Aspire Fertility

Positive environment all the way around! Everyone is so nice and welcoming! Everyone is always smiling and they don't hesitate to answer any questions you may have! They treat you like a human being and not just some other person coming in for infertility.

Dr. Schenk took lots of notes and has made lots of changes. She knows we drive 3 hours to see her each time, and she makes our time well worth the drive! She will do as much as she can during one visit, just to help us out!

All of the staff at Aspire Fertility in Houston, Tx are amazing! They make you feel so positive and comfortable from the time you walk in the doors, until you leave. They give you all the information you need to know or ask for and are all great!

Dr. Schenk has been very thorough from the beginning. She caught that I have PCOS within a month of starting to see her. She is very kind and helps you understand everything. She accommodates us being as we drive 3 hours (one way) each time to see her. I have already recommended her to my cousin and a friend of mine to help them with infertility.

Don't hold any information back! Be upfront and honest!

The first month, we tried everything naturally. The second and third month we did Clomid and Ovidrel shots to release the eggs. I have had a transvaginal ultrasound every two weeks since December 2018. On our fourth month we switched to Femara and didn't have to take the Ovidrel shot. We did IUI in April, but I have since had my cycle. We start Femara again this week and go back to see Dr. Schenk on May 3, 2019.

My insurance covers the majority of my appointments. I've had to pay for an HSG and that was roughly $175. I also had to pay for Ovidrel shots. The pharmacy provides a coupon, so it is only $107 out of pocket. I also had to pay for the IUI procedure and it was $549.

I haven't had this procedure.

I love how nice and friendly they are when you are there. The lady at the front desk when you come in is super friendly and helpful. I love Dr Elkin. She is super friendly and personable. She seems very knowledgeable and completely competent. I would say their weakness is that when I went back to my regular Dr who referred me to them he had gotten no information from them about what we had done fertility wise throughout the past year. There has been a couple of times I have called about something and do not get a call back. I have to then call back again.

She always seemed to talk to me about me and cared about my thoughts and feelings too.

I had two of my IUIs performed by a nurse and both times she was super friendly and helpful. I have called about questions and when I get a chance to talk to them they are always able to answer my questions.

I love Dr. Elkins. She is very personable and easy to talk to. She takes her time with you and is very informative. I never felt rushed when she was with you. The only problem I had was that two out of the five IUIs were done by a nurse and not her. I was not aware this was going to happen before hand.

Make sure that you find out if she will be able to do the procedure when you make the appointment for IUI’s.

We started with IUI’s and taking clomid. I took two pills once a day for five days. I would go in for blood work and a sonogram on or around day 3, 5 10 and then once for the procedure. The 4th and 5th IUIs we also added in nightly shots to go with the oral medication.

$1,400 for IUI plus medication. $14,000 for IVF plus medication

We are talking about going forward with IVF in June and she said she would probably only put one embryo during the first IVF attempt.

Megan at the front desk is very helpful and very organized. She knows the patient very well and has the correct information for the correct patients. Also make sure to get there early just in case they can get you back sooner, happens sometimes. Also be prepared to be taken back after your appointment time, happens more than not.

Any news that I have gotten has always been said with compassion as though she feels our pain like with my first try ending in a miscarriage and when i tried again with the result as a negitave pregnancy test. Talk on a personal level as we get to know each other as we build our relationship with our doctor. But me and my wife both try to make sure we ask the right questions as though sometimes we feel like some things get missed or not communicated correctly some of the time.

They manage time well, make sure to communicate appropriate things such as test results same day. Help you out with making sure you are comfortable while taking your blood. Very helpful when I passed out and was convulsing on my Bata 2 blood test, moved my to another room and made sure I was ok before leaving. (not good with blood) Thwybhave actually notated to take my blood on any upcoming bloodwork for a Bata 2 to be takin while laying down in one of the rooms in the hopes all that doesn’t happen again.

She makes you feel welcomed and wants your dream to come true of having a family and wants to help you and your spouse get there. She is truly a good person and wants what’s best for her patients but again my wife and I seem to ask a lot of questions that seems she should have already covered them at that specific visit. Maybe we are just new to all of this and have read up on a lot of things thinking we should ask if she doesnt cover it or maybe at that time of the visit that’s not something she should go over? We would just want to know everything no matter what and seems we are the ones looking for answers that haven’t always been given to us.

If you are new to the fertility process research and have questions ready just in case.

Dr.Elkins suggested that we use unmedicated IUI seeing that I have no health problems and I am a younger woman and that I seem to ovulate regularly. My wife and I tracked my ovulation for 3 months before we tried for the first time and it was like clock work so the 4th cycle we tried and got a positive pregnancy test. Everything was good until the 7 week ultrasound and there was nothing in the sack. We were given three options to move forward with our miscarriage. One was to let it run its course, two was medication and three was surgery. So at 9 weeks still with the hope it wasn’t a miscarriage we checked one more time and still nothing so at that point we moved forward with the medication for the miscarriage. After everything was said and done we tried again on my first cycle after my miscarriage. Dr.Elkins suggested that it wouldn’t hurt to try, trusting her judgment, it ended with a negitave pregnancy test. We have taken a cycle off due to the fact that I still don’t feel 100% with my cycles yet. We asked Dr.Elkins what she thinks would be best for us with the best possible chance and she still thinks unmedicated IUI is still an option. I still don’t feel 100% with this cycle off so my wife and I have decided to try the medicated IUI this upcoming cycle. We just want our best chance. She didn’t seem forth going with the idea of a medicated IUI but announced it was our decision. We didn’t know how many more months would pass by until I felt 100% with my body but didn’t want to waste time which is why we have decided to try the medicated route. She supports us in that decision whether she agrees with it or not. We don’t have a lot of money so the tries we have attempted and are about to attempt will probly be our last for awhile.

$550 for unmedicated IUI $10 for miscarriage medication $60 for RhoGam $1,400 for upcoming medicated IUI $50 or so for Clomid $100-$150 or so for trigger shot We were actually charged twice for our first unmedicated IUI even though it was already taken care of and took a little bit for it to get fixed.

We don’t need any of these routes.

The clinic is fairly new and during my time there staff overturn was happening and things got a bit hectic during that time. With anything new it’s possible to happen since people are feeling out positions etc. Since then it has become more settled, better systems are put in place such as the automated phone system. The clinic is not in a stand alone building. It’s in a corporate building. I was taken aback by this, but it worked out fine. There’s a free parking garage with guest parking.

The office in Atlanta is the extension of the clinic in Houston, Texas. It’s relatively new and pretty small. The staff are great with communication and keeping one in the loop even when things may get a little hectic. My situation is a challenging case. My numbers were sky high and even though we haven’t hit the end goal as of yet, Dr Asemota surpassed what she originally thought. She wanted me to try for the sake of my sanity and my body produced more than expected. We hit many road bumps during this journey, but the human factor remained. Prior to IVF, I needed to remove my remaining tube, because it was blocked. After my egg retrieval, it took my body some time to heal. Right before transfer at my baseline appointment, we notice spotting, so I was canceled. I was devastated, however Dr Asemota explained to me why it wouldn’t be a good environment to transfer and requested for a saline ultrasound along with an endometriosis biopsy to be done to assure there aren’t any infection. Everything came back normal and we proceeded with the transfer earlier this year. Everything seemed to be perfect, but we didn’t implant and she wanted to do a hysteroscopy to look inside my uterus. We found out although I do not have fibroids inside my uterus, they are protruding in my uterus which may be the cause of the failed IVF cycle. She called me directly to give me the news and was so calm and reassuring that we still have hope with our 1 remaining embryo.

The nursing staff was always warm and friendly! They made a very uncomfortable situation bearable. I’m grateful to have such a great team that’s compassionate and always available to answer my questions.

Dr Obehi Osemota gave me realistic expectations, but at the same time I had hope even though the odds were against me based on my numbers. She assured me throughout the process that things can change and we aren’t out the dark. Things changed instantly, however going through a cycle with a transfer has given me insight of what to expect. Unfortunately, I have to have another surgery to remove the fibroids and was given the choice to go through another cycle to retrieve more eggs since we are left with only one embryo. Ideally, we would love to since either case I must have surgery prior to transferring the remaining embryo. Dr Asemota provided me with all my options at every given time. I’ve had several surgeries during this process and to think I need to have another one is overwhelming, however I know that I am in good hands and will remain optimistic of what is to come. I’m grateful to have a straightforward doctor that listens to my concerns and provide me with realistic feedback. I’m well informed about what’s happening with my IVF journey.

Ask questions, be open and honest. Do not be afraid to voice your concerns and ask the things that are lingering in your head. Your doctor should provide you with honest professional feedback even if it’s something that may not be pleasing to you. I would also say be patient with yourself. It’s easy to want to rush things, however nothing happens before it’s time. This will save you from a world of headache.

My case required an aggressive form of IVF with high dosage of meds. The protocol started with birth control then afterwards I had to start taking GonalF-450IU, Chorionic Gonad and Cetrotide prior to egg retrieval. My body responded pretty well under this protocol. She was concerned with my numbers that I may not respond, but I was a fast responder to the meds prescribed. Prior to egg retrieval she prescribed Azithromycin, baby aspirin, low-hcg 10IU for the trigger shot. For transfer, I took estradiol 2mg 3 times per day, along with estradiol patches(changed every 3 days), baby aspirin, and progesterone in oil IM shots at night.

1 round of IVF was $14,000 without meds. My meds ran about $5,800 more or less.

Her approach in my opinion was based on the patient’s age.

I'm neutral on the clinic right now as I am in middle of cycle and can't properly evaluate them. This is the 3rd doctor they have switched me too in less than a calendar year. It feels like I am a patient number on a conveyor belt at this point Having to explain and submit your benefits info repeatedly is no fun. Having to go to three different locations is also not fun. Also, the Katy office is a scam - I was only able to get initial consult and ui ultrasound there e everything else is an hour plus drive downtown. The Katy office is pretty much a salescloset.. Get ready to drive to downtown Houston several times a week for your treatment.

Dr. Stegmann was my second doctor in six months with Aspire Fertility. She quit the practice in the middle of my IVF cycle. I was notified via text message six days after egg retrieval. I feel used, harvested and abused. If her workplace environment was that unstable (only info I can get is that there was a 'clash of personalities) she should not have been taking on new patients (and collecting payment for partially provided services). I would never have gone with her if i had known I'd have to go through the whole new doctor process (a 3rd time in less than a calendar year) again. Now I'm sitting here having to explain rudimentary things like my pharmacist benefits, etc to a whole new team when I have already gone through this step TWO TIMES. Not to mention the emotional toll it has taken to put my trust in a whole new team when I was told empty promises from Stegmann. Its a dirty trick to take on new patients that you know you aren't stable enough to give good care to so you can collect your paycheck for egg retrieval and take off. People with fertility problems are a specially vulnerable group of patients and to manipulate their trust to serve yourself is especially evil. There is a special place in H*LL for you

Dr. Stegmann was my second doctor in six months with Aspire Fertility. She quit the practice in the middle of my IVF cycle. I was notified via text message six days after egg retrieval. I feel used, harvested and abused. If her workplace environment was that unstable (only info I can get is that there was a 'clash of personalities) she should not have been taking on new patients (and collecting payment for partially provided services). I would never have gone with her if i had known I'd have to go through the whole new doctor process (a 3rd time in less than a calendar year) again. Now I'm sitting here having to explain rudimentary things like my pharmacist benefits, etc to a whole new team when I have already gone through this step TWO TIMES. Not to mention the emotional toll it has taken to put my trust in a whole new team when I was told empty promises from Stegmann. Its a dirty trick to take on new patients that you know you aren't stable enough to give good care to so you can collect your paycheck for egg retrieval and take off. People with fertility problems are a specially vulnerable group of patients and to manipulate their trust to serve yourself is especially evil. There is a special place in H*LL for you

Make sure she plans on staying employed with clinic through the course of your cycle. You don't want to be dropped right after egg retrieval and forced to go to new clinic and doctor. Horsesh*t lying doctor just trying to get her paycheck.

Strengths- easy to get a hold of, friendly, LGBTQ+ friendly, offer Glow (discounted prices), will come in Saturday’s and Sundays if needed. Weaknesses- distance from our house is about 30 minutes, wish they’d give discounted prices to self paid patients

She was sympathetic during our MC. She’s remembered details about our situation and us.

Pretty relaxed- easy to talk to and communicate with. They know you by your first name and voice!

Strengths- real, upfront, personable. Definitely feels like she believes in us- she’s very smart. Weakness- didn’t seem to want to try a more aggressive approach after we as patients wanted to after our MC.

Trust her expertese but don’t be afraid to push back if you feel you need to... she will explain her reasoning or listen to what you have to say

IUI # 1- unmedicated and unmonitored. She said all test results/ultrasounds showed her a healthy and able body. Cycles were 28 days exactly, smiley face on OPK came exactly 2 weeks after CD1. Came in for insemination about 32 hours after smiley face. Unfortunately, at 9weeks we had to force a miscarriage along. IUI #2- After having to force along a 9wk MC, she advised we were good to try again next cycle but didn’t have to if we weren’t ready. She was adament about doing another unmedicated and unmonitored cycle, we wanted medicated to improve chances... she insisted she didn’t think it was necessary. Same procedure as IU#1 was followed except we came in for insemination the day of the smiley face instead of 32 hours later- BFN

$550 for basic IUI- unmedicated and unmonitored 1 $40 copay for 7 week ultrasound 1 $12 payment for bloodwork sent to outside lab $1,400 for medicated and monitored IUI -ultrasounds -monitoring clomid -monitoring trigger shot (Does not include clomid and trigger shot, separate coats)

NA

They have a pricing system that includes everything (in my case, monitoring, blood tests, IUI), but that means they really don't do as much monitoring as other clinics. How their weekend hours work isn't clear. I heard them schedule married people for IUIs on weekends, but unlike my original clinic, no one said anything to me about weekend hours, even though my first IUI should have been scheduled for the weekend. For donor sperm IUIs, they made me come in an hour early to sign a consent to thaw the sperm and then sit and wait for my IUI. Once, the office staff apparently forgot I was there since I was the only person in the waiting room, and they started talking about patients they didn't like while standing around the front desk.

Dr. Elkins was always very friendly when I was there, but throughout the process, I was annoyed that they weren't really paying attention to my cycle or recognizing that my situation with frozen sperm required different timing than their married couples. The real indicator though that I was just a number was when I pushed forward with IUI 5 against advice and was pushed off to a nurse for all appointments and my IUI.

They assigned me a primary nurse, but I rarely saw her. I would email her when my new cycle started, and she would often call with results, but sometimes, it was another nurse. Once, after a sonogram, I was put in a room to wait for her to talk about scheduling my IUI, but she forgot I was there until I went looking for someone.

Dr. Elkins was always friendly, but she gave me NO information. At the beginning, she told me I'd get pregnant with no problem because I'd had my son after 1 unmedicated IUI, and didn't seem concerned about the fact I was now 37 and had a low AMH. For the first 4 IUIs, she did the procedures and most of my sonograms, but she never told me how many eggs I had or other relevant information. When I decided to do a 5th IUI because I knew they'd mistimed 2 of my previous IUIs, she pushed me to the nurses. When she called to tell me I was pregnant, she didn't hide her surprise. When she called me a week and a half later to tell me I was miscarrying, she was nice, but she also told me they would follow up in a couple of days and no one ever followed up. That was actually the last I ever heard from anyone there.

Go somewhere else. They seemed to treat married people a little better - giving them IUI appointments on the weekends for example, but their methods for IUI at least probably mean you're going to have a lot of mistimed cycles and waste a lot of money.

1st cycle-unmedicated IUI with Ovidrel trigger shot on CD14, IUI 48 hours later on CD16, negative blood test 2nd cycle-unmedicated IUI with Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 48 hours later, negative blood test 3rd cycle-50 mg of Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 24 hours later, negative blood test, cyst developed following cycle Next cycle scrapped due to cyst-when nurse called with baseline results, she told me we were good to move ahead but that Dr. Elkins said I should stop the estrogen now, I told her I wasn't on estrogen, she hung up on me immediately and then called back about 30 minutes later to say we needed to scrap the cycle because my estrogen was too high 4th cycle-50 mg of Clomid, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD12, IUI 48 hours later-was initially told to trigger on CD13 12 hours before IUI, negative blood test, recommended I move to IVF, arranged a "free" appointment with in-house therapist to sell me on IVF 5th cycle-50 mg of Clomid, nurse told me Dr. Elkins wanted to add Gonal-f, I indicated I preferred not to but was willing to discuss but it was never raised again, Ovidrel trigger shot on CD11, IUI 48 hours later, chemical pregnancy All my cycles were monitored but that only meant one baseline sono at 2-5 days and one monitoring sono about a week later, then they would arbitrarily set the date for the IUI-my 1st was 5 days after the monitoring appointment

Each IUI cost $1400, which included the monitoring and blood tests.

N/A

Honestly they are very honest from head to toe they don’t play around you go in and you know exactly what is expected of you that day you know what is expected of your doctors your nurse even the medical assistants. Medical assistance are very knowledgeable and will answer all your questions. I would say try them out they are amazing

Right when you walked in the door you could feel the warmth from everybody people greeting you even people in the waiting room with smile I could feel like I belonged there .. When we got down to meeting Dr. Stegman it was such a pleasant surprise compared to the other clinics we had visited

I cannot express enough how pleased I am with Catalina she is just such an amazing soul. She would check up on us even on days that we weren’t coming in or we stopped the treatment. She is a very happy person which helped a lot every time he would see her. I am typing this with a smile on my face that’s how much of a good impact she made in our journey.

She is one to explain everything thoroughly so I would never go home with questions. She is A person that gets to the point without hurting your feelings but making sense of what she means. I never felt like she was hiding anything from me everything was very clear from the very beginning

She is a very real person, She is very honest from the very beginning and she gives you the expectations flat out

So my case was a very difficult case. She told me that the amount of medication I am using for a 26-year-old is very rare because it’s typically used for women over 40 . I was on Menupur 225 and follistim 300 by the end of my cycle. It started with Menopur 75 and follistim 75 .

They had a third-party option for us to pay it would give us two or three payments but it would have to be paid before treatment began. We decided to go with the cash option because it came out to I believe 15% cheaper we paid a total of 11,600 plus 3775 PGS testing plus medication I lost the total amount of the medication but it was over $5000 anesthesia for the egg retrieval was an extra $500

So the concern was that if I transferred two of my embryos that there would be a risk for twins but I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy so she suggested one embryo and when we were ready he would do the second one

Strengths: Dr. Elkins, the lab and the embryologists. The clinic also has a on site counselor and I found that very helpful during my cycle. Weaknesses: Financial coordinator - hard to get a hold of at times and had to be on top of her for various questions or updates on bills or what should or should not be paid due to insurance questions.

Dr. Elkins is very empathetic. She understands the emotional and mental toll the IVF process takes on you (she has gone through it herself). I felt very comfortable asking as many questions as I needed to feel comfortable about the IVF process.

My story is rather unique. The day we started our first cycle our original nurse was leaving the clinic. I was moved to a new nurse who I'm reviewing here. Stephanie is a sweetheart! She is exactly the personality that you want during the process. During the cycle she was available via email to calm fears and so pleasant to be around. Unfortunately they had lost 2 of the 3 nurses which left poor Stephanie to work through all patients. We saw some decreases in communication due to that, but were told they hired additional nurses to get back to where they were before.

Dr. Elkins went above and beyond to communicate with me throughout the IVF cycle and post retrieval. She called me multiple times after hours to let me know what the update was on our embryos during the day 5/6 wait. She is an IVF success story and truly understands the process, not only from a Dr.'s point of view, but as a patient. I feel comfortable to be vulnerable, stressed, excited and sad and I believe that is really important as your hormones are a mess during a cycle. She has amazing bed side manner and clearly knows what she is talking about. I like when a Dr. can get excited or ramble about a topic. There is passion, empathy, results and knowledge for all things IVF with Dr. Elkins.

Bring questions. She loves it and appreciates those that are super organized and on top of the process. I think this goes for any Dr. but being your own advocate is really important and she is one to listen to you concerns and stresses to make sure everyone is comfortable.

I was told that I would respond really well to the drugs so I was put on BC for a primer for 2 1/2 weeks. We then started shots that consisted of 7 days of 300 Follistim & 1 vial of Menopur. I began using 250 mcg of Ganirelix 6 days into the cycle. After the 7 days, we took follistim down from 300 to 225. I triggered a day earlier than anticipated and triggered with Lupron (4mg) & HCG (1.0 ml). My retrieval went super smooth and didn't even need pain medicine post procedure. I was told immediately that they retrieved 16 eggs. Additional stats from my first cycle below. Eggs Retrieved: 16 Mature Eggs: 11 Fertilized Eggs: 10 Day 3: 10 Day 5/6: 7 PGS results: 3 viable embryos The one thing that was discussed was the disappointment in the amount of mature eggs. We hope to correct that with our second cycle.

100% pay upfront: $12,600 Pay through stages: $14,000 This includes: assisted hatching/icsi/year 1 cryostorage/egg retrieval/IVF cycle visits, lab work & ultrasounds/unlimited frozen transfers (if doing pgs) This does not include medications, kick off lab work or anesthesia for retrieval. It also does not include embryo biopsy for pgs/pgd needs (which was $2,500 per cycle).

Aspire only does single embryo transfers or only does them when using pgs, which we have done.

The clinic is absolutely beautiful! It is located in the King Building in Atlanta. The decor is new and gorgeous. It is state of the art, the labs are clean, the rooms are clean and beautiful, and the staff is friendly, helpful and encouraging. I highly recommend Aspire.

Dr. Asemota was wonderful to work with. She was so kind and caring and gave me hope that I could successfully have a baby one day. She explained to me that due to my diagnosis I would most likely need IUI or IVF. She was very honest and recommended that I try IUI before I tried IVF since my insurance does not cover IVF. I really appreciate her honesty. She was so helpful and kind during all of the visits, assured me when I was nervous and emotional, and prayed for me that it would all work out. Even though my IUI was unsuccessful, she encouraged me that we could try again when we were ready. I look forward to trying again one day and hope to try IVF with her. I highly recommend her and Aspire Fertility. Everyone there was so friendly, helpful and positive. They made a very emotional experience as positive as it could be.

Jaclyn was wonderful to work with. She knew I was a nervous wreck with the blood work and she was so gentle and kind and helped me stay calm. She answered all my questions (in person and through the portal) in a timely and professional and encouraging manner.

Dr. Asemota was kind, professional, knowledgeable, caring, thorough, on time, and encouraging. She was very honest about my chances of conceiving and what I should try first and was so encouraging through the whole process. I really enjoyed having her as a doctor. I never felt rushed, never felt like I left confused, and always looked forward to my next apt.

Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster with any infertility treatment but find comfort in knowing that the doctor and nurses at Aspire are the kindest and most helpful individuals who all want the same thing that you do, for you to have a beautiful and healthy baby :)

Dr. Asemoto suggested that I try IUI first since I had not gone through any infertility treatments yet. She was hopeful that it could work for me since my tubes were clear (I had a procedure done there to make sure that they were). She said if it did not work after 3 tries, that I should go for the IVF procedure. My insurance does not cover any procedure so any procedure is costly for me.

$1400 for IUI not including cost of meds and diagnostic testing.

n/a I did not do this.

They were great at discussing all cost up front based on our insurance. We did not have any surprise expenses from them. They even helped us find the best priced pharmacy for my medications. When we called with any operational/cost/etc question or concern they were very good at communicating and resolving our concern. The in staff therapist was amazing as well she would check in at each visit, after failed cycles, and after our successful transfer. It was great to have her there if needed to talk through the many emotions that come with this process.

As someone who also had experienced infertility, Dr. Elkins, was able to understand the heartbreak of failed cycles and the importance of compassion and clear communication. She saw me every visit, unless that was made clear she wouldn’t when scheduling. She personalized her conversations with me and my husband to our personality of me needing more hand holding and my husband needing direct, factual, numbers information. She did amazing making us both feel comfortable and always answering our questions and concerns.

We ended up with two nurses as our first went on maternity leave during our treatment. Stephanie was very compassionate and great at communicating with me. I do wish she’d included my husband on more of the communications. However, I’m not sure that we explicitly requested this. She always checked on me and at times did on weekends depending on what was happening in a cycle. My second nurse Charly L was amazing as well. She did include my husband in communication. She was also great at making sure I understood all aspects of the treatment and checked in on me. I’d recommend either of them.

She did an amazing job getting to know me and my husband. She understood our personalities and concerns and talked to us accordingly. She was good at listening and fully explaining all sides of the next step, our concerns, or the odds coming next. She was a trusted confidant during the entire process.

She will take your experiences into account, your history, and your desires to personalize a treatment plan for you. Be up front with her on your expectations and desires.

Due to our unexplained infertility, she took steps to help us be successful without jumping straight into IVF. We first tried a different oral med and trigger shot timed intercourse since I hadn’t responded to chlomid with my OBGyn. We then moved to IUI. We discussed possibly skipping and going to IVF, but again she felt IUI was a good next step based on our test results. We did injectable meds with trigger shot. Monitored my follicle development regularly leading up to each IUI. Based on my reaction to each IUI, she adjusted medications for future cycles. We discussed trying another IUI, but based on the small percentage it would possibly give us to be successful we went to IVF. We did one retrieval cycle, got 18 eggs, fertilized 7, and 5 made it to freeze/PGS. We still had 4 after testing and success on our first transfer on one embryo.

Due to good egg/embryo quality, my age, and our desire for a singleton , she did not recommend transferring multiple.

They never answer the phones. The times I sat in the waiting room for an hour they did not seem busy yet when I called no one ever picked up. They were nice but not very experienced with the type of environment that were in.

I saw her one time.

I chose not to name my nurse because she did nothing wrong. I felt she was doing her job. She was wonderful though. She is the only one I would want to deal with again.

A good doctor over all she explained some things I was not aware of. I only saw her one time for initial consultation and blood work. Any questions I had were answered by a nurse and my treatment was done by nurse also.

Ask to see or speak to her every visit.

The consultation visit was early in the year around March. It was about an hour and a half. They did an ultrasound and hormone blood work. We met with her in a conference room and she talked about my periods, asked me questions, and spoke to me and my husband. She did bring up IUI and IVF in that conversation. I was not ready for that yet. That was all. So the next month I called and asked well what would be the next step and the nurse said well you can do an IUI and I asked about meds, she said well we would have to do a monitoring cycle first then prescribe meds. I was somewhat upset because I do work full time and I was not ready to have the infertility conversation with my male boss. So I dropped it all together. Fast forward to November 2018, I really researched IUI’s, watched videos, read up on tips for successful procedures. I called the clinic and stated I wanted to do an IUI this cycle. They never explained to me how they did it or what the procedure would be like. Everything I knew was from my own research and I trusted myself to know enough where I felt okay with the clinic not being thorough with me. BIG MISTAKE. I went in for my baseline blood work and ultrasound everything came back good. So my nurse told me take femera on CD 3 thru CD 7, I did. Then I went back on CD11 for an ultrasound to check my follicles, I had one on each ovary that were about 9 to 10 mm each. After that, the nurse prescribed me Ovidrel. She said they would look at everything and let me know when to take the shot. Later on that same day still CD 11, she called and said go ahead and take the shot at 7pm then come for your IUI tomorrow (CD 12) at 11 am. When I was in the room about to undress, I asked her so how will we know that I ovulated. She said we do not know it is a chance we are taking. That really killed my hopes. I wished I would have asked for an ultrasound, been a little more forward and I should have said something. I am still in my TTW but it crushed me that they do not check for that before doing a procedure that costs that much.

for the IUI procedure and the baseline bloodwork and thats all. it was $1,100

The clinic staff truly have a heart for what they are doing. I hope that my future encounters will continue to be as inspiring. The fact that everything is housed in one location makes it even better for me who likes to stress about every little thing.

My experience with Aspire has been fantastic so far. Every thing is in one building! Consultation, financial, counseling, laboratory, and my own nurse. I continue to work full time and my job is 30 minutes away but they are willing to make my appointments work around my family and work schedule. I like that they will email, call, or text me with updates.

Dr. Elkins is amazing I love how she keeps it real! She is willing to share herself with me, and hears all my concerns and addresses them. I have only me with her twice but I am looking forward to partnering with her as our family embarks on this journey.

I have had both of my tubes removed due to fluid. I also have severe endometriosis and kissing ovaries. I am currently on birth control and will be taken off once they recieve my labs back. Depending on how my labs look we will determine my schedule. I have let my team know that I have 1 week of the year that I like to travel to see my family and they are more than willing to work with me to make it to where I can still see my family. I know that I will be given medications that will essentially take over my body. I will develop eggs, and they will do ultrasounds to monitor progression and let me know when to give my self a shot that will stimulate my ovaries. They will go in for retrieval of the eggs. Because my ovaries are kissing ovaries, the procedure should be a little easier. Then the will introduce the eggs and the sperm to create embryos. I am to be driven home and relax after this... hide my cell phone!! Then the in house embryologist will watch the embryos for how they develop. Because I am 33 it is not currently recommended for any genetic testing. They will give my body a month or longer to recover and then we will transfer the embryos. And then we hope and pray for them to find a happy home in my extra thick uterus lining!

Cost will be around $20k

Strengths: Very friendly, nice facility, passionate and they care about each patient Weaknesses: None The office really cares about their patients. The staff consists of mostly women who they too have gone through infertility and can also relate. Not only is Dr Stegmann and the nurses compassionate but as well as the receptionist, therapist, financial advisors. It's an all around great office.

My wife and I were one of the first couples at Aspire Fertility. It's been such a journey to watch the company grow and expand over the last few years. In this time, we've established a close relationship with the staff. Through numerous visits we're almost like family.

Catalina transferred to Aspire after about a year and a half of us being there. She came with so much experience and we hit it off right away. She always kept an open communication with us. When things were really hard for us she made sure to check in to let us know she was thinking of us and we were in her heart.

Dr Stegmann is a great doctor who I've referred friends to her clinic. She's enlightened me with so much information as well as given me hope that one day we will become parents. During my first visit I went in feeling as if I was unable to conceive at all and she reassured me that she would get me to that goal.

Be your own advocate. She won't advise any vitamins unless you ask.

Antagonist Protocol: Follistim, Ganirelix, Menopur. I started to over stimulate and we started out with a lower dose and then gradually increased dosage. She went this route thinking I wouldn't need much due to my age.

doctors office 14,000 pgs testing 3,995 IUI 1,600 sperm 1,200 per vial unlimited transfers

She mentioned that because I am pre-diabetic that it would be healthier to transfer one embryo at a time. She was very adamant about transferring one embryo.

Very nice, new and clean clinic. Chic decor and awesome phone charger in the waiting room. It would be cool if parking could be validated every visit lol.. :-)

My Husband and I loved Dr. Stegmann. We have the same personality and sense of humor. That was very important to us that we feel comfortable during this process. She explained everything to us in a way we could understand.. and had a few laughs in the process :-)

Stephanie S was great! I loved her! Very compassionate. I'm an email communicator and she always responded back in a timely fashion. When she let me know she was transferring to a different city, she had the nurse who would be taking over shadow her so she could get to know me and build that rapport. The nursing staff as a whole is great! Linda and Michelle included!

As stated before, my Husband and I felt 100% comfortable with Dr. Stegmann during this process. That was the 1st time we really received answers and an action plan. She was upfront and honest with us. Very optimistic. All 3 of us have the same type of personality, so that made it even better for us. We always had great laughs when we saw her. That is very important.. to feel comfortable.. and not embarrassed to actually need her services.

She has a good personality and likes to laugh. Don't be afraid to connect with your doctor, it makes the process so much better!

We decided that an IUI was the best procedure for us. We took clomid, monitored ovulation cycle, then had an IUI.

I am unsure of exact costs. My insurance is pretty good and covers infertility procedures. I only had to pay my co-pay which was $30 - $50. So please don't make an assessment based off my answer here. Again, my insurance has an excellent infertility plan.

n/a

I don’t know if any weaknesses. Rarely behind on time. Always clean. Always friendly. In and out for lab only visits. All nurses, phlebotomists, and office staff are outstanding. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and available. They return calls in a timely manner and are never concerned about additional questions.

Dr. Elkins takes lots of time to explain. She used language I understand and talked to me like an educated friend. I didn’t feel like she talked over my head or made me feel like I was running through a system. Instead, I felt like I was getting advice from a friend and always look forward to my appointments.

EVERYONE in the office is outstanding. The receptionists, the nurses, care coordinators, everyone. They are all friendly, thorough, and extremely approachable.

She is friendly, educated, laid back but still type A so she gets it when we as women feel the need for control/more knowledge. She is rarely behind and always makes you feel comfortable. She is thorough as you want her to be.

Go with the flow. Ask questions.

Started with clomid and stimulation. Now moving on to IVF in case we want a third and still trying for a second. We can’t seem to time my cycles correctly, so we are moving forward.

Completely average costs for IVF. About $20,000 for the first cycle of IVF/egg retrieval/embryo transfer. IUI and timed intercourse cycles were appropriately priced as well.

She usually recommends one. And some of that is based on body habitus etc. I’m petite, so twins aren’t ideal. If we go through a few unsuccessful cycles we will try MET.

In the past year, Aspire purchased and merged with Houston Fertility Specialists (HFS). Until recently there was no change in care or treatment of Dr.Stegmann's patients until her sudden departure from the clinic - which forced all her patients to transfer to other doctors. The handoff was sloppy, poorly managed and left patients scrambling either mid-treatment or just prior to a cycle start. It nearly jeopardized my cycle timeline and definitely made this already stressful process that much harder.... new location, new doctor, new nurses, new protocol days before cycle start.

Dr.Chauhan took over our IVF treatment a few days before our cycle began due to turnover in the clinic, despite the tough situation he thoroughly reviewed multiple years of test and treatment history to develop a plan for our cycle.

So far so good. too early to elaborate.

We are still early on in our relation5 with Dr. Chauhan. At this point it's too hard to tell. He is thorough, a good communicator and listens well as far as we can tell at this point. Considering he and his staff took me on as a patient just days prior to stims, my treatment was better than expected this far.

Be knowledgeable. Make a point to understand your diagnosis and share your goals and expectations with his (aside from conceiving).

Not at this time.

I am a patient through the Glow Fertility Discount program - they pre-negociated cash discounts on my behalf.

My clinic prefers eSET as a whole, particularly in patients under 35. Considering we would also prefer a singleton, this process makes the most sense for us at this time.

The only weakness I noticed was when I had my d and c I was given much directions on what I need to do right after the procedure. However, when I called they made sure I understood and followed back up with me.

At this fertility clinic they make it a priority to remember the names of each of their clients. So as soon as you walk in the door they greet you by saying your name. The whole staff including the nurses made it feel like a family.

The whole staff was caring. When I was going through my miscarriage the nurse made sure she came to check on me and apologized for me going through what I was. She answered any questions I had and if she didn't have the answer she made sure she found out and got back to me.

Dr. Asemota is a wonderful doctor. She is always open to answer questions and if she is not in the building the nurse would provide her my questions and she would email me the answer and if it was something where I needed to speak to her via phone she would call me. When I went through my miscarriage she called me in the middle of the night to check on me.

Make sure you write all your questions down, because I hated after I left the clinic I thought of a question that I couldn't remember while talking to her.

When I began my IUI cycle the procedure was broken down and a calendar was provided to show me the dates of when I would come back, when I would take shots, etc. I knew and understood every step.

I pay through my app called Glow. The app provided discounted cost.

I didn't do IVF therefore we did not discuss this. However, I'm positive if I went that route everything would have been explained and any concerns I would have would be taken into consideration.

I think this clinic gets everything right. The atmosphere is comfortable and not “clinical” feeling. It feels laid back and normal and that’s what I need when trying to to worry or stress. The waiting room is nice and the fish tank is relaxing to watch while waiting. The rooms are very private with an extra curtain you can close in front of the door. They do blood draws right there in office too so that’s convenient.

She took the time to explain everything easily and genuinely cared about our future plans.

They are all wonderful and great ladies. They truly care about you and remember you by name.

She is great and very personable. She is easy to talk to and relate to. She explains everything very carefully and takes the time to answer questions. I did not feel rushed when talking to her. She also seems very knowledgeable and goes over all the options. I didn’t feel like she was just after my money like the other clinic I went to.

I just did my IUI today. I started on the 3rd day of my cycle taking Femara through day 7. I then did home ovulation tests until positive and then came back in for bloodwork and ultrasound. I did a trigger shot at home last night and had the IUI this morning. Now the two week wait!

I paid through the Glow program. My IUI was $1300

Anything can happen. When it comes to fertility treatments you must be proactive, research, ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask the question “why?”. Clarity is a necessity.

Aspire Fertility Center does not feel like a Doctors office. They care, they’re open and easy to speak with. Dr. Asemota and her tesm are amazing!

Vernita is amazing!

Dr. Asemota has never rushed an appointment with us. She always fully explain everything to us from risk to expectations. She doesn’t listen to respond she listens to understand and explain.

Have a list with all of you questions ready when you arrive to your consult. Also have your records with you. It will make the process easier for everyone.

My Protocol was really simple. I’ll start with the vitamins. (1) 6000IU Vitamin D (2) NeoQ10 Softgel capsules (1) Geritiol Tablet (1) Baby Asprin As far as the heavy stuff I stimmed for 12 days Days 1-3 75IU Menopur & 250IU Gonal F Days 4-6 150IU Menopur & 300IU Gonal F Days 7-12 150IU Menopur &300IU Gonal F & Cetrotide Triggered on Day 13 20 Eggs Retrieved 16 eggs successfully fertilized via ICSI 13 Embryos (10 Day 5 blastocysts 3 Day 6 blastocysts )

I have full coverage with my insurance so our only obligation is our $30 co pay with every appointment.

The clinic really is great! It's a beautiful, calming, and quite atmosphere.

The staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable on our case even if they are not directly involved.

The whole nursing staff is very helpful. They all seem to be up to speed on our case when we call with questions. And if I have a question I usually get and answer within and hour.

Dr. Elkins has been an amazing support for us. When I need to talk to her about treatment or just have general fears or worries about fertility she takes time out to call and talk with me. She doesn't sugar coat things with us. She makes sure we fully understand everything. Dr. Elkins has gone above and beyond to treat us.

Don't be afraid to share your thoughts. She is usually very receptive.

IUI#1- Clomid and IUI- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried at 9wks IUI#2- Clomid and IUI- 2 mature follicles- Chemical Pregnancy IUI#3- Clomid, trigger, progesterone, and IUI- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried 5.5wks RPL testing- Revealed Anitphospholipid syndrome and PAI-1 Cycle 4- Aspirin and tried in our own adding in lovenox at positive hpt.- Chemical Pregnancy Cycle 5- Aspirin, tried on our own and added lovenox at ovulation.- Chemical Pregnancy Cycle 6- Timed intercourse with Aspirin, Clomid, trigger, and lovenox and progesterone at ovulation- 3 mature follicles- Miscarried twins 8wks

These are nice people with spacing in the waiting room so you can talk privately. The clinic is easy to get into and out with parking. For blood work they open at 730am. If you call after hours, make you let them know which state you are calling from. Aspire has locations in several states.

She welcomed questions and i was afraid of being up sold but she nor her staff treated me like that. They are all nice and warm.

The staff is warm and welcoming. They remembered my truck was acting up and asked me about on my next visit. If you use their portal, the respond quickly.

She answered questions and walked me through what we were doing. She let me set the pace. I was not pressured or bully into doing anything or buying anything. I felt welcome. Given that I do not have a partner, she welcomed my mother

You go back a lot for blood work.

There have been up front about the prices and they are on par or below my research.

she said we would talk about that if i move pass iui

Great staff ! The communication by the staff very fast and reliable . Would have liked more information about how to be more healthy and prepare for treatment. Come prepared with questions beforehand to visit.

Little of both

Great communication

Dr Elkins is a great doctor. Her staff is always willing to respond to any questions I had . However, sometimes I feel like I need more information about how I can make myself more fertile and it feels like I have to squeeze those answers out of her. She is compassionate and knowledgeable about what she does. We went to her because she was once a patient of her practice as well . We felt that connection that she knew what we were going through.

Prepare your questions prior to visit

We are preparation to seek IVF treatyfrom her next year

IUI was 1200-1400 for procedure

Nice, comfortable, and clean. Everything in house was convenient. Location of actual office is inconvenient for me personally but that isn’t their fault. Blood work, procedures, therapy, daily visits were all located there.

The dr and staff seemed to truly care about us and our health, physical and mental.

Very helpful and quick to respond if I had any concerns

The whole practice seemed so eager to help us and give us a positive outcome. I never felt like I was annoying or bugging them with a bunch of questions and phone calls. They were helpful in all aspects and provided and one stop shop.

Once you find a clinic you feel comfortable at, stay there.

Based on my previous experience. She decided to freeze the embryos on day 5 and let me body get back to a settled state and prepare for the transfer the following month.

We’re on track or slightly lower than other clinics in the area but provided procedures that would be considered spidered extra at other clinics

I only had one embryo to transfer