Family Beginnings

I was hesitant to get a second opinion when we first decided to switch fertility doctors after a previous bad experience. My husband and I knew right away that we were in the right place and making the right decision by going forth with this second opinion. Everything was explained very well for us, from procedures, to why we would need certain meds and doses, to aftercare. I have anxiety issues and my husband even pointed out that Dr. Bonaventura is very good at communication when it comes to the high stress conversations that can go on during consultations and visits. He knows just what to say to help you feel at ease about everything that is going on. He is very straight forward about his patients and what he feels is best for them individually. One of his classic sayings is "if you were my daughter, I would...". Knowing that his daughter actually did go through infertility treatments, I feel like this is a very trustworthy statement. I also appreciate the fact that he doesn't push extra testing or things to raise your pricing even higher, which I know a lot of clinics end up doing. He understands that these treatments are expensive, and doesn't get pushy, like other doctors that I previously had consulted with. He also lights a candle for every patient that is having a procedure that day. This in itself tells me that he is invested in his patients and we aren't just another number to him.

He loves to talk! I see this as a good thing. It's comforting to know he is going to be very thorough with you, all while having normal conversations with you to keep you at ease. He doesn't talk all medical jargon like some doctors are known to do, and he makes sure that you are clear on all procedures and plans of treatment.

For my IVF cycles I have always used: Long lupron protocol Gonal-F 150 am / 75pm iu. - starting on cycle day 3, twice daily Menopur 75iu - starting on cycle day 3, once daily Lupron . - 10 iu starting on cycle day , once daily Cetrotide - as needed to delay release Ovidrel -250mcg 48 hours prior to egg retrieval PIO and/or progesterone suppositories. Baby Asprin Birth control prior to cycle. Baseline ultrasound and lab work between CD1-CD3, US and bloodwork on CD 7, 9, & 11 per testing results.

Regular IVF retrieval cycle - Medications - $1500-$3000 IVF including blood work, monitoring ultrasounds, office visits, anesthesia, trial transfer - $7,155 ICSI - $1,000 Assisted Hatching $400 Blastocyst culture $400 Embryo freezing $600(first year) $300 annually after Embryo biopsy $1500 PGS testing $2300 INVOcell IVF $6,865.00 (not including medications.) medications - $1500-$3,000 Frozen embryo transfer $3,545.00

Dr. Bonaventura suggests transferring single embryos, but will transfer up to two embryos if that is the patient/couples choice. He will not transfer 3 embryos due to having a past positive transfer with all 3 embryos implanting. He does not wish to put the woman or fetuses at a high risk, which comes with multiples.

Dr. Donahue is technically the third doctor that has addressed my infertility over the years. I have been diagnosed PCOS for over five years and my primary care physician is the one that began my fertility treatments with Clomid. I then saw another physician over a course of a year, that treated my infertility unsuccessfully with IUI treatments. I unfortunately have had to deal a lot with physicians pertaining to my fertility and Dr. Donahue‘s bedside manner and compassion was far greater than I could’ve expected. He met with my husband and I to give us details on the procedure and to give us feedback on what he believes we would need for my cycle. He also took in my records from my other physicians. He took time to look through them to see what protocols worked and didn’t work for me. He based his decision on what I’ve already gone through previously. I was very glad that he looked over my paperwork, because I’ve been very resistant to medication and he adjusted medications appropriately. Through my IUIs they changed and increased medications each cycle. The cycle cycle I produced 2 mature sized follicles, but still resulted in a failed cycle. He also listens to me that I ovulate early on injectables and he prescribed me a medication keep me from ovulating early. He also monitored my blood levels early to make sure that I did not ovulate too soon. Dr. Donahue adjusted my medication from my last IUI cycle and he changed it to a medication protocol that was better fitting for me. I was able to make multiple follicles and have 12 eggs at retrieval. Dr. Donahue thoroughly examined my eggs after my retrieval and he was able to tell that my egg quality is not what it shows on an ultrasound. Out of my 12 eggs, only three of them were considered mature. Out of those three, none of them fertilized. He was very compassionate in delivering the news to me and my husband. He changed my medication protocol for the next cycle I am to complete in a June. He wanted to make it to retrieval days as much as we did. I feel like he listened to me every step of the way. I was comfortable going into it, even though the procedure was something new to me. He also was reachable. If I needed him he was reachable by cell phone or calling the office. Every time I have an appointment, even with just the nurse, I see him and he talks to me about my procedure, how I’m progressing and what the results were that day. He is always very interested in what was happening.

Be your own advocate. If your aren't sure what the Doctor is saying, ask him to repeat it or explain it differently. If you have questions, concerns or input on your protocol, just say it. He listens to everything you say and explains why things will works or won't work for you.

Thankfully we had some previous information to go off of. I used injectables with a previous physician for 2 of my 4 IUI procedures. Dr. Donahue took that information and changed a little. I stayed on Follitropin (the only change was brand from follistim to gonal F) for my Invocell cycle. We increased my dosage. The last time I took the Follistim, I had one follicle of mature size and on that was close to mature. With it being an IUI I do not know if that follicle contained an egg or a mature egg for that matter. My first month I was on birth control to regulate my cycle and shrink cysts from my PCOS. I was on 5mg of Letrozole day 2-6. I started the Gonal-F on day 5. I was on 150mg twice a day. Dr Donahue was aware that I had a history of ovulating early on injectables and therefore we did bloodwork and my first ultrasound early. Day 10 we did my scan and the largest follicle I had was close to 14mm. One on each ovary. I had several others that were near 9-10mm. That evening we increased my dosage of gonal F to 225units from then until the morning of Day 13. We did another Ultrasound on Day 12. This time it showed My two dominate follicles (on each side) were 16-18. I took Cetrotide day 11, 12, 13 to stop my from ovulation early. (That ended up being a good thing because my ovulation predictor started to rise on a home test.) Finally retrieval day was set for day 15. The evening of cycle day 13 I took HCG (Pregnyl) trigger shot. I went in for retrieval at 8 am that Sunday morning. We got the news that upwards of ten follicles were on each side. We only retrieved 12 eggs from the procedure. Dr Donahue determined that only 3 of them had fully matured to correct formation and size. We did ICSI, inseminated all three eggs and implanted them in the INVOcell device. After 5 days, not a single egg had fertilized.

The monitoring appointments were made around my schedule. The nurse completed the procedure. The Doctor was in my specific office 2-3 times a week and then in the other office other days. There was only one time when I had an ultrasound with the nurse and she had question on continuing or changing my protocol and had to call the Dr at the other office. There is also another Doctor there, but not my main physician. She was able to get results within minutes. All my other scans the doctor was meet us at the end of the ultrasound to discuss if there were changes or if we were staying right on track.

My medication protocol alone was roughly $2800. My insurance covered part of the antibiotic and letrozole, which saved me about $25 dollars overall. My initial office visit, trial transfer and infectious disease panel labs were $610. My baseline scan was $305. My day 10 and 12 follicle scans and bloodwork were $240 a piece. My retrieval, INVOcell and transfer was $5,500. The anesthesiologist for the retrieval was $470. The other thing we didn't pay last time, but is an option is $1000 for cryopreservation, if multiple eggs are fertilized. The overall cost was $7,365. Not including the cryopreservation, medication or travel costs.

My Dr and I did discuss on the number of embryos we would transfer. He said he most often dose two, but in some cases (and requests) he will only transfer one. He knew we wanted to transfer two from the beginning. He made us aware that twins are a possibility when transferring two. He also stated that on the rare occasion the egg can split and we could have more than two babies. He was clear on the possibilities and reasoning.

He is a kind doctor that actually takes the time to see patients. We seen him at almost every appointment even if just briefly. He was always accessible by phone and let patients in treatment reach out via phone if they had an issue or emergency. He personally called me when I had my failed cycle and we discussed the next steps. He then talked to my husband when he called. He would be very blunt about the issues which I liked. He never beat around the Bush. However, you have to be educated on the protocols because sometimes I think they forget this is foreign information. Just read about the procedure so you know what to ask him.before the consult.

Look up information before hand. Ask important questions like success rates and how to increase your odds. Have a list ready to ask! It's sometimes overwhelming if you're not prepared.

We did invocell. We did gonal f stims 150 u ×7 days with frequent US. Cetrotide x 1 and ovidril x 2 retrieved at day 14 and 5 day transfer. We Re strictly Male factor infertility. Husband was put on supplements as well.

They had blocked times early day for this. It was easy to get an appointment and they always got me in and out.

Costs were out of pocket. You paid by visit and then for the procedure. Invocell was 5500 plus a few ultra sounds and you paid for meds separately. It was about 9k total

He suggested transferring 2 due to higher implantation rates, but there is increased rate of twins

Dr. Donahue was amazing. He gives his patients his personal cell number so that he is available for questions or concerns if they arise. He does not rush through a visit just to get someone else in the door. Very rarely do you get a voicemail with this practice - I have already talked to a human when I call. On the rare chance I have had to leave a VM they call you back right away. I feel like a person there and that the truly care.

Their office is not the typical fancy fertility clinic that you would expect. This keeps their prices lower and allows them to focus on the patient.

I am getting ready to start IVF. I experienced a miscarriage the month that we were supposed to start trying. I am waiting on his instructions on how we are going to update my protocol based upon blood work and results from my miscarriage.

The initial visit (without insurance was about $200). I am still going through the process of IVF so I can't comment fully on the price.

I feel that the entire team has educated me on the risks of transferring one or two with or without testing. They have made it very clear on the risks and why some risks were worth taking and why some weren't. It is one thing to know the risk it is another to know why.

Dr. Donahue was great! He took whatever time necessary to put my mind at ease regarding the process and was extremely focused on the end goal of getting pregnant. He was definitely more aggressive than a previous dr. in regards to risking multiples as long as I was okay with that.

To ask for him to do your IUIs. He indicated that nurses typically did them, but when I told him that was a concern of mine he was happy to do them...even on July 4th!

Dr. James was comfortable giving me higher doses of drugs to produce more follicles/eggs due to the fact that IUI had not been successful in the past. He felt that the likelihood of multiples was slim in my case (although he made it clear, they were possible) He also added progesterone to my treatment to help which my previous doctor had not done.

Our IUIs with Dr. Donahue were a little cheaper I believe. Around $800 (not including medicine)

He is very open, always available for questions, compassionate and soothing. He doesn't hesitate to bring up other treatment options and make sure you understand everything. He will call you personally when something isn't going as planned to check up on you. He involves everyone that is present at each appointment. Very knowledgeable.

Come with questions and be ready for great answers!

Femara, gonal f 50, hcg, iui, progesterone. 1 mature follicle, neg pregnancy test Next increased gonal f to 75 2 mature follicles, chemical preg Next cycle was miscarriage 3months off. Currently increasing gonal f to 150.

Reasonable compared to others I have seen. Mini IVF now offered and very reasonable.

I’ve been going for the past four or five months, twice a month the past three months and I’ve only seen the actual Dr. twice. Every other time was the scan lady, she would leave to go talk to him then come back and relay what she was told.

Don’t expect to see him every visit.

I was put on letrozole since Clomid prescribes by another dr was no longer working. After the first month, I didn’t get any viable eggs so I was told I couldn’t do trigger shot. Second time I was put on birth control because I had a huge cyst.

Prices weren’t persistent. Insurance doesn’t cover anything. Just regular appointments were around $110 each time, with first scan it was $180 but second scan was for some reason $305, wasn’t expecting that one.

He was very nice and loves to talk. He will answer all of your questions. He is knowledgeable about invocell and and medical knowledge that comes with fertility treatments. He is not great at communication outside of the office. I was sick and it took him a day to even respond to my message.

Stay on top of everything. Ask questions. Expect to not see him much.

Letrozole and ovidrel. Gonal f for stims. PIO injections and progesterone suppositories. Birth control before month of stims.

$8,000 for invocell and meds. All out of Pocket. My insurance covered nothing here.

He suggests only two. Is okay to place only one if that is your choice.

Dr. Donahue’s experience and passion for fertility medicine and professionalism in assisting couples like us start a family left us feeling very confident in sticking with him through two surgical procedures and an unsuccessful IUI procedure.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and communicate if there’s anything that feels overwhelming or like informational overload. This can be a lot of brand new info for couples going through these types of appointments for the first time, but Dr. Donahue does a very thorough job explaining his processes, his beliefs, and his plan.

INVOcell fertilization regimen including pharmaceuticals, labs, procedures totaled <$7,500

Dr D is a great guy he cares about his patients, he explains everything to you with video pictures and literature. He wants to make sure you fully understand everything. When I got a failed cycle he called me and emailed me so we xould talk about what we should do next and he was sorry it didn't work.

Make sure to write everything down

My protocol was low dose hormones I produced 12 eggs they retrieved 9 and 6 fertilized they put 6 in the device and 3 made it out they transferred all 3 I received a positive test at 9 days past transfer but shortly after started bleeding he did recommend doing a frozen cycle with the next cycle. We currently can't afford to try a second round at this time.

I did invocell the procedure cost 4500, meds were 1200, plus the other Dr apts it came out to be 8000 for everything

Dr D goes with how you embryos look, with mine they were 3 of them and he choose to transfer all three in hopes one would take he only prefers to transfer no more than 2

Dr. Donahue is very open and will answer any and all questions. He explains risks, discusses options and has always been very friendly and available. He got us in immediately both times we experienced problems/miscarriage.

Come with questions and expect answers! Be ready to explore options.

1. 5mg femara cd3-5. 50iu gonal f cd5-9, ovidrel, IUI, 200mg progesterone suppositories 2. 5mg femara cd3-5. 75iu gonal f cd5-9, ovidrel, IUI, 200mg progesterone suppositories 3. 5mg femara cd3-5. 150iu gonal f. cd5-7, 75 IU gonal f cd8-9, ovidrel, IUI, 200mg progesterone suppositories

No insurance coverage for fertility services. About $2000/per IUI cycle with meds.

He is a wonderful listener, top notch skills, gentle, understanding, available, cost effective. He loves to talk and explains himself and the situation. He is always positive and honest. Going thru a positive and a miscarriage at 10 weeks, he was amazing

Ask questions

Femara for 5 days and gonal f Injections for retrieval. PIO shots and 6mg estrace for transfers

Retrieval was total 9k with meds. Transfer 2500

He was on board with patients choice

He was very informative with details and videos and scientific results. He answered all of our questions thoroughly. He was very down to earth and sensitive to our situation. It felt like he actually cared about us rather than us being a number in his clinic.

Ask him lots of questions

He discussed with us the new invocell process and mapped out what an ivf calendar and process will look like. He also showed us what other elective tests he does in order to have a higher success rate for a healthy baby.

So far it was for a consultation and some blood work for me.

None

Dr Boneventira was very compassionate and he believe do strongly in his treatment plans. I do feel like sometimes he used terms not everyone would understand regarding treatments and infertility. I only understood him because I’ve gone through treatment for so long.

Go in with questions and take good notes.

With our IUI cycle he used an ovulation suppressant bc is ovulated prematurely before with other doctors. Otherwise, treatment was kept the same.

I don’t remember exact costs but it was less than prior treatment with other doctors.

Dr. Donahue is thoughtful and takes time for patients. He makes himself available for questions and explains everything. He offers his email address and home phone number for emergencies, too. He is friendly when dealing with me and my husband.

Write down questions prior to appointments and call if you think of anything later.

We began small, with medicated cycles, then IUI. When I had pelvic pain the Dr. was very responsive and we discovered my endometriosis. Now we are doing a cycle with InvoCell.

He will spend as long as needed with you to make sure you understand everything and don't have any questions. He called personally after our IVF cycle to let us know that our egg didn't fertilize. He was willing to try different protocols to find something that would work

go in with questions and he will make sure they are all answered

we used both Lupron protocols and neither one worked for us. he was open to trying a go aggressive approach after I did another round with a Dr out of state and had better success

they are in line with other providers in the area

The minute you walk through the door, you just feel warm and welcomed. Dr. Donahue explained in great detail the process, the pros, the cons. He made me feel comfortable and I wasn't treated just a number. He answered any questions I had and listened to every concern.

He's a great doctor and ibwould say that they're in good hands!

The grand total was around the $10,000 mark. I can't specify exactly what cost what.

Dr. Donahue is knowledgeable and passionate about his work! He took time to explain the details to us. I remember our first consultation and we were there for such a long time while he explained the entire process to us.

Quirky but awesome