Your first fertility consultation can be a 30-minute clinical conversation or a 30-minute history-take. The difference is almost entirely about what you bring. Indian fertility clinics run on tight schedules; preparation is the only way to make the consultation worth the time and fee.
Here's how to prepare so your first consultation produces a real plan, not another list of tests to schedule.
What to bring
Essential
- Government photo ID
- Most recent hormone panel — AMH, FSH/LH/oestradiol, TSH, prolactin
- Most recent pelvic ultrasound report
- Partner's latest semen analysis
- Tubal patency report if you have one (HSG / HyCoSy / saline sono)
Helpful additions
- Any prior fertility treatment records (IUI cycles, IVF cycles, miscarriages)
- Surgical history relevant to fertility (ovarian cyst, fibroid surgery, etc.)
- Diabetes / BP / thyroid status
- List of current medications and supplements (both partners)
- Written list of questions
The one-page summary
Most useful single document you can bring: a one-page summary of your fertility journey so far. Your age, partner's age, how long you've been trying, prior pregnancies / losses, latest test values with dates, any prior treatments. This replaces 15 minutes of history-taking and lets the consultation focus on the plan.
How to organise it
Don't bring a stack of paper or a chaotic WhatsApp scroll. Put your records into one structured place. Options:
- A neatly named Google Drive / iCloud folder
- A single PDF combining the key reports
- The Miro Health Passport — auto-categorises by report type and date, free for patients
Whatever tool you use, share it with the clinic 24-48 hours before the consultation so the doctor can review in advance.
Questions to ask
Write these down — you'll forget half in the moment:
- Based on my history, what's your working diagnosis?
- What further tests would you want?
- Given my age and reserve, what's your realistic estimate of my chance per cycle?
- What treatment would you recommend first — natural trying, IUI, or IVF?
- If IVF, what protocol type and why?
- What's your all-in cost estimate for one cycle plus FET?
- Who would actually perform my retrieval and transfer?
- How many cycles do you do a month? What's your live-birth rate per cycle started in my age band?
See our full 14-question clinic checklist.
What you should leave with
- A working diagnosis or differential
- A list of any further tests required, with where to do them
- A treatment recommendation with rationale
- An itemised written cost quote
- A consultation summary (email or printed) within 24 hours
If you leave with only a vague "we'll see what the tests say," ask for a follow-up email with the consultation summary. Most clinics will provide.
Visit more than one clinic
First consultations are how you evaluate the clinic as much as how the clinic evaluates you. Visit 3 if you can. Different doctors will frame the same data differently — that's informative. Use our Clinic Finder to shortlist ART-Act-registered options in your city.
What NOT to do
- Don't arrive without records — it wastes the appointment
- Don't deposit money on the first visit (legitimate clinics don't require this)
- Don't accept verbal commitments without written follow-up
- Don't skip the partner's semen analysis "we'll do it later"
- Don't accept a treatment plan with no rationale
The bottom line
A well-prepared first fertility consultation is the difference between a useful 30 minutes and another to-do list. Bring records, send them ahead, ask the right questions, and visit more than one clinic.
Use the Miro Health Passport to organise records, the Clinic Finder to shortlist, and the Cost Calculator to sanity-check the quote you're given. All free for patients.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to my first fertility consultation?
Government photo ID, any prior hormone tests (AMH, FSH/LH/oestradiol, TSH, prolactin), latest pelvic ultrasound report, your partner's most recent semen analysis, and tubal patency reports (HSG, HyCoSy) if you have them. Without these, the first consultation is mostly history-taking — the doctor can't form a real plan until they see data.
How long is a typical first fertility consultation in India?
30-45 minutes at most Indian clinics. Premium hospital units sometimes schedule 60. Walk-in chains often run shorter. Prepare assuming 30 minutes and use it well — bring a written one-page summary of your history so the doctor isn't using consultation time on intake-style questions.
Should both partners attend the first consultation?
Strongly recommended. Indian clinics are increasingly insisting on it because the male partner's semen analysis and history shape the plan as much as the female partner's. If only one can attend, bring the partner's records — but plan for both to attend the follow-up.
What should I expect to leave the first consultation with?
Three things: (1) a working diagnosis or differential; (2) a list of any further tests required; (3) an itemised cost quote if the doctor is recommending treatment. If you leave with only a vague 'we'll see what the tests say' and no written summary, ask for a follow-up email with the plan.
How do I find a good first-consultation clinic?
Use the Miro Clinic Finder to filter ART-Act-registered clinics in your city. Pair with our 14-question clinic checklist before you visit. Visit at least 3 if possible — first consultations are how you evaluate the clinic, not just how the clinic evaluates you.
Should I use the Miro Health Passport for my first consultation?
Yes — even if it's empty when you start. Upload your existing reports before the consultation; the passport categorises them automatically. Send the passport link to the clinic ahead of time so the doctor has reviewed your data before you walk in. This turns a 30-minute history-take into a 30-minute clinical conversation.