1. Get Healthy
Consult your doctor before you decide on a fertility treatment. Some people just require a healthier lifestyle to become pregnant. They need to lose weight, stop smoking or drinking or reduce stress to lessen the effects of another medical problem. Your doctor first recommends this type of treatment. If after you have succeeded in the recommendations and you are still not pregnant, your doctor will assess your situation again before you start fertility treatments.
2. Start With a Pill
A pill called clomiphen causes the ovaries to release an egg. Use this if you are having problems ovulating. The pills are relatively inexpensive and are the first step in starting fertility treatments. Side affects include weight gain, nausea and bloating, and there are risks associated if more than one egg is released. Ask your doctor how long you should stay on the pill for your fertility treatments. It may take a few cycles to have clomiphen take effect so that you get pregnant.
3. Daily Injections
If clomiphen does not work or your infertility is not from abnormal ovulation, then your doctor will prescribe daily injections. These are injections of hormones designed to boost egg production and ovulation. You or your partner will need to give yourself injections every day. You will need to attend regular doctor appointments to have testing done to determine if you are ovulating. Your egg production will increase, as will your chances of becoming pregnant.
4. Blocked Tubes
If you have blocked fallopian tubes, your doctor will recommend tubal surgery to open the blockage. Then you will continue to take the pill clomiphen to start fertility treatments. Endometriosis can block tubes, causing difficulty for the egg to travel. Your doctor will try to scrape the lining of the fallopian tubes to open them and clear them of scar tissue so the eggs can travel downward. If you have a severe case of endometriosis, then your doctor may recommend in-vitro fertilization.
5. Male Infertility Hormones
Some cases are due to male infertility and hormonal imbalance. Your doctor may prescribe a few different hormones to help the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland start producing normal sperm.
