This information is also available in our Getting Started booklet:
Getting Started PDF: 1.9 MB, 7 pages
Prepare your body
Get your vitamins in order
It is important to provide your body with the vitamins it needs to create and support a pregnancy. Even if you think that you have a healthy, balanced diet, it is recommended that you take a multivitamin, such as Elevit ® (for women) or Menevit ® (for men). It is important to take these vitamins for at least 3 months before you try to get pregnant and throughout your pregnancy.
Decrease toxins, eat well and exercise regularly
Your body needs to be in optimum health to become pregnant and to have a healthy baby. That means it is necessary to cease smoking and decrease toxins such as caffeine and alcohol. Make sure you incorporate plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats and fish into your diet. Incorporate regular exercise into your routine don’t over do it! This does not mean that you need to go to a gym for an hour a day 5 days a week. It could be as simple as taking a 30 minute walk at lunch 3 times a week. Raised body temperatures when you overwork it can have a negative effect. Balance your lifestyle.
Make an appointment to visit your General Practitioner (GP) before attending your fertility appointments
Request ante-natal screening tests from your GP
It is important to request ante-natal screening tests from your GP. This will ensure your treatment is not held up by having to get tests later.
Request a referral
In order to get the Medicare rebate for your fertility treatment, it is important to get a current referral from your GP that covers you and your partner. This will ensure your treatment costs are kept as low as possible using the Medicare rebate.
Make your fertility appointments
Please call or visit your Fertility Specialist to arrange an appointment, as listed below. By making your appointment as soon as possible, we can ensure you are well on the road to achieving your goal. When making these appointments, the receptionist will ask you for your address details so they can send you a questionnaire to complete called a “Patient Information Form”.
Please bring this completed form with you to your first appointment.
Prepare for your fertility appointments
Collect past medical records
Obtain any old records such as laparoscopy reports — you may request these from the hospital or doctor that performed the procedure by writing to the medical records department or doctor, request operative report, discharge summary and pathology pertaining to that admission.
Obtain any pelvic ultrasound reports from last 2 years — if you don’t have one don’t worry.
If you have any medical or genetic diseases under specialist care, obtain a copy of the specialist’s report from the last 12 months.
Obtain copies of all your previous cycles at other Fertility clinics, this will help us to individualise your treatment and help us to create the best outcomes for you.
Ensure you have had all your blood tests
Please make sure all tests have been completed.
Attend your appointments
Medical history
This visit is with a General Practitioner (GP) who works with your Fertility Specialist. This doctor will ask you and your partner a number of questions about your medical history and will ensure you have had all the necessary tests that your Fertility Specialist needs in order to discuss the appropriate treatment plan with you. If you don’t have them, don’t worry we will do them for you.
Action plan
One week after your medical history appointment, you will meet with your Fertility Specialist at their consulting rooms, who will review your test results and your medical history which is provided by the GP. Your Fertility Specialist will help you develop an action plan and advise any further tests that could be helpful.
Your Fertility Specialist may suggest fertility treatment for you, such as Ovulation Induction (OI), Intra-uterine insemination (IUI), In-vitro fertilisation (IVF), Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) or Intra-cytoplasmic Injection (ICSI).
Your treatment cycle can now start without further delay, depending on the dates of your menstrual cycle.
Make an appointment at ISIS Fertility
Please phone ISIS Fertility on 02 6175 9000 to make an appointment for an initial consultation with a Fertility Care Nurse. Please specify the treatment you are going to have, e.g. OI, IUI, IVF, ICSI or FET. At the time of making the appointment, the receptionist will confirm that the consent form, the treating specialist’s activation form and patient information form are all complete. We then organise a treatment cycle for you.
Meet your Fertility Care Nurse
At this appointment, your Fertility Care Nurse will go through everything you need to know about your treatment. Your Fertility Care Nurse will be happy to answer any questions that you have about the treatment.
Understand how payment and the Medicare process works
You will meet with a member of the administration team to discuss payment and how the Medicare rebate process works. Payment is required at the time when you pick up your drugs. Refer to our treatment costs for more information.
Visits to ISIS Fertility
Over the course of your treatment there will be various times when you need to come to ISIS. These times may include for blood tests, ultrasounds, insemination, semen sample collection, egg collections or embryo transfers. Your Fertility Care Nurse will guide you through the process and will let you know what you need to do. Tea, coffee and light snacks are available for your comfort.
ISIS Fertility has conveniently located the Fertility Care Nurse treatments, blood tests, ultrasounds, egg collections and embryo transfers at 9 Sydney Avenue in Barton. We don’t want you stressed about driving to multiple different places during your treatment.
Review visit
After your treatment your Fertility Care Nurse will arrange a follow up appointment with your Fertility Specialist regardless of whether you are pregnant or not. This follow-up appointment is an opportunity to debrief and review what has happened and to make any future plans.
© ISIS Fertility 2013
Canberra Australia