Any BW an OB or an MD will do re: infertility?

SaintCity · September 2011

Just wondering what an MD/OB-gyn will do as it relates to IF testing/BW.

Seems kinda silly to me that DH and I are plugging away each month with my little CBEFM when we could potentially have some age-related fertility issues we have no clue we have!

At the same time, we've only been trying siince June, so it seems silly as well for us to run as fast as we can to the nearest RE.

Sooo.....I'm just wondering if there is anything I should have my OB test for to give us a little clue as to where we stand.

TIA! And as always - GL to everyone!

Mrs.McIrish · September 2011

You are supposed to wait 6 months over 35. There is a saying on the TTC board to the effect of "Impatience does not equal infertility."

You could try this home test that is just for ovarian reserve. Make sure you read the directions as the lines work differently than a opk/hpt. If you get an elevated fsh on this test, then you could bring it up to the doctor.

https://www.firstresponse.com/fertilityTest.asp

SaintCity · September 2011

Mrs.McIrish:

You are supposed to wait 6 months over 35. There is a saying on the TTC board to the effect of "Impatience does not equal infertility."

You could try this home test that is just for ovarian reserve. Make sure you read the directions as the lines work differently than a opk/hpt. If you get an elevated fsh on this test, then you could bring it up to the doctor.

https://www.firstresponse.com/fertilityTest.asp

True, true that impatience does not equal infertility. i just remember one of my very first posts here on this board and I was told to RUN to the RE because I'm 40!

Needless to say, I did not heed that advice, however, I was wondering if there was something proactive that i should be doing. I would be very curious to learn about my ovarian reserve.

Thanks for the response and the link, i'll look into it now.

amandaleigh1 · September 2011

My 2 cents:

The FR fertility test is okay, but it only measures FSH, and the cutoff is not public knowledge, so I was suspicious of my result, even thought I was both okay by the first response standard and BW done by the RE.

My RE office is happy to take people's money to do a basic ovarian reserve workup and they advertise it to younger women who want to find out where they are-- which may cause them to hurry up or wait longer depending on what they find out.

"Designed to be a convenient, thorough, and evidence-based evaluation of reproductive aging to inform women and guide important life decisions."

This is what they will do:

"A brief questionnaire

Blood tests including:

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Estradiol

Antimullerian hormone (AMH)

Pelvic ultrasound

Consultation with a physician to discuss the result"

And for what it is worth, this is my basic work up when I came in after 7 months of trying with an HSG and SA tacked on for good measure. I also later had my progesterone tested.

Mrs.McIrish · September 2011

I wasn't trying to sound snarky with my quote above. Not sure what your insurance coverage is like (ie non existent or good). My insurance co would not pay if you'd been trying for less than 6 months. You'd have to "lie" if that was the case (which I am NOT advocating you do). If you are paying OOP and want to see an RE, I don't think they would turn you away.

amandaleigh1 · September 2011

Mrs.McIrish:
I wasn't trying to sound snarky with my quote above. Not sure what your insurance coverage is like (ie non existent or good). My insurance co would not pay if you'd been trying for less than 6 months. You'd have to "lie" if that was the case (which I am NOT advocating you do). If you are paying OOP and want to see an RE, I don't think they would turn you away.

I did not think anyone was being snarky. I honestly sometimes forget that some people have insurance paying for this (diagnostic and other) stuff. In my state, almost nothing for anyone is covered by anyone's insurance, so I presume that everyone is the same as me... so from my eternal OOP perspective, there is no sense to wait if you have the money to spare.

SamsMom11 · September 2011

The easiest and most cost effective way to evaluate fertility would be semen analysis and CD3 Blood work (Estradiol, FSH and LH) to check ovarian reserve. If normal an HSG could be done to check tubal patency. These could be done through your GYN. It is a good place to start. If you have already been TTC for 6 months and are >35 I would consider a consult with an RE.

Country Girl in the City · September 2011

Do you have any known issues? How long did it take to conceive your first?

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Any BW an OB or an MD will do re: infertility?

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