Columbia University

In our first appointment with Dr. Forman, he provided a thorough overview of Columbia's fertility clinic and the typical diagnostic tests a new couple undergoes before starting treatments. He also went through what the typical path would be to go down (although everyone will be different). Dr. Forman provided plenty of detail on the various procedures and types of medication and answered questions we had about outcome probability and risks of treatment. He asked lots of questions about both my and my husband's medical history, and also made an effort to know more about us on a personal level. After bloodwork and other diagnostic tests, it was decided the best course of action would be to start with IUIs. After the first one was successful, we decided to try another IUI given I had responded well to the medication. We were unsuccessful again on attempts 2 and 3 and decided to move onto IVF. We started IVF with about two weeks of medication and while my follicles were a little slow to start growing, there were plenty to proceed with the egg retrieval procedure. We were excited to have fertilized eggs a day after the procedure, unfortunately, none of the fertilized eggs made it viable embryos and our first cycle was over. This was upsetting and disappointing but Dr. Forman spent an hour on the phone with me after sharing the results walking through what could have caused that outcome and providing reassurance that he was confident that we could have success with another round. We agreed to take a month off and then try again. Dr. Forman tweaked our protocol slightly for round two and it seemed like my response to the medication was better this time around. After the egg retrieval, we had 8 fertilized eggs, 5 which made it to the Day 5 blastocyst stage and 4 which came back as good after being sent for genetic testing. Dr. Forman shared the news with us on Valentine's Day evening (which on top of being Valentine's Day was a also Sunday - he really does care about his patients!!) and we couldn't have been more grateful for such good news that day. We did a medicated transfer cycle a month later with our highest-quality embryo. While we did get pregnant based on the early bloodwork after the transfer, our levels were low and Dr. Forman was realistic about the chances of the pregnancy being viable. Ultimately we experienced a biochemical pregnancy which was devastating to us. Dr. Forman was understanding and compassionate while also giving us hope that we still have good embryos left and that there was a good chance the next try would work. For our next transfer, Dr. Forman suggested we try a natural cycle which involves no medication and closely monitoring my own cycle to time the transfer with ovulation. We used a trigger shot to ensure the timing of ovulation. This second cycle worked; early bloodwork looked promising and continued on the right trajectory and an ultrasound two weeks later confirmed the pregnancy and we saw the heartbeat. At 9 weeks we "graduated" from Dr. Forman's care and he helped us find an OBGYN to allow us to continue our care with Columbia.

Know you are in good hands and ask any and all questions you have - Dr. Forman will find time to get you the answers you need

IUIs: Clomid + Trigger Shot Retrieval Round 1: Started on birth control; Follistim + Low Dose HCG; Ganirelix; Lupron + HCG trigger Retrieval Round 2: Clomid; Follistim + Menopur; Ganirelix; Lupron + HGC trigger Medicated Transfer: Started on birth control; Estrogen + Progesterone injections Natural Transfer: Progesterone suppositories + trigger shot

Dr. Forman is supportive of elective single embryo transfer

After 2 failed embryo transfer of chromosomally normal embryos and a panic attack we met with Dr K. During our 1st consult she was very patient, professional and proactive- she took notes of my medical history, went through all my scan and reports, asked us abt our fertility goal ( which I had completely given up on), and also gave us an egg retrieval protocol. She knew exactly what I needed for good results. she was very positive abt my case and had a plan- we decided to do 2 egg retrievals as I have DOR and want 2 kids and she strongly suggested me to take Lupron for 2 cycles- due to endometriosis and adenomyosis- clearly it was long journey but she was totally on our side and knew how to get us the results. very next cycle we started ER protocol and despite low follicular count and DOR got 3 embryos. we took a break of 2 cycles, while we were figuring out a possible Infectious disease issue. Then we did 2nd ER and again got 3 embryos. the very same cycle I took first lupron shot. by then my endo pain was getting worse so we decided to diagnostic laparoscopy. Again Dr K helped us find the right surgeon and worked very closely with our surgeon to maximize our chances of successful transfer. Dr K was always more positive abt our case then us. She is very efficient and knows what she is doing. Every second I was in her care I was her number one priority. She decided to do a Mock transfer due to the position of my uterus and made a decision to do my transfer under anesthesia, by this point we trusted Dr K blindly and did what she said- we knew she would never take any shorts or do conventional practice, her plan was tailor only for me. I was vey nervous for the transfer but when I saw Dr K I could relax and calm down my nerves went in the transfer room the whole experience was very positive and I we got pregnant the same cycle. I know only Dr K could have got me pregnant because she understood how my case was different and was willing to think out of box.

plz trust her. she knows what she is doing. plz let her know your expectations and tell her how you feel abt your struggles. She will go out of her way to make your journey easy. Her positive vibes will make you believe in your dream to become a mother.

Dr K suggested Estrogen priming for my case she was right that cycle I did not get a lead follicle. For stimulation we used menopur and follistim. I think I took ovidrel for trigger shot. Although we got only 9 eggs( due to DOR) we got 3 embryos on day5. protocol was the same for both cycles and resulted in total 6 embryos. when I took lupron she strongly suggested me to take add back with it and that was blessing, without add back my lupron days were not livable. Infact with lupron + add back I was very energetic and productive. for transfer I took estrogen vaginally and progesteron in oil.

our first ER was covered by insurance 100%. 2nd ER was completely out of pocket- abt 10 k and transfer was covered by insurance.

she preferred single embryo transfer.

We have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. K. Not only is she an attentive and compassionate person but she is also extremely competent as a doctor. We never felt rushed during our appointments and she was responsive and thorough when we had questions. She knew our case inside and out. We ran into a variety of obstacles due to my diminished ovarian reserve and egg quality issues and she adjusted our protocol accordingly - at each stage we had better outcomes than the last. Throughout our travails, she was consistently positive/optimistic yet also realistic about the possible outcomes. If we decide to have more children in the future, we absolutely plan to continue on with Dr. K and in the interim we will highly recommend her to friends and family who encounter their own struggles with infertility.

Our advice is not anything specific about Dr. K - we would advise new patients that this process is very likely to take longer than you anticipate and to adjust your expectations accordingly.

We tried for 6 months before seeking out a reproductive endocrinologist (by that point I was age 36). During that period, I had two miscarriages. I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve and Dr. K also suspected that I had some endometriosis. My husband had low sperm morphology (2%). Our sequence of treatments was in part based on our insurance coverage which required at least three rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF. As such, we did three IUI cycles – the first one natural (no additional drugs) and the second two medicated – one with clomid and one with letrazole. We had a chemical pregnancy with the first and the second two were unsuccessful. From there we moved on to IVF. Thankfully, our insurance covers three retrievals/transfers (what luck/privilege as we could not go forward otherwise). Because of my diminished ovarian reserve, we planned to do all three retrievals back to back for batching before moving on to a transfer. 1) First Cycle: Meds: 225 gonal; 225 menopur; cetrotide starting day 9 of treatment. Unfortunately, I was unresponsive. I only produced 2 follicles and Dr. K switched us to IUI instead of a retrieval. The IUI was unsuccessful. 2) Second Cycle: Meds: 150 gonal days 1-8 --> 225 gonal starting day 9; 150 menopur; clomid days 1-5; cetrotide starting day 7 of treatment. This cycle I produced more eggs and went forward with the retrieval. 8 were retrieved, 7 mature. Unfortunately, most of the eggs had empty zona pellucida (which is the outside shell). As such, only 1-2 were able to be fertilized with ICSI. None made it past day 3. 3) Third Cycle: Meds: 150 gonal days 1-5 --> 225 gonal days 6-8 --> 300 gonal days 9-11; 150 menopur; letrazole days 1-5; cetrotide starting day 9. This cycle 10 were retrieved, 7 were mature, and 5 were fertilized with ICSI. Of those, 2 became day 5 blastocysts and 3 became day 7 blastocysts. We sent them out for genetic testing and the first two tested normal. We planned to take a month off before our final retrieval and somehow, by some miracle, I got pregnant naturally and am just starting my second trimester (fingers crossed). We have one more retrieval covered by our insurance and tentatively plan to go forward in the future (with Dr. K). In the meantime, our two “good” blastocysts are on ice for the future.

We had incredible insurance coverage (IUIs and IVF meds were fully covered, IVF was covered at 75%). We are waiting on bills for our second IVF retrieval but I believe that we ended up paying $1,300 out of pocket for our first retrieval as well as a handful of $20 copays here and there. I believe we will be paying approximately $100/month for frozen embryo storage.

We have yet to get to the transfer phase with Dr. K.

Dr. K always welcomed me with a warm smile. She has a very strong bedside manner. In fact, I noticed that she greets everyone in the clinic by name when she comes in each morning. I felt like I was in excellent hands because she would tell me all of the statistics and even mentioned how some of the statistics were slightly different for African-American women (I'm African-American). At each appointment, Dr. Karipcin would explain next steps, remind me to stay optimistic. She didn't shy away from explaining potential complications that might arise due to my endometriosis and fibroids, but she would always remind me to focus on the positive and that we would deal with any complications as they might arise.

Be sure to share all of your concerns. Dr. Karipcin will address each and every one of them. At one of our first appointments, I came in with a list of questions and concerns. She didn't let me leave until I'd written down notes/answers to each one of them. At one particular appointment, I cried while waiting to get my blood drawn. Dr. Karipcin and Nurse Varda set with me to alleviate my fears while in between patients.

We did two round of IVF. Our regime consisted of was Gonal F, Menopur and then Centrotide. The trigger injection was Ovidrel and Lupron. Our first retrieval yielded about 8 eggs. The second retrieval yielded 15 eggs. Our IVF rounds were relatively close together (Oct/Nov 2019 & Dec 2019), the insurance company approved it and we wanted to complete them before Christmas. We did the recommended genetic testings for the embryos. So, now we have a total of 6 chromosomally strong embryos that can be transferred. Our original transfer date was postponed due to Covid. So, we did a transfer in May 2020. I am currently 16 weeks pregnant.

The morning monitoring hours worked well with my teaching schedule. It was very organized as well.

The majority of our treatment was covered by insurance. In fact, we didn't proceed until we knew it would be covered as "in-network." I usually only had to pay the co-payment. The cost of the IVF medications were not fully covered by insurance but they are now covered in New York State.

Columbia University Fertility does not do multiple embryo transfers. This is very clearly explained in the paperwork that you have to sign prior to embarking on the IVF journey. They are also clear to reiterate this around the retrieval dates. I agreed with Dr. K's approach. Due to my age at the time (36), fibroids and endometriosis, multiple embryo transfers were not recommended. Neither my OB/GYN, Fibroid surgeon, nor Dr. Karipcin recommended multiple embryo transfers.

Dr. Rudick is very professional and knowledgeable. She never pushed me to do something I was not ready to do, and let me set the pace of my treatments. When I decided to take a short break between cycles, she was very understanding. She is also very straight forward and matter-of fact with results and reasons for those results, and she doesn't sugar-coat, which I appreciated and which added to my trust of her. When I received bad news after a few cycles back to back, Dr. Rudick sent me a very nice email and I felt that we were in this together, working toward a common goal. Although Dr. Rudick was not always available at every visit, all of the doctors and nurses at Columbia were pleasant to work with. Before and during each procedure, Dr. Rudick would explain each step in detail, which helped ease my anxiety. I felt very cared for by her and the team at Columbia.

I would tell her that she is in good hands, to trust the process, and to ask a lot of questions to ease anxiety and understand all of the details and risks. At points, it can seem like there are no answers and it is all trial-and-error, but with each cycle, more information is gathered that will lead you toward the right treatment for you.

After several tests, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, which can be very frustrating. We decided to try IUI first. The first cycle of IUI was with Clomid, which was not successful. The Dr. switched me to Letrozole for the next three IUI cycles. I felt a lot better on Letrozole (much less bloated). Unfortunately, these cycles all resulted in biochemical pregnancies. We met with Dr. Rudick to discuss next steps, and she recommended IVF with genetic testing as she suspected a chromosomal issue in the embryo was the cause of the biochemicals. We proceeded with this recommendation, which produced two normal embryos. We transferred one of the embryos and this resulted in a positive pregnancy.

Fortunately, I had fertility coverage under my health insurance. I did have to pay some costs out of pocket up to the deductible. I also had to pay for the embryo freezing and the Genetic Testing separately, these were not covered by insurance. All in, I feel that I paid close to $8,000 out of pocket in total.

Dr. Rudick recommended transferring one embryo at a time, to avoid a multiple pregnancy. We agreed on this course of action.

Dr. Forman listened to my concerns and is very good with first time IVF patients. Nothing was too small for his attention and he’s always doing his best for you. He consistently went above and beyond for me the entire time I was in his care. A perfect example of this was when I had expressed how much I wanted him to perform the actual IVF procedure rather than another doctor from the clinic. The day of the procedure, it wasn’t guaranteed that he could make it but he rushed to the clinic and made it happen. I actually teared up when I saw him. These things mean the world to women who have no control over their bad fortune.

I do not have a uterus but still have my ovaries. IVF, creating and freezing embryos and using a gestational carrier was the only strategy. It was all pretty straight forward for everyone. I declined using birth control because I had LH test strips to tell me approximately when my first day of cycle would be. He then monitored my blood work until we knew when to start everything. My injectables were Menopur, Gonal F & Cetrotide.

Dr Brady is everything we were looking for. When something wasn’t working she altered the treatment to correct the outcome. She is attentive, caring and intelligent. Previously we had poor interactions with a fertility specialist so it was refreshing to encounter someone of her quality.

Use her!

Originally we thought we may be having genetic issues as we had previously miscarriages where there was genetic abnormalities. We did one round of IVF which ended in a miscarriage. However there wasn’t any genetic abnormalities, everything was going well and then it stopped. Dr Brady altered her strategy and sent us for another possible test. Turns out the issue we have is blood clotting issues. We are currently on love box which is making everything go as planned.

Costs were minimal. PCG testing was out of pocket.

Dr Brady explained how the chances of multiple embryo chances increases the possibility of having twins. While our issue was not conceiving but carrying to term. She said that it would be best to test the embryo and select which one.

Dr Forman is caring and is always there for you throughout your journey. He is excellent at explaining scientific and medical terms in digestible manner so that even a person distant from medical field can clearly understand the procedures. He does not sugar coat but sets realistic expectations and stays positive and reassuring during the process. He listens to his patients and seeks for the solutions best suitable for them. He always acts with utmost professionalism and provides exceptional care.

We first had 2 IUI rounds with Clomid which did not result in pregnancy. We then decided to move to IVF and had 2 rounds. I responded well to medications so both rounds had the same protocol (Gonal-F+Menopur+Lupron+HCG). The first one yielded 4 embryos but only 1 was good after the genetic testing. This was disappointing for us since we hoped to have more embryos that we could freeze. We had a second round of IVF which resulted in 4 good embryos after the genetic testing. We then proceeded with the natural transfer which resulted in active pregnancy.

Most of my expenses were covered by my insurance.

Dr Forman has a preference to eSET due to potential risk complications in multiple embryo transfer

Dr. Brady was always available to answer all my questions. She struck the right balance between being realistic and hopeful, while always fully explaining to me the probability of all procedures and medication protocols succeeding. I value the time she took to treat me as a real person, and not just a patient. I was transferred to another doctor for a few months while Dr. Brady was away on maternity leave herself, and I could tell the difference in care acutely and immediately. Even though my association with Dr. Brady did not result in a successful pregnancy, I feel so fortunate that I was able to be cared for by her and her team.

Don't hesitate to ask for more information or alternatives when needed. Dr. Brady never once dismissed any options, especially when I asked for a potential change in protocol.

2 cycles with Cetrotide, 1 cycle with microdose Lupron. 1 ERA cycle that yielded inconclusive data.

Covered 80% under employer-offered Progyny benefits. Had to pay out of pocket for comprehensive genetic testing screen.

Dr Forman is the best doctor I've ever seen, of any specialty. I'm deeply grateful for his approach to educating and caring for patients. As women on this forum know, fertility treatments are a stressful process, both physically and emotionally, especially for women over 40. Having a doctor who treats you as an individual rather than a statistic, and helps you understand your options at every step of the process, is so incredibly important. I have recommended Dr Forman to many relatives and friends, all of whom have had very positive experiences.

Fertility treatments are tough, and for many of us, there are cycles during which we get disappointed. But having an expert, trusted advisor like Dr Forman is so critical to having the reassurance that you are getting the best care available.

Patients are allowed to self-schedule monitoring appointments so I could choose a time that worked for my schedule

I could not thank Dr Brady enough for her support and care throughout my IVF cycle. In this difficult time, during Covid, I was amazed by the level of attentiveness, care and compassion I received throughout the cycle. She addressed every question and concern I had with such compassion and professionalism which made me feel at ease through the process. She made me feel like I was her only patient with the amount of time she spent to address all my needs in such a detailed way. She was very easy to get a hold of and also responded to emails very quickly. I truly can not thank her enough!

Costs varies, however a large part was covered my insurance.

Dr Brady understood the concern we had with the possibility of multiple births. We went with a single embryo transfer and it was a success.

Dr. Karipcin is clear and thoughtful when explaining her course of treatment. For example, we had a setback in our 1st round of IVF and she was ready to talk about the adjustments she would make in the course of treatment for the 2nd round. This made us feel confident in our next steps and resulted in a successful 2nd round of IVF.

I would advise a prospective patient to never hesitate to ask Dr. Karipcin any questions that you have throughout treatment- even if you just need clarification or reassurance about where you are in your treatment process. As a patient you need to advocate for yourself and make sure that your voice is heard. Always communicate your questions and concerns.

For my 1st IVF cycle I used gonal-f, menopur and cetrotide injections leading up to an egg retrieval which produced 14 eggs and 2 embryos. Neither embryo passed pgs testing (which was recommended due to my age). For my 2nd IVF cycle I used gonal-f, menopur and cetrotide again, however the doses were tweaked by Dr. Karipcin which resulted in 25 eggs and 1 embryo that passed pgs testing. After this I had a frozen embryo transfer using estrace pills and progesterone injections which resulted in a current pregnancy.

My insurance paid for a portion of each IVF cycle as well as the frozen embryo transfer. The out of pocket expenses for both IVF cycles, inlcuding pgs testing of a total of 3 embryos was about $10,000.

The approach that was used during my treatment was to use a single embryo that passed pgs testing (euploid embryo).

Dr. Rackow was very responsive throughout my treatments, she did not just stick with the status quo if something wasn't working for me (4 egg retrievals, 2 embryo transfers using my own eggs). She changed protocol when the first egg retrieval didn't yield many eggs (we added clomid which helped me immensely), and she changed the embryo transfer protocol to natural with a trigger shot when the first transfer didn't work. The natural cycle with trigger worked perfectly for me and I did not have to take those dreadful intramuscular progesterone shots, a win. She did my early pregnancy ultrasounds with this successful transfer and I was pleased that she could do them personally.

Dr. Rackow is part of an excellent, efficient team. Remember, you are entrusting your fertility care to a large, busy fertility clinic where the doctors have certain days they are in the office and are in charge of procedures. Other days they are assigned elsewhere. This means you may/may not get your main doctor for every procedure or check. If you want a 1 doctor experience, consider a small clinic.

For all egg retrievals I did high dose injectables, and for 3 out of 4 I also used clomid, which helped me release (?) significantly more eggs. In all, I ended up with 4 PGS-tested embryos, one did not make it with the first transfer, the second successfully implanted. I have 2 frozen embryos remaining for possible future use. For the first embryo transfer, we did a traditional medicated cycle that did not result in a positive test. For the second embryo transfer, we did a natural cycle with a trigger shot. This worked great for me.

All but the last egg retrieval and embryo transfer were covered by my insurance.

We both agreed on a single embryo transfer.

Dr Rudick is a wonderful physician with excellent bedside manner. She always explained everything to me in the perfect amount of detail and was very receptive whenever I had questions. It is very evident that fertility is her passion and she cares deeply about her patients’ treatment outcomes

Trust her she wants what is best for her patients

I have unexplained infertility so I did 5 IUI cycles paired with either clomid or letrozole. None of these cycles resulted in pregnancy so I moved on to IVF. I was stimulated with gonal F 150 units and Menopur 75 units (also received cetrotide) and then was triggered with ovidrel and Lupron. I had 12 eggs retrieved but only 7 were mature. I ended up with 3 genetically normal embryos. We transferred the first one but it resulted in an early miscarriage. We transferred the second one and this resulted in a positive pregnancy and I am 8 weeks along thus far

Monitoring appts are extremely efficient and with minimal wait times

My IUIs were covered under my insurance, but we had to pay for sperm freezing for my husband due to his difficult work schedule, so about 4-5k for that. IVF was covered under my insurance for certain parts but not all (genetic testing, ICSI, sperm and embryo freezing/thawing were not covered). So probably spent about 6k out of pocket for that. After all the copay the whole treatment was probably 11-12k

Dr Rudick advised to only perform single embryo transfers

Working with Dr. Forman has been the most positive experience I've ever had with a doctor. My husband and I did our research, and chose Dr. Forman after reading many positive reviews about his communicative style, compassion, and good results. We began seeing him in August of 2019, after a year of trying to conceive naturally and some disappointing diagnostic results (low AMH, high FSH) at another clinic. He took all possible factors into consideration (my age, diagnostic results, insurance coverage, etc.) into consideration when recommending we jump straight into IVF. Our first cycle yielded only 1 egg, but thankfully, PGS results were normal. We stuck with a similar protocol for the second round of IVF, with the goal of aiming for quality eggs again. That cycle was unsuccessful and we did not end up with any PGS normal embryos. Dr. Forman then suggested we adjust our protocol to something more aggressive (a microdose Lupron flare with a higher dose of Gonal (375 per night), 1 vial of Menopur, and HCG trigger). This protocol resulted in my most successful cycle, with 9 eggs and, ultimately, 2 PGS normal embryos. Due to the pandemic, a transfer was not an option during early spring, so after a thorough consultation with Dr. Forman, we opted for one more round of IVF in an attempt to bank another normal embryo. This final round was unsuccessful, with 2 abnormal embryos. Throughout the process, Dr. Forman was highly communicative and always available via email. He was sensitive yet forthcoming about my prospects when my FSH numbers continued to rise throughout the year. I appreciated the delicate balance he managed of being honest but caring. He also genuinely shared in our successes, which made it feel like we were a real team. I was grateful that he adjusted my protocol and always seemed to be thinking of new things to try. We did an eSET in August, which Dr. Forman made a point of doing himself, and are currently 11 weeks pregnant!

Take advantage of his expertise and responsiveness, and ask him any and all questions you may have.

See above.

Our cycles were covered by our fertility insurance, Progyny.

Dr. Forman opted for an eSET to reduce the risk of multiples and miscarriage. My understanding is that this is the current preferred approach based on research, so I was glad he chose it.

Dr. Forman is incredibly professional, smart and caring. He takes the time to review every detail about your history and tailors his treatment so that it works for you. Even right before many of my procedures, he would email with another tip/suggestion to increase my chances. I also was very nervous for many of my procedures and of course made him aware of that so he'd make sure to reassure me and provide a step by step of what to expect so that I didn't worry.

Make an appointment with him ASAP. He is the reason I am pregnant right now after being with the wrong doctor for almost a year.

We did two egg retrievals and one frozen transfer.

Our insurance covered two egg retrievals. About $1200 for frozen embryo.

We did a frozen embryo transfer with a 5 day blastocyst. We did not do genetic testing because of our age and preference.

Doctor Rudick was very clear, honest, and detailed in explaining everything about the IUI and IVF process. I never felt as if any of my questions went unanswered. She is very knowledgeable and skilled in offering the best treatment options for your individual needs. She did video meetings with me during Covid and helped ease any worry about my cycle. I feel she is very approachable, professional and a straight shooter. I would recommend her to anyone in need of fertility treatment.

Be sure to start your fertility treatments as soon as you think you might need help. The process can take longer than one might think. It has nothing to do with Dr. Rudick's skill, but more to do with the cycles and your body. You should not expect that you can just walk right in and get pregnant within a month...it takes time. Please be patient and listen to everything Dr. Rudick says, follow her instructions perfectly and you should get the results you desire.

I 1st did IUI ONLY because IVF wasn't covered by my insurance. For that I was put on BC, Clomid and did a trigger shot. This was after having an HSG and unblocking a tube. -Then I did IVF when my insurance covered it, I was on Menupur injections, cetrotide, and gonal injections, did the egg retrieval, did genetic testing of embryos, did transfer....positive pregnancy, still taking estradiol pill and progesterone oil injections until week 10.

Copay

Dr. Rudick only allowed for 1 single embryo to be transferred. I did ask for 2, but she informed me of the health risks and I am glad I listened.

As a patient, Dr. Rudick was always accessible even when I did not see her for routine morning monitoring appointments. I knew that she reviewed my results and I trusted her prescribed courses of action. As we graduated from monthly IUIs to more complicated procedures such as egg retrievals, polyp removal, and embryo transfers, there was a big shift in our relationship: I saw Dr. Rudick more frequently and she went out of her way to schedule my procedures so she would be the doctor performing them. On the occasion that she could not be there to perform a procedure, she emailed me ahead of time to let me know she was thinking of me and my partner. For a patient who had never been through this process, that was everything. In recovery, Dr. Rudick popped in to say hello, to see how I was feeling and to answer any questions. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all procedures had to stop at Columbia Fertility. During this period, I was concerned that we would lose too much time and that it would seriously impact our chances of having a baby. Once again, Dr. Rudick was not shy about being in touch with her patients and being honest about next steps. It was incredible. .

My advice would be to always have an agreed upon course of action and to make it specific. This is advice I would give for any patient working with a doctor.

We started with monthly IUIs before insurance would pay for IVF coverage. Dr. Rudick explained that this was standard, but I wish we could have skipped over some of these cycles. At one point, Dr. Rudick suggested that I undergo a back-to-back IUI (two days in a row) because she thought the internal environment was ideal. It was not successful, but this accelerated our timeline by one month. After six unsuccessful IUI attempts, we moved onto IVF. We had one egg retrieval round that did not yield viable eggs. For the second egg retrieval, Dr. Rudick increased the dosages of the medication I was taking daily. I experienced significant physical changes from the increased dosages, which I took as a good sign. And it was! The second retrieval yielded a higher number of eggs and several that were viable. For the transfer, Dr. Rudick explained a the pros and cons of a medicated versus natural cycle and the possible steps that would follow in the case of a positive or negative outcome. We chose a natural cycle, knowing that if it was unsuccessful, we would have the option of taking a medicated course of action.

IUI procedure ($550 per cycle) x 6 cycles = $3,300 IVF meds = $200 Retrievals: $1,000 Hysteroscopy: $550 Donor Sperm: $4,000 Transport fees: $200 Total: $9,250 (roughly)

No words can express how grateful I am to have Dr. Forman and his amazing team care for me during my IVF journey. Everyone was so caring and detail oriented every step of the way. Dr. Forman collaborates with the patient and the nursing/lab team to provide efficient, timely results. I would highly recommend this center for any friends and family wishing to start a family. Dr Forman takes care of his patients in a way that I have never seen it before. He will email/call even when he was away just to check on us!

Listen to him and don’t doubt him... he definitely knows what he is doing. But even if you have any questions, he will always answer you!

Dr Forman was my first IVF doctor in NJ but the. He moved to NY. We figured we could stay in the NJ clinic because it would be the same ... we were wrong! We finally decided to start treatment again in NY with Dr Forman and the first test he did was ERA to check why I had to FET that failed in the past .... results: I needed one a day of medication! He took the time to go over everything and realized that was the piece of the puzzle missing from the other clinic!

I could not have been happier with my treatment under Dr. Rudick's care. From my very first appointment with her she listened and recommended the right course of action based on my past situation ( past silent Endometriosis ). She is so knowledgable and thorough, and for once I felt like I could relax because I was so confident in the doctor. Over the year that I was with her, I emailed her 1 million times and she always responded. She answered every question, and reassured me that we were doing everything we could to get me pregnant. Even when I had a different thought on a treatment plan ( based on nothing but my own googling ) she explained every detail to me and why the approach that she was recommending was indeed right....and she was right!! I would recommend her to anyone in this situation!

If you won't understand something just email or call her. She will always take the time to explain things to you.

Around $13k for the IVF cycle Medication covered by insurance around $2500 for Transfer PGT testing - can't remember cost ERA tests x 2 - around $700 each time Depot Lupron - $1000 x 2 shots ( i think )

She's arrogant and disrespectful. Obviously did not care. The result showed! We were planing to finish up the IVF cycle with covered insurance, but we ended up doing egg freezing with paying out of pocket. My husband was super sick right before my egg retrieval. She didn't explain that it could effect his sperms and would result a failed fertilization procedure. As an experienced doctor she could have him freeze his sperms for a back up before I started my injections. At the point it was too late. We ended up freezing my eggs with no fertilization. We also had to pay out of pocket even though we had the insurance cover for the whole IVF procedure. [Husband's perspective] Rudicks complete inability to communicate effectively is off putting but not the end of the world. If she was a good Dr, and did her job. Starting an IVF cycle while on vacation without having a frozen sample as a back up? During Flu and Covid seasons? That is just incompetence! This turned an insurance covered IVF procedure into an out of pocket egg retrieval procedure. This cost us thousands of dollars, but more importantly many precious months.

Listen to your patient and you're not smarter than anybody.

We started with Follistim 225 units and Menopur 1 vial daily for 3 days, then added Genirelix 250 mg on the forth day. I injected those for 6 days and injected the Pregnyl 10,000 unit vial trigger shot and took Doxycycline 100mg tablets on day 7. My egg retrieval was on day 8. I was hoping to retrieve 13-15 eggs as I was diagnosed with great numbers of follicles and the hormones level. The first couple of days after the injections my eggs were growing in great numbers and sizes, but times went by some of my eggs grew bigger faster than others. Dr.Rudick told our nurse while she was on her vacation to had me continue the same dose medications. Because some of my eggs were mature and they didn't want them to over mature while other eggs were still tiny, so we had to finish the medication and I had my egg retrieval on day 8 with 10 eggs retrieved and 9 of them were mature for freezing.

We were covered by our insurance for IVF cycle except the genetic testing and embryo storage. We had to cancelled our IVF cycle at the day my egg retrieval. We ended up doing egg freezing with us paying out of pocket.

We agreed to do a single embryo transfer, but we hadn't gone that far. We ended up the cycle with egg freezing.

Dr. Forman is truly the best of the best. I say this both as a patient and as a physician who has literally worked with 100s of other doctors. He is a thoughtful clinician who will look at your care and case inside and out, which is exactly what you need in your REI. And he does it with warmth, kindness, and genuine optimism while still being direct and clear. He is an outstanding communicator and is incredibly responsive - he returns emails with quick, clear, thorough explanations and immediately relieves my concerns. As a physician, I had more detailed questions about my plan/care (though I tried not to go overboard) and he authentically listened to my opinions; I was heard in a nonjudgemental way, and I truly felt like we're on the same team. He is evidence-based and even in casual conversation would cite certain papers (that I would then look up and read on PubMed) which really put my mind at ease. I had been in a stressful, toxic clinic previously (Cornell) and upon coming to Columbia with Dr. Forman, my stress evaporated overnight, literally. And we finally had success - thanks to Dr. Forman and his team. He will fight for you and has your best interests at heart. I wish I had found him as my first REI, not second. When I move back to the West Coast, I will continue to travel to him so we can continue to grow our family with him - I literally trust him with my life. My husband and I are eternally grateful to Dr. Forman!

Trust him. You'll see that he deserves your trust.

Hysteroscopy and repeat endometrial biopsy to confirm endometritis was gone (at my request). 2 IUIs (medicated) while waiting for embryos to be transferred from old clinic, unsuccessful but not surprising since it's IUI. Then progesterone suppositories for thin endometrial lining - lining wasn't as responsive as it was at stim for egg retrievals with injectables, so transfer was canceled. Then tried injectibles (Gonal-F and menopur) for lining, which worked, and we transferred with success! Used progesterone IM injections because I was concerned the lining was less responsive to suppositories due to chronic endometritis history and lack of response to suppositories; the shots were worth the peace of mind.

Only copays, luckily. Freezing sperm was not covered by insurance so that was ~$600 I think. The financial team was awesome and coordinated everything with our insurance and pharmacy.

He wrote the studies on eSET so he obviously recommended eSET, which I agreed with given my age and maternal/fetal health risks with multiples.

Dr. Forman is knowledgeable, kind, calm, compassionate, honest and always available to answer any questions or concerns not matter the day or the time of day within minutes of my email sent to him. I felt he was always on call 24/7. He even answered a request weeks after I was discharged from his care. Similar to his team, he took the time to know me and my husband and he was always knowledgeable of both my medical and personal life. Fertility journey had many ups and downs and the one time we got bad news he made sure to make the phone call and calming and compassionately explaining the bad news and our options. I have never felt more taken care of than the time i was under Dr. Forman's care.

Let Dr. Forman get to know you both medical records and individual. He will only be able to give you the best care and attention if he truly knows you. Follow his advice, I found that he was never once wrong!

I went to Dr. Forman after three failed IUIs at a different practice. Where despite of being the only patient at the time of the appointment, my husband and I felt that after six months, they know us or care to hear out concerts. We initially met with Dr. Forman for a second opinion and with 10-15 minutes talking with him, we knew that he is the right doctor for us. After reviewing my records and learning about my husband and I, Dr. Forman recommended the IVF with the genetic testing of each individual normal embryo. In October 2019, we started the first IVF treatment, we got nine eggs of which only two of them fertilized. Both embryos were genetically tested and we learned that both were not normal. While the news was devastating, Dr. Forman called us and explained to us that this is just a set back but he doesn't think this is the end road for us. He gave us the option to try again but also not to rush and take our time making the decision. We decided to do it again and on December 31, 2019 we started our second cycle. Once again we had nine eggs but this time around four of them fertilized. And after the genetic testing, Dr. Forman called us with the good news. We had one perfect embryo! Once again Dr. Forman gave us some options and we decided to go for the transfer in March. Nine days later, we found out we are pregnant and I'm now 16 weeks and so far every pregnancy test (NP, NIPT etc.) has come back perfect.

I don't remember the exact cost but I do recall being similar to the other practice I initial went to. I'm very fortunate that my company has paid in full for my treatments.

I believe the elective single embryo transfer is the best choice as healthy pregnancy result from from quality and not quantity. I could be more happy that Dr. Forman practices the single embryo transfer.

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing Dr. Eric Forman is. He is kind, very compassionate, extremely knowledgable, great communication, and he handles all procedures with great attention and care. Dr. Forman goes above and beyond to provide quality care for his patients. He always addresses my question and concerns since our very first meeting. He explains all procedures in detail and makes sure you understand the pros and cons before it is done. He never forces any procedures on you, he suggests it, gives you all the information, and lets you decide if you want to take that approach. Because of the quality work and great advice from Dr. Forman, I now have a healthy baby boy.

Ask all the questions.

Insurance covered the cost

I trusted Dr. Forman's suggestion on transferring a single embryo for my first IVF cycle and it was successful.

The level of contact and patience he had for me as a patient goes above and beyond any other doctor I’ve ever seen. From the moment we met, I felt totally comfortable and respected any decisions Dr. Forman suggested as my course of treatment.

Ask questions and always be your own advocate no matter who your doctor is.

For all 3 IUIs we did letrozole to stimulate follicles. Then I was the one who volunteered to proceed to IVF. For the first egg retrieval, we used menopur and Gonal F. Then we added centrotide and triggered with HCG. For those frozen transfers, we did estradiol to thicken my lining and then progesterone in oil. After 1 miscarriage and 2 failed transfers, we decided to do a second egg retrieval. This was the same protocol. During that retrieval, Dr. Forman did a scratch test to see if there was any inflammation in my uterine lining. There was a few plasma cells found, so I took an antibiotic for that. We also went back and figured out which protocol provided my thickest lining and we decided menopur and Gonal f would gain the best lining for me. This was a natural cycle that I triggered a follicle and used progesterone suppositories instead of the oil. That’s what did the trick!

I have amazing insurance as a teacher so everything was covered except for genetic testing of embryos and cryopreservation. The biopsy was $2500 per retrieval and $100 per month for storage.

I always wanted to have one child at a time and Dr. Forman is a big advocate for it, so it was perfect for us.