Comments

• Severine1020 Posts: 9

  April 11, 2012 12:48AM

  Hi,
  
  I asked my primary for a recommendation on a fertility clinic. Also lots of info online, or if you know someone who's had fertility treatments, they can recommend a doctor.
  
  Once you pick the fertility doctor, they'll have you go through a battery of tests to make sure everything is ok (blood test, ultrasound at the very least) I also had to go to a shrink for an evaluation because I am single (I thought that one was a little insulting since married couples don't have to).
  
  I wouldn't order your vials until you have everything coordinated with the clinic. Where I went, they have a nurse who walks through all patients using donor sperm, so she was a great source of info ...
  
  But I spent hours doing simple seaches to figure out what was important to me. There is diabetes in family, so that part of the medical history was very important to me. I also had silly requirement that weren't essential but made the search more fun... (dog lovers was a big plus)
  
  Good luck on your journey!!!

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• jaimec Posts: 329

  April 11, 2012 1:54AM

  I asked my ob/gyn for a referral. Vials can actually be delivered pretty quickly so don't worry about that part. My fertility doctor did some blood work and an ultrasound, no shrink. The best advice I got was to be informed. Whether it's from this site or another one, you don't know what to ask if you don't know the process. Good luck and welcome!

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• eeh876 Posts: 168

  April 11, 2012 2:36AM

  I agree with pretty much everything stated above. If you have medical insurance, call them (or your primary) for a referral first. They are the best place to start because they might cover some of the procedures. My doc did bloodwork, a pelvic exam, an ultrasound, an HSG, and a referral to a counselor (Kaiser makes everyone do this for infertility coverage).
  
  I found a local bank, and this one (a few hours away). Picking a donor can be the most overwhelming (and fun) part! Once you have an RE and a bank you like, it all works out- they'll help facilitate the process.
  
  For me, the most confusing part was getting started. From there, it all unfolded pretty naturally. Good luck!

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• kyriekins06 Posts: 22

  April 11, 2012 1:58PM

  Thank you everyone so much!!! So do I need a fertility specialist? I'm pretty fertile. Can an OB do it? Anybody living in CO that has some places in mind? =)

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• austingurl Posts: 202

  April 11, 2012 3:20PM

  I just see my regular OB. He refers his patients to a fertility specialist for IVF but does everything else. I think it depends on the doctor. Some OBs do fertility and some don't. And some are like mine and will do some procedures but not all of them. I would start by calling insurance and scheduling an OB appointment. Then your doctor can tell you what they offer or give you a referral. They might also be willing to do some of the testing so insurance pays if your insurance will not cover fertility. I have PCOS so a lot of my orginal testing was done and coded under PCOS diagnosis so insurance would pay since my insurance when I started did not pay for any fertility services. I have since switched jobs and my insurance now pays for it all except the sperm.

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• jaimec Posts: 329

  April 11, 2012 7:23PM

  I am also fertile, but my OB doesn't do inseminations. At first I tried using my OB for some testing so insurance would cover it. But because of timing issues, I had to switch to my RE for everything. He needed test results quicker than my OB could get them. My insurance covers prescriptions but NONE of the tests or procedures.

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• shonarb73 Posts: 61

  April 11, 2012 11:47PM

  My OB sent me to a RE right away. In my small town our OBs are too busy delivering the babies of 15 year olds to provide fertility testing/treatment to a 39 year old. I was disappointed at first because I really like my OB, but in retrospect it was the absolute right move. I had a consultation with the fertility doctor, a consultation with the nurse re: using a donor and a "session" with a social worker (required for anyone using donor sperm, but it was free so why not. We ended up talking about everything but using donor sperm. Lol) a bunch of blood tests and a HSG before my first IUI. The nurses run the entire show (haven't seen the doctor since my first visit) and I trust them without question. It's all about timing it right. On my third try I almost questioned her about the timing because she scheduled IUI for 26 hours after trigger instead of 36. I reminded myself that she is way more experienced at this than I am. It was the right decision because it worked! Bottom line: go to an expert and do what they tell you to do.

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• shonarb73 Posts: 61

  April 11, 2012 11:48PM

  Oh, and GOOD LUCK!!!

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• kyriekins06 Posts: 22

  April 12, 2012 1:48AM

  Thank you!! I have an appt with a fertility specialist on April 25th.. It's just a nurse practitioner but was told that's ok since I don't have fertility issues! Then I have an appt with an obgyn on may 9th. How quick does the process go once you have the initial meeting with the fertility specialist?
  
  I'm getting so excited and anxious! I'm quite impatient which I will have to work on since I've learned that the chances of it even working are quite slim. Has anyone here done the insemination themselves? Like with an at home kit? How many times should I try before realizing it may not work for me?

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• eeh876 Posts: 168

  April 12, 2012 3:08AM

  My nurse practitioner did almost as much as my RE in the end; both were great, so I wouldn't worry about that now. My RE was through Kaiser, so it's all covered except for the sperm, and rolls over nicely into midwife/ prenatal care stuff.
  
  For me, it went pretty quickly; it will go even faster if you are already charting your ovulation. I did a few natural cycles, so I had to wait two months to get a feel for my cycle timing. Then you can try one a cycle, as long as no other issues come up.
  
  I didn't do any DIY stuff, because I felt that the sperm was too expensive. I wanted everything to be in the hands of professionals. ;-) But some people have success at home, so it's all your comfort level.
  
  As for your last question, I assumed that it would go quick for me, as I am 35 with no history of issues and I passed all of their tests with flying colors. So I set my limit at 4 tries. I upped that number once I hit four, of course. At 3 tries I moved on to Clomid, and it took on try 6. I'm sure some docs would have stopped me before that point, but mine wanted to leave all options open for me, and I'm glad he did. I say do what you can afford, and what you can live with.

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• jaimec Posts: 329

  April 12, 2012 12:18PM

  I am 34 with no history of problems and also passed all the tests. #1 was no meds, #2 and #3 were Clomid, #4 and now #5 are injectibles. The meds just make you produce more than one egg so the sperm have more than one "target". I also assumed it would happen quickly, especially since it's in such a controlled environment. My doctor basically said everything looks perfect it's just a matter of nature doing what it's supposed to do.

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• Bandit Posts: 348

  April 12, 2012 1:04PM

  When I started this process I went to a Fertility clinic they did all the tests that needed to be done etc. I was fertile. I am also almost 43. I did the testing etc in my 40's. I finally decided to become a single mom in Dec 2011. I had meet with an Gyn, who specialized in inseminating single woman and same sex couples. I got his name from someone who was successful there. So you can network or at one time I found a link on the web. I am sure there are regular docs out there. I got pregnant on my 2 nd try with only peeing on a stick and monitoring my surge. Good luck.

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