Aurora Fertility Services

Strength is that it’s the only IVF clinic in north east Wisconsin, and they allow for a monthly payment plan over the course of 1 year. They also offer a 3-cycle guaranteed plan, which can be paid off over two years, and comes with a partial refund if you do not end up with a child. However, the 3 cycle plan is limited to one year from the start of the first cycle, and retrieval’s only happen if you have no embryos. Weakness, aside from our poor experience with the doctor, the scheduling is not as flexible because there is only one doctor.

I felt like I was treated like a number, because as soon as we had a failed cycle, we were a lost cause and he told us to stop trying. The method of delivering the result of the first cycle was poor, and cold.

We were very pleased with the nursing staff. They were always kind, helpful and organized with us.

At first, my husband and I appreciated his matter of fact attitude. However, when our first cycle went poorly, we were immediately dismissed as a lost cause. In addition, I was given this information over the phone, in a non-compassionate manner. The recommendation was to stop TTC immediately and pursue other options. Thankfully, we sought a second opinion, and I am now 5 months pregnant with a child made from my own eggs, and my husbands sperm. Dr. Wittmaack made us feel as if that was an outcome that could never be achieved.

Be sure to ask questions, and ask the alternatives ahead of time. I.e. - “If this doesn’t work, or we don’t get a good result, what is the next step?” Also, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.

Pretty standard Lupron/follistim/menopure protocol with an HcG trigger. Lab will allow embryo growth to day five or six. Will not freeze or transfer after day 6. Patients are batched, as there is only one doctor.

Flat fee that covered everything up until the pregnancy test. For a slight upcharge (~$1,500) you could add PGS testing.

We did not get any embryos with Dr Wittmaack, so I’m unsure of their policy.

Doctor Shanti, Colleen (the financial specialist) and the receptionists are knowledgeable. The nurses can sometimes be their biggest weakness, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing my care at this clinic.

Doctor Shanti remembered personal details from my life (the fact that at one appointment I said I had a test for school coming up and the next appointment she asked me how it went). At my most recent appointment following laparoscopic surgery she assured my husband and I they would take good care of us several times.

Doctor Shanti’s nursing staff is hit or miss, and they seem to have a lot of them come and go. The ones that have stayed can be rude, but the new ones sometimes don’t cover all their bases. For example, I had an HSG done and I had to call back and remind the new nurse to send an antibiotic prescription to my pharmacy. As another example, I had a well established nurse insist I called and requested HCG results when I never called for such a thing. She never apologized when she realized her mistake.

Doctor Shanti is blunt and to the point. She will ask you multiple times if you have any other questions which can sometimes make you feel as though she is rushing you, but she will stay and explain in detail the answers to your questions.

She is abrupt, blunt and to the point, but it is not in a rude manner. She will take the time to sit and explain things to you if you ask the questions.

I have only had surgery under doctor shanti’s care, but she explained fully what the surgery would be like and what we would do after the results were obtained.

I have great insurance so my OOP cost was almost non-existent.

Wide variety of services offered at one location. Hospital setting is comforting in case something with a more invasive procedure happens to go wrong, although it does share a floor with an inpatient unit.

She's definitely a busy woman, so appointments sometimes felt rushed. There was always the mindset of "what do you want to do" though. She also asked personal questions not related to fertility which was comforting.

Saw a variety of nurses during my care with this fertility clinic and each one was fantastic! Constantly reassuring that things were going well and they would keep me updated...which they did. As soon as test results were available they would call me and let me know what to expect next.

Dr. Shanti is a very knowledgeable physician...you can tell immediately that she has a passion for reproductive medicine and that she's very good at it. I've seen several times in my visits, her rejoicing with families who bring in their "success story children" which makes the environment hopeful. She is very optimistic about results and the quality of care she hopes to provide.

Ask lots of questions...she can answer them!

I came to Dr. Shanti as a transfer patient from a different RE, after already having tried conservative methods such as clomid. My IVF treatment plan was pretty well laid out when she took over my care. However we discussed it in great detail and she gave her input/opinions. My husband and I are a complicated case as we both have fertility issues, so IVF was really our only option that had good potential for success. We are just 2 weeks out from starting the hormone stimulation for our first egg retrieval so no real results to share yet. UPDATE: Our egg retrieval was extremely successful! Using a Gonal-f/Menopur regimen, we were able to collect 16 good quality eggs! 13 successfully fertilized via ICSI and 5 were determined to be healthy day 5 embryos that tested chromosomally normal! We transferred 1 of these embryos via a frozen cycle and got our first ever positive pregnancy test a week later! <3 The first 11 weeks I supplemented with progesterone and estrogen and levels were constantly monitored--3 ultrasounds were performed during this period before "graduating" to normal OB/GYN care. We are currently 16 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby!

We did a shared success program which costs more up front, but covers multiple cycles and transfers. There is a 70% refund if we do not deliver a baby within the specified time frame. Single cycles also available, but the "guarantee" was a nice option to have. Total out of pocket cost between the cycle package, medications, PGS testing, and other miscellaneous charges was about $30,000.

Not discussed with her. We did PGS testing on our embryos and have no history of miscarriage or other reasons to suggest we would have trouble carrying, so single transfer is their protocol in such instances which we are okay with.

The clinic is very responsive to scheduling appointments and accomadating with special requests. It is a clean, friendly facility. It is open according to the patients cycle makes appointments 7 days a week.

I don’l always feel like her staff is organized and provided all the necessary details I needed especially for my first IUI treatment.

For clarification, my earlier comments were decribing Dr. Shanti and team as a whole. I trust Dr. Shanti but I think the staff is a bit unorganized & doesn’t communicate all the necessary instructions needed to be done but do an ok job overall.

I like how she explained everything with the initial consultation and next steps. She is straight forward and doesn’t sugar coat things but she is positive thinking & she does soften when she notices you are having a hard time. I wish I worked with her a little more than always seeing her staff but the staff is pleasant too. I definitely trust she knows what she is doing but she isn’t very personable.

Think about finding a Therapist who specializes in fertility so that can talk to someone who is familiar with your ups and downs of the infertility journey.

Baseline Ultrasound. Letrozole 2 tablets each day for 5 days starting on the Day 3 of cycle. Ultrasound around Day 10 with HCG trigger shot usually that evening. IUI around Day 12. Suppositories starting 6 days after HCG shot. Blood pregnancy test 16 days after HCG.

Initial out of pocket consult of about $545. Insurance covered the majority of everything else.

N/A

The clinic is very inviting and warm. Once you get to the third floor, the environment is calm. The desk is always staffed and they are very welcoming. Any questions on payment is done privately so you never feel uncomfortable speaking openly. The egg retrieval is done just behind the main doors in the waiting area so everything is close by.

The nursing staff was amazing. Dr. Wittmaack is a little awkward but kind and knowledgeable. Anything I did t understand was explained by the amazing nursing staff.

She clearly felt bad we weren’t having any luck. She made sure she was there with me at each visit. She took her time explaining what was expected of us timing wise and made sure we felt confident before we left the office. She always made herself available by phone.

Dr. Wittmaack diagnosed me with PCOS without explaining what that meant. He is quick with explaining things and is slightly awkward when things get emotional. He also surprised me when the second round of IVF failed and showed great compassion. So I suppose he was there when we needed him and he made sure to contact me with any bad news directly.

Ask questions. Sometimes he acts like we should know things but this process is new to so many. I had to seek out supplements in hopes it improve our chances.

We started with pills. Moved on to IUIs with trigger injections. We only did 2 IUIs which surprise me before moving into IVF. I was put on birth control to control my cycle. I took the minimum dosage for injections along with vitamin D and Dhea supplements for healthy cell development. Each IVF cycle had 14 eggs retrieved and 3 ended up blastocysts. Each time we have them tested and each time they all came back abnormal. Which is why we never reached the transfer stage. One of the eggs was slightly abnormal but we decided against transfer because of chromosome 13 being high risk. Each time we had conversations with genetics and they found nothing wrong with my husband and I. Everyone was baffled by our experience.

Ultrasounds, medication, consults

He preferred single transfer if eggs were tested. Otherwise he would transfer two.

The clinic is very private, which is awesome! It's right by a side entrance, a short elevator ride up and you're there. It's clean, receptionists are awesome and friendly. I always felt good being there, like we were getting closer to our baby with each visit.

Dr. Wittmaak and his staff were very kind and thorough with my husband and I. As soon as our first consultation, I knew we were in good hands. They were there for us every step of the process - from teaching us how to inject our hormones to answering all our questions. They gave us hope and took their time with us.

We had Sia for many of our visits - for the consultations and injection training. (She was our favorite.) She was patient and kind and knowledgeable. I felt the whole staff was helpful and kind.

Dr. Wittmaack made me feel very important and cared for. He hesitates between conversations leaving the door open for any questions or concerns. He made us laugh and kept us positive, especially when I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the process.

Ask questions - he gives you all the information you need to know and keeps it simple. I think he doesn't want to overwhelm you and wants you to focus on whatever step of the process you are on before you start worrying about the next. But if you're someone who wants greater detail - ask away! He's very honest and knowledgable.

Because of my husband's pretty low sperm count, we went right to IVF. After an examination revealed I had a great number of follicles in my ovaries he put me on a medication that would work better for me than someone with an average amount of follicles. When my ovaries got pretty big from all those eggs, he decided to freeze our embryos and do a frozen transfer two months after the retrieval so I would not get hyper ovarian stimulation. We were disappointed to wait those extra weeks, but knew it was a good decision and so appreciate him looking out for me in the long term. We did a frozen transfer, which was successful, and they kept me on progesterone shots and inserts until week 11 to support the pregnancy. They are not messing around and want you to have a baby!

We qualified for the 'shared success program.' We paid a specific amount that covered everything but medication and ensured a live birth in three IVF rounds (I believe - the specifics are on their website). If you do not achieve a live birth you get 70 percent of the money back. If felt so nice to have that extra insurance and know if it didn't work we would have a chunk of money back to put towards another means of building our family, like adoption.

Dr. Wittmaack discussed the pros and cons of putting in one embryo or two. He told us about the higher risk of pregnancy complications with multiples, but left the decision up to us. We went with one for our first transfer.

Very good at calling you about test results and returning phone calls. Only downside for me personally are the clinic hours. I live an hour away and work 1st shift which are the same hours of the clinic so its hard for me to make appointments and get off of work for them.

We're in the middle of treatment right now so i cant fully comment on everything, but i feel like i see the nurses more than the doctor. Not sure if that's normal for clinics or not.

Love the nurses here! All very friendly and answer all your questions.

Very good doctor, we have unexplained infertility and we were told what our treatment would look like at our first visit. We started with IUI and if that didn't work we were told they would try the same thing 3 times. Not changing a thing. Hoping it will work out but im a bit hesitant.

Always ask questions if you have any! They explain every detail to you but once you start treatment it becomes a whirlwind.

We were diagnosed unexplained infertility and told he would try 3 rounds of IUI all with the same medication and dosage. Even if they failed he wouldnt change a thing. If that didnt work then IVF is next. We are just starting IUI #1 so i cant really say much yet.

We have no infertility coverage so almost everything is out of pocket. One round of IUI is $1,082 (includes the insemination, sperm washing, and one ultrasound) a progesterone blood draw is $181 and each doctor visit was $370. The only thing covered for us is any bloodwork needed. Which was a lot.

Strength- Higher than average success rate. The financial adviser does a good job of showing you what your options are and how much they will cost (with an estimate on the medication only) Weakness- Only one doctor at this clinic right now so sometimes I think the staff is overworked.

At the start of seeking care from Dr. Shanti I felt like more of a number because all of this new information was thrown at me and it didn't feel like she was willing to take the time to really go through it all with me. Over time she has got way better and I can tell now that she really cares for me and is doing everything in her power to result in a baby. She can be blunt at times which is something I've had to get use to, but she isn't going to suggest doing a procedure unless she thinks it is going to work.

There seems to be a recent turnover of a few nurses resulting in some newer faces. Most of the staff is really friendly and caring. A few of the nurses seem more down to business-like rather than trying to comfort you. There are some amazing nurses who feel like your best friend.

At the start of seeking care from Dr. Shanti I felt like more of a number because all of this new information was thrown at me and it didn't feel like she was willing to take the time to really go through it all with me. Over time she has got way better and I can tell now that she really cares for me and is doing everything in her power to result in a baby. She can be blunt at times which is something I've had to get use to, but she isn't going to suggest doing a procedure unless she thinks it is going to work. One strength about her is that she is dedicated to the patients she sees. One weakness is that she may not always communicate information well because she thinks you already know it.

Don't be put off by her bluntness and make sure you ask a lot of questions if you don't know something.

For IUIs: Was monitored after I got my period to watch how thick my lining was. Took Letrozole. Used a HCG trigger shot. All negative pregnancy tests. For 1st Frozen embryo transfer: Monitored when I ovulated with over the counter predictor kits as I cannot be on regular birth control pills. Once I ovulated I was on 2 weeks of Lupron until I got a period. Then I started Estradial Valerate injections 2x a week. My lining thickness was monitored over 3 weeks. 1 week before FET started progesterone in oil at first just 1x a day then 2x two days before transfer. Resulted in chemical pregnancy. For 2nd FET: On progesterone only birth control until starting Lupron. Taking a low dose aspirin daily. On Lupron for a total of 28 days (some of which occurred while taking other medication. Estradial Valerate injections 2x a week. My lining thickness was monitored over 3 weeks. 1 week before FET progesterone in oil injections were started 2x a day. Results unknown at this time.

For FET monitoring appointments they like to have them done before 11am because there is also blood work that gets drawn at the same time. This allows them to make sure all the results are finished by 4pm.

My cycles have been covered by insurance so far.

She highly recommended doing genetic testing of the embryos and thus has a strong preference for single embryo transfer. She feels the results are better.

All of the staff including the receptions and billing department were so kind and helpful always! The finances rep Leanne was very helpful in explaining cost and the different payment options! The embryologists Heather and Ann Marie were so calm when delivering news, even bad news. They were very knowledgeable and explained a very complicated process to us very well! I could not recommend this clinic more!!

Dr. Wittmaack and his staff were so kind and compassionate throughout our whole process with them! We could not have gotten through this journey without their support. They always had a way of helping to calm me down when I was feeling panicked about various things!!

The nursing staff were so compassionate and patient with us throughout our journey! I asked a lot of questions and also seemed to know the answer! They have seriously almost become our second family! It is clear they care and are very invested in our care and the outcome of our procedures!!

Dr. Wittmaack is a very intelligent provider and truly seems to care about his patients! He explains things well and is honest but gentle with his delivery! I could not recommend him more! When our first egg retrieval failed (no normal embryos) he adjusted meds and we were able to try again with a successful transfer!

Ask questions! This is a big deal so make sure you understand. The staff will answer all of your questions and remember no question is dumb!

For my first egg retrieval he prescribed Lupron and birth control prior to starting stims. I started gonal-f and menopur for stimulation meds. Initially I was not responding to the meds and therefore they were increased! I was at risk of OHSS and was prescribed an oral med but cannot recall the name. I also had a trigger shot the use prior to the egg retrieval. For the second egg retrieval I also used birth control but no Lupron the second time. For stims I started gonal f and menopur. They also had me use cetradtide to help with OHSS and used a Lupron trigger. An antibiotic was given through IV for each retrieval.

If I recall correctly the total cost of the IVF with frozen embryo transfer was about 23,000.

They seemed to have a preference for only transferring one embryo and did educate us as patients and ultimately gave us the choice.

The clinic is a brand new facility with great amenities. Location is very convenient and the hours are very flexible. Don't do the more invasive IVF procedures there which is a downfall..quite a hike to nearest location to do so. Hopefully in the future it will be more all inclusive. Dr Strawn also moves between this location and Green Bay, so there are weeks where he isn't available in person.

Very knowledgeable and willing to answer any and every question. You could tell some of them have gone through this experience personally which was comforting.

He was very straightforward about our diagnosis, test results, and what he believed out next steps should be. At the same time, he was very open to avenues and options we wanted to investigate. He was very knowledgeable and able to answer nearly every question we had. Only complaint we have is that he doesn't do the more invasive IVF procedures where we consulted with him so we had to change reproductive endocrinologist for logistical reasons.

Do research beforehand and have questions ready! He wants to answer them.

Considering we have a dual factor problem, he was confident that our best route would be IVF. We immediately stopped Clomid and worked towards that. It was great he was so straightforward about the idea that other drugs just for me and IUI likely wouldn't work. Saved us time and money. He also did tons of diagnostic labs which made us feel confident we were choosing the right option for us.

High dollar up front consultation, but it went towards my deductible. Whenever possible, they billed services as something other than "infertility so insurance would cover it.

Dr. Strawn did not seem like a big fan of double transfer, at least initially in our scenario. He said that since we were young and otherwise healthy (no hx of miscarriage), there were more potential risks. That being said, if we felt strongly about doing a double transfer, he would've been okay with it. The exception to that being of embryo testing was performed...no double transfers of known chromosonally normal embryos.

This clinic is small which has benefits and drawbacks. Your care is individualized and they really get to know you. However, at times there is a lot of waiting to make appointments since it is a small practice. Once you get started with your protocol it’s fine however getting started takes some time.

Dr Stanti was knowledgeable of my case. She gave me a protocol based on diagnosis and changed it when it needed to be.

I love the nursing staff! They are all very friendly and knowledgeable. They have called with good news and bad news and have been fantastic in both situations. They always provide clear information and instructions to move forward especially if there is a change in protocol.

She is very knowledgeable. She is a fact based doctor. At times she is blunt in her delivery of facts, which I appreciate. She is great at explaining procedures and why they are being done. If anything in my protocol was changed she explained why.

Ask questions. Sometimes Dr Shanti would explain things and it would go over my head as I am not a medical professional. Whenever I asked questions she was more than willing to go back and answer them.

For my egg retrieval, Dr Shanti put me on Lupron, Gonal-F, and Menopur. I was started on a low dose, but my medication had to be increased since I was not responding to the lower dose. I used a HCG trigger shot before the retrieval. We were successful in retrieving 15 eggs. For my FET, I was on Lupron, injectable estrogen, and progesterone in oil. Right before the transfer I was also prescribed an antibiotic, a steroid, and vaginal progesterone. This transfer was successful, however it ended in a chemical pregnancy at 5 weeks.

Monitoring appointments were very easy to get. I needed to schedule them as early as possible due to my job. Most of the time I was able to get the first or second appointment of the day. I barely had to miss any work for my monitoring appointments.

IVF package $13,500 PGS testing $2000 Medication for egg retrieval $8,000 Medication for FET $1,000

Dr Shanti recommended transferring one embryo. We agreed on this decision and were not interested in transferring multiple embryos.

I don't have another clinic to compare it to, but I feel like they are well organized, friendly and compassionate. I do wish you were assigned one specific nurse everytime to gain rapport and comfort ability.

Dr. Shanti is to the point, in that way you can feel a little like a number, but I found her bluntness and direct manner helpful in getting whatever needed to be done accomplished.

The nursing staff overall was very pleasant and compassionate. I had one nurse I didn't really care for, she barely spoke a word to me while she was doing blood draws or ultrasounds, it just made me feel uncomfortable.

Dr. Shanti is very talented and she knows what she is doing, I feel confident with my care in her hands. Her personality is very direct and to the point, knowing that going into her office, don't expect any warm fuzzy feelings. She is confident in her skills and makes you feel like she will do anything to help you.

Go in with your questions written down. Go in knowing she is very direct.

After using medications like clomid and Femara without success with ovulation she knew we needed to use injectable medications, she adjusted my medication as the cycle went on for a planned IUI. Unfortunately with those medications it was challenging for my follicles to reapond appropriately and my cycle got cancelled. She has explained in detail, extensively on what my body was doing and she had a plan for future cycles.

For a consultation it was in the 300-400$ range. For my cancelled IUI cycle it cost about 2500.

Clinics strengths include a private area/waiting room for only fertility patients. The receptionist is always very friendly and knowledgeable. They were easy to contact and you were not left on hold. Weaknesses include poor billing department. They did not give me all my options and I ended up paying much more out of pocket than I should have. They do not give options for outside monitoring versus monitoring treatment in their clinic for distant patients.

I felt they did treat me like a human. The receptionist knew my name when I came in. The nurses remembered my situation each time.

This clinic does not assign a specific nurse so at times you talk to a nurse that you've never met. There were a few very good, knowledgeable, compassionate nurses. There is no way to email them which is inconvenient for the busy person. You must call and receive a call back. They do most of the IUIs and ultrasounds. I got the feeling they were making many of the decisions as opposed to the doctor reviewed results and changing treatments or giving instructions.

Dr. Wittmaack was very nice. I did not feel like he explained the process thoroughly or the "why" for treatments/medications. I felt rushed anytime he was present. He has a hard time comforting the upset patient making awkward jokes as opposed to putting things in perspective. I feel his work up was not complete prior to starting treatments. I did not like that he did not preform all of my IUIs and I did not like that nurses do the IUIs and ultrasounds.

Be your own advocate. Ask many questions.

Letrozole + trigger + IUI

There are no options for the patient that is traveling from a distant location. Either you pay the package deal and have everything done at that clinic or you pay very high costs for individual services. You must pay for every consult every time meeting with the doctor

They're really willing to try and schedule things that work best for you. We had to drive an hour to get to appointments and they were very courteous of that. They were also amazing when it came to setting up payments that worked for us.

The Dr. was really nice. Whenever I called the receptionists were kind. The nurses became family to me.

I can't say enough about the nursing staff here!! Brooke in particular was very understanding as she was also a patient not just a nurse. All the nurses there were so kind, patient, warm, understanding, compassionate, and really became like a family.

From the very beginning Dr. Wittmaack was ready and willing to help. After advising my husband and I that IVF was probably our best route he never pressured us for an answer immediately. We took 7-8 months and when we were ready to try he was there and excited to help us. He would call me himself when something didn't turn out right or for test results. Communication was amazing and much appreciated.

Be ready for one hell of a journey. Dr. Wittmaack will have your back the whole way. But be ready to not always get the answers you want or expect.

I went through 2 egg retrievals. The protocol was different each time. The first one was pretty basic and we got 12 eggs. We opted for genetic testing so at the end we had 1 female egg that sadly didn't take. For the next retrieval he had me take DHA and CoQ10 for 3 months beforehand. We got 22 eggs second time around! Again we did genetic testing and ended up with 4 female eggs to work with. Each one of my transfers were a little different too. Just little things were tweaked like amount and times I took my progesterone injections. And in between there were tests he had me take and do as well to figure out why my transfers weren't working. I can't remember what the test is called where they insert saline solution, I've had done a couple times. And I've also had the test done that's like a mock transfer. I take all the meds and get my body ready for a transfer but instead of transfer he removed a piece of uterine lining to see if when we were doing the transfer was the right time.

We did 2 retrievals and 5 transfers. I don't remember specific prices for specific procedures but I know in totally we paid well over $25,000

For me because of my age we only transferred 1 embryo. We never really discussed more because my husband was terrified of multiples haha!

The clinic has a great billing department that assists with making sure you understand your insurance and costs. The front desk support is also very sweet and considerate. Embryology is also great and answers questions that you may have to call in and ask. Every single person has been awesome to work with!

My treatment was very individualized. Dr. Wittmaack saw me at every appointment and got to know me personally.

They were AMAZING. Totally answered all of my questions even after hours. They encouraged me to call them at any time day or night. They were very compassionate and when I was upset they would give me a big hug and make sure I was okay. I couldn't have gone through this process without their support!

Dr. Wittmaack can be a little hard to understand because German is his first language. He always double checks to make sure I understood the information before I left my visits. He got to know me personally through all of my appointments and always took time to answer my questions.

Ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to reask them to make sure you completely understand your course of treatment.

For IUI I took Letrozle and then a HCG Trigger shot. For egg retrieval I used Lurpon, Gonal F, and Menopur. Birth Control was also used to regulate my cycles. For frozen embryo transfer I used Progesterone in Oil, Estridol Valerate and Lupron. I also took an antiboiotic to help reduce risk of infection at the time of the transfer.

My costs were covered through insurance. Medications were not covered, but for Egg Retrieval they were about $5000.

We didn't do any genetic testing so we were given the option of transferring 1 or 2 embryos. Our clinic gave us information from the CDC on risks associated with a multiple pregnancy. After talking with the Embryologist about the quality of our embryos we ultimately made our decision.

The clinic environment is pleasant and professional, though more difficult to get to due to hospital construction. Be sure to know costs up front as they add up quickly. Once your cycle fails be prepared for not a lot of follow up.

Dr. Wittmaack always took the time to answer our questions and seemed genuinely hopeful and optimistic of our success. With the exception of two of our IUI.s which were performed by nurses I always say Dr. Wittmack for my appointments.

The nurses were always friendly and upbeat. They all knew us by name. I would have liked a more open channel of communication beside the phone during regular business hours for questions though (such as e-mail). I was able to text the donor coordinator once our cycle began and that was appreciated.

I feel that Dr. Wittmaack is a compassionate and caring doctor who always had our best interests at heart. He was honest and forthcoming with what was not always good news. Unfortunately he is an employee of a corporation and I feel that this affected how the outcome of our unique situation was handled.

Do not rush into anything and ask lots of questions. If you are signing anything, make sure to read it thoroughly, ask for copies and make sure that you understand the risks of the treatment you are undertaking.

After 3 failed IUIs we were scheduled to start IVF with our own eggs, however the cycle we were to start my FSH had risen significantly and we decided mutually to go right to donor eggs. From there we encountered numerous setbacks. The first proven donor we we selected from the clinic's donor pool ended up not being available (the donor files had not been updated). Our second choice tested positive as a carrier for alpha thalassemia so we had to see a genetic counselor and my husband had to be tested. We decided to proceed as we had already invested a great deal of money on her FDA testing and psych evaluation. I was put on birth control pills then Lupronef. Our donor was not responding well to stims so we had to pay for additional meds with no notice. Then at my last ultrasound before retrieval we discovered I had a follicle and subsequent blood work showed I was ovulating despite being on Lupron. We had to then freeze for FET. Then disaster happened!!! Our donor went to retrieval. 14 eggs were retrieved; 8 mature, 2 post mature and the rest, according to the embryologist "were just bad eggs." All 8 fertilized with ICSI but by day 3 we had 5 poor and 3 fair. All were highly fragmented. By day 5 we had NO embryos to freeze. Dr. said it was 100% an egg quality issue. This is exactly the outcome we were attempting to avoid by using a donor in the first place! We then had to wait an entire month for a follow up and when I called to schedule it I was told there were no appointments available for over 3 weeks!!! I had to settle for a phone appointment. Dr Wittmaack seemed genuinely devastated for us and agreed to speak to the clinic administrator to see of they would help us out financially by discounting a new cycle or waiving or discounting our current bill (in addition to the 10k plus we had already spent we currently have an outstanding bill of over 10k!). It is not looking good as the financial coordinator said the "we signed and dated the consent forms and we knew the risks." We felt we were rushed through the consent signing and we were not given copies. We were NEVER told of the risk of this outcome. On the contrary we were constantly told how successful their donor cycles are!

Costs added up quickly! There was an unexpected price increase at the last minute with our donor cycle. We paid around 10k for our donor's FDA testing, genetic testing, psychological evaluation and medications beyond our donor cycle fee. We have over well over 20k invested in our donor cycle (including the pending bill) and we never even got to transfer.

I would trust this clinic for any of my fertility needs. I would never look elsewhere for treatment. I cannot think of one single weakness. Even if I received bad news, I always had a positive experience with the clinic.

Everyone knew my name and remembered details about my personal life at each visit. Everyone was incredibly friendly and made me feel like family. I felt like if my cycles failed, they were hurting with me- and if the cycle was a success that they were celebrating with me. I have nothing but great things to say about every staff member that we had the pleasure of working with.

The nursing staff we incredibly compassionate and caring. The communication was always prompt and informative. They felt like family.

Dr. Wittmaack is a gentle, intelligent and caring man. He took as much time as necessary to make sure I understood and was comfortable with the next step. He never pushed us toward a certain method of treatment, always explaining all the options and allowing us to make an informed decision on our own with his assistance. I felt 100% confident in his diagnosis, prognosis and treatment methods and never once doubted his practice- even if the cycle turned out to be negative. I am currently 7 months pregnant with my incredible IVF miracle that Dr. Wiittmaack helped my husband and I to conceive. He and his staff even have plans to come visit the three of us after delivery. I will most definitely be recommending Dr. W. to everyone and anyone who is looking. We are so lucky that he practices near our home.

Relax. He and his staff know exactly what they're doing and they will never let you feel like you aren't important. They will help you make all of the tough decisions and will care for you with world class efficiency. Do not be afraid or nervous. Trust.

After 3 cycles of IUI with letrozole (1 cancelled) that all failed, we decided to move forward with IVF. I have Diminished Ovarian Reserve and damaged fallopian tubes, so we all decided that IVF was the best option moving forward. Birth control pills for 6 weeks 10 units of Lupron for 10 days 8 days of: 225 units of Gonal-F 75 units of menopur 5 units of lupron Following egg retrieval: 2 estrace tablets 2 units of progesterone in oil 11 eggs retrieved 11 mature 10 fertilized 4 made it to embryo stage 2 transferred fresh 2 frozen 1 beautiful baby boy at 7 months gestation

The cost for IVF (one fresh cycle) was $12000 The cost of IUI was about $3000 per cycle

The clinic's strengths is that they are organized and coordinated. They provide a lot of support and consult on your case well. They even had the lab director sit with us in a meeting to go into more detail about our case and what his suggestions are from his perspective. They were able to help us work out a payment plan for our treatment and they communicated well with us. We felt heard and supported overall.

Overall, she did not sugar-coat our prognosis or challenges. She appeared very vigilant about our case, making recommendations and changes along the way to optimize our chances. She was blunt, which we needed, but sometimes it lacked warmth. She seemed to be uncomfortable with my emotions, which invalidated the emotional roller-coaster of IVF at times. However, she still heard my needs and appeared to do her best to meet them. She always answered my questions and provided a lot of hope for us when other doctors didn't. Above all, the hope she instilled in our case was powerful.

The nurses and staff were so wonderful! They were so invested in our case, appeared genuinely happy to see us for each appointment and provided a lot of emotional support. We truly felt welcomed and supported by the staff. They always took the time to explain things to us and check in on how we are doing.

Overall, I liked my experience with Dr. Shanti. She provided a lot of detail to us about our case along the way. She made adjustments to the treatment as things arose. She heard our needs and concerns and sat down to address them. She was blunt in her communication, which was a double edged sword as we needed to be realistic about our chances and progress, but when we displayed or expressed emotion, we sometimes felt invalidated as she appeared uncomfortable with our emotions. She provided us with a lot of hope when other doctors had not. Her hope appeared to be founded in reality and we trusted her. We did get pregnant, but lost it right away. Although the loss was devastating, we did get pregnant under her care and this silver lining supported the hope she instilled within us. Additionally, she encouraged our seeking support of alternative care to supplement our treatment with her (i.e., acupuncture, abdominal massage, etc.), while other doctors seemed either indifferent or didn't support this.

Ask lots of questions. Don't feel like you are burdening the doctors, even if they make you feel that way. It is your right to know everything you can about your case, treatment protocol, results, and what to expect.

We did an IVF cycle before we met with Dr. Shanti. That first cycle with the other doctor failed. However, I responded fairly well to my stimulation, so Dr. Shanti made a few tweaks to optimize those results, but kept most of it the same (I do not remember the details). Our case is male factor infertility, and so she decided to have my husband do a testicular biopsy to get testicular sperm in addition to fresh samples on the morning of egg retrieval (which our previous IVF doctor cancelled his surgery due to finding sperm in his sample on the morning of). She wanted us to get both ejaculated sperm and testicular sperm and do ICSI with both sperm sources on my eggs. However, the biopsy was not successful (no sperm found) and we did not have enough fresh sperm to fertilize my eggs. She decided to freeze the remaining 9 eggs and place my husband on a different protocol with supplements for 4 months before attempting a second round of fertilization. We had good results the second time we fertilized and ended with a strong 5 day blastocyst. She found fluid in my uterus and decided to freeze the embryo and do a FET a few months later after the fluid cleared up. I got pregnant, but lost it within a week. We did not do genetic testing, but she suspects that there may have been a chromosomal issue with the embryo. She highly recommended we do PGS testing the next time we do IVF. She explained her rationale along the way and we trusted all her decisions. In the end, her decisions and tweaks along the way did get me pregnant, which provided me even more hope that I can get pregnant (and hopefully have a baby) in the future. She was very cautious and vigilant with our case and we felt she truly cared about our results. We did not feel like just a number.

IVF was about 10,500, ICSI was an additional 1,500-2,000. Our FET was about 4,600 (in addition to the IVF cost).

She did have strong opinions about the number of embryos transferred. Had we had more than one healthy embryo, she strongly suggested we only transfer one at a time as our case was male-factor infertility and I was young (26 at the time). She felt the risks of multiple pregnancy were too high. However, we only had one healthy embryo to transfer and so we did not have to challenge her protocol. Had we had multiple embryos, we would have wanted to transfer more than one, and would have pushed on this issue with her. However, we did not have multiple embryos and cannot speak to how that communication would have evolved.

I like everything about the clinic except that it is on the same floor as hospital rooms so when I get off the elevator I can see hospital rooms. For some reason this bothers me. However when I go to the right and it in there for fertility area, it is very nice. The front desk people are nice, nurse and they’re nice, and Dr Shanti is good.

Dr Shanti is very blunt & told me I needed to lose weight which was hurtful but also I needed to hear it.

Ali is very kind, understanding, and a good advocate.

Dr Shanti is very honest and very blunt. I think it is good in the situation. It is better to know the specifics and truth. She communicates fast but always asks if you have questions. When I was crying, she did show compassion and it gave me a hug. We are still early on in the process but hoping that I it is better to know the specifics and truth. She communicates fast but always asks if you have questions. When I was crying, she did show compassion and it gave me a hug. We are still early on in the process but hoping that IVF Works I lower your success story. She said we have a 65% chance of it working. Also I like that I have a timeline and know what to expect in the next couple months. It is a long process.

Dr Shanti is very blunt.

We are still here earlier and they IVF process. We start injections on Saturday.

We are actually just getting started on the process I’m not sure… Need to look at paperwork

I liked the clinic since it was inside a hospital. It was a one stop shop for everything you might need. Lab, surgery, embryo storage, all of it was right there onsite. The only thing was that you did need to use an outside pharmacy for medication, but I liked the pharmacy we used.

Dr Shanti got to know me and my husband. She was kind and always talked to us like people instead of treatments. I even saw her in the grocery store well into my pregnancy and she gave me a big hug!

I loved the nursing staff here!! They were always our first point of contact and at times did a lot of heavy lifting in the fertility process. They were knowledgeable and passionate about the work. And they understood that I was a little crazy and needed all of the information all of the time!

She’s very direct and to the point, which I appreciate. But there’s a real warmth and sense of caring about her too! I always thought that I was in good hands and knew what to expect (as much as possible at least).

My treatment was all out of pocket but I was able to set up payment plans and even receive a discount through the hospital system because we didn’t go through insurance. I don’t remember exactly how much everything cost, but I know IVF with medication (egg retrieval and transfer cycles plus storage of frozen embryos) was about $20k

We were encouraged to transfer one embryo because we did a frozen transfer with generic testing and all of that gave us a higher chance for success. We probably could have pushed for two if we wanted to do that, but we felt like one was enough and that way we could keep our other (lower graded) embryos for later transfers

I don't have any complaints about Aurora BayCare Medical Center. I think it is an excellent facility with quality providers.

I was truly surprised at the care we received from Dr. Wittmaack and his staff. They must see hundreds of patients every day, but they always treated us like people and not just another number. Everyone from the receptionist to the nurses and Dr. Wittmaack always acted like they truly cared.

The nurses were amazing. They were always very caring and compassionate. All of them were exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful as well. Struggling with infertility was a pretty dark time in my life, but the nurses always made me feel better. I feel as though they are like family now.

Dr. Wittmaack is so kind and truly wants to help each of his patients. He's very skilled and I trust him completely. He was always very encouraging and optimistic. He always took adequate time with us to answer all of our questions.

Be sure to ask questions to thoroughly understand your course of treatment. Make sure you understand all of the costs involved. Also, try to relax and trust in Dr. Wittmaack and his staff.

We did three IUIs with Letrozole and injectibles during the summer of 2014. This course of treatment was chosen for unexplained infertility. We conceived our daughter on our third IUI in August 2014 and are currently starting this process again (June 2017).

The cost of an IUI cycle is about $2,000.

The clinic is strong in having success, and that's most important. The doctor and nurses are fantastic and compassionate. Sometimes there isn't a lot of flexibility with timing, but that is truly the only weakness I can think of.

I felt like a human, because he was well aware of what was going on in my treatment at all times and remembered our conversations. He genuinely cared about my success.

The nurses are excellent, truly care about your success, and care about you as a person, too. They are available to answer questions. It feels like they become your friends, and you need friends who understand when you're doing IVF.

Dr. Wittmaack was able to make possible our impossible dream of having a baby. I had an excellent first IVF cycle, got pregnant, but sadly miscarried the baby. Due to my age, I wanted to do another egg retrieval cycle rather than FET my other two embryos. I had yet another successful cycle, and our daughter is two months old. I had labs coming back with bad results repeatedly. The results didn't make sense, and Dr. Wittmaack stayed on the case until discovering I had antibodies thar were reacting with the lab assay itself. He is some sort of reproductive endocrinology genius.

It can take awhile to get started, but it goes fast once you are.

My doctor would let me transfer one or two, recommending two due to my age and that my embryos were untested.

They do everything in the clinic and it is welcoming. They should have more weekend hours for when someones cycle starts on the weekend or a Friday. Otherwise they are closed on the weekend.

It just seemed like I was being treated like every other patient. when everyone has different circumstances and outcomes.

They were very good at calling back in a timely manner. But they sometimes got their info confused with a cancelled cycle and which doctor changed things.

Ellen Hayes was very descriptive about what she wanted to do and achieve. But she also made it sound like certain things worked for other patients so it should work for me. I felt to compared to everyone else. She did however confirm my suspicions that my egg quality was not the greatest.

Make sure that you are taking the right dose of medications for your cycle. Make sure she understands your worries.

I don't remember the exact protocol but i was on 450iu of Gonal-g and 150 of Menopur. I was also on Omnitrope and triggered with HCG. The results were still poor egg quality even though on Omnitrope. The embryos that did make it to day 5 were not graded the best so they would not transfer them even though i wanted to.

The costs were pretty standard. The one thing i liked was that they offered a payment plan for those who were paying out of pocket .

I did not transfer any but she aimed more towards a single transfer to help with the risk of multiples.