Setting your first appointment
The first step in starting fertility treatment at Bubtree is obtaining a referral from your GP or a specialist. We recommend you obtain a GP referral where possible, as these can be valid indefinitely, while specialist referrals are valid for only three months. Please ensure you check this carefully, as your referral must be current in order to claim from Medicare.
While you're waiting for a referral, you are still most welcome to make an appointment with us. See our contact page for details of your nearest clinic. If your first appointment occurs while you're waiting for a referral, please remember that you will not qualify for a Medicare rebate for this appointment.
Prior to your first appointment
Before we meet together for your first appointment, we would like to gather as much information as possible in order to keep the evaluation phase of your care as short as possible. Prior to this appointment, we will ask you and your partner to complete a questionnaire, and if you're comfortable, to authorise release of information forms so we can get the detailed information we need about your previous treatments or surgeries. If you have had IVF before, we will want to gather information about the medicines you had taken, how you responded to treatment and information related to your eggs and embryos - all of this can be critical in reviewing your options.
In some cases, our staff may contact you before your appointment to arrange further tests if you're comfortable with this. These are required to allow us to gain a thorough understanding of your situation before we discuss any options with you; please be assured we will not make any decisions based on these early test results or any other information we have gathered before seeing you.
Forms that we will ask you to complete can be downloaded from the bottom of this page, together with a referral form that your GP could either fill out on-line or download, and then print and sign.
During your first appointment
At your first meeting, Bruce will seek information from you and answer your questions. This meeting is an essential part of the Bubtree process, as our approach is to get to know you and your situation as thoroughly as possible before discussing or recommending potential options or treatment.
Following this session, Bruce will organise any further special tests that may be needed in your situation, and we can discuss your choices. Bruce will also advise you on the most suitable treatment for your needs, and explain what you can expect throughout the process. We will work at your pace in making any decisions about treatment - some patients need time to go away and think, while others may want to move forward more quickly.
The next step
The next step depends upon your situation and decision(s) that you have made based upon Bruce's advice. If you decide to go ahead with a therapy such as IVF the next step is a meeting with one of the Monash IVF nurse coordinators. Our nurse coordinator will explain in detail what to expect, what needs to be done, and what your treatment cycle involves (we talk about one round of treatment coinciding, more or less, with a fertility cycle). This meeting is also an opportunity for you to ask further questions. We will also carefully explain the costs involved with your treatment cycle, including particulars about Medicare, rebates and out-of-pocket expenses.
From this point on, we can start your treatment cycle as soon as you're ready!
Bruce will oversee your fertility care, in addition to the ongoing personal attention you'll get from a small team of appointed nurse coordinators through the treatment. We can then refer you to a specialist obstetrician (see our Maternity Care information) with whom we work closely to assure a smooth transition so that you have a personalised plan for your ongoing pregnancy care.