Brigham & Women's Hospital

Dr. Srouji was a caring, friendly doctor. She took the time to explain the surrogacy process and answer any questions that I had brought with me. She was genuinely excited by our success and wanted to be updated when our daughter was born. She is very busy so there were times that communication as slow, but I understand that just as I am given the time and effort, so are her other patients.

Be patient with the wait times in between appointments/phone calls. Brigham is a busy clinic!

Dr. Srouji created a very specific IVF plan based on my medical issues, and monitored me very carefully, explaining her decisions along the way. We did a very low dose of hormone stimulation with constant US and blood tests to check levels along the way. Our cycle was effective and produced several viable eggs for transfer.

I did all of my monitoring appointments at the local clinic, it was very convenient and wait times were minimal, staff was very helpful.

The total cost for the clinic and hormone meds for our GC was around $10,000

I first saw Dr. Hornstein at the recommendation of a good friend who had seen him for years to manage her endometriosis. I had previously been seen by his partner, but I wanted a doctor who could do both the surgery for the endometriosis and oversee fertility treatments. Dr. Hornstein was very thorough with our initial work up and let us take our time before going to IVF. Dr. Hornstein presented all of the option and let us decide. We wanted to do PGS testing and even though Brigham doesn't recommend it, Dr. Hornstein was understanding.

Dr. Hornstein is incredibly busy and a lot of your care will be done by the nurses/fellows/other REs. If something urgent came up, Dr. Hornstein would call.

4 cycles of clomid - 3 IUIs (one was cancelled) Agonist protocol that was a freeze-all cycle for PGS and to prevent OHSS. Relatively low doses of stims (Follistim - 112.5) and Cetrocide. I used a dual Lupron and HCG trigger.

Monitoring hours during the week were from 6:45-7:45 and by appointment on the weekends. Even when it was crowded, they moved fairly quickly. The results of the bloodwork were available on Patient Gateway within a few hours and you would usually get a phone call that afternoon from the nurse.

In Massachusetts, most fertility treatments are covered by insurance with co-pays. We did pay out of pocket for a few elective things - freezing samples, ICSI and PGS but all told it was under $10k.

I really like Dr. Fox personally and she was very candid on the statistics for success as well as other options. She won't actively put herself in our position and say what "she" would do which I sometimes want her to do, I understand these are very personal decisions and she tries to give us all of the information we need to make the decisions. She is very sensitive to our individual situation and it feels like she is personally committed to us becoming pregnant and having a successful pregnancy.

She doesn't sugar coat but she's very smart and experienced. She'll answer anything you ask, just make sure you ask! It's sometimes hard to get a hold of her outside of normal appointments and she often runs behind so our appointments didn't run on time.

I did 2 patch protocol cycles and 1 micro dose Lipton cycle. I am currently doing my 3rd patch protocol. In both protocols, I was on the highest dose of medication (4 menopur in the morning) and 300 of final-f in the evening. This was because my test results showed a diminished ovarian reserve. The first cycle we had 7 follicles, 5 eggs retrieved and fertilized and all transferred. The 2nd cycle we had 7 eggs retrieved 2 fertilized and both transferred. The 3rd cycle took much longer for stimulation (30 days Vs 12-14 for the first two) and resulted in 3 eggs, 1 fertilized and 1 transferred. All were a negative result. This current cycle Dr Fox and team decided to give us one last chance on the patch protocol since my stimulation was materially better. We are self-pay and while a significant burden we were willing to spend the money on a 4 th cycle before deciding potentially to do egg donation.

11k

Dr. Ashby always treated me like a friend. She was open, compassionate and really took her time to explain my diagnosis and how we were going to move forward with a plan. I had 3 egg retrievals and 0 embryos from all 3 combined. I have Diminished Ovarian Reserve and outlook was looking bleak. She had the difficult conversation with me and my husband about exploring other options like donor eggs or adoption. This was very upseting to us but she gave us examples of couples she had treated in the past who were successful with donor eggs. She never made me feel bad about my diagnosis and was always very positive and said that we will have a baby one day and she was going to help us get there one way or another. She had a gentle bedside manner but at the same time was always very candid with the reality of our situation. She never forced us to move forward with donor eggs. She explained she would continue to treat us and try another protocol but after 3 failed cycles, it wasn't looking good. She also recommended a 2nd opinion just so we could feel good about our decision moving forward.

Trust her advice and opinions. She isn't super clinical but still explains the clinical side of fertility treatments. Ask lots of questions.

I don't remember the exact treatment plan but considering I have diminished ovarian reserve (at 35), I went through 3 very aggressive treatments.

They were pretty efficient for the most part.

My insurance covered the majority of the meds and procedure costs. I was lucky.

She has a strong preference for one embryo transfer. Her end goal is healthy mom and healthy baby.

Dr. Hornstein is an excellent communicator. He seems aware of the power differential between patient and doctor, and actively mitigates it during consultation by listening actively within the time constraints of the visit. By the time I became his patient, it was clear that I likely had endometriosis that previous doctors failed to take seriously as a reason for both my infertility and severe pain. My goals closely aligned with his, which likely made him a good fit for my case (single embryo transfer, plenty of cool down time between failed transfers, aggressive pain management of my endometriosis during the process). I came to him in crisis and feeling hopeless. He validated all of my anger and frustration, and my sens that "something just wasn't right." He had me in the OR within 6 weeks to remove endometriosis and we were on to infertility treatment from there, quickly moving to IVF. His approach is wholly evidence-based, which I appreciated greatly. Dr. Hornstein never did any of my infertility procedures because you get who is on the schedule. But there was never a moment that he wasn't up to speed on my care. I had a lot of setbacks: return of endometriosis, two canceled transfers, two failed cycles, some complications post second retrieval. It was a long road from the start of my care to the MFM hand off once I finally got pregnant (2 years, 4 months), but there was never a moment where I doubted his clinical judgement. I have no regrets about choosing him, and would feel the same way had I not ultimately been successful (my husband agrees). I hesitate to write this because it may identify who I am as a patient, but it's very important. As a woman with a significant physical disability, Dr. Hornstein never once questioned my ability to be a mom. Other doctors had, in ways that were unfounded and not evidence-based. He cared about my disability when it was relevant, and didn't when it wasn't. It's hard to put into words how refreshing that is, as OB/GYN care is particularly challenging due to my disability. He always took the extra time needed for pelvic exams and procedures (HSG, SIS), and collaborated with my physician who cared for my disabling condition when necessary. I would not hesitate to recommend him to any woman with a mobility-limiting disability.

Come in with your questions ready, trust his judgement, be patient with the process.

I do not remember specifics, but I do remember his approach changed with each failed cycle or canceled transfer. We were constantly balancing increased endometriosis pain while during ovarian stimulation. So his approach to stimming was a bit conservative with me. However, we were very much in alignment, going for quality over quantity. I stimmed with GonalF for my first retrieval and got quite a few low quality embryos. He adjusted the approach for the second retrieval, adding in Menopur, resulting in better quality embryos, and my pregnancy.

Very busy at BWH Boston on the weekends. There will be children in the waiting room, so prepare yourself if that is a concern. I did weekday monitoring at Foxborough, and once at Chestnut Hill. Foxborough was, for the most part, a well-oiled machine. But, factor in time for traffic if you are taking 495. The courier service that picks up the blood for analysis at the main hospital is always on time and if you miss the window you are out of luck. No exceptions. As a patient driving in from central MA I often had to just judge by traffic whether I could beat the courier at Foxborough or if I just needed to drive into Boston.

We have a state mandate in Massachusetts that requires private insurance to cover a maximum of six fresh cycles of IVF. IUIs, drugs, and infertility testing are also covered. My daughter is a $200k kid. I paid, maybe $2,000 of that once you figure in copays for office visits, surgery and meds. If you don't live in Massachusetts, my advice is to get here now. No one should have to go broke to have a kid. You're supposed to go broke after you have the kid. ;-)

I opted for elective single embryo transfer because of my physical disability. We were in agreement about that. As the process dragged on and treatment wore me down, at one point I suggested trying two. He was gentle in his reminders of why I chose eSET and I agreed. I did not push back on this.

She goes directly to the point and is very clear about possibilities and scenarios. She was quick to adjust my protocol when she did not get the amount of eggs expected. She is knowledgeable about insurances and will keep contact with other providers to ensure everything is ready

Most treatments were the same, Lupron as well as GonalF. My last cycle where she adjusted the protocol to try to increase the egg yield, she added a birth control patch and Menopur

Everything was covered by insurance, we only had to pay deductible, but I believe a full cycle with retrieval and transfer was around $15,000

I saw Dr. Ashby at the recommendation of a family member who had a successful pregnancy with Dr. Ashby's help. At the first appointment, me and my husband knew we were in great hands. She is direct and knowledgeable, and gives her patients confidence that she is an absolute expert. She thought we would see great results with IVF but our insurance required us to try 3 IUIs with injectables before we could move on to IVF. I was disappointed since I really hoped to start IVF right away, but to everyone's surprise the first IUI worked! We had a complication very early on - when my first ultrasound was performed at 6w3d, it was discovered that my pregnancy was heterotopic, meaning that I had a viable pregnancy in my uterus and a second one in a fallopian tube. The radiologists sent me to Dr. A's office and she saw us immediately. She laid it on the line - I had a perfect embryo in the uterus but the ectopic needed to be removed immediately before it could rupture and put my life in danger. It was something seen more commonly with IVF but not unheard of for IUI patients. She felt that this procedure would not harm my viable pregnancy. Needless to say we were shocked and upset, but she and her staff were great. The moved us to a private room while they made surgery arrangements so we could process what was happening. One of her associates removed the fallopian tube that afternoon. A week later we had another ultrasound which showed a healthy heart still beating. The rest of pregnancy was uneventful and I had my healthy, perfect daughter.

Trust her!

For my IUI we used Gonal-F with ultrasound monitoring throughout, then an HCG trigger when follicles were ready. This produced 2 mature follicles and several smaller ones.

It was covered by insurance so we paid very few out of pocket costs

n/a

She is an excellent practitioner with great bedside manners: She has skillfull hands and is part of a great team. She came to me recommend from several friends (all healthcare professionals). I will recommend her to all my friends who need fertility treatment. Also, as a plus...When I had a miscarriage, the whole office treated me with compassion and kindness.

Ask her to clarify any terms/vocabulary that don't understand. People new to fertility treatment may find that the amount of information shared initially is very dense and overwhelming

I did a low dose AB agonist protocol during the first cycle. While I got 18 eggs retrieved, we had lower fertization rates than expected. Also, the embryo transfer was very difficult because I have a tight cervical opening (which my Doctor hypothesized lead to my uterus to contract post transfer, and pushed my embryo into my Fallopian tube, and causing my ectopic pregnancy). After my failed cycle Dr. Ashby and her whole team met for a "cycle review" and suggested I do the same protocol, with the addition of Menapur, ICSI, and placement of a malencot catheter (to make the transfer easier). This resulted in 21 retrieved eggs, 6 five day blastocysts (they transfered one, and froze 5). The transfer was much more smooth, and I am happy to say we are now pregnant!

Ultrasound and blood work monitoring was very streamlined and organized

My insurance covers 6 rounds of IVF, so I am unsure about actual costs. I paid $75 for all my meds and a $50 copay each cycle

I really appreciated Dr. Ashby's approach. I was working with another doctor before who was very knowledgeable but I felt was almost too timid in her strategy. Dr. Ashby was willing to be a little more aggressive and understand that I wanted results immediately. For each appointment she was up-to-date on where I was in the process and ready to explain the next steps and why. She was very efficient, yet I felt that I had time to ask any questions I needed.

She moves fast and is down to business. If you need someone to go slowly and be a bit more nurturing, I am not sure if this would be the best fit. That said, I would never say Dr. Ashby doesn't care and/or is cold.

I was on Letrozole to help me ovulate and then tried timed intercourse. The first round did not work. The second round we decided to do IUI and that worked! Another round of letrozole and follicle monitoring. There was question about whether or not I had too many mature follicles, but Dr. Ashby felt it was fine to proceed with IUI and I'm so thankful I did.

Insurance covered my treatments so I do not know exactly the costs.

n/a

I adore her. She is the best and you could not ask for better medical and emotional care. I cannot say enough accolades about her! She answered every medical question thoroughly and appreciated that I had done my own research. I felt confident that I wasn't just a number and she cared and was willing to take risks on my drug cocktail to get better results. She even coordinated care for me while I was living abroad so I could come back to Boston for a FET.

She is very busy so use your time thoughtfully. Trust her. She will be candid with you and doesn't care about the stats for her patients. She wants the best result for everyone.

No lupron - antagonist cycle instead since I had had poor egg quality with lupron suppression. We also used some sort of "sweetener" to enhance egg quality. Used gonal f and ganirelix

All paid by insurance except for a CET cycle I had to pay for myself since located outside of USA

The only down side is she was always far behind on her schedule, but it was usually because she had emergencies. She was thoughtful and thorough. She listened to my concerns and responded accordingly.

Make sure you have time for the appointments. As things may take some time.

She recommended to move directly to IVF due to my abdominal pain from endometriosis. She was honest that IUI would not be the right plan for me and would just prolong pain. I started with the pre-treatment testing and then moved to treatment. I started with birth control and then injection for several days with close monitoring via blood work and ultrasound. I had a HCG trigger and then egg retrieval. They then did a 5 day fresh transfer one one embryo.

There were many women in the waiting room and some morning they didn’t have enough techs. This lead to long waits.

I was lucky to have good insurance coverage due to mandatory coverage in Massachusetts.

We participated in a study that required single embryo transfer. If we didn’t participate In the study our doctor still have strongly recommended eset. That recommended was based on my age and experience.

We came to dr fox from another clinic. We had three cycles there and found the dr couldnt answer our questions frequently. We found Dr Fox and she was exactly right for us. She had no problem with me bringing articles to discuss or any crazy questions we had. I had 3 IVF cycles with her before having my son on my 6th IVF. I did 5 more cycles after my son but none were successful. I had positive tests and some embryo growth with no consistent heartbeat. I also had 2 later stage miscarriages, each of which needed a d&c. Dr Fox was always supportive of our decisions whether they were to take a few months off or when to stop trying. She also was careful with my mental health. When I was falling apart about the process she sent me to a specialist therapist to deal with the stress. When I was finally pregnant she encouraged me to go to a high risk ob rather than my regular. It made me feel like she cared about more than embryos and success rates.

Trust her and be honest with her about every concern. She will support you but you need to communicate your needs.

All under insurance.

We did multiple transfers as we were unsuccesful so often. I would have put more in and risk the multiple births but Dr Fox kept us reasonable. I believe we transferred no more than 3 in any cycle.

Dr. Ginsburg is an expert - not necessarily warm and fuzzy, but super fair and helpful and patient. I was seeking a compassionate caregiver, but also one who could help guide us on the right next steps when you aren't always certain what to do. She's no nonsense. Her nursing staff is super sweet. Her administrative staff sucks (bluntly - rude and unresponsive, hard to make apps, etc.). That part can make it difficult. Also, since she is at a hospital, simple procedures like IUI will cost a lot more (need to pay hospital fee vs. just doing it at a clinic). Luckily she pointed this out, so we went to do IUI at the Harvard Vanguard clinic.

Figure out which simple procedures may be cheaper to do elsewhere so you can avoid expensive hospital fees. For IVF, I believe it's the same cost. Also, figure out a way to make appts while you're there so you can avoid having to call their unhelpful staff.

He was very thorough in his testing and in our health history for both my husband and I. We never felt rushed when we had appointments with him, however, he was very hard to get in touch with personally- we spoke mostly to his assigned nurse. I felt like he definitely explained everything to us in a way we could understand, but sometimes the process wasn't always clear to me. I will say, having had 2 prior miscarriages he allowed us to stay on as his patient past the 8 week mark until we felt comfortable being released to our regular OB/GYN, which I was very grateful for.

Write down everything he says, have your questions ready...and make sure you get his nurses direct line for follow up questions. He's very smart and it can sometimes be a little intimidating, but ask your questions until you feel like they were answered in a way you can understand. Also, just know you aren't always going to get him on the phone, so you need to be ok with talking to his assigned nurse.

You definitely had to get to the ultrasound clinic right when they opened, they were on a first come first serve basis and the waiting room was always full. They opened very early so it was convenient for traffic and to get to work on time.

Dr. Fox is a wonderful doctor who cares deeply about her patients and helping them achieve the families they dream of. I liked that she explained all of the medical things I was going to experience. I also liked that she didn't just follow protocol when it came to testing, but also her gut. She also looked out for my financial and psychological well-being.

She has a strong Long Island accent that if you're not used to, takes a little getting used to. Be as open as possible with her so she can use all the information in your treatment.

The monitoring appointments for ovulation/IVF were early in the morning before they opened up ultrasounds to others. It interrupted my morning routine, but it was early enough that I was able to get to work ontime. The window was big enough and there were enough rooms that I didn't have to wait long. The ultrasounds after I got pregnant were scheduled at my convenience.

All of my expenses were covered by insurance except the co-pay

She did want to transfer 2 embryos on my first IVF cycle. I wasn't willing to risk twins and so we had a pretty emotional discussion. Ultimately, though, she listened to me and my needs.

It was my first time as a fertility patient so it was definitely an overwhelming experience. Dr. Y was very practical and knowledgeable. She has a lot of strengths but the office was so busy that there could have been more help for newbies like myself.

Do you research, be prepared as you won't have a lot of individual time with Dr. Y. She cares tho and is very professional and knowledgeable.

Back in 2006, insurance companies were still requiring the 3 IUIs first so that's what we did and my 3rd IUI was successful and now my beautiful daughter is almost 10 :) I was happy that my insurance covered the injectable pen then as it was relatively new and less intimidating than the thicker ones they had then.

I was fortunate that my insurance picked up most of my care.

Dr. Anchan is an extremely caring doctor. He performed surgery on me and I felt fully confident in his abilities despite being nervous about the procedure itself. He’s very knowledgeable about women’s reproductive health and fully answered all of my questions. Despite being busy, I never felt rushed in his care

He is typically running late so keep that in mind, but is worth waiting to see.

This is not applicable to my situation yet

I was told by my insurance that he’s More expensive because treatment is provided in a hospital

This is not applicable to my situation yet

Dr. Ashby is very clear and knowledgeable, and definitely listened to my goals when planning my fertility journey. She was highly supportive of me becoming a single mother by choice. She did some of my procedures including one IVF retrieval. The other IVF was done by the doctor on call that day, who was also great.

Don't hesitate if you think you want to have kids. It may take many tries.

We did 4 IUIs in order to get insurance to cover IVF. First IVF was a high dose gonal f and menopur protocol with 5 day transfer. Second successful IVF was menopur only and 3 day transfer.

Insurance covered most everything except ICSI and donor sperm.

For over 40 the clinic has an algorithm to estimate how many embryos to transfer. I had 3 transferred both times. If I had had more available we would have transferred more for the 3 day fresh transfer. The clinic is good for "advanced maternal age" treatment decisions.

Dr Gargiulo is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate. On my first telehealth visit with him I was anxious and expecting more bad news, but he treated me with respect and educated me about the disease and treatment and the steps to continue the IVF treatment and embryo implementation after the surgery. Dr. Gargiulo made me feel hopeful again that everything would work out a s pregnancy was still an option for me.

It is a long wait for initial appointment and surgery schedule but is totally worth it.

NA

100% covered by insurance

NA

We saw Dr. Fox for a second opinion regarding ongoing fertility issues. After out first visit with her, she made us few confident in the approach she would use to hep us concieve.

She runs late at times, but it is worth the wait. She spends as much time as needed with you. We never felt rushed, and we always had a lot of questions!

She did some Initial testing Amd blood work that she felt was not done previously, and then we proceeded with an egg retrieval using a different medicine and protocol. After my retrieval, we proceeded with PGS testing, at which time 2 eggs came back normal. I then had my first frozen transfer, which resulted in a negative pregnancy. We met with Dr Fox again to review my case. I then had a battery of tests looking for uterine abnormalities, including polyp removal. I did a prep cycle to see how my uterus responded to the medicines in my protocol, and when she was satisfied with that I had another transfer, which has resulted in a pregnancy. I am currently 16 weeks

Rachel Ashby was wonderful. Appointments with her were like talking to a good friend. I felt that she truly cared and was totally honest with us about expectations and outcomes. I cannot recommend her highly enough. When there was a setback in my latest cycle, she phoned me out of hours to reassure me and answer any questions.

She is so popular that it can take months to get an appointment. She is worth waiting for. I made the mistake, in my haste to get in with a fertility doctor, to initially go to someone else. In the long run, that cost me a lot more time. Wait a few extra months to see Dr Ashby, she's totally worth the wait.

Dr Walsh explained things thoroughly and was technically proficient at all exams throughout the process including hysteroscopy, etc, recommendations for genetic testing, the full IVF process. He managed expectations well and mentioned the chances for success.

Ask all the questions you have

ICSI was recommended for male factor infertility hysteroscopy and other testing was performed to rule out female infertility causes

well-oiled machine

covered under insurance

An algorithm was used that said 1 embryo transfer was the maximum allowed, this wasn't really up for debate

Amazing talented doctor from God. From first meeting with him, then later in surgery day and on post-surgery meeting I had strong confident feeling inside of me that its best doctor whom I could trust myself and my health. I did right choice! Knowledgeable, experienced, companioned, attentive. even that human charming smile means so much to us, his patients. I highly recommend him. Dr. Gargiulo is the best!

Do not have doubts, if you chose Dr. Gargiulo, you are in safe hands!

Dr. Ginsburg was very informative and open about our options. She allowed us to ask questions and she provided us clear, thorough information. She was open with us about the risks and her concerns, but also listened to our concerns and wishes.

To be open to hear everything that she has to say, and to be open about your wishes and your concerns. She is flexible and open to working with people.

Dr. Ginsburg has had both me and my wife undergo various evaluations and tests to ensure we have the best plan. Such as HSG, lab work, and meeting with maternal fetal medicine.

13,000 plus 8,000 for medications

We wish she would be a little more flexible with doing multiple embryo transfer.

I have found Dr Ashby extremely straightforward and pragmatic. She listens to what I want, and balances it with her medical opinion. I am a Single Mother by Choice and she has been fully supportive and encouraging of that route to parenthood.

She's very straightforward - if you like that, you'll like her!