There’s a lot of misconception about what goes into infertility treatments. When patients visit us at Arizona Center for Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, they’re expecting to go through difficult, time-consuming, invasive, draining treatments and are worried they’re unprepared. Many of them have that belief because of what the media has portrayed or because of what friends or acquaintances have shared.

The truth is, everyone’s fertility path is different. What one couple goes through to have a baby is not going to be the same for another couple. While it is still a journey, there is far less preparation than most women think they need. Read on to find out what you actually need to know to get ready for infertility treatments.

Mental Preparation

Being mentally prepared for treatments requires dropping your pre-conceived notions about what infertility procedures entail.

Everyone’s Obstacle is Different

It’s important to realize that everybody’s fertility roadblock is different; not everyone has the same issue. Almost every day we meet with a patient who tells us about their friend who had gone through treatments and it was very expensive and extremely difficult. There are many underlying causes of infertility, and treatments will vary for a variety of reasons. What we want you to realize is that everyone has their own unique path to parenthood.

There is No One-Size-Fits-All Treatment

Likewise, there is no one single treatment that will work for everyone. A lot of women and couples come in to see us, and they think they’ll need in vitro fertilization, as if that is the only solution available. When they come in with that idea, and we take another route or IVF doesn’t work out initially, it can feel even more devastating. At AZCREI, our treatment plans are personalized to each patient and their needs. What ends up working for you might be something you’ve never heard of, and pregnancy might not occur on the very first try. Remember you have options, and there will always be next steps to take to help you get pregnant.

Physical Preparation

We look at infertility treatments like a science; while there are some things you can do to make treatments more successful, there are really only two things you have to be concerned with to physically prepare for procedures.

Be Generally Healthy

Women should go into treatments as healthy as they can. Part of this means being able to provide us with as much of their medical history as possible, because this can shed light on any possible issues and help us correct whatever the problem might be sooner rather than later. The other aspect of being “generally healthy” consists of common-sense behaviors like not smoking and limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption.

Don’t Delay Treatments to Get “Healthy”

Sometimes we’ll meet with patients who think that they need to get healthy—start a better diet, lose weight—before they can start any infertility treatments. Surprising to some, that’s not always the best idea. Putting off an evaluation because you want to get healthier can be counterproductive in some cases. The younger your eggs are, the easier it is to achieve a pregnancy; so, the sooner we start treatments, the better.

The simple rule of thumb for knowing when it’s time to come in for a consultation is:

• Women younger than 35 should come in if they have not gotten pregnant after a year of trying.
• Women over 35 should come in if it’s been six months without a successful pregnancy.
• Any woman or couple who is experiencing a more obvious problem, like irregular menstrual cycles or issues with ejaculation, should come in right away; there is no reason to wait.

At the end of it all, couples always tell us they wish they would have started infertility treatments sooner, and that the process wasn’t as expensive, difficult, or invasive as they anticipated. When they get to experience the joy of holding their baby after years of obstacles, it brings our team joy as well. We’re here to support you every step of the way. To schedule your consultation, call (520) 326-0001 or visit us online.