Finding a fertility specialist can be difficult – you’re probably anxious to get started, and the recommendation of a friend or acquaintance may seem good enough. But the fertility expert can make or break your struggle to conceive: A reputed and experienced expert can guide you toward the appropriate and most effective treatment; a bad one can make a tough experience worse.  So if you’re planning to find a fertility specialist, it’s all right to be choosey.

But more importantly, advises fertility expert Dr. Ajanta Narvekar, do your homework.

Five tips for finding a fertility specialist

• Research the specialist’s training, including which medical institution the specialist attended for training. The more reputable that institution, the better.
• Research the number of years of experience the specialist has. Explore how many years the specialist has been practicing and in which hospitals or private clinics. Do a background check of those medical institutions if possible. Choose a specialist who is patient welfare-oriented.
• Explore the specialist’s track record. Find out the number of patients that have successfully conceived under the treatment of that expert. This can be done through word-of-mouth references from people you trust and other online and offline sources.
• Research any negative news written about the specialist or any negative records that have been filed against the specialist.
• Tour the facilities. The condition and the quality of the laboratory setup speak volumes about the expert.  Choose a clinic that strives to stay abreast of the latest technology and research on fertility.

Infertility is an experience that can be profoundly emotional, but it’s also a struggle more common than most of us think. Finding the right fertility specialist will help you and your partner navigate a difficult experience, if not with ease, then at least more comfortably. And hopefully, lead you right into parenthood.