Preparing for your first IVF consultation

The first IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) consultation sets the tone for everything that follows: the protocol you are offered, how realistic the timeline feels, and how confident you are that the clinic is the right partner. Going in prepared makes the appointment more useful and less overwhelming.

What the clinician needs from you

Bring — or be ready to send — the following:

• A timeline of how long you've been trying to conceive, and any prior pregnancies, miscarriages, or terminations.
• Menstrual cycle history: length, regularity, pain, heavy bleeding.
• Any prior fertility tests: hormone panels (AMH, FSH, LH, TSH, prolactin), pelvic ultrasound, hysterosalpingogram (HSG), semen analysis.
• A list of medications, supplements, and any chronic conditions (PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid disease, diabetes).
• Family history of early menopause, recurrent miscarriage, or genetic conditions.

If a male partner is involved, a recent semen analysis (within 6 months) avoids a wasted cycle.

Questions worth asking

• What's your clinic's live-birth rate per embryo transfer for my age group, in the last reported year?
• What protocol are you recommending, and why that one over the alternatives?
• How many embryos do you typically transfer per cycle?
• What does the day-to-day schedule of monitoring visits look like?
• What's the total expected cost, including medication, anaesthesia, embryo freezing, and any genetic testing?

For India and UK patients in particular, our cost guides include city-specific IVF pricing so you can sanity-check the quote you're given.

Practical preparation in the weeks before

• Start a daily folic acid supplement (400–800 mcg) if you haven't already.
• Aim for BMI between 19 and 30 — extreme values reduce success rates.
• Stop smoking and minimise alcohol; both lower oocyte quality.
• Have your vaccination status reviewed (rubella, varicella, COVID-19).

Emotional preparation matters too

IVF is medically demanding and emotionally heavier than most patients expect. Ask whether the clinic offers counselling, and consider lining up support — friends, partner, or a therapist — before you start. If endometriosis or PCOS is part of your picture, a gynecologist familiar with reproductive endocrinology should be part of the conversation; an endocrinologist can help when thyroid or insulin resistance is in the mix.