Guides · 2 August 2026 · 9 min read

Questions to Ask at Your First IVF Consultation

Your first consultation usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes, covers a huge amount of ground, and happens at a moment when you're processing a lot emotionally. Most people leave having forgotten half of what they wanted to ask. This guide is the preparation we wish everyone had: what to bring, what to ask, and how to leave the room with answers you actually understand.

Before the appointment: what to bring

The more your consultant knows going in, the more useful the conversation. Gather what you can of the following - and don't worry if you don't have everything, the clinic can arrange tests for anything missing:

• Any previous test results - blood tests (AMH, FSH, thyroid), semen analysis, ultrasound or HyCoSy reports, and results from any previous fertility investigations.
• Your cycle history - roughly how long and regular your cycles are, and how long you've been trying.
• Medical history - conditions, operations, medications and supplements for both partners, plus any relevant family history.
• A list of your questions - written down. It sounds obvious; almost nobody does it, and it's the single biggest difference between leaving informed and leaving overwhelmed.
• A partner, friend or notebook - a second pair of ears helps enormously. It's also completely reasonable to ask if you can record the conversation on your phone.

Questions about your diagnosis and your chances

This is the heart of the consultation. The goal is to leave understanding your situation, not the average patient's.

• ?What do my test results actually mean for my fertility - can you talk me through my AMH, antral follicle count and any other key numbers?
• ?Based on my age and results, what are my realistic chances of a live birth per cycle at this clinic?
• ?Do you recommend any further tests before we start, and what would each one change about my treatment?
• ?Is there anything in our results that suggests a specific cause, or are we in the "unexplained" category?
• ?Would you recommend anything other than IVF for us - lifestyle changes, ovulation induction, IUI, or waiting?

One important tip on success rates: ask for the clinic's live birth rate per embryo transferred, for your age band. Headline "success rates" can be presented many ways. The HFEA (the UK fertility regulator) publishes independently verified statistics for every licensed UK clinic on its Choose a Clinic tool - it's worth checking how your clinic's quoted numbers compare.

Questions about the treatment itself

• ?Which protocol would you recommend for me (long, short/antagonist, or something else) and why that one?
• ?What medications will I be taking, how are they given, and what side effects should I expect?
• ?What does the timeline look like from starting medication to embryo transfer - and how many monitoring appointments will I need?
• ?How much time off work should I plan for, and which appointments are the immovable ones?
• ?Will you do a day 3 or day 5 (blastocyst) transfer, and how do you decide?
• ?How many embryos would you transfer, and what is your policy on single embryo transfer?
• ?What happens to any embryos we don’t use - what are the freezing and storage arrangements and costs?

Questions about cost (and the UK funding picture)

If you're paying privately, the advertised price is almost never the full price. Get a written, itemised quote and ask directly:

• ?What is the total cost of one full cycle including medication, blood tests, scans, ICSI if needed, embryo freezing and the first year of storage?
• ?What common extras are not included in that figure, and what does each cost?
• ?Do you offer multi-cycle or refund packages, and what are the eligibility criteria?
• ?If a cycle is cancelled before egg collection, what do we pay?

If you're hoping for NHS funding: eligibility varies significantly by local Integrated Care Board (ICB) - the well-known "postcode lottery". Criteria commonly cover age, BMI, smoking status and whether either partner has children from a previous relationship. NICE guidance recommends up to three full cycles for eligible women under 40, but many ICBs fund fewer. Ask your GP or clinic what your local ICB actually offers, and whether a referral is worth pursuing before you commit to private treatment.

Questions about add-ons

Many clinics offer optional extras - endometrial scratch, embryo glue, time-lapse imaging, immune therapies and more - often at significant cost. The evidence for most add-ons is limited, which is why the HFEA publishes independent evidence ratings for treatment add-ons. Good questions:

• ?Do you recommend any add-ons for us specifically - and what does the evidence say for our situation?
• ?What is the HFEA rating for this add-on?
• ?What would it cost, and would you still recommend it if it were free?

A good clinic will welcome these questions. Wariness about being questioned on add-ons is itself useful information.

Questions about risks and what can go wrong

• ?What is my personal risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and how do you monitor for and manage it?
• ?What proportion of your cycles are cancelled or converted to freeze-all, and why does that happen?
• ?What are the risks associated with egg collection?
• ?If this cycle doesn’t work, what happens next - how do you review and what would you change?

Questions about support between appointments

IVF involves far more waiting than treatment, and the waiting is where most of the anxiety lives. Worth establishing up front:

• ?Who do I contact with questions between appointments, and how quickly do you respond?
• ?Is there an emergency contact for evenings and weekends during treatment?
• ?What counselling is available? (UK licensed clinics must offer you counselling before treatment - it’s your right, and it’s worth taking.)
• ?Do you run or recommend any patient support groups?

A few final tips

• There are no silly questions. Consultants explain this material every day; you're hearing it for the first time, while stressed. Ask for plain-English explanations as many times as you need.
• You don't have to decide in the room. It's completely normal to take the information away, compare clinics on the HFEA website, and even book a consultation somewhere else before committing.
• Write everything down as soon as you leave. Even with notes, details fade within hours. A voice memo in the car park works brilliantly.
• Charities can help too. Fertility Network UK offers free support lines and local groups at every stage of the journey.