Whether you’re actually traveling a long distance or starting your fertility treatment journey nearby, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed about how to take that first step. Rest assured the first step is not a large one.

You can start on your path to fertility treatment by simply identifying your goals and doing a little online research.

Your 2019 Fertility Treatment Goals

Whatever your status in life, you know you want to become a parent to a new baby. For patients, this may mean undergoing fertility testing, using services like IUI or IVF, or working with an egg donor and/or a gestational surrogate. Another option you might be considering is egg, sperm or embryo freezing to delay the prospect of conceiving a baby until a later, more convenient time.

Start with a blank sheet of paper (or a blank note screen if you’d rather be paperless). Write this down, verbatim or in your own words:

My 2019 Goal: Build My Family

Well done! In 2019, you have the opportunity to begin pursuing — and perhaps reaching — this big goal by accomplishing small subgoals. One subgoal would be to find a fertility center that can help you. Here is a series of questions to answer:

• What are the names of fertility centers near you?
• Which of these have positive patient testimonials?
• Which fertility centers offer the services you might need? (For instance, look for male factor or female factor infertility treatments or surrogacy and egg donation if you’ve already identified those services for your path. If applicable, you can also check for LGBT fertility solutions.)
• Which fertility centers take my insurance or provide other ways of financing treatment?
• Which fertility centers offer free fertility seminars, webinars, educational videos or other resources for new patients?

With any luck, answering these five questions has helped you narrow down your options when it comes to finding help with infertility. Take some time now to evaluate those online resources or attend a free seminar to start learning more about fertility care.

Congratulations! This is the first step on your so-called “thousand-mile journey,” and it really wasn’t difficult.

Your 2019 Fertility Treatment Goals: Step 2

The first step was a little reconnaissance, and as a matter of fact, step 2 is also about gathering information. Now it’s time to do this over the phone or in person. You know your end goal, and you’ve identified the people who can help you reach it. When you’re ready, call that fertility center, verify the information you gathered online and schedule your in-person fertility consultation.