Your first fertility appointment A preparation guide and visit workbook WithViv Resource Edition V2 | Owner-review draft | October 2026 Educational support from Viv Vivanco. Your own care-team instructions come first. SECTION 1 Start with what matters to you For your first fertility visit or a fresh start with a new clinic. Use pages 1–2 before the appointment, page 3 in the room, and page 4 before you leave. You do not need to complete every space. Hola. Bring the questions you have, even the ones that feel small. You can ask your team to slow down, explain a word, or write down the next step. If you only have ten minutes [] Write your three most important questions below. [] Gather prior test reports and a current list of medicines, vitamins, herbs and allergies. Photos of labels can help. [] Confirm arrival time, location, referral or insurance requirements, and any preparation the clinic actually requests. The main thing I want help understanding ____________________________________________________________ My three questions for today ____________________________________________________________ Appointment date and time ____________________________________________________________ Clinician and clinic ____________________________________________________________ Support person or note-taker, if wanted ____________________________________________________________ Interpreter or access needs ____________________________________________________________ A line you can use: “I am taking in a lot. Can we pause and write the next step down?” SECTION 2 Your one-page care snapshot Write only what you want to share with your care team. “I do not know” is a useful answer. If a question does not apply to your path to parenthood, skip it. Age, if you want to note it ____________________________________________________________ What brings me in now ____________________________________________________________ Relevant history, diagnoses, procedures or prior fertility care ____________________________________________________________ Cycle pattern or changes, if relevant ____________________________________________________________ Pregnancy history, if relevant ____________________________________________________________ Medicines, supplements and herbs with amounts; allergies or reactions ____________________________________________________________ Prior testing: date, lab or clinic, and where reports can be found ____________________________________________________________ My goals, preferences and boundaries ____________________________________________________________ Practical limits: time, work, travel, budget, support or caregiving ____________________________________________________________ Bring or request [] Prior records and imaging reports, not just a remembered number [] Insurance card, referral and a benefits contact if applicable [] Clinic-specific instructions for any test or sample planned that day Privacy note: this workbook may contain health information. Keep it somewhere private; use the clinic’s secure route if you choose to share it. SECTION 3 Understand the purpose of a test Your evaluation should fit your history and goals. Not everyone needs the same tests. Ask: “What will this answer, what can it not tell us, and how would it change our next step?” [1,2] Ovarian reserve AMH is a blood marker; AFC is an ultrasound count of small visible follicles. These can help estimate response to stimulation. They do not count every remaining egg, measure egg quality, or predict pregnancy on their own. FSH and estradiol may add context; timing and interpretation belong to your clinic. [2] Ovulation, uterus and fallopian tubes Your cycle history may help your clinician assess ovulation. Depending on your situation, blood tests or imaging may be useful. An ultrasound looks at pelvic structures. Tests such as HSG or sonohysterography answer different questions about the uterus or tubes. Ask about preparation, discomfort, risks and alternatives. [1] Semen testing, when relevant A semen analysis describes features such as sperm number and movement. Results vary and are interpreted with the full history; a single cutoff is not a verdict. Ask the lab for its exact collection, abstinence and transport instructions. [1] Keep the explanation with the result Test and planned date ____________________________________________________________ Preparation confirmed with ____________________________________________________________ What this test can tell us and its limits ____________________________________________________________ How the result could change the plan; when and how I will hear back ____________________________________________________________ This guide intentionally leaves out “ideal” lab ranges. Units, methods, age, history and the treatment question all matter. SECTION 4 Leave with a plan you can repeat Choose the questions that matter today [] What do we know, what is still uncertain, and which step would you take next? [] What are my options, including waiting or getting another opinion? What are the benefits, burdens and risks in my situation? [] If you recommend IVF, PGT-A or another add-on, what benefit is expected for me, what are its limits, and what does it cost? [3] [] What is included in the written estimate? Which medicines, anesthesia, lab services, storage or repeat visits are separate? [] What needs insurance approval, and who will confirm it before I incur costs? [] How do I contact the team during the day and after hours? The next step in my own words ____________________________________________________________ Who will arrange it ____________________________________________________________ By what date ____________________________________________________________ When and how results will arrive ____________________________________________________________ If I have not heard, I will contact ____________________________________________________________ Instructions I need in writing; anything still unclear ____________________________________________________________ Clinic number or portal ____________________________________________________________ After-hours number ____________________________________________________________ Read-back: “To make sure I understood, my next step is ____, by ____. Is that right?” SECTION 5 Keep only the notes you need Questions I want to return to ____________________________________________________________ What I want my support person to know ____________________________________________________________ Words for protecting your privacy “I have medical appointments coming up. I will share what I am ready to share.” “Thanks for checking in. I would rather talk about something else today.” You do not owe anyone test results or a timeline. Sources and scope Education and organization for a US audience. This workbook does not diagnose infertility, interpret a result or recommend a treatment. It has not been approved by a clinician. The source-backed test summaries are intentionally brief; your care team provides individual advice. [1] ASRM • Fertility evaluation of infertile women (2021) https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/fertility-evaluation-of-infertile-women-a-committee-opinion-2021/ [2] ASRM • Testing and interpreting measures of ovarian reserve (2020) https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/testing-and-interpreting-measures-of-ovarian-reserve-a-committee-opinion-2020/ [3] ASRM • Use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (2024) https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/the-use-of-preimplantation-genetic-testing-for-aneuploidy-a-committee-opinion-2024/ Sources checked October 1, 2026. Numbers [1–3] refer to the sources in the order above. Worksheets and suggested questions are editorial tools from WithViv.