How long should a pair wait while trying to conceive before consulting a specialist doctor?
Is it one year like most of the sites recommend, less or more?
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Sign up to join this communityHow long should a pair wait while trying to conceive before consulting a specialist doctor?
Is it one year like most of the sites recommend, less or more?
We only waited 9 months and the Dr. was fine with that. We did have complications between numbers 1 and 2 and for number two we finally did IVF, after trying all kinds of other things. I know that for a first child, without any complications, a year is recommended. I would even wait a bit longer. The process once you see a specialist is really gruelling both physically and emotionally. If you can possibly lower the stress level of wanting to conceive (I know this is really hard) often times that will help. How many times have I heard about couples who adopt and then get pregnant!
Good luck! My suggestion, all that being said, is go with your gut. Worst that happens when you see a specialist is that they tell you to wait. Another thing to keep in mind is that you will be working with the specialist, unfortunately, quite some time so if you don't like him or her change doctors before you get started with the meds and shots and blood work!
I have heard/been told that you should try for a year if you and your partner are under age 30 and healthy and it's your first child.
If you or your partner are over 30 then the recommendation is six months because you are at a greater chance of having fertility issues.
Having said that, I'm pretty sure different ob/gyns are going to say different things. No matter which way you cut it, your first visit to discuss fertility issues is going to probably be to your regular gyno who will probably run some tests before determining if it's an issue he/she can handle or if you should see a fertility specialist.
But, like mentioned by others, personal stress seems to be the biggest contributing factor. My best friend and her husband tried for over a year, had some fertility treatments done, and nothing was working. She called me in March and said they were just going to take a break and enjoy their time together, and a month later she called to tell me she was pregnant. They now have two little girls (two pregnancies--not twins).
This is an indirect answer, but one thing to try before going to the fertility doctor (and something they might recommend) is trying a fertility monitor. My wife and I tried for almost a year before using the Clearblue Easy monitor, and got pregnant by the second month. They aren't cheap, but neither is raising a child.
Our device has been lent out to a number of friends and has currently helped bring 9 children into this world.
Try that, and if that doesn't work after 3 months or so, try the doctor.
While the usual medical advice is to wait 6-12 months (this varies a lot depending on the country, doctor, etc), I do not think you should wait at all to perform basic tests on the male member of the couple.
The reason for this is simple: a sperm analysis is simple, easy and inexpensive, and it can save you a lot of frustration and stress.