If you’ve been putting off scheduling your first fertility consultation, summer might feel like the wrong time to start between vacations and unpredictable schedules. Here’s what most people don’t realize: for many patients, summer is one of the most practical and productive times to begin. If starting a family is on your mind, here’s why summer fertility treatment is worth a closer look.
“One of the most common things I hear from patients is that they wish they’d come in sooner,” shares Sally F. Vitez, M.D., SGF fertility specialist in Abington, Pennsylvania. “There’s no wrong time to start a conversation about your fertility, but there are real advantages to starting that conversation before you’ve been waiting and wondering for another season.”
Why timing matters in fertility care
Fertility treatment isn’t something you start and finish in a single appointment. Depending on your diagnosis and treatment plan, the process involves consultations, diagnostic testing, monitoring appointments, and, when treatment begins, there is cycle-specific timing that’s tied to your body, not a calendar.
That means the best time to start isn’t necessarily when everything feels convenient. It’s when you’re ready to take the first step, and that step—the initial consultation—takes less time than most people expect.
At Shady Grove Fertility, the first consultation is around 60 to 90 minutes. From there, a personalized plan is built around your life, your schedule, and your goals.
What summer actually looks like in a fertility clinic
Contrary to what you might expect, fertility clinics don’t slow down in summer. But your life might have a little more flexibility than it does in the fall.
For many people, summer brings a lighter work calendar, fewer rigid commitments, and a natural pause between major life events. That breathing room can make it easier to attend monitoring appointments, manage medication schedules, and give yourself the mental space this process deserves.
A few realities worth knowing:
- Monitoring appointments are usually brief. They are often 30 minutes or less, in the early morning, and don’t require you to take a full day off work.
- Diagnostic testing, which usually comes first, involves bloodwork and an ultrasound. Most patients complete initial testing within two to three weeks.
- Treatment cycles, when you reach that point, are structured around your natural cycle. Your physician works with your schedule, not the other way around.
Summer, insurance, and the benefit year
Here’s something worth putting on your radar: many insurance plans reset in January. If you have fertility benefits, starting your consultation and diagnostic workup in the summer means you’re positioned to use your full benefit year, rather than starting in fall and running out of benefit mid-treatment.
About 90 percent of SGF patients have their initial consultation covered by insurance, and approximately 70 percent have some coverage for testing and treatment. A Financial Educator can review your specific plan with you and help you understand exactly what’s covered.
For those without insurance coverage, SGF offers financial programs designed to make treatment accessible—including Shared Risk 100% Refund for in vitro fertilization (IVF), 0% financing through CapexMD, and income-based discounts through Shared Help.
What is a fertility consultation, and what happens at the first one?
A fertility consultation is an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating infertility. At SGF, the first consultation includes a review of your medical history, a conversation about your family-building goals, and a plan for any initial diagnostic testing.
You don’t need a referral to schedule. You don’t need to have been trying to conceive for any specific amount of time. You just need to be ready to ask questions.
Frequently asked questions
When you’re ready to take that first step, we’re here. Schedule a consultation and let’s figure out what’s right for you.
Medical review by Sally F. Vitez, M.D.
Dr. Vitez’s is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). Her research interests include male fertility, preimplantation genetic testing, the impact of obesity and optimizing fertility treatment outcomes. She is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
