When should I be seen?

After a year of trying, or six months if you are 35 or older. Sooner if your periods are irregular.

Does my partner need testing too?

Yes, and early. A semen analysis is simple and it changes what gets looked at next.

It cramps for about a minute while the dye goes in. Take ibuprofen an hour before.

No. Dr. Mueller does the workup and treats what she finds. When IVF or IUI is the next step she refers you to a fertility specialist.

Both can play a part. The workup is what sorts out how much they matter in your case.

Coverage differs by plan, and diagnostic testing is often handled differently from treatment. The office checks your plan before ordering.

Procedure

A workup for trouble getting pregnant, timed to fit inside one cycle.

Also called fertility workup.

Trouble getting pregnant is worth looking into after a year of trying. After six months if you are 35 or older.

The workup asks four questions. Are you ovulating? Are the tubes open? Is the inside of the uterus normal? Is the sperm normal?

Most of it fits in one cycle, because the tests are timed to particular days. Dr. Mueller goes through all of it with you at one follow-up visit.

1
History first
Dr. Mueller goes through your cycles, prior pregnancies and past surgery.
2
Day 3 bloodwork
Early-cycle hormones, thyroid and prolactin are drawn.
3
Ovulation check
A progesterone level a week before your period shows whether you ovulated.
4
Office ultrasound
A scan looks at the uterus, the lining and both ovaries.
5
The tubes
A dye X-ray shows whether the tubes are open.
6
The cavity
A saline ultrasound shows the inside of the uterus.
7
Semen analysis
Your partner gives a sample. It is ordered at the start, not last.

When should I be seen?: After a year of trying, or six months if you are 35 or older. Sooner if your periods are irregular.
Does my partner need testing too?: Yes, and early. A semen analysis is simple and it changes what gets looked at next.
Does the tube test hurt?: It cramps for about a minute while the dye goes in. Take ibuprofen an hour before.
Do you do IVF?: No. Dr. Mueller does the workup and treats what she finds. When IVF or IUI is the next step she refers you to a fertility specialist.
Can fibroids or endometriosis be the reason?: Both can play a part. The workup is what sorts out how much they matter in your case.
Is the testing covered by insurance?: Coverage differs by plan, and diagnostic testing is often handled differently from treatment. The office checks your plan before ordering.