Getting Started - Female Virtual Patient
The first thing we need is a referral from your doctor.
Once we have received your referral you will be called in about 4-6 weeks to book your first appointment.
At your 1st appointment we will require your health card and the health card of your partner (if applicable).
You will
have a consultation with the doctor, who will take your medical history,
there will be a physical examination, an ultrasound, and blood work. This
is your first opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
The doctor will then decide on an investigation and treatment plan at
this visit.
Follow up appointments and visits for cycle monitoring will be scheduled as required.
Please ensure that you have your Health Card with you at EVERY visit.
For specific cycle monitoring instructions and times go this link.
When you arrive, you will need to add your name to the appropriate waiting lists (Doctor, Bloods, Ultrasound and Pregnancy Tests) located on the counter in front of reception.
If you are here for an ultrasound please change into your gown.
Then please
take a seat, make yourself comfortable and wait to be called.
In our waiting area we have made available to you, plenty of reading material,
an Internet connection and a courtesy phone. Some of our patients bring
work to do, while waiting. Waiting times can vary from day to day, and
patients are seen on a first come, first served basis. Some people who
have early starting hours at work, will need to make arrangements to arrive
at work later on days they need to be seen. We can provide work notes
as required. If you have special time constraints, please let the nurses
and doctor know, so that we can work around your schedule as best as possible.
Lifestyle Considerations:
It is important to realize that there are small changes you can make in
your daily life that will help to improve your success in this process.
You must keep your stress levels as low as possible. We realize that this
is a very anxious time for you, but it will greatly facilitate the process
if you remain at a low stress level. Simple things like going for a walk
at the end of your day, or taking an exercise class or just making a little
time for yourself may help in controlling your stress level. Other options
to consider are yoga, massage therapy, meditation, relaxation tapes, or
acupuncture. It is important to realize that everyone who experiences
infertility needs support. This could be your spouse, or a friends or
family member. We also have professional infertility counselors available
upon request. We strongly encourage seeing them, especially if you are
experiencing a lot of stress.
Keep yourself healthy; eat properly and regularly, but PLEASE DO NOT DIET
during your treatment! Maintaining a regular exercise program is very
helpful for health and stress reduction. However, excessive exercise,
such as long distance running or very high impact aerobics, could be detrimental
to fertility.
On a daily basis women should take at least 1 mg of Folic Acid. A multi-vitamin is optional.
Cigarettes is very detrimental to your fertility and to your health (for both the female and male partners). We strongly encourage you stop smoking or undergo a smoking cessation program with your family doctor or the Lung Association. Also remember that secondary smoke can be just as dangerous.
Alcohol can be consumed, but no more than 1 or 2 beverages per week. Once a pregnancy is established, no alcohol should be consumed.
Recreational drugs should be avoided completely.
Very few studies have been done on the various herbal preparations. Some of them can contain hormones that can negatively affect your cycle. It is not possible to know if any particular herbal preparation will help or harm your fertility. As such, we do not recommend any of these preparations until further scientific proof of their validity is available.
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