So what’s next? What can we expect for our first visit?

For your first visit to a reproductive specialist, try to schedule it during the first week of your cycle, within a week after starting your period – preferably, cycle day 3. Cycle day 3 is the perfect time for testing baseline hormone levels. Most doctors will also do a screening of both partners for hepatitis, AIDS, and other diseases. He or she will also ask many questions about your cycle history, so it may be helpful to keep track of cycle lengths and approximate ovulation dates for several months beforehand. Bring any pertinent medical records with you. For your husband, a semen analysis will be scheduled to check the quality, quantity and overall health of his sperm.

Ideally, you won’t need to see a doctor in order to conceive. It takes even normal, fertile couples up to a full year to get pregnant, so if it doesn’t happen immediately, try not to worry. Sometimes it’s as simple as faulty timing, or just a lack of knowledge about what it takes to make a baby. If it turns out that you do need medical assistance in order to have a baby, expect a lot of investment, both financial and emotional. You will be poked, you will be prodded, you will go to lengths you never thought possible – but the end result, your very own bundle of joy, is truly worth everything you’ll go through.