Choosing to see a doctor for help getting pregnant is a big decision. Once you’ve decided to seek professional fertility advice, you’ll want to learn more about fertility clinics to decide which one is best for you. There’s a lot of information available, so let’s take it a step at a time.
Which Type of Clinic Is Right for You?
The first step to finding a fertility clinic that fits your needs is to learn what’s available. Fertility clinics are not all alike. Here are the most important differences:
- Individual fertility specialists: These specialists work as sole practitioners, giving you direct access to a doctor at convenient times. But the drawbacks can include using an off-site lab and limited equipment.
- Larger, independent clinics: These facilities often have access to more resources but may lack name recognition or haven’t established a reputation.
- Network clinics: These practitioners band together and organize under one umbrella company, with the goal of negotiating lower costs for you.
- Hospital or university hospital clinics: Fertility centers within larger medical centers are known for in-house labs, access to the latest equipment, and the most up-to-date treatments.
What Kind of Care Do You Seek?
Finding a fertility clinic will be much easier if you rule out the ones that don’t meet your needs. Take a minute to answer the following questions.
- Would you like a fertility doctor who specializes in one or two conditions? Or do you prefer a team that is highly qualified to treat the widest range of reproductive situations?
- Do you prefer a team of reproductive care providers who can treat your unique case without sending you to different specialists? Or do you want to be referred to another specialist?
- How do you feel about driving farther for reproductive care, instead of opting for a team that lives and works in your own western Pennsylvania neighborhood?
- Are you looking for someone who can work with you on the financial aspects, providing options like health insurance, a shared-risk program, and financing? Or are you prepared to receive a bill without a conversation?
- How emotionally invested are you in your own reproductive health? Do you want your fertility clinic to have a counselor to help you work through this emotional experience? Or would you prefer to figure it out on your own?
Once you better understand your options, it’ll be a lot easier to identify the best fertility clinic for you. Still have questions? Talk to a doctor at the Center for Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital.