.gif)
Appointments
- Making your appointment
- Before your first appointment
- What to bring to your first appointment
- What to expect at your first appointment
Making Your Appointment
Once you have made the decision to seek the opinion of a fertility specialist, the first step is to schedule an initial infertility consultation appointment. Because we understand that seeking treatment in a new practice and meeting a new physician can cause anxiety, we will do all we can to help things go smoothly for you. To make your appointment, please call:
- In Lafayette: 337/989-8795
- Outside Lafayette: 1-888/467-BABY (2229)
Try to schedule your first appointment during the first week of your cycle. This will enable baseline levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (lutenizing hormone) to be taken.
Before Your Appointment
To optimize the benefit that you receive from your first appointment with Fertility & Women's Health Center of Louisiana, we encourage you to plan ahead by addressing the following items:
- Confirm that the physician you will be seeing is a participating provider in your health plan.
- Confirm that any service you will be receiving is covered under your health plan and obtain any prior authorization if required.
- Obtain any necessary referral authorization from your primary care physician before seeing a specialist.
- Be prepared to pay your insurance co-payment at the time of service. If your diagnosis is not covered under your current insurance plan, be prepared to pay for the cost of the entire visit (including any labs or ultrasounds).
- Take the time to read the articles on this site that may pertain to your possible treatment. A better informed patient makes better decisions.
What to Bring to Your First Appointment
To enable our physicians to provide you with the best possible care, please be prepared to have the following information available at your first visit:
- Copies of your medical history, x-rays, and/or lab reports
- List of medications you currently take, including dosages
- Your and your partner's insurance cards (see the Financial Information section of this website for information on insurance coverage)
- Any forms you were asked to bring with you at the time you scheduled your appointment (see the Patient Forms section of this website to print forms)
- Any questions you may have for the physician
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
The first appointment at Fertility & Women's Health Center of Louisiana is a very important one and we encourage both partners to attend. During the first appointment, you will meet your physician to discuss your medical history and, based on initial information, some tests may be performed. The most successful initial consultations occur when your physician knows as much information as possible about your medical history and prior tests or treatments. We encourage our patients to be open with their physician and to become an active participant in their healthcare. You will also meet a nurse who will be the one to review medication details and additional tests that need to be performed, based on the initial test results, during follow-up visits.
Try to schedule your first appointment during the first week of your cycle. This will enable baseline levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (lutenizing hormone) to be taken. We also offer routine screening of both partners---AIDS, hepatitis, etc. Medical histories for both partners will be taken. Try to keep track of the length of your menstrual cycles for several months beforehand. Charting Basal Body Temps (BBTs) for several months will also give your doctor some insights---as will using home Ovulation Predictor Kits and recording the results.