The First RE Appointment
You made it to the first consult. A brave step forward!
This can be both an exciting and scary next step in taking charge of your fertility.
You are not alone on this journey! To be paired with a Yesh Tikva Trained Peer Mentor on the other end of a similar journey sign up for Fertility Friends.
Meet the infamous “Waiting Room”: The business of the waiting room depends on the time of day of your appointment. Entering the waiting room of an RE’s office can make you feel very vulnerable and exposed. The culture of the waiting room may differ between practices but the overwhelming majority of waiting rooms are filled with people scared to make eye contact or start conversation, despite everyone being in a similar place of challenge.
*Note: Depending on your doctor’s office you can spend a significant amount of time waiting. To help pass the time consider bringing a book, crossword puzzles, doodling/coloring book, music or podcast or some other activity you enjoy.
Meet your doctor: This will usually take place in his/her personal office rather than an exam room. During this meeting you will begin by reviewing your entire medical and fertility history.
Don’t forget to come prepared with the relevant items from your Yesh Tikva Bring Along Check List.
Meet the exam room: Many doctors will perform a pelvic ultrasound, usually a transvaginal ultrasound, at which time you will meet the famous wand.
Meet the phlebotomy room: After the ultrasound, you will be asked to give blood. It will be the first of many blood draws. If you have not already done fertility blood work and genetic testing your doctor may have you and your partner have blood drawn at this appointment or shortly after.
Whether you are afraid of needles or not, numerous blood tests can be overwhelming. But it is a necessary part of the overall treatment goal: ‘growing your family’.
