When you go to your doctor with high blood pressure, what usually happens? Your doctor will run tests. Maybe order some bloodwork, maybe even an EKG and an ultrasound of your heart called an echocardiogram.
Why is it that when women go to their gynecologists complaining of infertility, they are given a prescription of clomid for a year and sent out the door? I want all women to know that you shouldn’t start any fertility treatments without the necessary evaluation and imaging studies. Here’s why:
1. You may have a fibroid sitting in the middle of your uterus that is blocking the ability of your embryos to attach and grow. A pelvic exam would not detect this finding.
2. You may have a uterine polyp that also could go undiagnosed. A polyp will act the same way that a fibroid would sitting in the middle of your cavity – much like an IUD or contraceptive device.
3. You may have a cystic structure called a hydrosalpinx which is a sign of a tubal blockage. If you take fertility drugs when you have this diagnosis, you are just wasting your time.
4. There are different types of ovarian cysts that could also contribute to fertility problems. One type of cyst is called an endometrioma. An endometrioma is a sign of endometriosis. This type of cyst can be toxic to the eggs.
So please feel free to use these three words, “Pelvic ultrasound please,” before you walk out of your gynecologist’s door with your clomid prescription. And remember, it takes 3 things to have a baby: sperm, tubes that are open and ovaries that are working. Do the necessary testing before putting yourself through treatments that may not work for you.
