When to switch from OB/GYN to fertility specialist

[amy8686]

I'm on month 15 of TTC, and month 2 of Clomid, and I'm having a hard time being optimistic. To ease my anxiety (MUST BE DOING SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE TOWARD TTC ALL THE TIME!), I got paperwork for the local fertility clinic, which is currently booking appointments 4 months out from when I return the paperwork. I'm thinking about making an appointment that I can hopefully cancel if I get pregnant before the appointment arrives.

My OB/GYN is really great - I like her and she has a wonderful reputation for being a good doctor. And of course, my insurance covers nothing fertility-related, so it's much cheaper to see her than it would be to see a specialist (she can bill many of my visits and tests in ways that let them be covered, which I don't think would be possible with the specialist). However, at age 32 and wanting 2 kids, I don't want to waste any time getting the best possible shot at diagnosis and treatment.

What do you all think about when to switch to a fertility specialist?

Also, for those who have made the move before your doctor suggested that you do so, was it awkward to tell your doctor that you were going to see someone else? Or did they understand and support you getting more specialized help?

 

[Molae06]

Sorry, I can't be of more help, but would just like to say, I feel I am in the same boat. Not sure about your current dr, but with mine, I feel that a lot of his recommendations go against things that others post that their RE has told them. Anyway, would like to know the answer as well. Best luck to you.

 

[sugarpi24]

You can always make an appt...I know they get busy...but they are more expensive since they do more testing and such...does your ob do ultrasounds and such to see if you ovulated with clomid? Maybe talk to your ob about getting more testing..and if it comes to it go see the specialist my ob ran out of ideas or something and referred me to a specialist...and I never ovulated on clomid well my ob put me on femera and I think ive ovulated this cycle with it...plus my specialist confirmed PCOS ...so I'm glad I was referred...so talk to your doctor aime more if you think they might not be able to do what you want see a specialist good luck Hun!!!

 

[pinksprinkles]

I think you should go ahead and make the appointment. Just remember to get as much testing done as you can before you go to the RE. My insurance doesn't cover "infertility treatable" so the same test can either be covered or not covered depending on what type of doctor makes the request and what "diagnosis code" is used. Before I switched to my RE I made sure to have: CD3 bloodwork, a Thyroid Panel, CD21 bloodwork, u/s to check uterus and ovaries, and an HSG. Including all the co-pays, deductibles, and final bills, all of that cost less than $500. It would have been way more if billed by the RE.

My reasons: I switched to my current RE for this cycle (my second round of Clomid and my first of IUI). I'm also in month 15 of TTC. My reasoning was that my OB/Gyn wouldn't do u/s monitoring of my Clomid cycles, and with the Clomid my temps and OPK's are all wonky so I have no idea when I O'd in my first cycle, though CD21 bw says I definitely did. Also, Clomid can cause hyper-stimulation of the ovaries and that can be really bad. Without u/s monitoring, I was afraid that something bad could happen.

My final reason was that my DH and I wanted to try an IUI this cycle. Having to BD all the time, even when we didn't want to, had really started taking a toll on our marriage and we just didn't want to have to deal with that anymore. Switching to an RE has allowed us to focus on US again, and not have to BD for baby. Sorry if TMI, but this month has been the best sex we've had since we started TTC. And our relationship is so much happier!

As for switching before I was referred, it wasn't much of an issue for me. I had been with a midwife previously, who transferred me to an OB/Gyn when it was obvious I was going to need Clomid and further testing. Then, when I found out that my OB/Gyn would not do Clomid monitoring, I told her I was going to switch to an RE because it was something I felt I needed. She was supper supportive and there were absolutely no hard feeling. I too was nervous about telling her, but it was really fine. Patients with infertility often choose to go to an RE for the specialized care OB/Gyn's are just not set up to give.

Of course, if you are planing on going back to your current OB/Gyn for prenatal care once you do get pregnant, I would think your RE would keep her in the loop anyway. I know that when I transferred I was offered the option of having all test results sent to the OB of my choice if I wanted.