This week on the podcast, we’re talking about that conversation with your GP. It can be difficult to make this first step when trying to conceive and you often don’t know when you should go and what to ask so we wanted to give you some tips.
When it’s taking longer than you imagined to get pregnant, you should be able to speak to your GP as soon as you wish. If you’re lucky, they may suggest some blood tests and, if you’re in a heterosexual relationship, a semen analysis for your partner. When it comes to a referral to fertility doctors, it’s more likely you will be told to have tried for 12 months if you’re under the age of 35 or 6 months if you’re over the age of 35.
But what about if you know there could be a problem, what do you need to ask? Kate recommends writing down all your questions, so you make sure you remember everything you want to ask. Ask for some blood tests and sperm tests as the results should be quick, although a semen analysis may take a little longer. You can also look at home testing for both blood tests and semen analysis – do have a listen to our episode about testing at home if you’ve not already.
There may be a conversation about your weight if you are overweight or underweight and if you’ve had a previous pregnancy, then don’t be scared to still approach your GP for these initial tests. You are still entitled to these and as secondary infertility is really common, it’s important not to delay.
I’d be really keen to hear what your experiences have been like as I shared this comment on my Instagram last week and there were a lot of comments about people not feeling like they were taken seriously at their GP and finding out there was a problem when they went private.
I want to see whether we can do something about it – ideally have this podcast recommended for all GP’s!
Also have you heard that the Department for Health last week published a call for evidence on Women’s Health Strategy, which includes reference to fertility and providing women with high quality information. If you’d like to add your voice, which I have, please do using this link.
Email me at info@thefertilitypodcast.com if you’d like to share your experiences – and also I’d love it if you could leave us a review of the podcast if you haven’t done already.
