Am I A Candidate

Making the first appointment to see a fertility specialist can be very daunting. Simone aims to ensure that new patients have a positive experience at their first consultation, as that is the starting point on the ‘timeline’ to your fertility support and management.

It is appropriate to seek fertility investigation and treatment if you have been trying to achieve a pregnancy for over 12 months. This is the point at which I meet most of my patients. Couples may have been partially investigated by their local doctors before seeing me.

Many couples require minimal intervention to achieve a pregnancy, while others require use of Assisted Reproductive Technology. The first visit helps to identify which group you fit into. I will listen to your fertility history, examine as appropriate, and organise baseline investigations to help with determining planning options that suit you.

Exceptions

There are a number of exceptions to this general guide, and I am happy to review couples earlier in the following scenarios:

• Women older than 35 years who have been trying for a pregnancy for more than 6 months
• Women with known menstrual (period) irregularities, and therefore potential issues with ovulation – including women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Women with a history of endometriosis who have not conceived within 6 months
• Tubal blockage or history of Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Male partners with previous vasectomy, or women with past tubal ligation
• Women with a family history of premature menopause
• Couples with sexual dysfunction
• Male partners with a history of undescended testis, significant scrotal trauma, varicocoele, torted (twisted) testes, previous chemotherapy or known sperm issues
• Male partners with previous vasectomy, or women with past tubal ligation
• Couples aware of the need for donor sperm or donor eggs (eg. same sex couples).

Even if you don’t have any of the conditions listed, but remain concerned about your fertility, I am happy to assess and advise you.