gynaes usually suggest u try for 1 yr naturally ... before going for any tests... that depends on yr age and cycle as well ...
if you try naturally, most of my frns who have striked believe in CM(cervical mucus), there is a difference in the mucus when its the fertile period ... it has to be egg white in color and also sticky, stretchy and more than the usual discharge in amount ... but then again, not everyone has this .. at least i dont !!!
its easier if your cycle is regular, meaning every month u have yr menses ...
tests that can be done with yr gynae would be blood tests to see if your hormones are in the right range ... and that you are ovulating right ... also, scans to see if you might have pcos or any lining issues or other issues that can be seen via the scan ... another would be HSG, this checks the patency of the tubes to ensure there is no blockage ...
then for yr hb, basically is just sperm analysis ...
if you want to save costs for opks, get the cheap strips and the digital smiley ... depending on yr cycle, you start testing from either day 10 or later ... til day 20 or so, depending on yr cycle ... when u see a darker line on the cheap strip, use the smiley to reconfirm ... but using strips would be best to test at least twice a day ... btwn 10am to 8pm ... OPKs test LH surge ... this LH is a hormone which is present all the time in our body ... but when we are going to ovulate, there is a surge in the amount of production therefore you will get the dark positive line or smiley ... again this is not full proof ... some ladies are able to strike even without getting a positive during the cycle ... some gynaes also say its not very accurate ...
and another method is to chart yr bbt ... yr temp at the same time every morning ... if there is a sudden rise in temp, they say u r goin to ovulate ... to do this, you must be very disciplined ... hehehe ...
and last but not least, you can always see TCM, they can help to tiao yr body to make it the uterus(womb) a better environment for fertilisation and implantation ... but be prepared to eat the herbs(chinese meds) and maybe also do some acupuncture which improves the circulation in the uterus which is good for fertility ...
ah yes, 1 method i forgot , follicular monitoring ... this is when u go to yr gynae every 3-4 days depending on yr gynae's instruction to monitor the growth of the follicles ... it can start from day 10 ... depending on yr cycle again ... when it grows to a good size which can be 18mm to 22mm ... then they will give u a trigger jab to help the follicle rupture and release the egg for fertilisation ... what ive learned from this method is that, even if yr follicle matures and ruptures, it may not contain the egg ... this cant be seen ... so its a trial n error ...
end of the day, a lot of costs is involved ... so u n hb must be prepared ... it can be a short journey or it can drag on for years ... either way, always remember the love btwn to 2 of you ... dont let ttcing affect the marriage ...
all the best !!!