Q. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant naturally for a year and been unsuccessful, what are my options?
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A. Your first step is a consultation with your OB/GYN or an infertility specialist who can identify the issues you are having with conception. Some people experience anxiety over taking the first step to have a conversation, worried that invasive treatments will be required to help them conceive. Most patients are relieved after the first visit, empowered with knowledge about testing and reassured that physicians will work within their comfort level to recommend various treatment options.
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After evaluating ovulation, tubal patency and sperm production, most couples start with using oral medication to stimulate the ovaries and then move on to insemination and lastly in vitro fertilization, although many couples are able to conceive without most advanced therapies.
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Dr. Jessica Scotchie is a fertility doctor with Tennessee Reproductive Medicine and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Dr. Jessica Scotchie / Photo courtesy the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society