meantime while waiting for everything to come back (i.e., supplements, diet, etc.)? My guess is that once you get more information (from visit and labs), a lot of questions will come up as the plan is developed with your RE. Other ladies on here might have other ideas though. 

Good luck to you! Please please don't hesitate to PM me (here or FB). I'm happy to answer any questions! 

brij2006

Ugh. I hate that you are to this point.  Just know that hopefully this will give you answers.

My answers may be a little different since we went with an infertilityOB the first time around (don't recommend, won't do again), and we'll be seeing an RE this time.

- I have to get a referral. Should it come from my PCP or from my OB/GYN?

Mine can come from either.  I would call your health insurance and ask just to cover all your bases. 

- How long can I expect to wait before an appointment (meaning how long until I can actually get an appointment)?

The RE we'll see does a satellite campus an hour away, for some appointments.  So for us it's about a 1.5 month wait. That's not usual in a more populated area though.

- What kind of testing will happen? I'm guessing lots and lots of bloodwork. HSG?

Our initial appointment was just to talk.  Get a full overview of what was going on, how long we had been trying, what my cycles are like, how often we have ST, etc.
That was when we scheduled for the rest of the testing.  
They scheduled CD3 bloodwork (prescribed Provera to make AF come) and ultrasound.  We had chemical pregnancies prior to that, so they did not require H to get an SA right away.

- Are there any questions I need to be prepared to ask of the RE?

We asked about timeline and how invasive they are.  I wanted to know beforehand, how quickly they move forward to the next type of treatment if/when one fails. 

If you've been charting, bring in your charts.  With our IFOB, he looked them over to get a trend for how long my cycles are and if/when I would ovulate as well as look at our timing. He said it gave him a good picture of what he was working with.

RockABye

- I have to get a referral. Should it come from my PCP or from my OB/GYN?  - I would probably get it from the OBGYN if possible

- How long can I expect to wait before an appointment (meaning how long until I can actually get an appointment)? This totally varies by practice. I can pretty much get in immediately with my clinic. 

- What kind of testing will happen? I'm guessing lots and lots of bloodwork. HSG? They'll probably want a full blood work up, internal sono, and HSG will probably be scheduled.

- Are there any questions I need to be prepared to ask of the RE? I would just ask to make sure that they do monitoring on all medicated cycles, what their process is for whatever procedures you're looking at and how many of each they typically do before suggesting moving to the next step. 

Good luck!!!