Clinical case study: a couple’s preconception preparation with Doveras

Why preconception care matters

Every major public health body and medical society emphasizes the preconception window, because of its effects on egg and sperm quality, the chances of conception, and maternal and child health. As the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists puts it, the goal of pre-pregnancy care is to reduce risk by optimizing health and addressing modifiable risk factors.

Yet 86% of American women don’t receive this recommended preconception care or education from their family physician or OB-GYN. Many turn to social media and the internet instead, where misinformation and “natural fertility remedies” with exaggerated claims make it hard to navigate with confidence. There is a gender gap, too: two in three women report that their partner is overlooked in discussions and decisions about family building.

Doveras offers clinically sound preconception guidance for individuals and couples that gives male and female fertility equal weight, combining lifestyle, behavioral and educational support with access to a care team.

The couple

A 32-year-old woman and her 33-year-old partner wanted to proactively support egg and sperm health before trying to conceive, to shorten their time to pregnancy and improve their chances of a healthy one. They had watched friends struggle to get pregnant and hoped to conceive naturally. Neither had fertility benefits through an employer.

Neither partner had a prior pregnancy or any medical history or current condition likely to affect fertility. She reported an AMH level of 1.56, a regular cycle when not on birth control, and a plan to have her IUD removed before trying to conceive.

Our approach

Over 40 weeks, the couple combined weekly personalized guidance with consultations with the Doveras care team and clinical staff, plus self-paced education modules. Together they spent 248 minutes, just over four hours, with Doveras guidance and care services.

In the August consultation, she shared difficulty using her ovulation tracker and low confidence in reading the results. The nurse walked through how to test and interpret her ovulation predictor kit to pinpoint her fertile window, and when to time intercourse within it. She also raised concerns about diminished ovarian reserve because of her AMH level; the nurse explained the relationship between AMH and fecundity, and how her preconception visit to her OB-GYN (which she scheduled on Doveras’ recommendation) could document her history if she later sought care from a fertility specialist.

They conceived in their first cycle of trying.

The outcome

The couple began timing intercourse in August 2023 and conceived in that first cycle. Their baby was born full term (40 weeks and 1 day) by vaginal delivery, at a healthy 8 lbs 8 oz and 21 inches. No adverse maternal outcomes were reported, and the couple rated their experience 10 out of 10.

What this case shows

Accessible, affordable preconception care can make a real difference. Personalized lifestyle guidance helped the couple prepare for a healthy pregnancy together, and they could turn to people and clinicians whenever they needed, from practical questions about lifestyle changes to support with tracking ovulation and timing. The guidance gave them both clinically sound preconception care and the confidence that comes with it as they tried to conceive for the first time.

Written informed consent was obtained from the couple for the publication of this case study. Sources: ACOG Committee Opinion, Prepregnancy Counseling (2019); American Academy of Family Physicians, Preconception Care position paper; Maven Clinic fertility patient survey (2024).

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