Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care
3 doctors work here
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
Annual Cycles
284
National Avg
635
This Clinic
National Avg
00%
20%
40%
60%
<35
35-37
38-40
41-42
>42
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing is not offered
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
3 doctors work here
9.1
Average Doctor Score
Colleen Milroy
Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care
84% strongly recommend
15 Reviews
Christene McDonnell
Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care
100% strongly recommend
2 Reviews
Stacy Shomento
Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care
78% strongly recommend
21 Reviews
This clinic has 2 offices
Billings
760 Wicks Lane
Billings, MT 59105
406-238-2475
Bozeman
925 Highland Boulevard
Bozeman, MT 59715
406-587-9202
36 patient reviews
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Dr. Milroy is wonderful. She took time to answer all my questions and even ordered extra testing for my peace of mind. She spent an hour with us during our initial consultation. Her bedside manner was warm and open. I didn't feel rushed or hurried... Initially we started with clomid and T.I. plus progesterone supplementation(my husband wanted to go slow). After 2 cycles we added a trigger shot. After 4 more cycles we went to a hybrid cycle using cloud, gonal f, trigger shot and progesterone supplementation.
Initial office visit- about 350.00 [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] Seman analysis- about 60.00...Strengths: small, intimate, organized, helpful, friendly...no real financing options to pay for treatments (other than accepting all major credit cards and having "bundle " pricing for iui, fresh transfer ivf cycle, and frozen transfer ivf cycle...The nurses are great at taking time to answer questions and always get right back to you if you have to leave a message. I dislike that the PA hasnt felt it necessary to switch my oral medication from clomid to letrazole even though I expressed concern about the number of cycles I have been on it.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy is wonderful. She took time to answer all my questions and even ordered extra testing for my peace of mind. She spent an hour with us during our initial consultation. Her bedside manner was warm and open. I didn't feel rushed or hurried.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dont be afraid to ask questions or have her explain if something doesnt make sense.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy was super thorough and answered all of our questions. The nurses are great at taking time to answer questions and always get right back to you if you have to leave a message. I dislike that the PA hasnt felt it necessary to switch my oral medication from clomid to letrazole even though I expressed concern about the number of cycles I have been on it.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
We started (and are still on) meds and timed intercourse. Initially we started with clomid and T.I. plus progesterone supplementation(my husband wanted to go slow). After 2 cycles we added a trigger shot. After 4 more cycles we went to a hybrid cycle using cloud, gonal f, trigger shot and progesterone supplementation. We are on another round of that regimen.
The hardest struggle is if I dont produce follicles on the ovary that has a fallopian tube, we dont trigger or use the progesterone and the ovary without a tube is the one that more frequently produces follicles. Out of the last 7 cycles, we have had 3 "successful" meaning I produced follicles on the correct side- but no pregnancies yet. We can go to iui at any point per Dr. Milroy or even fast forward to IVF
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nurses are kind and sweet and take time to answer a million questions. They schedule your ultrasounds for you. They also answer messages in a timely manner, I have never had to wait more than 30-60minutes to get a return call (and usually dont have to leave a message)
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Strengths: small, intimate, organized, helpful, friendly
Weaknesses: small number of clients= lower rates of sucess with ART, no real financing options to pay for treatments (other than accepting all major credit cards and having "bundle " pricing for iui, fresh transfer ivf cycle, and frozen transfer ivf cycle
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Initial office visit- about 350.00
Seman analysis- about 60.00
Lab results- over 500.00
Follicle ultrasound- 176.00/time
Ovidrel shot- 87.00
Gonal F 300unit pen- over 250.00
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Have not had this conversation yet
What specific things went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
No one called us with my husbands seman analysis results, I had to call for them and only spoke to the nurse about them ( I would have preferred the doctor)
Also, I have done research about clomid not being effective after 6 cycles and am concerned about that but the PA seems unconcerned and didnt want to change my hybrid regiman because I am responding well to the clomid and my uterine lining has been within normal limits, though on the lower side (I asked to be put on letrazole or just injections)
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She [Dr. Milroy] has great bedside manner and a welcoming personality. She seems confident that we will be great candidates for DE IVF. She takes time to explain everything to me, and has come up with a wonderful treatment plan for my condition. She has broken things down for me on a real levels made things easy to understand. I'm eager to get started on choosing a donor!... because I have autoimmune disease, she will use a protocol with Plaquenil.
The clinic [Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] isn't the prettiest, or biggest but I trust the medical team there. I consulted with a very large clinic in Portland OR years ago and honestly I just felt like a number there. I dont feel like a number at Billings Clinic.... They always answer the phone, and if they cant get to it, they are quick to reply! They also try their best to answer all of my questions.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
She has great bedside manner and a welcoming personality. She seems confident that we will be great candidates for DE IVF. She takes time to explain everything to me, and has come up with a wonderful treatment plan for my condition. She has broken things down for me on a real levels made things easy to understand.
I'm eager to get started on choosing a donor!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Take a list of questions, and schedule a consult! I dont see how anyone would feel uncomfortable around Dr. Milroy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I have been to clinics where I felt like a number, and believe me I can tell the difference. I know what my infertility problem is, it is a medical condition. Dr. Milroy is treating my medical condition as well, and when we're ready and choose our donor we will choose her to get us pregnant!
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
We havent been able to start yet, but because I have autoimmune disease, she will use a protocol with Plaquenil. We will need to find an egg donor first.
I also know they use ICSI.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
They always answer the phone, and if they cant get to it, they are quick to reply! They also try their best to answer all of my questions.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The clinic isn't the prettiest, or biggest but I trust the medical team there. I consulted with a very large clinic in Portland OR years ago and honestly I just felt like a number there. I dont feel like a number at Billings Clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
My costs will be roughly 21-25k
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
We chatted about transfering one or more and she stated for me, they would transfer one. I am under 40 and have not yet experienced losses.
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I would recommend Dr. Milroy to anyone going through fertility treatment. I always felt like a priority, and I felt that throughout the course of my treatments that my best interests were in mind. She is very knowledgeable and confident in the medical aspect of all fertility treatments. ... Since I only had one embryo available, an ERA test was recommended. I did the test and the result showed that my lining was pre-receptive, so for my FET, 6 days of progesterone in ethyl oleate were used.
One thing I wish that the clinic [Billings Clinic Repro Med] focused more on is the use of supplements and the impact lifestyle and diet can have on the outcome of certain treatments. ... The clinic was very good at explaining the financial details and there were no surprises in any of the costs associated with treatment. There were a few times recently that invoices did not get billed through my insurance, so I had to call and have it run, but things were always taken care of.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I would recommend Dr. Milroy to anyone going through fertility treatment. I always felt like a priority, and I felt that throughout the course of my treatments that my best interests were in mind. She is very knowledgeable and confident in the medical aspect of all fertility treatments. She is great at explaining in detail every step of a particular treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Ask questions and learn as much as you can about the treatments that you are going through and what options are available because she will tell you everything you want to know.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I felt like a human because my doctor always knew exactly who I was and what my situation was. Every time I came in, she was always knowledgeable about my individual case, instead of having to look in my chart to remember things. Phone calls and emails were always returned quickly, and I also received phone calls during cycles in a timely fashion.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
IVF cycle: stimulation with Follistim and Menopur. Follicles slow to respond, so dosage of menopur was increased. Ganirelix was added from day 10 to day 14. Total stimulation days was 14, which resulted in a freeze all cycle. Double trigger was used (Novarel and Lupron). 13 eggs were retrieved, 11 mature, 6 eggs fertilized the traditional way (3 took), 5 eggs fertilized with ICSI (5 took). By day 3, all but one embryo survived, but all were very fragmented. By day 6 only one embryo had made it to freeze. Since I only had one embryo available, an ERA test was recommended. I did the test and the result showed that my lining was pre-receptive, so for my FET, 6 days of progesterone in ethyl oleate were used. During the ERA cycle, I found that I had a reaction to the Progesterone in sesame oil, so the compound was changed. My FET resulted in a miscarriage at 8 weeks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I cannot say enough about the nurses at this clinic. They are some of the most caring people I have ever met. They take everything seriously and always made me feel comfortable and well informed. All phone calls were returned quickly. I received prompt phone calls with updates from my cycles. I also was able to email them with any questions, which were returned quickly. I always felt like they genuinely cared about me as a patient.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The clinic was very good at explaining the financial details and there were no surprises in any of the costs associated with treatment. There were a few times recently that invoices did not get billed through my insurance, so I had to call and have it run, but things were always taken care of. One thing I wish that the clinic focused more on is the use of supplements and the impact lifestyle and diet can have on the outcome of certain treatments. Several times I asked about things that I could do to possibly help the outcome of treatments and was always told that there was nothing that I could do to change anything. They may not have been wrong, but it went against other research that I had found, so it was a little confusing.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The cost of my IVF cycle was $13,500, which included everything except for meds, which were an additional $3-4,000.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
My doctor usually only transfers one embryo at a time, but will make exceptions based on what the patient wants and their individual case.
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Our first IVF cycle [with Dr. Colleen Milroy] was pretty standard from what I understand. We retrieved 20 eggs and I stimmed beautifully but we lost all embryos. Our plan has changed for round 2 a lot and has encompassed 3 additional months of prep work for both myself and husband. Our hope is to overcome egg health, sperm health and sperm binding issues...She is genuine in everything from her explanation of what is happening or going to happen up to her presence and smile. I never feel like she is padding an answer to save my feelings but is delivering good or bad news with compassion and heart. I can't imagine being this comfortable on this journey with any other provider.
Our first IVF cycle [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] was pretty standard from what I understand. We retrieved 20 eggs and I stimmed beautifully but we lost all embryos...All of the nurses we have talked to or met were wonderful. Each one answered any questions or concerns in full detail and even addressed them again when I inevitably called again...and again...Egg retrieval was around $11,000. Medication was around $5,500 with our specialty pharmacy...I understand the reasonings behind the single embryo transfer and the office explained it in totality...
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy is absolutely amazing on every level. She is genuine in everything from her explanation of what is happening or going to happen up to her presence and smile. I never feel like she is padding an answer to save my feelings but is delivering good or bad news with compassion and heart. I can't imagine being this comfortable on this journey with any other provider.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Be honest, ask questions and take home her drawings for future reference.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
The whole office knows my name and never has to ask for an account number or date of birth to look me up. They just know it's me and ask personal questions - "How are you?" "How's the business going?" ect. We also share book recommendations on the regular so it's a pretty neat relationship above all the medical stuff we have to deal with!
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Our first IVF cycle was pretty standard from what I understand. We retrieved 20 eggs and I stimmed beautifully but we lost all embryos. Our plan has changed for round 2 a lot and has encompassed 3 additional months of prep work for both myself and husband. Our hope is to overcome egg health, sperm health and sperm binding issues.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Zoey, Darcy)
All of the nurses we have talked to or met were wonderful. Each one answered any questions or concerns in full detail and even addressed them again when I inevitably called again...and again...
They grieved with me, raised the happiness in the room and support each of our decisions and concerns.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I have absolutely no complaints with any of the facilities we have used in reference to our fertility journey. My family attended my egg retrieval to watch our 2 year old and they found it inviting and helpful in entertaining him. They communicate well from the financial department (CJ) to the nurses to the doctor and even the check in office.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Egg retrieval was around $11,000. Medication was around $5,500 with our specialty pharmacy. I never made it to the transfer stage but I am told that will be $3,500 out of pocket and $500 for medication.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I understand the reasonings behind the single embryo transfer and the office explained it in totality.
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She [Dr. Milroy] was very open and honest with us about my lab results and even took some updated blood work because it had been 6 months. She told us right way about the devastating news that my blood work showed I was producing eggs at a 40 year old or older. This blood work let me tell you was the SAME blood work that was taken 6 plus months prior from my OBGYN who told us that everything was ok!! I'm very thankful that we found Dr. Milroy and was able to move forward with the right treatment. We tried 2 IUIs with injectables with Milroy even though she was open with us about the low percentage of it working. We are now waiting for IVF in June. We have had a great experience so far and I know it will continue throughout our journey.
The injectable medication for the first IUI [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] was around $800 and the rest (procedure, blood work and ultrasounds was around $1000) I had two IUIs done. I just started IVF and the medication I just purchased was $5,142.52...the cost [for IVF] would be around $13,000...You don't have to wait on hold when trying to speak to a nurse, no lines when checking in, and they treat you like an individual. There is about 3 nurses at his clinic and each one is up to date on what is going. They also have a specific billing person who gets back to your questions ASAP.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
When we first walked into the Dr. Milroy's office my husband and I didn't expect to get the answer we received that day. We had been going to my OBGYN who was there for our first pregnancy for almost a year prior before moving on to Dr. Milroy. While visiting with Dr. Milroy she started by going over all the factors that consider you in the category for infertility.. She was very open and honest with us about my lab results and even took some updated blood work because it had been 6 months. She told us right way about the devastating news that my blood work showed I was producing eggs at a 40 year old or older. This blood work let me tell you was the SAME blood work that was taken 6 plus months prior from my OBGYN who told us that everything was ok!! I'm very thankful that we found Dr. Milroy and was able to move forward with the right treatment. We tried 2 IUIs with injectables with Milroy even though she was open with us about the low percentage of it working. We are now waiting for IVF in June. We have had a great experience so far and I know it will continue throughout our journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
That from day one she handwrites, draws pictures whatever it takes to explain the factors that determine your results to be in the category of infertility. She also gave me advice of some medicine to help me keep the eggs I do have left healthy. Dr. Milroy also keeps everything very positive but is also very open and honest about percentages and treatment that is BEST for YOU!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I felt like a human because they got to know us on a personal level! When we call all we have to do is give them our name and they know exactly who we are. We can call at anytime and ask even the silliest of questions. There is no judgement they are there to support to us. So far it has been a great experience.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
From my first visit up until now she recommend me take 1.5 mg of DHEA, 800 mg CoQ10, myo-inositol and a multi vitamin (to keep my eggs healthy). For my first IUI I was doing a shot at night of 75 follistim up until the point of needing the trigger shot. I was also given several ultrasounds and blood work to monitor the growth of the eggs. The same thing happened for my 2nd IUI but they increased my follistim to 100.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
They are all wonderful! When I talked earlier about being able to call and they know you by name that is who I was speaking about. I think the best part is they don't rush you at your visits either. If we have questions and concerns they are all very knowable. I leave the room feeling like my questions were answered and they make you feel like it's ok to ask questions to seek whatever answers you need.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
You don't have to wait on hold when trying to speak to a nurse, no lines when checking in, and they treat you like an individual. There is about 3 nurses at his clinic and each one is up to date on what is going. They also have a specific billing person who gets back to your questions ASAP.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The injectable medication for the first IUI was around $800 and the rest (procedure, blood work and ultrasounds was around $1000) I had two IUIs done. I just started IVF and the medication I just purchased was $5,142.52. I won't be doing IVF until June but they told me the cost would be around $13,000.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I have not done any transfers yet.
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Dr. Milroy was kind and knowledgeable regarding all fertility/infertility issues and treatments. She was honest with all our questions and answered questions in a direct but gentle manner.... Diagnosis was unexplained female infertility, with a polycystic right ovary. A PCOS diagnosis was not given due to not meeting criteria for that diagnosis. The plan given to us was a first steps plan to induce ovulation with more options available if desired. Treatment plan included letrozole, trigger shots, progesterone supplement, IUI, and timed intercourse and a HSG procedure. No pregnancies were achieved with this regimen.
Everything about this clinic [Billings Clinic Reproductive Med and Fertility Care] far exceeded expectation. The care is personal and intimate. We were never treated like number and always felt like our personal information was kept private. The staff is well educated and great at helping patients understand all information given to them.... The nursing staff in this office was exceptional. They always treated us with respect and honesty. They were available via phone and always answered our many questions with detailed answers and did not ever rush our conversations. They would return after hours phone calls promptly.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy was kind and knowledgeable regarding all fertility/infertility issues and treatments. She was honest with all our questions and answered questions in a direct but gentle manner. I have recommended this physician to close friends and will continue to do so.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
As with any doctor, it is important to be open and honest about everything happening in your situation. I would also encourage patients to ask a lot of questions and not feel like a burden if you need more education or help understanding.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
The care given with each visit and phone call was always personal and kind. The staff and doctor were knowledgeable of my specific situation and had good understanding of the treatments and services provided
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Diagnosis was unexplained female infertility, with a polycystic right ovary. A PCOS diagnosis was not given due to not meeting criteria for that diagnosis. The plan given to us was a first steps plan to induce ovulation with more options available if desired. Treatment plan included letrozole, trigger shots, progesterone supplement, IUI, and timed intercourse and a HSG procedure. No pregnancies were achieved with this regimen. Due to a personal decision, My husband and I decided not to go forward with any other recommend treatment.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nursing staff in this office was exceptional. They always treated us with respect and honesty. They were available via phone and always answered our many questions with detailed answers and did not ever rush our conversations. They would return after hours phone calls promptly.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Everything about this clinic far exceeded expectation. The care is personal and intimate. We were never treated like number and always felt like our personal information was kept private. The staff is well educated and great at helping patients understand all information given to them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Some of the costs were covered by insurance, for initial visit, HSG procedure, medications. IUI was not a covered procedure, I do not recall the out of pocket costs associated.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
N/A
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Dr. Milroy was very straight forward and said that this cocktail of drug may help my egg quality but there wasn’t specific research to back it up. ... Dr. Milroy also is a big advocate for mental health and not “loosing yourself” in fertility treatments. She may make a recommendation for you to go to counseling. ... The same goes for the possibility she may ask you to loose weight. ... It felt very supported even though I was very sad about the outcome of the cycle.
Billings Clinic Fertility Clinic’s main strength is it’s size. It’s a relatively small clinic, which means you know every nurse and doctor. ... One weakness of the clinic, is it’s size as well. Because the fertility clinic is small, it only does 6 IVF cycles a year, every other month, beginning with January. ... There is a lady who gives out her direct line to duscuss the exact amounts and she can give you information if you need a loan.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy is very thorough and meticioulous about the treatment plan. She is a good communicator and let’s the patients know if she sees something that may cause a problem. She was very straight forward with explaining the plan of care and how our embryos developed. Dr. Milroy is up to date on infertility research and welcomes any and all questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
My top advice to a new patient of Dr. Milroy’s would be to be open and ask as lots of questions. Talking to Dr. Milroy decreased my anxiety because I knew her answers were accurate and not just what the internet said. Dr. Milroy also is a big advocate for mental health and not “loosing yourself” in fertility treatments. She may make a recommendation for you to go to counseling. Don’t be offended by this suggestion, just know she wants you to be the healthiest you can be. The same goes for the possibility she may ask you to loose weight. I trust Dr. Milroy more than any other doctor I’ve ever had care from. She’s very genuine and knowledgeable. Her passion is helping couples get their miracle baby! You are in the best hands with her as your doctor. Good Luck!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I found out on Mother’s Day that my second round of IVF had also resulted in zero embryos for transfer. Dr. Milroy had personally called me and left me an encouraging voicemail. She told me that she was thinking of me and wanted me to know there was still hope. It felt very supported even though I was very sad about the outcome of the cycle.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
My first round of IVF was a standard protocol. Menopur and Follistim, with Generalix added in the last few days. My second round was Menopur, Follistim, and Lupron. I believe this was a stronger protocol. I also was asked to take DHEA 25mg three times a day, CoQ10 400mg twice a day, and Myoinositol 4gm every day for 90 days prior to my second IVF cycle to possibly improve my egg quality. Dr. Milroy was very straight forward and said that this cocktail of drug may help my egg quality but there wasn’t specific research to back it up.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The IVF nurses are extremely compassionate and knowledgeable. Zoe and Darci were my favorite. Darci actually went through fertility treatments herself to have a baby. I talked to the nurses openly and always felt my questions and conercerns were addressed 100%. The nurses are more than just nurses, they become your friends.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Billings Clinic Fertility Clinic’s main strength is it’s size. It’s a relatively small clinic, which means you know every nurse and doctor. The IVF team itself is very compassionate and thorough. The IVF nurses order you meds two months in advance and do medication training early as well. They try to prevent any surprises. With it being a small clinic, you have to order in donor sperm or donor eggs as well, but the process is actually quite easy and I think you have better options because you don’t have to choose from their own database of donors. One weakness of the clinic, is it’s size as well. Because the fertility clinic is small, it only does 6 IVF cycles a year, every other month, beginning with January. Also, some of my medications came from a pharmacy in Oregon and was overnighted to me. This was a little stressful, but everything went very smoothly. One last word of advice, double check your needle size when you start administering IM shots like a trigger shot or progesterone. It wasn’t the fertility clinic’s fault, but the pharmacy kept giving me 18guage, 1 inch needless; I needed 22guage, 1.5 inch needles.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I think the IVF costs were pretty standard. The payments for an IVF cycle is due a few weeks before your initial ultrasound and blood work. There is a lady who gives out her direct line to duscuss the exact amounts and she can give you information if you need a loan. She seemed relatively easy to get a hold of.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I’ve only had one, 1-5day embryo transfer. I didn’t want to take the risk of multiples, so never really asked to transfer more than one. I think Dr. Milroy would be open to transferring more than one embryo as long as the couple understood the risks associate with multiples.
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She [Dr. Colleen Milroy] sympathized with that, even though she never had to go through any of this. She made this horrible, draining process so much better. Even when my eggs didn’t make it to the end (all arrested on day 6) she made me feel as if it was not my fault (even though every woman going through this knows that is EXACTLY how you feel; that it’s your fault.) She gave me a box of tissues and told me I did everything perfectly, even when I felt like I didn’t. She said she was proud of me, even when I was absolutely defeated and a wits end with myself and my failing body.
I absolutely LOVED our nurses[ at Billings Clinic]. We had Zoey and Julia (and also Darcy, but I only talked to her on the phone but she was amazing too.) Zoey and Julia took amazing care of us. I wish I could talk to them daily, that’s how close I felt with them. The gave me their personal numbers so I could text or call them with questions, I would email them CONSTANTLY. I was probably so annoying with so many questions and concerns and if I took a shot a few minutes late if I was going to be okay, etc. They were just so amazing. They both deserve awards for being such amazing nurses. Dr. Milroy, Zoey and Julia kept both my husband and I sane. And I love them so much.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy was amazing. Through the entire process she made me feel “safe”. If that makes sense. Being 25 and going through this process, pretty much knowing that you have no chance of having a good outcome. But having Dr. Milroy tell me how good my eggs were responding to the meds and how great I was doing with the shots and being so informed on what I was doing, it made life so much easier. Our life was absolutely shattered when we found out I had premature ovarian failure. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a mom. I babysat all through high school/college because I love kids. Dr. Milroy understood that. She sympathized with that, even though she never had to go through any of this. She made this horrible, draining process so much better. Even when my eggs didn’t make it to the end (all arrested on day 6) she made me feel as if it was not my fault (even though every woman going through this knows that is EXACTLY how you feel; that it’s your fault.) She gave me a box of tissues and told me I did everything perfectly, even when I felt like I didn’t. She said she was proud of me, even when I was absolutely defeated and a wits end with myself and my failing body. She made me feel that I could try again, even if it wasn’t with my own eggs. She gave me all of the information without making me feel like an idiot. I knew what happened to my eggs, but she informed me anyways, in the easiest, least painful way possible. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone I could. Even though this process was something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, I am glad I enjoyed the people who took care of me, including Dr. Milroy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
She is a warm, caring individual, but she will tell you the information you need to hear. She told me my odds were low, but that she had faith in me because of my age. Even though I failed, she didn’t make me feel like a failure. You will enjoy her, she is amazing at what she does!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
She made me feel informed and she made it as pleasant as possible for someone being 25 with pretty much no egg reserve.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Dr. Milroy saw my situation and decided we needed to go all in. She got me into the cycle that was starting next and we were in within a month. I took
6 shots a day. 3 in the morning and 3 at night. The shots were Lupron, Follistim, and Menopur. We checked in every other day with the clinic. Everything was looking amazing. My right ovary was growing like crazy, although my left ovary was not. We ended up having to do shots an extra day just to get a little extra growth on my left ovary, even though it didn’t do anything. We then went in for retrieval and got 3 eggs! We were so excited! We didn’t even think we would get one! However, my egg quality was absolutely terrible, so none of them made it. But I personally feel Dr. Milroy did everything she could for me.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Zoey Hallman, Julia Lennick)
I absolutely LOVED our nurses. We had Zoey and Julia (and also Darcy, but I only talked to her on the phone but she was amazing too.) Zoey and Julia took amazing care of us. I wish I could talk to them daily, that’s how close I felt with them. The gave me their personal numbers so I could text or call them with questions, I would email them CONSTANTLY. I was probably so annoying with so many questions and concerns and if I took a shot a few minutes late if I was going to be okay, etc. They were just so amazing. They both deserve awards for being such amazing nurses. Dr. Milroy, Zoey and Julia kept both my husband and I sane. And I love them so much.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Honestly, for being the only IVF clinic for hundreds of miles, they do an amazing job. They are informed on all new technology, the embryologist flew in from NY, and he was AMAZING. He was so nice. I just thoroughly enjoyed the entire clinic. Even the nurses in the “surgery center” were great!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
We paid $9,000 for the egg retrieval and about $4500 for the medications.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I personally never made it to transfer, so I cannot comment on this.
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On our first meeting she [Dr. Milroy] and her staff were so warm and personable. She sat down and drew out (by hand) exactly what we were going to do TOGETHER! She made us feel so comfortable and filled us full of knowledge we have been starving for the last 7 years.... She is absolutely amazing! She loves her job and her patients and it shows! She is very aware on how financially draining infertility can be and she was upfront that they are always looking for ways to help us cut down on the cost.
Billings Clinic is great, I just wished they helped more with infertility financing or some sort of payment plan. As a couple who wants a family, but has a hard time paying for multiple IVF treatments you would hope that they would be able to help you or point you in a direction that can help. We were just told to look on the internet or google it. They are always very clean and professional. They have very up to date equipment.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
She is absolutely amazing! She loves her job and her patients and it shows! She is very aware on how financially draining infertility can be and she was upfront that they are always looking for ways to help us cut down on the cost. She has made everything so far go wonderful and we are hopeful she will help us get pregnant!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Don’t plan on waiting hours, they are the most prompt office I have ever been too! She will also spend as much time as you need!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
On our first meeting she and her staff were so warm and personable. She sat down and drew out (by hand) exactly what we were going to do TOGETHER! She made us feel so comfortable and filled us full of knowledge we have been starving for the last 7 years.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
They only have 2 nurses- so they get to know you well! They are always there to call and answer your questions. No question is too small or dumb. They are happy to be there and listen.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Billings Clinic is great, I just wished they helped more with infertility financing or some sort of payment plan. As a couple who wants a family, but has a hard time paying for multiple IVF treatments you would hope that they would be able to help you or point you in a direction that can help. We were just told to look on the internet or google it. They are always very clean and professional. They have very up to date equipment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Approximately $16,000 for workup, egg retrieval and embryo makeup. $2,00-$5,000 for medications, $1,000 for initial visit, blood work and ultra sound/mach transfer.
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Dr. Milroy is leans more on the side of eSET- it all depends on what grades your embryos get, but she would rather you have 1 healthy baby and come back in a year to get pregnant with another healthy baby.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
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Dr. Shomento really made efforts to personalize our experience with her from the very beginning. She asked us what our goals were, for the consult and long term, how much detail we wanted in explanations of our diagnoses and if we had any concerns with treatments.... At my initial consult I was on cycle day 12. Blood work showed I had an anovulatory cycle so Dr. Shomento ordered progesterone supplement to induce a cycle.
The Bozeman location [Billings Clinic Repro Med and Fertility Care] is the office we are most familiar with. I’d want new patients to know that the office has many resources for them, from nurses that cry with you when needed in sadness and in joy. There are individuals that will help navigate through the ins and outs of insurance so you can get as much coverage as possible for these services.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr Shomento was very direct and to the point in our treatment which we greatly appreciated. By the time our ttc journey had brought us to an RE we knew we wanted someone that would be blunt and tell us what we needed to hear rather than just pacify us and tell what they thought we would want to hear. She always presented information tactfully and respectfully. Finding a weakness was difficult but I guess I’d possibly say her appointments could be scheduled slightly longer but overall we had plenty of time to ask any questions we had.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Bring a notebook to take notes, she is very thorough with her answers and I liked writing her answers down to be able to look back on it later.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento really made efforts to personalize our experience with her from the very beginning. She asked us what our goals were, for the consult and long term, how much detail we wanted in explanations of our diagnoses and if we had any concerns with treatments. We never felt like “just another uterus”, we really felt like she invested herself making sure we had quality care.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
At my initial consult I was on cycle day 12. Blood work showed I had an anovulatory cycle so Dr. Shomento ordered progesterone supplement to induce a cycle. I had one cycle of letrozole 5 mg cycle days 3-7 and I ovulated but did not conceive. Th next cycle I had letrozole 5 mg cd 3-7, dexamethasone 2mg cd 3-14. I had a midcycle ultrasound on cd 12 and also had a trigger injection that same day. 24 hours later I had an IUI procedure using my husbands semen. Dr. Shomento had previously ordered a semen analysis on him and all of his results were within normal healthy levels.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Jess)
Jess was personable and easy going. She immediately helped us feel at ease and made sure we had all the information we needed before we left. She taught me how to inject myself with medications for the trigger shot. Any time I needed to call and leave a message, Jess always returned my call as soon as possible, even staying after office hours some times to return calls.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The Bozeman location is the office we are most familiar with. I’d want new patients to know that the office has many resources for them, from nurses that cry with you when needed in sadness and in joy. There are individuals that will help navigate through the ins and outs of insurance so you can get as much coverage as possible for these services. The staff is phenomenal. The Billings location needs better signage to help patients locate the offices.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Our insurance only covered infertility diagnostic appointments, not actual treatment. I believe we paid approximately $2,000 in costs including hsg, lab work, medications, ultrasounds, IUI and semen prep.
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[Dr. Colleen Milroy] Explained everything very detailed and specific to our situation. Spent ample time and answered questions as they arose. Explained all circumstances even risks associated. Follow up and course of treatment always explained. Felt she truly cared and was ingested in good outcome.... 1st cycle lower doses of meds which ended up changing for second round after failed IVF. After IUI she made quick decision to move onto IVF making it easier to do trusting her with next steps. She knew my limits as a patient and adjusted after first round explaining rationalle..was truthful when things didn't go as planned but always had a plan to move forward.
Feel I know them [the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] better than Dr. Always available, empathetic, knowledgeable and on top of things... Willing to come in on weekends, clean, comfortable, easy check in, all staff nice and helpful Wish it wasnt 2 hour drive but willing to make travel work, ease and flexible scheduling payments easily made and delivered, questions always answered
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Explained everything very detailed and specific to our situation. Spent ample time and answered questions as they arose. Explained all circumstances even risks associated. Follow up and course of treatment always explained. Felt she truly cared and was ingested in good outcome.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Don't be hesitant to ask questions, she allows you to be in charge of your own decisions but educates you along the way.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Great follow up, kind, empathetic, truthful
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
1st cycle lower doses of meds which ended up changing for second round after failed IVF. After IUI she made quick decision to move onto IVF making it easier to do trusting her with next steps. She knew my limits as a patient and adjusted after first round explaining rationalle..was truthful when things didn't go as planned but always had a plan to move forward.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Zoey, Julia )
Feel I know them better than Dr. Always available, empathetic, knowledgeable and on top of things
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Willing to come in on weekends, clean, comfortable, easy check in, all staff nice and helpful
Wish it wasnt 2 hour drive but willing to make travel work, ease and flexible scheduling payments easily made and delivered, questions always answered
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
IUI app 2000 packaged price
Ivf #1 9000 retrieval, 3500 fresh transfer, 3600 meds
Ivf 2 8100 retrieval (10%) discount 2nd round 3500 frozen embryo transfer 600 IRA biopsy 3800 meds
Describe Colleen Milroy's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
She only does single and feels there are too many risks associated with multiples
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I loved seeing Dr. Milroy. She was great at explaining the details and being straightforward and honest with the procedures. She allowed me to have a say in my course of treatment. I was taking supplements that I preferred over the traditional medication and she was okay with that since my bloodwork was good. She listened to me and helped makes sure I really understood everything.... To start we did femara to help egg development and then I would get an ultrasound on day 12.
The clinic [Billings Clinic Reproductive Med and Fertility Care] was well organized, clean, comfortable, and everyone was very friendly. They always responded quickly to my questions and concerns and worked around my schedule and make the whole process very smooth.... Dr. Milroy was very personable and kind. She was straightforward but listened to my concerns and allowed me to have say in my treatment plan.... She was great at explaining the details and being straightforward and honest with the procedures.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I loved seeing Dr. Milroy. She was great at explaining the details and being straightforward and honest with the procedures. She allowed me to have a say in my course of treatment. I was taking supplements that I preferred over the traditional medication and she was okay with that since my bloodwork was good. She listened to me and helped makes sure I really understood everything.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Don’t hesitate she’s great.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy was very personable and kind. She was straightforward but listened to my concerns and allowed me to have say in my treatment plan.
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
To start we did femara to help egg development and then I would get an ultrasound on day 12. If my eggs were large enough I would give myself a trigger shot and then do timed intercourse. I also would take progesterone pills starting a few days after intercourse to help prevent miscarriage.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
They were wonderful.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The clinic was well organized, clean, comfortable, and everyone was very friendly. They always responded quickly to my questions and concerns and worked around my schedule and make the whole process very smooth.
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Dr Milroy is an amazing doctor. She is so easy to talk to and makes sure you understand everything she’s going over. I felt like she really cared about me and my treatments on a personal level. I was very sad the day I had to move on to an OBGYN...After my two miscarriages we continued the regular protocol with estrace and PIO injections but we added blood thinner injection and an immunosuppressant. With that I conceived my twins
My nurse Zoey [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] was amazing. Caring compassionate and will to answer any questions I have even if they silly questions...In Montana we don’t have a lot of options for fertility treatments but Billings Clinic strives to have some of the newest technology to give everyone the best opportunity for success. Very clean polite receptionists and everyone I can in contact with
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr Milroy is an amazing doctor. She is so easy to talk to and makes sure you understand everything she’s going over. I felt like she really cared about me and my treatments on a personal level. I was very sad the day I had to move on to an OBGYN.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Trust her she knows what she’s doing
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr Milroy and her staff were so caring and compassionate during my treatments
Describe the protocols Colleen Milroy used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
After my two miscarriages we continued the regular protocol with estrace and PIO injections but we added blood thinner injection and an immunosuppressant. With that I conceived my twins
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Zoey)
My nurse Zoey was amazing. Caring compassionate and will to answer any questions I have even if they silly questions
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
In Montana we don’t have a lot of options for fertility treatments but Billings Clinic strives to have some of the newest technology to give everyone the best opportunity for success. Very clean polite receptionists and everyone I can in contact with
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[Dr. Colleen Milroy] is a strong communicator and excels at explaining procedures, timelines, and expectations. She is understanding and caring. Dr. Milroy is realistic and evidence based in her outlook regarding unexplained infertility. She helped us regarding our decisions that were influenced by financial limitations and lack of insurance coverage. We continue to work with Dr. Milroy and are thankful to have her as our provider...
25,000 per IVF cycle with PGS testing [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care]...The strengths of the clinic include good access to provider and nursing team. Great communication throughout the process and ample support. Weaknesses: Unfortunately in Montana IVF cycles only occur every other month...Nursing team is excellence. Easy and efficient to communicate with the nursing team. Great level of knowledge, support, and understanding.
How was your experience with Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Milroy is a strong communicator and excels at explaining procedures, timelines, and expectations. She is understanding and caring. Dr. Milroy is realistic and evidence based in her outlook regarding unexplained infertility. She helped us regarding our decisions that were influenced by financial limitations and lack of insurance coverage. We continue to work with Dr. Milroy and are thankful to have her as our provider.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Nursing team is excellence. Easy and efficient to communicate with the nursing team. Great level of knowledge, support, and understanding.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The strengths of the clinic include good access to provider and nursing team.
Great communication throughout the process and ample support.
Weaknesses: Unfortunately in Montana IVF cycles only occur every other month.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Colleen Milroy at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
25,000 per IVF cycle with PGS testing
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
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On my first appointment, Dr. Shomento asked me about my profession and on follow up appointments, not only did we discuss my infertility in depth but we discussed mountain biking and hiking...She is research oriented and was able to back up everything she stated with statistics. In any appointment or phone conversation she made sure I always left feeling comfortable with the plan and knowledgable regarding the situation...responds well to her patients being well informed. If you ask in-depth questions and come prepared you will get a lot out of your appointments.
It is important to know that IVF cycles [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] occur about every 6 weeks. Therefore, at times you might need to wait to do an egg retrieval or transfer. They fly embryologists into MT and therefore all cycles are medicated...[staff] always met me and my partner where we were at and always went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and well informed. 100% a person and never a number...[nurses are] Warm, caring, compassionate, and knowledgable. Anicee and Tanna could not be any better. They are excellent communicators and are super responsive. If they do not know an answer to something they always check with the doctors and get back to you ASAP.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I believe knowledge is power. I came to my initial consult with Dr. Shomento well informed regarding my infertility journey. I also consider myself a very direct individual. That being said, Dr. Shomento is also a direct (a warm supportive type of directness) and well informed (obviously more than me in RE :) individual. That being said, our personalities fit very well. Dr. Shomento is a straight shooter and you never question where you stand in regards to success of treatment and possible barriers.
I showed up to my initial consult with a full fertility work up, HSG, and 6 months of Clomid/Letrozole/IUI's with my OBGYN. In my initial consult, Dr. Shomento had a well thought out plan and was so thorough she answered 90% of my questions before I could ask them. She is research oriented and was able to back up everything she stated with statistics. In any appointment or phone conversation she made sure I always left feeling comfortable with the plan and knowledgable regarding the situation.
Overall, Dr. Shomento always made me feel comfortable and knowledgable regarding my treatment. Daily questions and updates were done with the nurses but anything big and/or difficult to discuss was always done with Dr. Shomento.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Infertility is strenuous both physically and emotionally. In regards to any RE make sure you pick one that is up to date on current research but also one that you connect with and feel comfortable being yourself around. For me that worked with Dr. Shomento. She is kind and compassionate and responds well to her patients being well informed. If you ask in-depth questions and come prepared you will get a lot out of your appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento, Anicee, Tanna, and Christina are a loving and supportive group of individuals. On my first appointment, Dr. Shomento asked me about my profession and on follow up appointments, not only did we discuss my infertility in depth but we discussed mountain biking and hiking .Furthermore, Anicee and Tanna were super responsive and returned emails or telephone calls within hours. While Christina shared a personal story of her and Dr. Shomento, to make me feel at ease and validated after I went through a rough procedure. Once, I was pregnant and released from Dr. Shomento's office I was told to PLEASE text bump pictures and baby pictures to Dr. Shomento and Christina's cell phones as the excitement for me was truly shared by all! Overall, these women always met me and my partner where we were at and always went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and well informed. 100% a person and never a number.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I did one round of IVF with Dr. Shomento. Egg retrieval was the antagonist protocol. At first my eggs were not developing as quickly as they would have liked so Dr. Shomento increased my medication and things corrected. Dr. Shomento noted no need to do PGS testing (due to my age) but I'm paranoid so I did it anyway. Dr. Shomento was right and all embryo's were genetically normal. I also opted to do Endometrial Receptivity test, and was pre-receptive and was recommended to do one more day of medication before my frozen embryo transfer. FET was recommended due to success rates increase and PGS testing. A saline sonogram was also completed. I live in Wyoming and therefore, many of the monitoring and saline sonogram was done by my OBGYN in coordination with Dr. Shomento. Dr. Shomento's flexibility in working with my OBGYN was helpful in reducing travel. Due to the quality of my embryo as well as age I was recommended to transfer one embryo, which took and I am now pregnant.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Warm, caring, compassionate, and knowledgable. Anicee and Tanna could not be any better. They are excellent communicators and are super responsive. If they do not know an answer to something they always check with the doctors and get back to you ASAP.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Strengths: knowledgable, caring, compassionate, and real people.
Weaknesses: I traveled for IVF and did not always have all my appointments in Dr. Shomento's office. Some of my appointments were with my OBGYN and I relied on phone conversations with Dr. Shomento or the nurses for updates. On a few occassions miscommunications occurred which could have altered what I wanted such as PGS testing versus no PGS testing. However, in the end such things were always caught and quickly corrected. I'm not sure how such things could have been avoided but due to the constant contact with nurses/doctors during IVF things always seemed to work out.
It is important to know that IVF cycles occur about every 6 weeks. Therefore, at times you might need to wait to do an egg retrieval or transfer. They fly embryologists into MT and therefore all cycles are medicated. I was upset about this at first but in the end with everything I opted to do it would have likely taken 5 months to complete the IVF process anywhere.....
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
$15,000.00 for IVF cycle (egg-retrieval, monitoring, and transfer)
$6,500 (Medication)
$1,375.00 (PGS testing)
$600.00 (ERA Biopsy)
$1000.00 (outside OBGYN appointments for monitoring etc) (such appointments are not necessary and covered under IVF cycle if you live in MT)
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
In my opinion, Dr. Somento's statement of "one happy healthy baby"... is a great thought process. More babies = more stress on the mother, marriage, and finances. If it works for you to have eSET then overall its the safest option, in my opinion.
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Dr. Shomento was wonderful to meet with. She really took her tie with me, was very thorough, and had a warm caring personality. She also listened, was patient, and allowed me to ask all my written down questions about the lab stats, which I got from Fertility IQ. She was honest and forthcoming with her opinion of me and treatments she'd recommend, and the reasons why. It was not what I wanted to hear, but she delivered it in a direct, but respectful and kind way.
The Lab [Billings Clinic Reproductive Med and Fertility Care] seems more mixed. They had a great fertilization rate, used desktop incubators, and seemed to be doing everything right. However when I asked about how many eggs reach the blastocyst stage she said only 35% of eggs get to there, and more specifically 50% of day 3's get to day 5. That seems pretty low.... The way they billed the appointment for a visit and ultrasound, insurance didn't cover much, and My bill is around $591. I have been to other doctors, done the exact same things, and only had to pay a copay. I'm requesting they re-evaluate the appointment and see if they can code it differently for more coverage, but have not heard back.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento was great. I felt she was caring, kind, a good listener, she was thorough in helping me understand my situation, and was respectful as well. I really liked her, and if the decision for where to do IVF was purely based on the doctor, and their likability, I would hands down go to her!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Do your research ahead of time and come with questions. Expect to spend a good amount of time with Dr. Shomento, who will be straight forward and thorough, and take time answering your questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento was wonderful to meet with. She really took her tie with me, was very thorough, and had a warm caring personality. She also listened, was patient, and allowed me to ask all my written down questions about the lab stats, which I got from Fertility IQ. She was honest and forthcoming with her opinion of me and treatments she'd recommend, and the reasons why. It was not what I wanted to hear, but she delivered it in a direct, but respectful and kind way.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I saw Dr. Shomento for a consultation. She walked me through my numbers and odds of getting pregnant naturally (not good) as well as with treatment. With only one tube, an ectopic pregnancy in my past, a low ovarian reserve, and low follicle count, she pretty much jumped right into recommending IVF as my best option to have success in becoming pregnant. She was also blunt about the odds of likely only getting one egg out of one IVF round, based on only having 7 follicles, but felt very confident that if we did get one, it should implant successfully.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Julia)
I only met with the nurse once, briefly, and have spoken ver the phone with her a couple times, She's super nice, makes you feel like you're a friend, and makes you feel like she's there for you.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Dr. Shomento and her nurse seemed excellent. They were likable, patient, good listeners, experienced, etc. The Lab seems more mixed. They had a great fertilization rate, used desktop incubators, and seemed to be doing everything right. However when I asked about how many eggs reach the blastocyst stage she said only 35% of eggs get to there, and more specifically 50% of day 3's get to day 5. That seems pretty low.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The way they billed the appointment for a visit and ultrasound, insurance didn't cover much, and My bill is around $591. I have been to other doctors, done the exact same things, and only had to pay a copay. I'm requesting they re-evaluate the appointment and see if they can code it differently for more coverage, but have not heard back.
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
She suggested only doing one embryo transfer with me, which makes sense, since I am young and have a healthy uterus, and would rather not end up with twins.
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the plan [with Dr. Christene McDonnell] is for a medicated IUI with a baseline ultrasound, Letrozole on CD 3-7, then another ultrasound around CD 10 or 11 followed by a trigger shot when ready (Ovidrel) and IUI immediately following...has a way of maintaining open communication and always being open to explaining things more than once if needed...is very pleasant to be around and is obviously very knowledgeable. However, we found that sometimes her explanation of treatment plans was lacking certain details. More than once we had to call back for further explanation, especially when plans changed.
I've dealt with a few nurses during my visits [at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care] and they've all been pleasant...One of my follow-up blood tests was completely lost. They did not even realize it until I called asking about my test results and they were unaware I had even come in to have my blood drawn...I'm grateful to have this facility and the doctors in our small community. Pro - they have a private nurse line and typically get back to you within the same day with answers to your questions. Not really any cons at this tim
How was your experience with Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Christine is very pleasant to be around and is obviously very knowledgeable. However, we found that sometimes her explanation of treatment plans was lacking certain details. More than once we had to call back for further explanation, especially when plans changed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Come prepared with questions and make sure to take lots of notes! You'll be overwhelmed with information and it's important to make note of everything.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Christine has a way of maintaining open communication and always being open to explaining things more than once if needed.
Describe the protocols Christene McDonnell used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
We have not been through a full cycle of treatment yet, but the plan is for a medicated IUI with a baseline ultrasound, Letrozole on CD 3-7, then another ultrasound around CD 10 or 11 followed by a trigger shot when ready (Ovidrel) and IUI immediately following.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I've dealt with a few nurses during my visits and they've all been pleasant.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I'm grateful to have this facility and the doctors in our small community. Pro - they have a private nurse line and typically get back to you within the same day with answers to your questions. Not really any cons at this time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I've only had many appointments and blood tests and haven't reached a full cycle of treatment yet. Keep in mind that costs differ depending on insurance and coverage. I'm on a high deductible plan that covers all infertility diagnostic testing and visits (so, all out of pocket costs towards my deductible), but any artificial procedures will not be covered. Doctor visits tend to be around $169/ea (before insurance) after your initial consult ($248 for 1st visit). Blood tests ranged quite a bit so I can't say for sure. HSG was $1140 (after insurance) through BDH and a separate $183 charge through Billings Clinic. I've been told each follicle scan will be around $176/ea, the IUI procedure will be $284 and sperm prep is $175, and meds will be separate. There are other costs but those are the basics.
Describe Christene McDonnell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Lost results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
One of my follow-up blood tests was completely lost. They did not even realize it until I called asking about my test results and they were unaware I had even come in to have my blood drawn.
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I feel like Dr. Shomento cares about me and my partner, and she wants our treatments to work out. I think she works very hard. She is kind and professional and explains things very well....She gave us hope - meeting with her was the first time we could breathe it felt like in months....Dr. Shomento and her staff are the kindest medical professionals I have ever encountered - that first visit is scary for anyone facing infertility to make, BUT - its the best decision I ever made.
The nursing staff [Billings Clinic] are wonderful. When I had a question and had to leave a voicemail, they always got back to me the same day.... Their financial coordinator was fine and perfectly helpful. They have a good online platform where you can see your scheduled appointments and other info, and that was nice.... IUI was about $1,500 per cycle. IVF was $20,000, with medications. Our insurance didn't cover anything, and we are lucky that we can afford it.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento is an absolute blessing. We are lucky to have her here in Montana - especially because there aren't a lot of options when it comes to fertility care in our rural area, yet I consider her to be the very best. I would feel lucky to be her patient even if I were in a big city and had dozens of doctors to choose from! I feel like Dr. Shomento cares about me and my partner, and she wants our treatments to work out. I think she works very hard. She is kind and professional and explains things very well.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Please, just go see her sooner rather than later! We were terrified of seeking out treatment by an expert - and we wasted a lot of time (and money) trying to figure things out with my regular OBGYN (especially because we have "unexplained" infertility). Infertility really does require a specialized skill set and tool box - and its something that I have been surprised that regular OBGYNS and GPs seemingly know next to nothing about.
Dr. Shomento and her staff are the kindest medical professionals I have ever encountered - that first visit is scary for anyone facing infertility to make, BUT - its the best decision I ever made. Infertility is the hardest and most painful thing I've ever gone though, and you basically have to go through it feeling pretty isolated and scared and feeling constantly like a failure - but both my husband and I felt like we finally had someone to help us when we first met with Dr. Shomento. She gave us hope - meeting with her was the first time we could breathe it felt like in months.
Even though I have been going though all kinds of treatment and surgeries since that first visit with her - NOTHING has been as hard as desperately treading water (and being heartbroken month after month after month) for the years before we had help and a plan. I love Dr. Shomento and her staff and can't recommend them enough.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr Shomento and her staff are very kind and caring. I always felt like they felt my treatment was important to them.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Clomid IUI, IVF, hysteroscopy
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nursing staff are wonderful. When I had a question and had to leave a voicemail, they always got back to me the same day.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I haven't had a lot of interaction with the clinic, really. Their financial coordinator was fine and perfectly helpful. They have a good online platform where you can see your scheduled appointments and other info, and that was nice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
IUI was about $1,500 per cycle. IVF was $20,000, with medications. Our insurance didn't cover anything, and we are lucky that we can afford it.
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She [Dr. Stacy Shomento] was thorough and extremely personable through the entire process. I never doubted her ability or decisions as she is very knowledgable and up to date on the latest studies regarding infertility...available 24/7 through all treatments to answer questions (even silly ones!) and provide details on what was happening with my body. When our first FET ended in a miscarriage she was the first person to call and send her condolences and give me a pep talk about how we would move forward. She continued to tell us that we WOULD have a baby, and that it was not a matter of if, but a matter of when. I felt like she was invested in treating my infertility and our dream of starting a family.
They [nurses at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Care] made this very difficult and scary time much easier and always put my mind at ease. I was in communication with someone from their office almost every day for nearly 3 years and they worked hard to maintain a positive attitude and relationship the entire time. Jess is hilarious and is a breath of fresh air with her comedic view on infertility. The other Jess (there are 3 I believe!) also went through IVF so it was nice to get advice and hear tips/tricks to make the process easier.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento is the best! She was thorough and extremely personable through the entire process. I never doubted her ability or decisions as she is very knowledgable and up to date on the latest studies regarding infertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
See her as soon as you can! Dr. Shomento restored our hope for a baby when we were about to give up. Also, stay organized! The appointments and medications can seem overwhelming. Utilize pill organizers, reminders on your phone, and a good calendar to help keep everything on track.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento and her team of nurses were phenomenal! There was not a single time that I felt like a "number." Everyone was so supportive and positive while maintaining a realistic approach to treatment. Dr. Shomento was available 24/7 through all treatments to answer questions (even silly ones!) and provide details on what was happening with my body. When our first FET ended in a miscarriage she was the first person to call and send her condolences and give me a pep talk about how we would move forward. She continued to tell us that we WOULD have a baby, and that it was not a matter of if, but a matter of when. I felt like she was invested in treating my infertility and our dream of starting a family.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Treatment began with an HSG and blood work to see if there was a simple reason why we had not conceived...everything came back normal.
4 IUIs using Letrozole...we are young and this was the least invasive, best first step...no luck.
Laprascopic surgery to look for endometriosis...I was having all of the tell-tale signs of endometriosis and it would explain why our IUIs were unsuccessful...no endometriosis found so we talked about our next steps, IVF.
IVF Cycle begins! I responded too well to the injectable medications...we got 48 mature eggs but I also developed Ovarian Hyperstimulation. Our cycle turned into a freeze-all cycle due to the over stimulation. Dr. Shomento used ICSI and we got 7 beautiful embryos to freeze at day 5.
Frozen Embryo Transfer #1 (May)...we got pregnant, but found out that the embryo did not develop properly and there was no heartbeat detected...ended in miscarriage.
Frozen Embryo Transfer #2 (September)...we got pregnant and now have a beautiful baby girl!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Jess)
Jess, and all of the staff at Dr. Shomento's clinic including the financial advisor, were amazing! They made this very difficult and scary time much easier and always put my mind at ease. I was in communication with someone from their office almost every day for nearly 3 years and they worked hard to maintain a positive attitude and relationship the entire time. Jess is hilarious and is a breath of fresh air with her comedic view on infertility. The other Jess (there are 3 I believe!) also went through IVF so it was nice to get advice and hear tips/tricks to make the process easier.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The clinic is just as amazing as the doctors and nurses! Everyone was welcoming and willing to answer questions. The facilities were updated and very clean! I was surprised that they remembered my husband and I and were able to greet us by name even though we had only met the receptionists twice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Insurance mostly covered infertility treatments and medications...we have spent about $25,000 out of pocket for odds and ends that were not covered, and to meet out of pocket maximums.
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Dr. Shomento recommended a single embryo transfer because of the high quality of our embryos and my age (which is on the "younger" end of patients doing IVF). We are so glad that we took her advice and only transferred a single embryo as I do not think my body would handle multiples very well.
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She [Dr. Shomento] is not judgemental and is a wonderful doctor to work with. She is very caring and compassionate...stated that, if we really wanted to, we could continue with IUI, however, statistics did not show any improved chances with our type of infertility. The ball was left in our court to decided if we wanted to proceed to IVF. When we decided to move forward with IVF, Dr. Shomento put me on a birth control pill to regulate my cycles and Metformin to help improve egg quality. Once we began the IVF treatment, she adjusted my medications, as needed, based on my hormone levels. We will know more in 2 weeks whether or not this all worked. The retrieval has been completed and we will be doing the transfer in the next few days.....
Jessica [nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine] was so pleasant to work with! She is easy-going and likes to laugh. She is very compassionate and caring...Very friendly staff, good communication, for the most part. Just make sure to ask lots of questions. They do their best to provide as much information as possible, but I'm sure it is difficult to provide information on all the aspects of fertility treatment since there is so much variation from person to person. They are good at responding to emails and voicemails within the same day, but don't always expect to be able to speak with someone right away unless it is urgent.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I have been so grateful at Dr. Shomento's willingness to explain everything. I tend to ask a lot of questions and she never made me feel like I was asking too much or that they were stupid questions in any way shape or form. She has been very compassionate and understanding. I have felt comfortable with her from day one. I especially loved the fact that, on the night of my trigger shot, she gave me her cell phone number to call if I had any questions or concerns... My trigger shot was at midnight. I ended up having a concern and she promptly responded. I felt bad for contacting her so late at night, but she did not make me feel like I was interrupting anything (ie sleep). She was super helpful and made me feel good about contacting her with my concerns. How many doctors are willing to do that?!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Just be open and honest with her every step of the way. She is not judgemental and is a wonderful doctor to work with. She is very caring and compassionate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento is very caring and thorough, willing to answer any questions and makes herself as available as possible. Her nursing staff is excellent too! I have nothing but good things to say about all of them!
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
We started with a plan to do IUI with the assistance of fertility drugs, after a consultation with Dr. Shomento. Although she did not do the IUI (another doctor in her office did) Dr. Shomento was there for guidance. After the IUI did not work, we took some time off from trying to conceive to assess what our next step was. Dr. Shomento stated that, if we really wanted to, we could continue with IUI, however, statistics did not show any improved chances with our type of infertility. The ball was left in our court to decided if we wanted to proceed to IVF. When we decided to move forward with IVF, Dr. Shomento put me on a birth control pill to regulate my cycles and Metformin to help improve egg quality. Once we began the IVF treatment, she adjusted my medications, as needed, based on my hormone levels. We will know more in 2 weeks whether or not this all worked. The retrieval has been completed and we will be doing the transfer in the next few days.....
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Jessica Estrada)
Jessica was so pleasant to work with! She is easy-going and likes to laugh. She is very compassionate and caring.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Very friendly staff, good communication, for the most part. Just make sure to ask lots of questions. They do their best to provide as much information as possible, but I'm sure it is difficult to provide information on all the aspects of fertility treatment since there is so much variation from person to person. They are good at responding to emails and voicemails within the same day, but don't always expect to be able to speak with someone right away unless it is urgent.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The IVF treatment was separate from the fertility drugs. They offer a package price for all of the IVF treatment rather than billing each individual process separately.
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Dr. Shomento left the decision to us. She presented the pros and cons of each choice base on my age, etc.
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I did a medium stim protocol and didn’t do as well as they doctor [Dr. Stacy Shomento] thought I would going into it. Used ganirelix, follistim, menopur, and triggered with hcg and lupron. Retrieval of 10 follicles, 8 mature ended the cycle with 2 frozen blastocysts... Dr. Shomento was always very professional and took the time to explain everything. She was very matter of fact about what she thought our best course of action would be for conceiving. She provided me with her cell phone number in case any questions arose during treatment and the clinic was not open
Clinic [Billings Clinic Reproductive Med and Fertility Care] shares their office with ob/gyn office so surrounded by lots of pregnant people which is sometimes hard for those struggling to conceive. All office staff are friendly and quick to get you checked in... Medications for stimulation alone cost about $5000, $10000 for egg retrieval and all the ultrasounds performed beforehand. Will pay another $3500 for frozen transfer. Also had to travel 3 hours for apts and still receiving bills for lab draws.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento was always very professional and took the time to explain everything. She was very matter of fact about what she thought our best course of action would be for conceiving. She provided me with her cell phone number in case any questions arose during treatment and the clinic was not open
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Both doctor shomento and her nurses always treated me with kindness and were always available for support or to answer questions.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I did a medium stim protocol and didn’t do as well as they doctor thought I would going into it. Used ganirelix, follistim, menopur, and triggered with hcg and lupron. Retrieval of 10 follicles, 8 mature ended the cycle with 2 frozen blastocysts
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Julia and Jessica are awesome nurses and always had a smiling face and made everything a little bit easier.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Clinic shares their office with ob/gyn office so surrounded by lots of pregnant people which is sometimes hard for those struggling to conceive. All office staff are friendly and quick to get you checked in.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Medications for stimulation alone cost about $5000, $10000 for egg retrieval and all the ultrasounds performed beforehand. Will pay another $3500 for frozen transfer. Also had to travel 3 hours for apts and still receiving bills for lab draws.
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Planned fet for November 2018 doctor Shomento plans to transfer 1 embryo due to my age and overall health but did give option of 2. Dr prefers to do just 1 as to avoid the risks of a multiple pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
- Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Mailed my initial consult paperwork back to the clinic but they never received. We were early enough for our apt and the receptionist helpful enough to get everything done with no problems.
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Ask a lot of questions, she [Dr. Christene McDonnell] is always happy to answer...Since we were dealing with male factor infertility and pcos, she suggested we start with IUI. IUI uses techniques that are beneficial to assisting our case. After the first cycle was not successful, she adjusted my medication. Unfortunately, IUI was not the answer to our infertility treatment...very vivacious, compassionate and caring. She always seemed excited to see me, although, each time, she would say "I hope we don't see you again". Meaning that hopefully the treatment would work.
The nursing staff [at Billings Clinic] was always prompt in responding to my calls and questions. I usually received a call within the same day. The front desk staff was friendly as well as the in-house phlebotomists. The doctors were always great in answering my questions, no matter how many I had!...Julia was helpful and compassionate. Personality-wise, I did not connect with her as well as I did with another nurse, but Julia was always very friendly and happy to help with anything!
How was your experience with Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Christine was super friendly and explained things very thoroughly. Even though our IUI treatment was not successful, she was always positive and upbeat which helped me with my disappointment. Christine is supportive and compassionate with her patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
You will love her! Ask a lot of questions, she is always happy to answer.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Christine is very vivacious, compassionate and caring. She always seemed excited to see me, although, each time, she would say "I hope we don't see you again". Meaning that hopefully the treatment would work.
Describe the protocols Christene McDonnell used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
Since we were dealing with male factor infertility and pcos, she suggested we start with IUI. IUI uses techniques that are beneficial to assisting our case. After the first cycle was not successful, she adjusted my medication. Unfortunately, IUI was not the answer to our infertility treatment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Julia)
Julia was helpful and compassionate. Personality-wise, I did not connect with her as well as I did with another nurse, but Julia was always very friendly and happy to help with anything!
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nursing staff was always prompt in responding to my calls and questions. I usually received a call within the same day. The front desk staff was friendly as well as the in-house phlebotomists. The doctors were always great in answering my questions, no matter how many I had!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christene McDonnell at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The costs were a little confusing at first, but made more sense as we went along. It might have been helpful to see a price list of each type of treatment, or offer some kind of inclusive package.
Describe Christene McDonnell's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Did not apply during Christine McDonnell's treatment
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This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
Our experience with Dr. Shomento (and her entire team) has been stellar since we began working with her earlier this year. I believe she is trustworthy, and she sets up realistic expectations while still being reassuring and optimistic. She makes herself available via text message for any questions that come up after hours, which was an incredible relief to me as I tend to run a bit anxious! We have had only one setback in our plans so far, and she handled it with compassion and helped us understand why we were changing the course of treatment. I have not had any negative experiences with Dr. Shomento or her clinic.
I don't know if most clinics operate this way, but [Billings Clinic] IVF cycles only occur every other month. Having a detailed calendar ahead of time was very helpful for me, so I could plan work and my life around the clinic's schedule. If you live in Bozeman and are going to that clinic location, it's important to know that procedures like the egg retrieval and embryo transfer take place in Billings. Our experience was you will need to take an entire day to be away for those things.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Our experience with Dr. Shomento (and her entire team) has been stellar since we began working with her earlier this year. I believe she is trustworthy, and she sets up realistic expectations while still being reassuring and optimistic. She makes herself available via text message for any questions that come up after hours, which was an incredible relief to me as I tend to run a bit anxious! We have had only one setback in our plans so far, and she handled it with compassion and helped us understand why we were changing the course of treatment. I have not had any negative experiences with Dr. Shomento or her clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I highly recommend taking her recommendation of working with a mental health counselor who specializes in infertility counseling. It has made a world of difference for me as we have gone through this process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento treated me with compassion, professionalism, and kindness. She always made time when I had questions or needed clarification. She helped me feel reassured during a very stressful time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nursing staff was awesome! No constructive feedback for them at all.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
I don't know if most clinics operate this way, but IVF cycles only occur every other month. Having a detailed calendar ahead of time was very helpful for me, so I could plan work and my life around the clinic's schedule. If you live in Bozeman and are going to that clinic location, it's important to know that procedures like the egg retrieval and embryo transfer take place in Billings. Our experience was you will need to take an entire day to be away for those things.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
$13,500 for the IVF cycle (including ICSI insemination). This did not include the cost of medications.
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Dr Shomento is personable and very easy to talk to. She explained the treatment procedure and reasons behind her decisions. During transfer and retrieval she also answers text messages directly to her...I was referred to Dr Shomento after I found I had severe endometriosis. On my first visit we were recommended to try IVF right away... In the end, we decided to stick with her for IVF treatment and are so glad we did. She is friendly, compassionate, and collaborative. I appreciate her in depth knowledge and services she is able to provide.
I think the quality of care [at Billings] could rank nationally.... Treatment does require travel but appointments are quick and on time. Transfer and retrieval are both done in billings...The nursing staff is funny and really easy to talk to. One nurse has even gone through IVF herself so it was easy to ask about her experience and recommendations. They were very organized with all the paperwork they have to fill out and pharmacies they have to communicate with
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
I was referred to Dr Shomento after I found I had severe endometriosis. On my first visit we were recommended to try IVF right away. We were new to infertility world so I didn't know much about it, only that it was very expensive. After that diagnosis i aso visited a naturopath to see if there were other ways around IVF. We also looked into IVF abroad. After a year of no success we went back to Dr Shomento. We asked her thoughts on abroad IVF. She said she would support us if we made that decision but with all the steps involved it would be a lot of travel. She was willing to work with another doctor, too. We also asked if we could try IUI first. She told us upfront that success would be really low with my endo. In the end, we decided to stick with her for IVF treatment and are so glad we did. She is friendly, compassionate, and collaborative. I appreciate her in depth knowledge and services she is able to provide.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Be prepared with questions ahead of time. Appointments are long and she will give you the time if you have enough questions to ask
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr Shomento is personable and very easy to talk to. She explained the treatment procedure and reasons behind her decisions. During transfer and retrieval she also answers text messages directly to her. Her colleagues and coworkers are also personable and friendly. They are funny too!
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I did IVF only. With severe endometriosis they started me on 30-day lupron, then birth control up to ovary stimulation injections. I had maybe 5 ultrasound and blood tests to monitor egg growth and a saline uterus check and practice retrieval. I triggered with HCG and then had egg retrieval in Billings 36 hours later. I was put under for egg retrieval and had no nausea or sickness afterwards. I was told immediately when I woke up how many eggs were retrieved. The next day Dr Shomento called with a fertilitization report and next steps. We changed from a possible frozen transfer because of high progesterone to a 3-day fresh transfer because of a low number of embryos. I had two 7-cell by day 3 and one 4-cell we were hoping would grow to freeze. Doc gave us picture of two 7-cells and transferred both to increase chances. I was awake for transfer and watched the two embryos go into uterus. It was really exciting to watch. The 4-cell did not make it and I'm currently waiting for a beta blood test to tell results of two transferred embryos
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The nursing staff is funny and really easy to talk to. One nurse has even gone through IVF herself so it was easy to ask about her experience and recommendations. They were very organized with all the paperwork they have to fill out and pharmacies they have to communicate with
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
There aren't a lot of options in Montana, but I think the quality of care could rank nationally. Although, I've never been to another clinic so I can't compare. Treatment does require travel but appointments are quick and on time. Transfer and retrieval are both done in billings
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Around $13,500 for IVF and another $4000 for meds. Also costs for lab work that insurance didn't cover
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
We did not ask that ahead of time. We were just hoping to get something because even though I'm young my ovaries are not because of endometriosis. Stats say we should have transferred 1 but she put both in because of the 3-day transfer to increase our chances
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Dr. Shomento is a wonderful doctor. She is not only extremely good at what she does, she has a great bedside manner and makes herself incredibly available to her patients. I had a lot of bleeding in early pregnancy and at least two instances where I thought I had miscarried. She took my phone calls and responded to my texts (she had provided me with her cell number) at all hours and got me in on a weekend to do ultrasounds following bleeding episodes to check on the fetus.
The clinic [Billings Clinic] was fine. It wasn't outstanding in the same way as Dr. Shomento and her staff were, but they did a good job of scheduling, getting me in in a timely manner, and facilitating the excellent care I received from my caregivers there.... Approximately $14,000 for the entire IVF procedure (stimulation, retrieval, ICSI and transfer, plus followup care), and approximately 6,000 for drugs, although I got a significant discount on the drugs through a discount program my clinic helped me apply for and my insurance covered most of the remaining cost of the drugs.
How was your experience with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento is a wonderful doctor. She is not only extremely good at what she does, she has a great bedside manner and makes herself incredibly available to her patients. I had a lot of bleeding in early pregnancy and at least two instances where I thought I had miscarried. She took my phone calls and responded to my texts (she had provided me with her cell number) at all hours and got me in on a weekend to do ultrasounds following bleeding episodes to check on the fetus. After I had transferred care to my OB, she texted me to congratulate me at 12 weeks and checked in following my due date to see if the baby had been born and how we were doing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Don't hesitate. Use her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care?
Dr. Shomento and her staff were wonderful. Warm, caring, willing to take as much time as necessary to explain things, and supportive of my anxiety about the process and during early pregnancy. I had frequent bleeding during early pregnancy and Dr. Shomento gave me her personal cell number and responded to texts and phone calls - sometimes late at night - when I was going through this difficult time. Her nurses responded to all of my emailed questions and worries. They were truly amazing and went above and beyond any experience I've ever had in the medical community.
Describe the protocols Stacy Shomento used in your cycles at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care and their degree of success.
I was on Cetrotide and Menopur during the stimulation phase. I do not remember the doses, which in any case were adjusted during the process. I know I responded well enough to the medications that she lowered the doses during the stimulation phase to avoid ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome. Following retrieval I was on doxycycline, progesterone, Medrol, and cabergoline prior to embryo transfer, which occurred on day 5. Fertilization was completed via ICSI because my husband had had a vasectomy and had to have sperm surgically retrieved. Following day 5 transfer (2 embryos) I was on 1mg of progesterone per day and estrogen patches, changed every other day (not sure of dose). Prior to stimulation and throughout my first trimester I also took 81mg of aspirin daily. Prior to stimulation I had a uterine polyp removed by Dr. Shomento in preparation for IVF and at the same time she did some kind of scoring of the uterine surface, which was supposed to make it more susceptible to implantation.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care. (Assigned nurse: Not sure but saw Jessica Estrada most frequently)
Jessica Estrada and all of Dr. Shomento's nursing staff were wonderful. Jess in particular was funny, compassionate, endlessly patient with my anxiety and questions, and incredibly available via both phone and email.
Describe your experience with Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
The clinic was fine. It wasn't outstanding in the same way as Dr. Shomento and her staff were, but they did a good job of scheduling, getting me in in a timely manner, and facilitating the excellent care I received from my caregivers there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Stacy Shomento at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
Approximately $14,000 for the entire IVF procedure (stimulation, retrieval, ICSI and transfer, plus followup care), and approximately 6,000 for drugs, although I got a significant discount on the drugs through a discount program my clinic helped me apply for and my insurance covered most of the remaining cost of the drugs.
Describe Stacy Shomento's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Billings Clinic Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Care.
NA - She recommended multiple transfer based on my age and I followed her recommendation to transfer 2 embryos.
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