Your first fertility appointment in Madison, MS is really a conversation, one that brings together your story, your infertility history, and everything you’ve experienced while trying to conceive. It’s also a time to explore possible answers through thoughtful fertility testing that can help explain what may be affecting your chances of pregnancy.
At Positive Steps Fertility in Madison, MS, this first visit is designed to feel supportive and unhurried. You’ll meet with our leading fertility specialist, Dr. Preston Parry, who will help organize the pieces of your journey, make sense of what’s been happening, and begin shaping a plan tailored just for you.
There’s no need to prepare everything perfectly before you arrive. Just come as you are, with whatever information you have. From there, we’ll walk through it together and talk about the next positive steps that align with your fertility health, your timeline, and your goals for building a family.
What Happens Before Your First Fertility Appointment?
Positive Steps Fertility starts the process with an initial phone consultation with a licensed nurse. During that call, we gather information about your attempts to conceive, your fertility history, your partner’s history (if applicable), and any questions you already know you want answered. This call gives our fertility doctor more context before your in-office visit. It also gives you time to prepare specific details, such as cycle dates, prior procedures, medications, previous pregnancies, miscarriages, or surgeries.
Our fertility nurse may also ask about cycle timing, intercourse timing, unprotected sex, pain with sex, infections, pregnancy losses, menstrual changes, and past test results. These details give our fertility specialist an understanding of the factors that may affect conception and which infertility tests should come next before you arrive at your first fertility appointment.
What Should You Bring to Your Fertility Appointment?
You don’t need to bring anything specific to your first fertility appointment. However, if you have medical records, previous fertility test results, imaging, or other relevant information, bringing them can be very helpful. These records may prevent unnecessary repeat testing and allow our fertility specialist to better understand your history, make informed recommendations, and determine the next steps in your fertility care more efficiently.
If you have any of the following, please bring it along:
- Your medical records, including OB/GYN notes, lab work, ultrasound reports, operative notes, HSG results, prior fertility treatment records, and medication lists
- Insurance cards, identification, pharmacy information, and a list of current supplements
- A written list of questions for our fertility specialist, including concerns about testing, cost, timing, IVF, IUI, genetic testing, and what happens after the visit
If you have a partner, we recommend attending the first fertility consultation together when possible. This allows both of you to ask questions, understand the next positive steps, and stay aligned on decisions moving forward.
What Happens During Your First Fertility Appointment in Madison, MS?
A first fertility appointment typically lasts 45 to 90 minutes, depending on your history, records, questions, and whether fertility testing happens the same day. Your first visit at Positive Steps Fertility includes a review of your fertility history, prior test results, lifestyle factors, cycle patterns, past pregnancies, and any fertility treatments you’ve already tried. We may also ask about diet, exercise, sleep, smoking, alcohol use, medications, supplements, and medical conditions that may impact fertility. Your first fertility visit focuses on what we already know, what still needs testing, and which fertility treatment options make sense once your results are reviewed.
Our fertility doctor in Mississippi and Louisiana may discuss:
- How long you’ve been trying to conceive and whether you’ve had regular unprotected sex
- Your age, cycle pattern, hormone history, and any symptoms that point to ovulation, uterine, tubal, or ovarian factors
- Which infertility treatment options may fit after testing, including timed intercourse, medication, IUI, IVF, or in vitro fertilization with added procedures
Your first fertility appointment is all about finding the approach that’s right for you. Depending on your medical history, test results, and family-building goals, our fertility specialist may recommend starting with conservative treatment options, such as cycle monitoring, ovulation-inducing medications, or intrauterine insemination (IUI). If more advanced care is appropriate, you’ll also discuss treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). Together, you’ll review your options and create a personalized treatment plan based on your unique needs and fertility evaluation.
What Fertility Testing Happens After Your First Fertility Appointment?
Fertility testing looks at the main factors involved in conception. That often includes ovulation, ovarian reserve, hormone levels, semen analysis, fallopian tubes, the uterus, and medical history. An infertility evaluation is typically recommended after 12 months of regular unprotected sex for women under 35, after six months for women 35 and older, and sooner when medical history points to a known fertility concern. Common fertility tests include blood draws, ultrasound imaging, semen analysis, genetic testing, and procedures that examine the uterus and fallopian tubes.
Positive Steps Fertility in Mississippi and Louisiana offers fertility testing for both men and women, including testing that looks at egg supply, sperm, tubes, and uterine factors.
Ovarian Reserve, Fallopian Tubes, And Uterus Testing
Ovarian reserve testing estimates the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries. It provides only part of the overall fertility assessment, and doesn’t measure egg quality directly. It gives our fertility specialist useful information about how your ovaries might react to fertility medications used to help your body release eggs, and whether starting fertility treatment sooner rather than later may be important for your chances of getting pregnant. Ovarian reserve testing may involve blood work, such as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and ultrasound imaging to examine the ovaries and count developing follicles.
Our fertility specialist may also recommend testing for the fallopian tubes and uterus. Fallopian tubes need to be open for sperm and egg to meet without IVF. The uterus also needs the right structure for implantation. Identifying any structural differences, such as polyps, fibroids, or scar tissue, helps our infertility doctor tailor a custom treatment plan that supports the best possible outcome.
At Positive Steps Fertility, the patented Parryscope fertility testing, created by Dr. Preston Parry, evaluates ovarian reserve, fallopian tube patency, and the uterus in a single office visit. The Parryscope test takes about 20 minutes, is gentle, and gives same-day results.
Semen Analysis And Male Fertility Testing
A fertility evaluation includes sperm testing as part of a complete assessment. Sperm factors play a role in many fertility challenges, so semen analysis is usually recommended early in the evaluation. A semen analysis looks at sperm count, movement, shape, and semen volume. Male and female partners are typically evaluated at the same time, and the initial male fertility evaluation includes a reproductive history along with one or more semen analysis tests.
Some at-home semen tests can measure sperm concentration, movement, or volume, which may offer a basic starting point. However, these sperm tests do not provide all the information about sperm health. In-office fertility testing includes a full semen analysis along with medical history and clinical evaluation, giving our fertility doctor more detailed and reliable information to guide next steps.
Positive Steps Fertility in Mississippi and Louisiana offers male fertility testing for patients who need a full analysis of sperm health or male factor infertility.
At-Home Fertility Tests And What They Can Tell You
At-home fertility tests give some information before a fertility clinic visit. They work best when you understand what they measure and where in-office testing adds more detail. Ovulation predictor kits check urine for a rise in luteinizing hormone, or LH. An ovulation home test detects the LH rise that signals the ovary to release an egg. These at-home fertility tests can indicate likely ovulation days and help with intercourse timing.
At-home fertility tests may also check hormones or semen health. They can give you data to bring to your first consultation at Positive Steps Fertility. In-office fertility tests add information about the fallopian tubes, uterus, ovaries, sperm, and medical history.
Blood draws, imaging, semen analysis, and procedures such as innovative Parryscope testing can identify factors that at-home fertility kits cannot show.
What Questions Should You Ask Your Fertility Specialist?
During your first first consultation, we try to answer all questions you may have, but if you have any additional questions, please feel free to bring them with you.
These are some questions you should ask during a first infertility consultation:
- What does my medical and fertility history suggest so far?
- Which fertility tests should we do first?
- Do we need to test ovarian reserve, hormone levels, fallopian tubes, the uterus, and sperm?
- Should my partner complete a semen analysis?
- Do my at-home fertility test results change anything?
- Is genetic testing relevant for us?
- What fertility treatment options would you consider after testing?
- How soon should we review test results and decide on an infertility treatment plan?
What Happens After the First Fertility Consultation?
At the end of your first consultation, our fertility specialist will explain the next positive steps. That may include blood work, ultrasound, semen analysis, genetic testing, breakthrough Parryscope testing, a follow-up visit, or a review of medical records from another doctor. Your fertility treatment plan may change as results come in, which is normal, since we base everything on your test results.
Some patients leave with a fertility testing plan or medication instructions. Others may need to discuss IUI, IVF, or other fertility treatments, or take time to review cost, insurance, financing, or scheduling logistics before starting treatment.
You should leave with a good understanding of what we’re checking next, why it matters, what the next positive steps are, and when you’ll review your fertility testing results.
Book Your First Fertility Appointment in Madison, MS Today
Our Madison, MS fertility clinic serves patients across Madison, Jackson, Ridgeland, and surrounding Mississippi communities with compassionate, evidence-based fertility care.
At your first fertility appointment in Madison, we will review your fertility history, identify the right fertility tests, and build a specialized treatment plan for you. If you have questions about your fertility, schedule your first fertility appointment with Positive Steps Fertility today.
