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Have you had any initial diagnostic testing done yet? How long have you been trying?
From my experience, for the very beginning, I think an OB is fine. They can order all the diagnostic testing that an RE would anyways. My primary care doctor referred me first to an OB. She told me that usually she would try the "easy" things first, including Clomid, for 3 rounds, before I "should see an RE. That's what I went with, including 2 rounds of Clomid.
Looking back now though, I think I should have just seen an RE from the beginning, or at least when I decided to take Clomid since an RE would monitor, and an OB typically does not. For the first 2-3 months though, I had the usual diagnostics ordered through my OB (HSG, U/S, bloodwork).
In the end, there was no time wasted, since the RE would have done exactly what the OB did, including Clomid, but monitoring would have been nice, and maybe an earlier relationship with the RE. I'm not sure if theres any difference with insurance though in terms of coverage depending on who orders the tests and how they are coded. I've read that some people have an easier time with coverage for tests through an OB than with RE.

I have an appointment with my ob/gyn next month to talk about our next steps. I don't want to see a RE unless necessary. She said to come to her after a year, so that's what I'm doing!

I saw an RE without seeing an OB first, although we did see a urologist before that. We didn't need a referral from an OB and the RE handled the CD3 testing. I'm glad we didn't bother with an OB because I'd been told by 2 different OBs in the past that getting pregnant should be no problem at all and all I needed to do was "have fun"!

Both from personal experience and listening to other ladies on here, OBs are generally not very helpful with regards to fertility. Mine was willing to run a few tests, but when they came back didn't really interpret them for me or suggest any next steps. REs on the other hand really know their stuff, what to test for, and what next steps to recommend. The flip side is if you go to an RE things can be kind of fast paced. Some people aren't ready to jump to advanced treatment quite that quickly, so it really depends on what you and your SO want. You can always get a consult and testing done to see what they would recommend and then decide if you are ready to pursue it.

I went right to my RE. I had been seeing a midwife, and had spoken to her about TTC stuff. My confidence in her was starting to waver, but I think I would go to an RE right away anyway. I knew I wanted my husband to get tested right away and knock all the other basic tests out of the way--an RE just made sense to me. My RE's practice is willing to be as aggressive or as conservative as you want them to be; this is nice, but it also means you need to be knowledgeable about the different treatments and know what is right for you.

I went to an OBGYN and a RE before even TTC.

The OB wouldn't test my hormone levels. So I went over to the RE. My RE told me that REs are actually OBGYNs with years of additional training.

My experience is a little different from most, but my OB was able to handle my case without needing referral to an RE. Then again, my issue was more staying pregnant than getting pregnant, so maybe that had something to do with it. Also, my situation was slightly different in that I had been charting my cycles using the Creighton Model, which my OB is also trained in. So, I felt comfortable pursuing treatment with him for a little longer than I probably would have with another OB.

I'm sure there would have come a point that an RE would have been more helpful than my OB, but I don't know what that point would have been.

I agree with the other ladies on here, though-a consult with an RE is not a bad thing, nor does it mean that your choice is locked in. You could always get a referral for a consult and see how you feel after your first appointment. If you are uncomfortable with the RE's plan, you can explore other options, like an ND or OB.

Good luck!

And yes, REs are OBGYNs with further training. So they are specialists in the fertility field.

If your insurance covers it, I would recommend seeing an RE right away. I personally found that my OB would say to wait and that there weren't any problems. The RE is paid to get you pregnant and keep you pregnant. If that is your goal, see an RE. Also, some fertility doctors might be OB's, but RE's are not necessarily OB or GYN trained. Mine is not, he is a reproductive endocrinologist. He studied endocrinology, not obstetrics.

@shortcake: in order to become an RE, you have to complete a residency in obgyn.

http://www.rmact.com/about/our-fertility-doctors-ct-ny/what-is-a-reproductive-endocrinologist

@MrsMcD: yep, my RE doesn't deliver since he became an RE. They monitored me until I was 9 weeks along and then released me to my OBGYN.

@MrsMcD: You do; you can either go back to the one you saw before the RE or start with a new one around 8 weeks (give or take). I didn't like the one I was seeing before so I started with a new OB practice at that point.

@Mrs. Chickadee: I switched OBGYN practices when I got pregnant. I wasn't happy with my former one so I asked for my RE's recommendation for a new practice. He happened to recommend the same practice that my coworker recommended. I started with my current OBGYN when 9 weeks pregnant. You can always start with the RE and then find an OBGYN practice!

@Mrs. Chickadee: I am just jumping in on what @swedishfish: said about switching OB practices once you are pregnant... I don't know what it is like in your area, but around where I live it is really hard to switch once you are pregnant. Most practices say that they are full for deliveries the month you are due and cannot take any more patients unless you were an existing patient at their practice. Maybe you could call a few places and see if it is hard to get in once you are already pregnant? One of my friends got stuck with someone she didn't like because she couldnt find an OB that could take her on.

@swedishfish: good point! I didn't think of the RE having that connection!