After you've recognized that you may have a fertility problem, the next step is to go into a testing phase. Find a practitioner and program that you and your partner feel comfortable with. How many tests and what tests you and your partner need will be determined by your doctors who will base their diagnosis on medical records and how you respond to each individual test.

After the testing phase, you and your fertility team will sit down together with your partner and come up with a treatment plan. During the course of the treatment plan you will actively undergo therapies designed for you and your partner to increase your chances of conception. Pregnancy may be easily achieved once you and your partner have a diagnosis and are treated, or you may find that additional measures need to be taken as you progress through treatments. Both courses of action will be individually managed with your health care team.

Once you have made the decision to seek support, testing, and treatment of your fertility issues, you will likely have many questions. Finding answers to your questions may not be an easy road. However, it is not a road you will travel alone. Your partner and other family or friends you choose to confide in will help you along as you learn to take an active part in your medical care. You will learn how to be a good consumer of services and advocate for yourself.

Planning your family may have started when you were just a small child yourself. Perhaps you and your spouse have spent long nights picking out names for your future children, maybe even before you were married. Because of this, finding out that you or your partner suffers from infertility can be a devastating blow. Finding the right medical guide for you and your partner will be crucial to navigating the many options available. You will also need to build a support system to help hold you and be there to share your disappointments and ultimately your joys.