At the Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, our approach is to tailor the evaluation and treatments to each couple and their individual needs. That personalized treatment plan and the road to pregnancy start with a visit to our clinic.

Sometimes, couples have questions or concerns about visiting a fertility clinic. So, here’s what you can expect when you visit us for the first time.

Before Your Visit

Our staff wants to make sure you’re comfortable even before you come into the office. The first we do is get the essential information out of the way—registering you for the appointment and asking for any relevant demographic and insurance information. We’ll also direct you here to our website so you can familiarize yourself with the forms you’ll need to fill out when you come in. Then we take the time to answer any specific questions you might have about insurance, services, or anything else.

Visiting the Office

The first 15 minutes of your visit are spent filling out forms and waivers. Some of these documents are to gather insurance information, which is important because insurance often covers the initial diagnosis and treatment for the underlying causes of infertility.

Once that’s done, we’ll take you back for the initial intake with Dr. Gelety, which can last 30-45 minutes depending on how many questions you have.

Questions and medical history:

Typically, we like to meet with the couple together so we can get a clear picture of both partners’ general medical history, fertility history, and family history. When considering their fertility history we ask if they’ve ever been pregnant, how that pregnancy turned out, and if there were any complications. Medical and family history is extremely relevant because we want to make sure there won’t be any problems during the pregnancy, after conceiving. And if there are any specific medical problems, we can refer them to a specialist who can manage complications and help deliver a healthy baby.

Expectations:

We also take the time to manage expectations and talk about what goes into getting pregnant. It’s necessary for couples to understand

• what the chance of pregnancy is
• how the fertility rate is affected by woman’s age
• the chance of conceiving each month she tries, and
• the odds of having difficulties during pregnancy.

Some people have unrealistic expectations about fertility clinics, so we spend a good portion of the appointment managing those assumptions with the truth about what you should really expect.

Treatment plan:

With your medical information, we can outline a customized treatment plan to help you achieve pregnancy. This plan includes the tests involved and the actual fertility treatments that are most appropriate for your situation. In creating this plan, we also take insurance coverage and cost into account. We want you to have realistic expectations about how long it will take, and what it will cost, to achieve a pregnancy.

After Your First Visit

When you leave our office after your first visit, we hope that you have a clear understanding of your treatment plan and options. We know that sometimes the initial consultation can be overwhelming, and while most couples decide to take the next steps immediately, we give you all the information you discussed with Dr. Gelety to take home and refer to as you make your decision.

It’s crucial we schedule a second appointment so we can get started on the treatment process, whether that means testing or starting a medication plan. Then, at subsequent visits, we go through test results, and based on the findings, we may change your treatment plan appropriately so that in a reasonable amount of time you can expect a pregnancy.

Most importantly, we want you to walk away from your visit to our clinic with a sense that you will get pregnant; starting a family no longer needs to be a far-off dream. We take great care to tailor your fertility treatment plan so that you can get pregnant in a way you’re most comfortable, whether that’s using high-tech or low-tech procedures, invasive procedures, or going at a slower pace.

Our goal is to help you achieve pregnancy and start your journey to having a family. Contact us today by calling (520) 326-0001 or visit us online to schedule your visit.