How Long Should You Try Before Seeking Fertility Help or IVF?

Welcome to the Fertility with Jaya Podcast. If you’re new here, I’m Jaya, a natural fertility expert with a Master’s in Reproductive Medicine. I blend natural and medical approaches to help you find answers, especially if your fertility journey has felt complex or confusing.

Each episode is here to help you understand your body, your options, and your best next steps.

Today I want to talk about something that comes up all the time: how long should you try to get pregnant naturally before seeking more help or jumping into IVF?

After 15 years of working with couples trying to conceive, I can tell you this is never a straightforward answer. And I know that not knowing what’s ahead can make the journey feel like you’re stuck in limbo—powerless with endless waiting.

So in this episode, I want to give you clarity. I’ll walk you through when to get further help, what you can do first, and when it’s important to go straight to a fertility specialist.

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Medical Guidelines: When to Seek Fertility Help

Let’s start with your age and the medical guidelines. In Australia and globally this is pretty consistent:

• If you’re under 35 years old, the recommendation is to try naturally for 12 months before seeking help.
• If you’re 35 years or older, this shortens to six months.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to wait. That’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people make, because this time is precious. There’s so much you can be doing naturally to support your ability to conceive before seeing a fertility specialist.

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When You Shouldn’t Wait to Get Help

There are also situations where you really shouldn’t wait. I’ll explain why a bit later.

Another exception I make is when I see a couple who’s been trying for longer than those time frames but they have nutritional deficiencies or hormonal challenges that need to be sorted out before doing IVF or starting IVF again.

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Why Preconception Preparation Matters

Before considering IVF, I recommend what I call your 90-day preparation window or preconception window.

Your body needs time—time to correct nutritional deficiencies, balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and prepare for pregnancy in a real and lasting way. This is generally three months, or six months if your health picture is more complex.

Here’s the thing: 95% of my clients need this kind of preconception work, and around 80% of them think they’ve already done it.

They’ll tell me they’ve had all the tests and everything looks normal. But when we dig deeper, using a functional medicine lens, we often find gaps, suboptimal results, and root causes that haven’t been addressed.

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Unexplained Infertility Is Rarely Unexplained

This is really important in those so-called unexplained infertility cases. I do functional testing with every client because it gives clarity. Instead of the blanket “everything is normal,” they finally have a plan and some answers.

Unexplained infertility is rarely unexplained, and that testing is a huge part of how you navigate your 90 days of preconception care.

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The 7 Steps of Preconception Care

I’m not saying that one approach is better than the other. I truly believe that the best outcomes happen when natural and conventional medicine work together. That’s how we shorten your journey and reduce the number of cycles it takes to complete your family.

Preconception care is not just about taking a prenatal. That’s why I created a seven-step framework to guide my clients without the overwhelm.

Here’s the overview:

1. Track

Understand your cycle, identify ovulation, and check how long your luteal phase is. Rule out a timing issue first.

2. Test

Do comprehensive functional testing. The basic GP bloods are not enough.

3. Supplement

Base supplements on blood test results. Quality and therapeutic doses matter.

4. Him

Male fertility is 50% of the story. He needs full comprehensive testing and 90 days of preconception care too.

5. Nutrition

Eat with intention—protein, fibre, balance. I cover this in depth in my five-day mini course and a full podcast episode.

6. Restore

Address stress and nervous system health. You need strategies to help your body feel safe and get out of fight-flight mode.

7. Decide

Create your fertility roadmap. Who’s on your team? What’s your next best step?

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When to See a Fertility Specialist Sooner

If you have a known diagnosis or a red flag, don’t wait:

• Irregular cycles
• Unclear ovulation
• Endometriosis
• Diminished ovarian reserve
• Thyroid dysfunction
• PCOS

And don’t forget about your partner. Get a sperm test earlier than you think. If there’s no sperm (azospermia), you’ll need a specialist referral straight away.

Knowledge is power, and you don’t have to wait.

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Natural and Medical Fertility Care Work Together

With many of these conditions, you can absolutely start with natural strategies. But integrating medical care earlier doesn’t mean you’ve failed, and it doesn’t mean natural therapies didn’t work.

I’ve worked in fertility long enough to know that the magic happens when natural and conventional medicine come together.

After 15 years in this field, I’ve seen that when couples do preconception care, medical treatments work better. You get more embryos, better implantation—or you don’t need IVF at all.

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Final Thoughts

• Trust your gut. If something feels off, even if your GP says “just wait,” you’re allowed to ask for more.
• Don’t forget male fertility—it’s half the story. Sperm quality impacts fertilisation and miscarriage risk, even with IVF.
• IVF isn’t the only next step. Options like IUI, ovulation induction, or a simple tube flush might be what you need.

And most importantly: you deserve support before you hit burnout or breakdown.

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Want to Go Deeper?

Curious about The Fertility Reset? My five-day mini course walks you through these foundations with a workbook for each day to support you. I’ll put a link in the notes.

If this helped you, I’d love it if you hit follow, left a review, or shared it with someone who might need clarity too.

Thanks, and I’ll see you next time.