7 Best Tips Before and During Your Appointment with a Gynaecologist in Singapore

For most women, revealing reproductive healthconce s to a physician can be challenging. That is why they should build a good relationship with agynaecologist or at least be prepared to talk about their most intimate conce s, fertility issues, pregnancy, family planning, and other related women issues.

If this is your first time scheduling an appointment with gynecologist Singapore and not sure what to do during the visit, you can follow these seven helpful tips before and during your meeting for conception, family planning, or fertility issues.

Mention desire for a fertility consultation

When calling for an appointment, patients should tell the receptionist about their desire to discuss fertility and family planning. They may want to schedule for a regular Pap smear test or sneak in a few questions on conception planning; however, the doctor's time slot may be limited and will not permit long discussion without prior notice.

Another great reason why patients should request for additional time is it is difficult to talk when they are in a half-open gown with no underwears. Properly seeking for more time to discuss the conception issues in the doctor's office would make the patients feel more comfortable as opposed to up on the bed with the embarrassing positions.

Write down all inquiries

Before the scheduled appointment, patients should note down their list of conce s, symptoms, and inquiries. Writing down their list of conce s would benefit them in three ways:

• They will be less likely to forget important details they wish to raise
• Reading the list can sometimes be more manageable than when trying to bring up the questions randomly off the top of their head
• If the patients are too anxious to discuss their issues, they can hand the list over to the doctor instead.

Be sure that the list is not too long with unnecessary words. Make each conce short and concise.

Bring your partner along

Although women would be the one meeting the gynaecologist, since family planning is an issue involving both the women and their spouse, ideally, they should see their doctor along with their partners since the doctors may ask questions about their partners' health. Their partners may also have conce s or questions they want to ask.

Moreover, if a fertility issue is suspected, the doctor would also request the male partner to take fertility testing. If the partner is not available during the appointment, patients should ask their partners if they have any conce s they wish to ask. It would also be helpful if the partners can be contacted through a phone call for any possible medical questions that the patients cannot answer.

Ask about lifestyle changes and essential supplements

Some vitamins or supplements are not only for pregnant women. There are some supplements, such as folic acid, which women need to take even before they conceive. Most women can get enough vitamins from a regular multivitamin. Patients should also ask their doctors if they need to change their lifestyles, such as coffee or wine habit, to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

Talk about family planning

If the patients are not trying to conceive yet, they can ask their doctors about family planning. Since fertility declines as women get older, patients may have conce s about their future fertility options. Therefore, they should talk to their gynaecologist about this issue during the appointment.

Bring current medications

Some medications may not be safe for pregnancy. In some instances, patients may need to stop taking their medications altogether if they want to get pregnant. Some medicines may also affect fertility in both women and men. Thus, patients should bring all medications they are taking, even if it is only an allergy medication. Patients should never stop taking their medicine without discussing the issue with their gynaecologist beforehand.

Avoid shying away from discussing embarrassing symptoms

Regardless of how embarrassing the symptoms that the patients or their partners may have experienced, such as too much facial hair, weird vaginal discharge, or erectile dysfunction, they should mention all of these symptoms to the gynaecologist without shying away. The gynaecologists can give a proper diagnosis only if they have all the details they need.

Choosing the best gynaecologist in Singapore

To ensure you pick the best gynaecologist in Singapore that fits your needs and preference, you need to pay attention to several considerations. These considerations include: considering your goal for seeing a gynae; deciding whether you want to go public or private; checking the gynaecologist's schedule if they fit your free time; ensure that the clinic's location is accessible and convenient, and making sure the gynaecologist or gynae clinic is reputable and credible.