If you are under the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive for at least 12 months, or over 35 and trying to conceive for at least 6 months, it is recommended that you seek assistance. Below, is a step-by-step guide to assist you in starting your fertility journey.

If you have not had any previous treatment, we strongly recommend arranging a free 30-minute consultation with one of our fertility nurses. These consultations (‘Meet n Greets’) allow us to gain some information about your current circumstances and provide you with advice on your next steps. For flexibility, these consultations can be arranged either face to face, over the phone or via Skype/Zoom.

Should you decide to proceed with treatment, your next step would be to arrange an appointment with your GP to obtain;

• a referral to one of our Fertility Specialists,
• pathology/radiology forms for applicable blood tests and scans (as part of mandatory screening tests for fertility treatment).

Our fertility nurses can provide you with a list of applicable screening tests after your initial consultation, so when you see your GP to obtain the above, they know which tests to request for you (provided at the GP’s discretion). To fast-track the initial work-up process, we recommend that you have all these tests performed prior to booking a consultation with your chosen fertility specialist, so that they have all information reported on prior to seeing you to discuss treatment options. This will also help to reduce costs of requiring a second appointment, where necessary. 

Both you (and your partner – if applicable) will need a referral to your chosen fertility specialist. It is important that all referrals are current prior to any specialist consultations or treatment commencement, to ensure you are able to claim from Medicare. Once you have obtained these, we recommend you contact the office of your Fertility Specialist to arrange a consultation as soon as possible (as they may have extended waiting periods).

Note: Some test results can take up to 6 weeks to be reported on. A cycle cannot commence until you have seen your specialist to review these results. 

At this time, your specialist will run through your medical history, review your results and get you to complete the applicable consent forms in preparation for treatment. You will then be provided with information and advice about the treatment choices available, and which type of treatment may be most suitable for you, based on your situation.

Once your specialist has determined the most appropriate treatment option for you, they will create a treatment (or cycle) plan for you, which will be forwarded onto the Fertility Solutions Clinic. The administration team will then contact you to arrange a subsequent consultation (‘Treatment Planning Appointment’) with a fertility nurse, to discuss treatment commencement and ongoing care.

Note: In preparation for your treatment planning appointment at the clinic, you will be required to complete the registration process (pay initial consultation fee and complete applicable paperwork). Our administration team will email this information to you prior to your appointment for completion as soon as possible. 

The nurse you are booked in with for this consultation will become your primary nurse, and work with you during your journey. At this time, they will provide you with in-depth information on what you can expect from your treatment, providing you with instructions (of what needs to happen, and when) as well as a demonstration for medication use and applicable costing information.

During your treatment, you will have access to ongoing care from your specialist, fertility nurse, administration and laboratory departments – all of whom will be involved in your treatment. You can communicate directly with anyone in your healthcare team along the way, should you have any questions or concerns.

Taking the first step can be very overwhelming and emotional, but we are committed to helping you on your journey. As such, we have a Fertility Support Group, open to all patients (who have completed clinic registration). Click here to join today.