Deciding it’s time to start a family is an exciting, but sometimes difficult decision. There are many topics you should discuss with your partner before trying to conceive. Board certified reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Andrea Reh from SGF’s Arlington and Fredericksburg, VA offices talks with Brit & Co about the Convos You *Need* to Have With Your Partner Before You Have a Baby.
Trying to Conceive: When is the right time?
There is no perfect time to start trying to conceive. Life will always be busy and often hectic, but discussing future goals and personal career objections is important. Dr. Reh understands this and says, “As a full-time doctor and mom of three, I know personally that when it comes to contemplating pregnancy, there’s never a convenient time for your career or your finances, nor a time that you ever truly feel psychologically prepared for parenthood.”
It is key for both partners to agree upon the time to begin trying for a family. If the time is further down the road, Dr. Reh recommends looking into fertility preservation, especially for women over the age of 35. “By freezing eggs or embryos, a woman can preserve her fertility potential and stop the biological clock at that point in time, thus creating options for long-term family planning,” she explains.
What if getting pregnant is taking longer than you expected?
Most couples don’t anticipate that it could be difficult to conceive. Talking about fertility is a great way to create a game plan before it becomes an issue. “Most couples will conceive in the first 6 to 12 months of unprotected intercourse,” says Reh. Women under the age of 35 with regular menstrual cycles should wait about a year before seeing a fertility specialist. “For women over 35 or with a history of certain gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis, we advise seeking an evaluation sooner, as early as 6 months after starting to try to conceive,” Reh says. “And let’s not forget the guys!” she adds. “Men should have a semen analysis as part of any first-time basic fertility evaluation, as male infertility accounts for up to half of all known causes of infertility.”
If trying to conceive is taking longer than you expected, we recommend scheduling an appointment with a fertility specialist. At your initial consultation you’ll discuss your medical history with your physician and learn about what’s involved in a basic fertility evaluation, which is a basic series of tests that can yield answers.
What if you need a sperm or egg donor?
For same sex couples, the discussion of donor egg and donor sperm is essential. “Because of the inherent need for reproductive assistance, same-sex couples will also need to approach childbearing together with a reproductive specialist,” says Reh. Shady Grove Fertility can help same sex female couples find donor sperm through several national certified sperm banks where donors are appropriately screened and the sperm is quarantined.
For same sex male couples, Shady Grove Fertility has become the leading provider of donor egg treatment in the United States, performing more than 1,000 cycles last year alone. SGF can also assist couples in arranging the right gestational carrier to carry the baby. “These arrangements are financially, legally, and logistically complex and can take several months to coordinate,” Reh explains.
Same sex couples will need the help of a fertility specialist right away. Knowing what their options are will help couples decide the best place of action.
We asked our Facebook community what conversations they had with their partner before trying to conceive. Read the responses.
Early intervention offers the best chances of success, so let us help you get started. To learn more about our simple fertility evaluation or to schedule an appointment, please call our New Patient Center and one of our New Patient Liaisons will happily assist you. Please call 1-877-971-7755 or click to complete this simple form.
At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 35+ physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family is within reach.
