Is Your OB On Board With Baby-Making?

When questions about getting pregnant arise, most women first turn to their OB/Gyn. You probably even rely on your OB/Gyn as your primary care physician, especially if you have health insurance. Patients typically count on their OB/Gyns to alert them when it's time to see a fertility specialist.

Unfortunately, though, a lot of woman also find that their OB's may not act very quickly when the patient expresses more than just fleeting thoughts but worries about getting pregnant.

That's why I and many of my colleagues spend at least some of our time educating other physicians about the differences in fertility levels and about how those differences may show up in their otherwise healthy patients.

If you're not yet a fertility patient (and you may never have to be!), here are a few related basic points to look into and discuss with your OB/Gyn if your goal is conception:

How long have you been trying to conceive?

Do you know when your most fertile times are each month, based on your cycle?

Do you have any family members who had trouble getting pregnant?

And if you're in your mid-30's or older and are still thinking "maybe someday"... it's time to discuss plans now with your physician, even if you don't plan on putting it into action immediately.

Knowing when to seek care from a fertility specialist can really make the difference between having a baby or not. If your OB/Gyn doesn't know what to look for or doesn't ask you the above questions, start the ball rolling yourself.