Fertility Centers of Illinois

There are sometimes long wait times for scheduled appointments, but I believe that is because they never turn anyway away for their requested time. The front desk staff is great, as well as the staff who checks you out after an appointment. My financial coordinator, Victoria, under Dr. Kaplan was wonderful, though I think she is now working under a different practitioner.

Dr. Brian Kaplan is very kind and has great communication skills. He has the ability to "read the room" and understand what type of mood I am in and respond appropriately. He has listened to my family building goals, and makes me feel as though he understands and appreciates our situation.

The one downside of Dr. Kaplan's staff is that it is a large group, and I never got to know one individual nurse well. They like everything to be communicated through the patient portal, and usually respond quickly. However, there were definitely a few times I was in panic mode and trying to call and talk to someone and couldn't get ANYONE on the phone. No one ever responds to any of my voicemails either, they just do not call you back.

As the second RE I have worked with, I appreciate Dr. Kaplan's expertise and communication skills. He makes me feel as if he genuinely cares about me and my treatment plan. He will listen to my questions, ideas, and opinions, and really take the time to consider all options. He has given me advice as a medical professional, but has let me make my own decisions regarding how many embryos to transfer, etc. He is kind and considerate, and understands that this is a frustrating and overwhelming processes.

He does keep a specific schedule for retrievals and transfers, so if you don't like the idea of your cycle being controlled to fit into a group schedule, he may not be the doctor for you. Do be sure to book consultations in advance as his schedule does fill up quickly! I've gotten in the habit of always booking a consultation for a week after any big news - ie. retrieval results, PGS results, beta pregnancy tests after transfer. That way I'm already on the schedule in case I need to see him! If you ask his scheduler, she will have him call you to discuss anything one-off as needed as well!

I did my first egg retrieval with Dr. Kaplan - we planned for a freeze all cycle to do PGS testing, which my husband and I were already planning on even before he recommended it. I was on the pill for only a few days after my last IUI failure, then stopped the pill to start stimming. We used Menopur 75 IU and Gonal F Redi-ject 300 G, then added in Ganirelix Acetate 250 once my follicles really got going. We did lower the amount of the Gonal F during the cycle as I had 28+ follicles responding. We ended up with 14 eggs retrieved, 9 were mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI, and 4 made it to day 4/6 freeze. Of those 4, 3 came back PGS normal which is great for being age 32! I was slightly disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved and the number of mature eggs, based on the fact we were measuring upwards of 28 follicles. Dr. Kaplan said if we did do another retrieval cycle in the future, he would likely adjust my medication and start me out slower, instead of starting at the "standard" and then pulling back. The first cycle always seems to be a bit of a trial to see how you respond and what the results are.

We had insurance coverage, so our costs were minimal. I did receive an estimate for an FET out of pocket for $3,500. The cost of ICSI was $500, assisted hatching was $500. PGS was partly through FCI and partly through a partner, but totaled around $4,000.

Dr. Kaplan follows the guidelines that for a patient under 35, especially with PGS tested embryos, his recommendation is a single embryo transfer. However, he did still give me the option to transfer multiple if I wanted to. After our first PGS normal FET resulted in a chemical pregnancy, I was keen to transfer our two remaining embryos to up our chances. Ultimately, my husband and I chose to only transfer one on our second transfer (just this week!) but Dr. Kaplan was willing to let me decide what was ultimately best for us.

Best thing about it is close proximity to where I live. Otherwise it feels like a factory and they treat your body like a science experiment. The single women support group is nice but the psychologist on staff is terrible.

Was barely ever dealing with the same nurse twice. Felt rushed in her office. This place has at least 4 different waiting rooms it’s so big. My protocol seemed to be exactly like everyone else’s that I met, no matter out situation. I mentioned numerous times that my insurance covered only one cycle and this was my only shot at it. When I went for the follow up and she started talking about trial and error and the next protocol she’d try I reminded her I no longer had insurance coverage and she said “oh, I didn’t realize that.” Then she added more meds to the suggested protocol based on the fact I didn’t have endless free tries at this. FCI treats Illinois’ insurance mandate law like an atm machine. She made me feel super confident on my chances based on follicles count and hormone levels in “normal range” and “where they’d like to see them.” Only after did they say - “well, we meant normal for your age”

Super nice but they would only give you the information you needed that day. Each communicated in a different way. I have 4 differed Word versions of calendars. They have a new software system to deliver treatment plan and lab results and no one used it beyond initial baseline blood work

She seems somewhat shy and uncomfortable talking to actual people and does so in a hunched over manner. I saw her for the initial consultation, saline sonogram, polypectomy, and then not again until after my negative beta. My original plan - based on her advice and estimates for success - was to do genetic screening and frozen transfer. When they only retrieved and two fertilized it took me stopping he process and asking whether it was better to transfer both now rather than risk losing them in screening process. Then they changed course but (after multiple pleading phone calls) still wouldn’t let me speak with a doctor. As a single person going through this it is very difficult to have no one to discuss options with- including your doctor. Ultimately did 3dau fresh transferand wasnt able to speak with a doctor about how many to transfer. Had my legs in the stirrups already and dying to urinate (they require full bladder for transfer) before I was finally able to talk to some young girl- no clue what her name or role was- about whether I should transfer 1 or 2

Find another clinic entirely

There was no mention of supplements other than vitamin d and prenatal- and I specifically asked for information but was blown off. Found out later they do have a standard vitamin cocktail recommendation they include in ivf welcome folder but it was missing from mine. Was on 150 of Menopur daily plus 300 of gonal-f. Added cetrotide on appropriate days and then triggered with pregnyll. Only the day before trigger did they up dosage, then called me at work on trigger day to say take more final-f asap so I had to leave work unexpectedly midday in order to do so. Was on 2- .1 mg estrogen patches every two days and PIO 1 ml from the day they decided switch to fresh transfer. Had to scramble to get PIO and estrogen in time because hadn’t planned to do transfer yet and insurance company (Progyny) recommended writing to order until I needed it.

I don’t remember

Fertility Centers of Illinois is great. The River North location is overwhelming and a bit of a "cattle call" but they do the best they can to take care of everyone. The locations in the suburbs couldn't be better however! So personal and caring.

Dr. Kaplan was always warm and kind. Some of his nurses were unfriendly and treated me like a number, particularly those at the River North location. However, his nurses at the Highland Park location (where he does all of his retrievals and transfers) are FANTASTIC! So kind, so patient.

Ilyne is just the best. SOOO kind, patient, compassionate, and warm.

Dr. Kaplan was warm and compassionate. He got "down to business" discussing our goals and his recommendations but I know he is highly recommended and in demand (based on recommendations from my gyno, friends, and the number of people in his waiting room) so our consultations were more brief than drawn out, but I never felt like he was rushing us.

Follow his recommendations. He's really good at what he does :) He recommended IVF to us at the start but insurance required that we complete 6 (yes 6!) IUIs first. And then I was too nervous to do our first a medication-assisted IUI so our first was unmedicated. Needless to say, the IUI resulted in a BFN, as did the following 6 (we did a 7th after having a polyp removed, per recommended from my gyno). We finally completed our first retrieval (18>11>5), got pregnant from our 3rd transfer and now have an amazing 15 month old little lady. We just completed a new retrieval this weekend (9>4>?) since we used all of our embryos last time around.

Retrieval: -OCP for about a week to align my cycle with his schedule -Simulation with Gonal-F 450 IU (about 3 or 4mL of fluid) every evening and Menopur 150 IU (1mL of fluid) every evening in the abdomen for a total of 12 days -Ovulation prevention with Ganirelix 250 (about 2 mL of fluid) every morning for a total of 8 days -Trigger shot with Pregnyl 1mL/10,000 usp at exactly 36 hours prior to scheduled retrieval -Infection prevention with a Z-pak, began at dinner the night before retrieval and continued for the following 4 days I don't recall all the medications for the transfer, BUT, my nurse told me yesterday that Kaplan has updated his protocol to only one form of progesterone (IM injection in oil only; not the most pleasant but you get used to it!), which is generic, and oral estrogen instead of the SUPER expensive estrogen patches, which are only available as a brand. This is SUCH great news since we have used all of our insurance coverage :(

I haven't received my bill for the retrieval yet. I'm not sure if my deductible has been met yet so I'm unsure what I will be responsible for. Up to this point, it's been about $275 for each monitoring appointment, which I've paid for with my FSA account.

Kaplan is patient and explains that his recommendations are based on the evidence to support successful live births and the health of the mother. That said, he was supportive of our decision to transfer only one embryo the first time, and 2 each of the second and third transfers.

They were always so courteous and caring. They always made me feel like they were on my team. I was always able to get an appointment even if I had to go to a different location. They have so many locations.

Dr Rodgers and her team of nurses and colleagues were amazing. They were with me every step of the way. She held my hand the hold time. Every time I saw her she gave me a hug. They were hug that were needed, especially after every unsuccessful cycle. During every consultation she would say to me " let's get you a baby". She gave me courage to not give up when I wasn't sure what to do next.

She was so sweet with her southern accent. She was always there for me anytime. Especially when I freaked out about my meds. If she was not available I could always reach her by voicemail or email. If she was not available someone else always was. They have a great team of doctors and nurses. I never felt alone.

Dr. Rodgers had to go through fertility treatments herself so she knew what was going through. She was there for me the entire time. Any questions I had she answered, and I had a lot. I went through 7 IVF cycles. I came to Dr Rodger after my 2nd egg retrieval that did not make it to a transfer. I was told I had bad egg quality but we she was going to try her best to help me become a mother. We tried so many different protocols. After every unsuccessful cycle we had a consultation to review my results and how well my body reacted to the meds. Then we came up with a new plan for the next cycle. I loved her hugs and she was so caring. She always gave me the strength to continue to try another cycle. She wanted me to get pregnant just as much as I did. I would recommend her to anyone.

Just be open and honest about your wants and fears. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I had so many different protocols that I can't remember them all. I was on several daily supplements to improve my egg quality plus a prenatal vitamin. My daily injections varied cycle by cycle based on how my body reacted to the previous cycles.

I always did multiple embryo transfers due to my age and poor egg quality. I was terrified at first because how I going to take care of more multiple children at one time. Then I realized that everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to. I wanted to become a mother and I would accept any little blessing.

This is the only fertility clinic I've worked with, so I don't have anything to compare to. It seems fine, they have good success rates. Sometimes there are longer wait times before your appointment, but that doesn't really bother me as my work schedule is flexible. Most of the staff is friendly and helpful over the phone. They have an online portal where they (should) post all of your test results and ultrasound reports. There is some inconsistency in it's use, but when results are posted it's great to have that detail.

She didn't customize treatment towards me as an individual until after the 5th failed medicated IUI cycle when I was really upset and vocal about how upset I was. I was also misdiagnosed with elevated testosterone - when in fact it was my DHEAS levels which were elevated, and therefore I could have been treated under entirely different protocol.

Jessica was great, her and I got along very well. There was one cycle where she gave me the wrong date for my IUI. We only realized it because I called with a completely unrelated question and someone looked at my chart and appointment schedule.

We definitely had some communication issues. It wasn't that she didn't communicate with me - more that I felt I never got any real answers. Her responses to me always felt very textbook, like she was reading a script, and simply repeated the same information to me over and over again without really addressing my questions. I was also completely misdiagnosed. She diagnosed me with PCOS and told me this diagnosis was based on elevated testosterone levels and anovulation/irregular cycles. I had one natural pregnancy after my PCOS diagnosis but prior to starting clomid, which resulted in a missed miscarriage - but I knew I could get pregnant. After our 5th failed medicated IUI, I asked for all of my lab work so that I could go for a second and third opinion. At this time she finally suggested a slightly different protocol, stating it was due to my DHEAS levels. I was under her care for 9 months in total before I ever heard anything about DHEAS levels. When I went for my second and third opinions, both doctors agreed traditionally PCOS was a misleading diagnosis - Adrenal PCOS was more likely. My biggest problem was she didn't look at or address any of this until I basically yelled and was visibly frustrated during one of our consults. PCOS is an easy diagnosis to give someone who has irregular cycles - I don't feel she did her due diligence in reviewing my specific case or results. After our 4th failed IUI I asked if it was possible there was some sort of scarring or issue as a result of my previous D&C. I had done a saline ultrasound prior to my pregnancy during our initial testing/workup. I asked if maybe we should repeat that test, or if there was anything else to check for scar tissue or issues with my uterus. We did a repeat saline ultrasound and everything looked fine. My second doctor, without me even asking, immediately suggested a hysteroscopy to check for scarring from the D&C as well as investigate whether there may be a cause for my thinner lining. I had the hysteroscopy done and no scarring was found, but I did have a polyp removed. I'll always wonder whether that could have impacted our IUI cycles, and if I could have been pregnant 6 months sooner without resorting to IVF. We are currently undergoing IVF with my second doctor.

Be aggressive. You have to be your own advocate. Do your research, and stand up for yourself.

We did 3 months of clomid with IUI. I responded to the lowest dose of clomid each cycle with at least one dominant follicle. The 3rd cycle I had 2 dominant follicles. My husband's numbers were always good. My lining was on the thin side during each of these cycles - around 5-6 mm at time of trigger. We then did 3 months of Letrozole, which were a bit of a disaster. Dr. Hirshfeld said if clomid doesn't work in the first 3 tries we should try something else. My first round of letrozole I started on the lowest does and my follicle growth stalled around cycle day 15. Thankfully, rather than cancelling the cycle, she upped my dose - so I took 2 rounds of Letrozole during one cycle. I eventually had a dominant follicle and ovulated. The second round of Letrozole we started with a slightly higher dose, but the same exact thing happened again. That was my 5th failed medicated IUI. For the 6th (after I threw a fit) she added 2 mg dexamethosone with the highest dose of letrozole (I believe it was 7 mg). On CD 10 I had a big fat 20 mm follicle, but my estrogen was only at 70. I was told to trigger. That was my 6th failed medicated IUI. I switched to a new doctor, and moved to IVF. My husband and I felt exhausted, frustrated, defeated, and were sick and tired of wasting time.

I did have insurance coverage for all of my treatment. I believe without insurance, each ultrasound would have been something like $300.

I saw Dr. Rodgers at the Highland Park Clinic, but I live in the city so I would go to the Chicago location for most of my monitoring appointments. Dr. Rodgers also typically works one day a week at the Chicago location so she would see me there occasionally when it was convenient as well. Highland Park is much smaller and has a much more personal feel so you feel like less of a number. The staff is very friendly. The Chicago location is convenient and has very flexible hours, but is huge and seems to crank patients in and out. It is a less “cozy” environment. Overall, I wouldn’t say I like one or the other better because I didn’t mind the anonymity of the Chicago location. It just depends on preference.

Dr. Rodgers always called with any negative pregnancy test to discuss next steps. She was very easy to reach by email and would call to discuss questions over the phone if anything needed clarification. She was very compassionate and seemed personally invested in every case.

Amber is great! She is compassionate and also very good at her job. She always explained things thoroughly and was easy to reach if I ever needed clarification.

Dr. Rodgers was so easy to work with. She is confident and extremely knowledgeable. She is up front and honest about prognosis, while also being caring and compassionate. If you do IUI before moving to IVF, you rarely see Dr. Rodgers because the nursing staff perform the inseminations, but she always calls with pregnancy results and to discuss next steps. Once IVF begins, there is frequent phone calls and appointments with her. I never felt like a number.

I think you can trust Dr. Rodgers. She is knowledgeable and up to date on evidence based research. Don’t be afraid to reach out to her and ask questions because she is very responsive.

I started out with three IUI’s with 150mg of Letrazole. None were successful because Dr. Rodgers believes I have endometriosis that might be interfering with the egg being able to travel through my fallopian tubes. She did not want to do injectables with IUI because I have PCOS and would be at risk for producing too many eggs. We moved to IVF after the three failed IUI’s. I was on birth control for three weeks to suppress my ovaries, then was prescribed an antagonist protocol, including approximately 10 days of Gonal-F and Menopur shots. After careful monitoring my Gonal-F was decreased because my ovaries were responding very well to the medication and there was concern for OHSS. My HCG trigger was decreased to 5,000iu instead of 10,000 to prevent OHSS. During retrieval, they were able to get 29 eggs, 21 of which were mature. We were concerned about having leftover embryos so we only fertilized 8 eggs with ICSI, and froze the other 13 eggs. We wound up with 4 beautiful embryos! Three are graded 1AA and the fourth is 1AB. We did a fresh transfer with one of the 1AA embryos and it worked! I am now 16 weeks pregnant. I want to say that with the number of eggs that were retrieved my risk of OHSS was pretty high, but Dr. Rodgers was so careful with my medications and monitored me so closely that I had a picture perfect recovery and was able to do a fresh transfer. Dr. Rodgers educated me really well on the symptoms of OHSS and helpful tips to prevent it. She also called me several times after the retrieval to check on me. I could not have imagined IVF going any better than it did.

Luckily in IL it is mandated for insurance companies to cover fertility treatments, though we have a pretty high out of pocket max. Our IUI’s each cost around $500. IVF cost $3,600 after insurance and then an additional $1,200 for embryo freezing because insurance did not cover that. My medications we mostly covered.

Dr. Rodgers recommended a single embryo transfer due to my age and the high quality of our embryos. She said the chance of implantation of one embryo was very high and the goal is to produce one healthy baby. She went over this with us in detail so there were no questions come transfer day.

The clinic was very welcoming, the front desk staff were very professional and friendly, and the clinic was very clean and put together. We also met with a financial advisor, which is great that they have that, because lets be real.. who can afford to pay for IVF out of pocket. We truly have nothing but good things to say about this clinic so far! I hope it all works out for us here.

When going to see Dr. R we were nervous, anxious, and hoping for the best. He exceeded my expectations. He spent as much time with us as we needed him to, in our first initial consultation appointment. He went over everything about my condition with me, he let me know how each procedure works, and truly made us feel he was willing to do what it takes to get us our baby.

the nurse that was assigned to us is awesome. I love that we have our own nurse for any questions or concerns. If I have any questions I email her, and she always responds in a very timely matter.

My husband and I were very pleased when leaving and felt a big weight was lifted off of our shoulders. We were coming from a clinic where all 3 rounds of treatment didn't work and we were just very down about it all. Dr. R made us feel like there was hope again and he would do everything he could to help us.

Make sure to ask any questions you need to.. no question is a dumb one and he doesn't make you feel like you're being a burden or taking up too much of his time.

We are just starting with Dr. R - we are starting the IVF treatments the week of 03/12/18. at my previous clinic I did 3 rounds of IUI's

If we are qualified to do the Invocell IVF - $8,500-10,000 If we are doing the normal IVF - anywhere from 14,000-16,000

not at this time.

I went to FCI River North but my doctor wasn’t listed in initially starting this review. Everyone at river north is amazing. It’s such a calm place. The staff is friendly and very efficient in getting you on time for your appointment. It’s hard to navigate which waiting room you need to go in as there is like 3 different ones. A little direction on the walls would be helpful so we don’t feel so lost. The front bathroom is always busy and not so clean.

She has the patience to listen and is not in a hurry to rush you out the door. She makes you feel she has time for you and remembers you and your situation. She is compassionate but very fair in her expectations so that we know the positives and negatives for each situation.

Without her, this process would never be able to be executed so smoothly. She is always available and quick to respond to the smallest question. The patience and care were so genuine that you felt like you were family. She truly is keeping this process going and always keeping me informed.

As of date she has been very open about the process. She is able to explain the process in our terms to understand. We never felt rushed or left with unanswered questions. She even personally called to address questions we had sent to our nurse. She makes you feel important and not just a number.

She gives you time and doesn’t rush you until you have asked and received everything you need going forward.

I believe our process to be somewhat basic as I responded well to the stimulation medications. I am a translocation carrier so our process was to get as much embryos as we can to day 5 so we can send out to genetic testing.

It’s still ongoing but we have some insurance to help but have some responsibilities ourselves. Right now we sit at out of pocket over $10k

One strength of the clinic is that it is staffed with knowledgeable and professional staff. Another strength is that they offer options to help finance treatments and the location is fairly easy to find. They require psychological counseling which is very helpful as the whole process of IVF treatments can be very stressful. I really can't think of any weaknesses at the moment.

My doctor took the time to listen to my husband and I and handled us with empathy and care.

Michelle has been great with us as well. She communicates with us well and is also very pleasant to work with. She has described to us what to expect in great detail and has handled us with respect and compassion.

During my visits with Dr. Hirschfield-Cytron, she was very patient, professional and communicated very well what should be expected during the IVF procedure. My husband and I felt very comfortable talking with her and she handled us with compassion.

I would advice them to not be afraid to ask questions and to be prepared to receive honest and insightful feedback.

At the moment, I'm at the beginning stages of the IVF treatment and am planning to start medications within the next thirty days for egg retrieval. My husband just completed the sperm freeze/preservation a few days ago. Dr. Hirschfield-Cytron explained that the medications I will be taking will help to prevent egg loss so that as many eggs as possible may be retrieved.

As of today, my husband and I have spent approximately $800 for sperm preservation and clinical exams, however we were advised that an IVF cycle could cost a minimum of about $10,000.

High ranking doctors, however you are more of a number when not directly dealing with the doctor. If you want hand holding from all the nurses you would believe this is a weakness. If you can be in charge of your own care and ask questions and want results, this clinic would get high rankings. If you need hand holding this clinic lacks in that category.

Dr. Kaplan is so genuine and has fantastic bedside manner. In a time of turmoil he made me feel like I was his only patient. However you only see the Dr. during consults and during egg retrieval and embryo transfer otherwise you work with nurses and his staff.

The nurses have a lot of patients, they aren’t super personable. They provide you numbers and next plan that doctor wants to go forward with. They are very quick to respond to emails.

Dr. Kaplan truly is an amazing doctor and human. He isn't in this business for the money he is in it to make babies for people. He is totally committed to helping his patients make the best decisions to get the best outcome. He connects with people, my husband really loves him as well. He makes you feel at ease and that you are the only patient he has. He diagnosed me with diminished ovarian reserve, so approaching our second round of injections I had a better idea on egg count. During my prep for retrieval and IV he held my hand and told me he would take the outmost care of me. He put me at ease when I was worried that I wouldn't get any eggs, that is the type of doctor he is, the best beside manner I have ever received from any doctor regardless of discipline. The eggs didn't fertilize so he let us know of what the next protocol would look like, we talked about options and egg donors. He is very open no questions or suggestions of treatment are off the table. If anyone is going to get my husband and I a baby it will be Dr. Kaplan, he is the best at what he does! I have and will continue to recommend him to anyone experiencing fertility issues.

Be open to his suggestions and treatment plan he has been doing this for nearly 30 years, come in with questions as he is ready to answer whatever you throw at him and be as flexible as possible, not with the your end game of becoming a parent but with the steps along with way. It can get rocky and flexibility is key to keep your sanity.

First protocol included estrogen and progesterone priming for one month, after that finished I stated injections. 300 IU Gonal F, 150 IU menopur, day 5 of injections I added ganirelix for another 4 days. I wasn’t responding well and naturally ovulated so cycle was cancelled. Cycle two, 300 IU Gonal F and 300 IU menopur 7 days, I was slow going again, he added in ganirelix for one day for day 8. Day 9 I took a trigger shot to mature the follicles for retrieval. I only had two eggs and neither made it through fertilization. Cycle 3 I haven’t started but we do testosterone priming to help produce more follicles for one month and will go back to the lower dosage of menopur at 150 IU and 300 IU Gonal F and potentially ganirelix again.

$9050- IVf cycle monitoring, retrieval, fertilization with ICSI, one fresh transfer. Drugs were not included and that was about 10k.

Dr. Kaplan informed us max he will transfer is 2 and it’s case by case basis of 1 vs 2.

I felt like the clinic did not make good effort to get things covered by insuance. My insurance plan was eventually willing to cover everything, but it ended up requiring me to put in my own pre-certification. A boiling point was after I had gotten a denial mid-cycle while my hormones were all crazy where I was basically crying on the phone with the billing department about how they weren’t trying hard enough to get things covered. After I accused them of not trying to get things covered because they would get more money if I paid out of pocket, they transfered me to a supervisor who was miraculously able to call the insurance to get a peer-to-peer scheduled. In terms of the clinical staff, I like the main woman who does the ultrasounds, but her backup is a little clueless. The woman who draws the blood leaves bruises, but the backup persom is very good. The other backups seem to make me anxious. The front desk staff is sort of aloof. The wait time is always 20-30 minutes, even if it’s just a blood draw!! It doesn’t matter if you are early or late, the wait is always there. Don’t get anxious about it, that’s just how it is. Overall, the clinic itself is not my favorite. If I felt like it was possible to switch, I might, but I like the doctor enough that I will stay.

I was assigned to a singular nurse (Stephanie) who handled all of my care. I could shoot her an email and she would respond back the same day or the next day. She was intimately involved with my care and did not seem to be constantly referencing records to decide what to do next.

She responded to emails pretty quickly, but often placed the blame on other people for why paperwork was not recorded correctly or why things hadn’t worked out like planned. Additionally I felt like she was relatively judgey of my personal life and made me jump through additional hoops when my personal life did not fit what she anticipated it would be.

Dr. Rodgers has a lot of experience treating patients with PCOS and was fully equipped to handle my condition. My treatment plan appeared to take into account the PCOS and she took over my metformin treatment as well. It was a little challenging that she chose not to be the treating doctor for my hypothyroidism. My main Endocrinologist still had to order her own bloodwork and adjust medications. During the IVF cycle, when I was already being poked so many times, it was challenging to then have to be poked again separately for TSH/T4 tests. During consultation visits, Dr. Rodgers makes decisions very quickly. Sometimes I felt like she left me out of the decisions. The decisions were medically sound, but her thought process was not well explained. I was happy that she was the doctor on call for my first egg retrieval. It was comforting to know that she already knew me. I would have liked her to check back on me post-op before I left. She did call me a day later to give results. Her explainations about the eggs/embryos were a little misleading. Her words confused me and concerned me, although when i talked with the Embryologist from her office, they were able to describe things a lot better. Overall, I think Dr. Rodgers is a good doctor and has good follow through with her patients, but could work on improving her communication skills about the treatment.

Dr. Rodgers’ explainations are not the end-all. If you are confused, ask her supportig staff and they will offer more explainations.

The first cycle included 21 days of Orthocyclen, then baseline ultrasound, then on the first day of my period I started with 2.5 MG Letrozole, 75 IU Menopur, and 225 IU Follistim. At the first ultrasound they upped the dose to 250 IU Follistim. Later it was upped to 300 IU Follistim and added Ganirelix. They explained that the increased Follistim would help the eggs get bigger. Monitoring was every other day at first, and then every day. Monitoring on the weekend is downtown at the River North office (over 1 hour away from the main clinic). 36 hours before the surgery I was instructed to take an IM shot of Pregnyl. After the surgery, they told me that the eggs were “granular” because they had given me too much medication too fast. Basically they told me that the eggs were low quality because I’d been cooked on high. I am about to start the second round and they have adjusted my dosage. This second round I will have 150 IU Menopur and will start at 175 IU Follistim. It is anticipated that the cycle will last slightly longer.

$1700 for the cryopreservation and storage for 1 year. Additional years of storage are $500. Everything else was covered by insurance. Semen analysis (at the beginning) was $100.

My doctor believes that only one embryo can be transfered at a time because it is already a high risk pregnancy. I have done IVF with Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis for my BRCA1 mutation. She considers all PGD or PGS patients high risk and will not implant more than one at a time. Since I have depression, my therapist told me to ask if I could do two at a time (because it is anticipated that I will have post-partum depression), but Dr. Rodgers did not think this was possible.

My only complaint is sometimes I feel there is a disconnect when your in a IVF cycle as you work with a different team to manager you rmeds and cycle. The onl other weekness I see is that my Dr. only has certain days in the hosptial to complete the procedures so I feel they adjust my hormones to work around the days the Dr. is in the opperation room.

When we have had failed cycles he always make sure I am aware of next steps by meeting in person or phone, if my time does not allow for an office visit. He is alway about making sure I know what his next step and thoughts are. He always reminds me that heis always available via email for any questions or concerns may have.

They are amazing always kind and attentive to your needs. Always respond to my emails promtly.

He is very compasionate. He always make sure to explain every aspect of the process or procedure and includes some humor which breaks the tension and helps me feel more comfortable vs. crying. He always is reminding me that he is always just a email away. The is very knowledgeable in the field.

Don't be affraid to ask questions or reach out.

I already have a daughter about to turn three and I am in my mid 30s. Thus we started with femara, 1 cycle, BFN. Then tried 2 IUIs, with femara and tirgger of BFN. Then another cycle of femera prior to IVF procedure, to not waste a month. Then tried and antigonst protocol, got 16 follicles, 8 eggs, 6 mature, 3 started to develop all arrested prior to blast. Then tried flare protocal and 5 days in LH surged and cancled cycle. Current on day 11 of antigonist cycle. 375 follistim, 150 menopur, ganerelix.

Very efficient. I was in and out normally in 15 to 20 mins.

I can only recall what I paid after insurance not actual rates

Staff is super friendly and try to help you the best they can. You may not see the doctor or nurse much, but become great friends with lab tech and ultrasound tech. Dr Marut may be blunt and quick, but when combined with the office staff it’s a positive experience. They do their best to make you comfortable and help you in your journey

Barely see the doctor at all. He randomly threw out that I have PCOS rather than straight up telling me. Dr Marut doesn’t exactly explain things clearly at times. I understand he has a lot of patients, but I would like to understand what is going on with my body. Hearing back from nurses isn’t always guaranteed either.

Very pleasant disposition. They have a hard time understanding our insurance at times and scheduling can be a bit of a mess. They’re really great in person, but need some work on the phone and email front.

He’s very quick with his appointments, doesn’t explain things very well. I usually leave more confused than when I went in. Bedside manner is very up and down. Muttered a bunch of stuff during an ultrasound and never told me what he said.

Ask a lot of questions otherwise you won’t find anything out

Currently we’re trying timed intercourse with fertility medication. It’s what our insurance pays for, so it’s where we’re starting. Dr Marut would have preferred to go straight to IUI, but we wanted to start slowly. I have a history of ectopic pregnancy, so IVF would be ideal. Dr Marut is having me take Letrozole, ovidrel and endometrin for the cycle. Trying to stimulate egg growth and ovulation

Luckily all of our procedures have been covered by our insurance so far. We haven’t ventured into the self-pay yet

The financial coordinator is very good with communication and responding. The billing department is sloppy and you don't get good statements especially if you have anything prepaid with them. The clinic does not use HGH. Also retrievals at River North you need to stay on top of timing there as you are getting pushed around with many people and your doctor is most likely not there.

In the beginning I was more of a number but as time & problems have gone on I feel like I am getting treated more like a human. She does have great bedside manner and really cares for her patients.

She is good for the most part but I do need to keep on top of details and question potential mistakes at times. I think she care but on an overall basis she seems very overwhelmed and this is getting reflected in the quality and care of her work.

She has been a great doctor for me. I know she cares and tries her best. We have had many setbacks and she is willing to fight with us. The negatives are FCI does not prescribe HGH. You do have to be very vigilant in getting your concerns and information to everyone you work with.

Make sure you remind her of important details especially during the phone calls.

First retrieval was an antagonist protocol with 300 Gonal F & 300 Menopur along with Cetrotide. I retrieved 10 eggs, 8 fertilized and all 8 arrested by day 3 so no transfer. My second retrieval I did a lupron protocol with Gonal F & Menopur doses changing almost daily. I retrieved 11 eggs, 6 fertilized, and 1 embryo had to be frozen as my progesterone was too high for a fresh transfer. My third retrieval was lupron, 300 gonal F & 300 Menopur. I had 16 follicles going into retrieval and ended up ovulating during the procedure. 2 follicles were retrieved, 1 fertilized and I don't know yet if it makes it or not to be frozen. We found out during our second & third retrieval due to an ERA that I am pre-receptive by 12 hours so going forward I always have to freeze embryos.

I could always get an appointment time that was convenient. Some days you are in and out and others they are backed up.

I am running around $12,000 per retrieval cycle which includes meds, monitoring & retrieval. I do have some insurance but no coverage for meds.

We have not transferred anything yet but we have discussed positives & negatives to both.

FCI is Very clean, the staff is very polite and educated, when you have an appointment it’s rare you wait very long at all (which was always my biggest plus), their scheduling is very flexible. You’re treated like a person at FCI and not just a number like cattle call. I love the Hinsdale and Warrenville locations (even downtown Chicago location is not terrible but not my prefferred). Dr Uhler is what you go for though in my eyes.

Every time I meet with Dr Uhler, she remembers me! That’s my biggest plus with her. I’ve called her at 2am and in pain, and she was there at the ER to meet me that morning. I’ve been with her since 2011 completely self pay through 10 IUIs and 1 IVF, and she always given a self pay discount and always tried to help with meds when available. I’ve recommended friends to her, and she even asks about them when I see her. Great memory, big heart, and very kind.

I could go on over the years how wonderful Debbie was. For 5 years she was my rock at FCI. Always polite, compassionate through the pain, and even when I cried, cried with me with big hugs. Couldn’t have been more of a cheerleader when I as released to my OB during pregnancy. I’m back trying for baby #2 and Debbie isn’t my nurse anymore due to a rearrangement in the alphabet split amongst the nursing staff.....I actually cried to find she wasn’t going to be my nurse again. But my new new Patricia is just as nice.

I began seeing her in 2011, after my OB at the time recommended me to her (her son was born through IVF with Dr Uhler). When I first met her, I realized she’s very honest and straight forward, I knew I could trust her immediately. In 2012 after my 7th IUI, I finally got pregnant. However it was an ectopic. I was given methotrexate to dissolve the pregnancy by my nurse at Dr Uhlers office....Dr Uhler was present and walked me through it all as hard as it was. 2 weeks later, the fetus still had not passed but was stuck in my tube. I was having the most horrible pains I had ever felt...I broke down and called Dr Uhler at 2AM. She actually answered and had informed me to go to the ER, but specifically to one where she had rights. I arrived and she had precalled to them I was coming, staff was awaiting with a wheelchair for me. She arrived shortly after, giving me the bad news that if the fetus doesn’t pass she will operate and remove one of my tubes. She gave me 24 hours in the hospital before surgery (mostly because I couldn’t bare for her to remove one of my tubes). On the 23rd hour the fetus finally passed. In hindsight I should have just had her remove the tube, that tube is fully blocked due to scar tissue now from the ectopic. In 2015 we got pregnant again via IUI, our first heart beat ultrasound....there was not a heartbeat. Another devestatimg blow, and she was there every step of the way to comfort us. We had been putting off IVF despite Dr Uhler urging us for at least 6 cycles.....we just couldn’t make the jump financially out of pocket. She knew best though, so we finally decided to do what she recommended. We decided to finance IVF (still paying for it), and began the cycle. Egg retrieval in Nov 2015. Freeze all due to hyper stimulation, embryo transfer in Feb 2016. Our son was born at 36 weeks due to severe preeclampsia. 2 weeks in the NICU. We have 5 embryos left and are back trying with Dr Uhler again for number two. She always remembers me, always wants to see photos, always asks about my best friend who I also recommended to see her for IVF (her son was born 7 months after mine with IVF with Dr Uhler). A couple hiccups bu she’s diligent in working with me to overcome them (polyps, D&C....I’ve been bleeding non stop fo 13 months so we have to stop that first), and then hopefully we get to start another cycle for our miracle baby #2! I would recommend her to anyone! She is very literal, very educating, and I always leave her office with a full understanding. She urges me to ask questions and know what’s going on with my body. I wouldn’t go elsewhere.

She’s very black and white, no grey area. If you’re looking for sugar coating - she’s not the one for you.

Clomid for 2 IUI cycles with trigger. Injectables for 8 IUI cycles with trigger and progesterone suppositories. IVF was birth control, estrogen, baby aspirin, progesterone oil & suppositories, lupron.

I go for an easy time before my 8am shift at work started, so it barely disrupted my day. I am in and out within 30 min for blood and ultrasound. Rarely do I wait to be called, and the room only full of 1-3 other people waiting to also see staff.

$45K total to date. $3K per IUI ($30K) and IVF at $14K with embryo storage at $500 per year (2 year). Includes medication costs

They are a great clinic! I really think they need to work on scheduling, and especially with there patients. Sometimes it is really hard for me to schedule early morning appointments with them due to already being booked

Dr Rodgers and her team of nurses are absolutely amazing. Since the very first appointment they have made me feel so at ease. They answer all of my questions, get back to me same day with results, are very friendly and open and answer any stupid question I have. Dr Rodgers and her team of nurses have comforted me and soothed me in some of my darkest times through this process. I am so appreciative of them!

They are just as amazing as Dr Rodgers! They always call me same day with results, or questions that I may have asked. & they are quick to get me anything I need. They have held me and hugged me while I cried, and have been my rock.

As stated previously, she is a miracle. When I walked into her office in April of 2017 I was so nervous. I had no idea what to expect. When I sat with her from the beginning she gave me lots of re-assurance. We went over in great detail mine and my husbands medical history and what our next steps were. Since the very beginning she has never pushed us into doing anything we didn’t want to do and she has always advocated for what we wanted. Almost a year later and I wouldn’t want anyone else as my doctor!

Do your research. Research articles, new things being done, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. No question is stupid and that’s what they are there for. You got this.

Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. When we started with Dr Rodgers we had fertility coverage, so all I had to pay were deductibles.

I am not sure what her approach is.

Strengths- Easy to make appointments, positive interactions with all staff members, timely appointments, genera feeling that they know what they are doing! Weakness- Billing has been complicated at times, had to call after appointments were not submitted to my insurance, didn’t always receive responses when I called or emailed with questions. They switched billing systems and patients were not informed, I only found out after asking why I stopped receiving bills in the mail. All issues were eventually resolved.

I have very limited direct interaction with the doctor outside of consultation appointments, but Dr. Sipe’s nurses have been helpful and responsive and in that case has made me feel more like a human than a number.

Most of my interaction was with Liala and she was always willing to explain results and answer my questions. She promptly called after appointments. When other nurses contacted me, I also had very positive interactions with them as well.

I felt at ease in our appointments and liked Dr. Sipe’s optimism. He was very up front about our odds and treatment steps moving forward. I wish we had a bit more direct interaction/communication with him.

Expect most communication to come from his nurses, not from Dr. Sipe himself.

We have completed three IUI cycles under Dr. Sipe. I was prescribed 5 days of 50mg Clomid starting on day 3 of my cycle. After monitoring appts, I was I triggered with Novarelle HCG intramuscular injection. The IUI was performed the next morning. I came in one week after IUI for progesterone testing to confirm ovulation and two weeks later for pregnancy test. Same protocol each cycle, no successes.

In total we’ve spent around $2,400 for initial testing, consult, and 3 IUI cycles.

I have not yet reached that stage of treatment.

Strengths: Experience & accessibility - lots of reputable doctors in the clinic which is reassuring as they are constantly talking to one another. They also have a lot of locations around the Chicagoland area. Weakness: volume of patients - doesn't always feel like individualized care.

Dr Kaplan has always been able to connect with my relatively quickly when things have not gone as planned. While he is sympathetic he is usually pretty quick in the conversation and wants to just jump ahead to plan next steps. Conversations are short and sweet.

Nursing staff has been very friend when I am in clinic, and they also follow up very promptly. At times I catch errors in my protocol documentation, so think they could improve upon organization. I also think they could have a little more compassion for patients when cycles fail.

Strengths: Overall experience in the field - I know a lot of women who he has gotten pregnant. Flexible - Dr. Kaplan wants you to feel comfortable with your care, so he has always been open to my suggestions and ideas. I know some doctors who don't value patients opinions and brush them off. Weakness Availability - Its hard to seem him in person. He has a log of patients, so at times it can feel like you are just lost in the shuffle. Also you need to be really prepared for meetings when you do have them as it doesn't seem like he has taken the time to truly evaluate recent happenings.

Advocate for yourself, and trust your instinct, but also value his opinion. If he feels strongly about something he will typically tell you and its likely a good suggestion as he has been doing this for so long!

Egg retrieval was about 13 days of menepour, follistism, and ganarelix. I was on birth control for about 2 weeks prior to starting stim medication Frozen cycles: estrogen patches, lupron, PIO, doxycycline, & medrol (steriod). For future cycles I will be switching the protocol slightly by changing to estrogen shots, removing lupron from protocol, and adding lovenox after transfer.

Waiting can be a bit long with so many patients, but I was usually in and out within 45-60 mins.

Insurance covers up to 4 egg retrievals. We paid out of pocket for freezing & PGS which was about 6K. We also had to pay out of pocket for some other tests like an ERA biopsy, which was $800.

His main objective is to help patients get one healthy baby. Twin pregnancies can be risky so he prefers to do one embryo when PGS tested.

Convenient location in the city Sometimes experienced long waits to get routinely check ups Friendly staff Could significantly improve the financial department, maybe add financial face to face consultations with the patients

The doctor Has two dedicated nurses and is always easy to reach any of them. If you need to talk to the doctor she always makes time to reach out and talk to you. She tailors my treatment to my specific situation.

I was always in touch with the two nurses that work directly with doctor Hirschfield and the were always super helpful and knew me as a person and not a number The IVF nurses always communicated with me, but they were not as responsive and there isn’t one assigned to your case.

She has always shown that she cares. She was always very knowledgeable and always took the time to explain in detail what my specific situation was. I didn’t feel like a number. She is very thorough when explaining the possibilities of success as well as failure. She always reached out to me after a main procedure to follow up with me on next steps to take. I haven’t been successful at conceiving yet, but I trust doctor Hirschfield and plan to continue trying under her care

I you like people telling you the truth and the facts about your situation then she is the right doctor for you. She doesn’t try to sugar code of hold back anything from you. To me that was incredibly important.

On my first round with her we tried adding micro dose Lupron and steroids to my treatment aside from Follistin and Menopur On my second round with her we tried Follistin and Menopur in different amounts and she adjusted them along the way plus ganirelix Aside from that she recommended I added DHEA, CQ10, and fish oil to my daily supplements to help increase egg health.

Costs so far have been manageable, but our IVF rounds are covered by insurance

No Comments

Organized, kind, patient, and even the receptionists get to know you by name. Everyone is so friendly and it makes the entire process less scary! There is even a financial advisor who helps you set up plans if you need to, so you can afford your treatment if insurance doesn’t help much.

Dr. Rodgers and my nurse Amber personally contacted me frequently. They’ve met my first son. I feel like they truly care to help us grow our family, and as Dr. Rodgers has experienced infertility herself, I think it gives her the compassion and understanding that some other doctors may not necessarily have.

Very friendly, prompt, and easy to communicate with. We love that we can email and receive quick replys. Amber is amazing!

Dr. Rodgers is very open with her communication. She personally calls to speak with us, even after we have already spoken to our nurse. When we did our egg retrieval, she sounded so excited for us! She always answers any questions that we may have in great detail, and is always so kind.

Trust her! She really knows her stuff!!

For fresh transfer we used agonist protocol. Can’t remember all of he drugs used that cycle, but I remember crinone, estrace, lupron, menupur. For our frozen cycle for baby number two, we are using lupron acetate, baby aspirin, minivelle, and progesterone in oil, and crinone if needed-as well as estrace as needed. I have PCOS, and my husband has low morphology, so we used ICSI. Our first fresh cycle resulted in our beautiful baby boy with one embryo transferred. We are in the middle of our frozen transfer now for baby number 2.

Very well oiled machine!!!! That’s for sure. I loved that I could schedule my appointments early in the morning. That way I would not have to keep leaving work for monitoring appointments. I was always in and out within 25 minutes of arriving.

With my insurance, embryo freezing, and spleen freezing, I think we paid a total of $5000 after insurance. We pay $500 annually for the frozen embryos and $500 for the frozen sperm.

Dr. Rodgers always asks what we are comfortable with, but always reminds us that the human body is made to safely carry one baby at a time

I has asked for an estimate on IUI cycle because my insurance would not pay for it. I was given the wrong estimate of $200-$300. I then received bills of $1000s. The office would then only call me to confirm my appointment when they wanted more $$. I explained to them I was wrongfully estimated, they continued to push and threaten to cancel my cycle. All the while saying ‘we are here for you’

When I was called with bad resluts. I would ask questions, but get answers like ‘I don’t know’. She would then tell me to come in for a consultation and talk , but she wasn’t ready to give me answers over the phone. Always ending the coversation with ‘we are here for you, let us know if you need anything’. When l had just asked for help, and got an ‘i don’t know’ response.

Stephanie was also programmed to say ‘we are here for you’.

When I was called with bad resluts. I would ask questions, but get answers like ‘I don’t know’. She would then tell me to come in for a consultation and talk , but she wasn’t ready to give me answers over the phone. Always ending the coversation with ‘we are here for you, let us know if you need anything’. When l had just asked for help, and got an ‘i don’t know’ response.

Maybe your experience will be better with her as your IVF doctor. But having her as my IUI doctor I did not feel she was paying attention to my case at all

I went through cycle with Clomid & IUI, And 2 rounds of Letrozole & timed intercourse. With each medication I would have follicles, but never a positive pregnancy.

FCI River North is hit or miss in terms of efficiency. On days they are in a groove, you can get in and out of your monitoring appointments in less than an hour. However, there were multiple days that they were behind and appointments took 90+ minutes. Since I was not working at the time, it often wasn't an issue for me, but I remember seeing a handful of frustrated patients who were coming in before or during work and the backlog was more than a nuisance. While the clinic can be efficient in seeing numerous patients in a fairly quick amount of time, it often felt as though I was part of a herd being herded from one waiting room to another. One of the most positive aspects for me was that the ultrasound techs and lab techs were extremely kind, personable and caring which helped to make me feel like a person again once I was having my bloodwork or ultrasound completed. They often answered any questions I had to the best of their knowledge and were fantastic at being as discreet as possible to help give you some level of privacy during a process that doesn't allow much. I would also recommend that you diligently watch your bills/charges. Make sure you aren't being charged more than you should be for procedures you did not have or for procedures you previously paid for.

We had one initial sit down with Dr. Kaplan, and then proceeded to be directed towards having bloodwork, ultrasounds, etc completed. Unfortunately, when everything got started, I didn't fully understand what was happening, and I quickly began to feel like I was being pushed through a general "infertility" process. This was frustrating as we don't have insurance coverage and before I knew it we had been through a bunch of monitoring that ultimately wasn't needed until a month or two later when we were going to actually start a cycle. It felt like a waste of time, energy and finances. I wish they slowed down enough to ensure I was comfortable and clearly knew what was happening. While I know it's a big, complicated and often overwhelming process, I felt like when I asked for a "big picture" idea of the steps in the process, I was constantly told "we'll let you know what comes next." It started to feel secretive and I got frustrated. I know this is the daily work for the nurses and staff, but there were a number of times that I felt like a cattle being herded when I went for my monitoring appointments. Only on occasion did I feel one or two nurses in particular actually took the time to treat me as an individual versus a checklist item on their to do list for the day. Additionally, I only saw Dr. Kaplan two other times after our initial consult with him - during my HSG/saline ultrasound and then at my transfer and both times were less than 5 minutes each. He was kind, but I didn't necessarily feel like an individualized patient.

Dr Kaplan had a team of 4 nurses that oversaw and did the coordinating for his patients. The nurses were in the office at different times and on different days so it was difficult to know who to contact with questions as the "in office" contact seemed to change. Personally, I did not care for Jill at all & I (honestly) dreaded the days I called and she was the primary in the office. I got to a point that I stopped trying to follow up if she was who I was directed to. I felt she was "fake" & I never quite got answers to the questions I was asking. However, I LOVED Betsy and Erica. Both were fantastic at taking the time to hear what I was asking and helping me understand or directing me to where I was able to get further assistance (for example, giving me a specific list of meds so I was able to determine costs from various pharmacies as we didn't have insurance to cover anything fertility related [my husband's company is "self-insured" so they are able to avoid the Illinois state-mandated fertility coverage]). I hardly communicated with Tammy. One other thing I will say is it was hard to get answers from Dr Kaplan's team quickly, I believe for the mere fact that they have such a high patient load.

Dr Kaplan is a very kind man. He is friendly and seems knowledgeable. Unfortunately, he was running quite late for our initial consult which was frustrating for a work day. He did a good job of communicating what I had learned through my own research and seemed to help my husband understand things I wasn't able to.

Do your research ahead of time (especially if it takes you time to process or think through information) so you can have your questions ready to ask.

We bough a package "deal" for 2 rounds of IVF since our insurance didn't cover anything fertility related. We paid approximately $19,000 for this "deal," however, we quickly learned that this only covered the monitoring appointments from the baseline date of the cycle (nothing prior to), the actual retrieval and embryo transfer. We still had to pay for all medications (for our first cycle medication cost was approximately $6000 just for the stimulation portion for retrieval and then an additional $800 or so for the meds associated with the transfer), all cryopreservation fees ($500 for semen plus $1200 for the embryos), and all lab work and other tests deemed necessary (HSG, etc) prior to the cycle. We have currently spent close to $30,000 and still have another $10-15,000 to pay to complete our 2nd round (for which we are currently saving back up).

Strengths- compassionate, clean Weakness- ease of getting appointment, punctuality Sometimes the times they give you are based on the reason you are there. For example, only cycling patients are allowed ultrasounds and blood work in the morning, where pregnant patients are allowed ultrasounds and blood work more in the afternoon.

He listened, was never impatient, and really cares about each patient. He treated me as if I were his own child.

Cindy is wonderful. Compassionate, but to the point. She was an amazing communicator, and always answered all my questions.

Dr. Jacobs is very passionate about helping couples create their families. He does not give up, and is always looking for new options/plans for challenging patient diagnoses. He is very easy to communicate with. He gave us his email and personal cell phone number to utilize if we needed to talk with him.

Trust in him, and let go of doubt. He really knows what he is doing!

I had tubal infertility as a result of a hydrosalpinx. I had surgery to remove my tube, however my first embryo transfer failed. Dr. Jacobs suggested we do an ERA biopsy, which is normally done after multiple failed transfers. The results showed I was pre receptive, so we adjusted my medications, schedule and protocol which resulted in a healthy pregnancy.

We had minimal insurance coverage for fertility treatments, and no coverage for medications. My meds for one IVF cycle were $4800. For the two FET’s, my meds cost between $1500-$1800. Each FET in total was around $4000, and my ivf cycle was around $15000

I opted for single embryo transfer because I know multiples carry higher risks during pregnancy, and I did not want to put my babies at risk even before they were born.

I've been very happy with FCI. The clinic itself is very well run - from the nursing staff to the administrative staff to the lab. They know what they're doing and they do it well. Probably the hardest part of dealing with the clinic is getting that initial appointment (which can sometimes be a bit of a wait). But once you're in the door, they are very easy to work with.

I think feeling like a number is almost inevitable during the fertility process - there's just so many tests and checks. But I also realized that the further in the process I went (IVF vs easier treatments), the more personalized care and check-ins I got from the nurses/doctors. In the early days, being treated like a number was almost comforting - it gave me hope that this is all so routine that I'll be out of there in no time.

The staff at FCI is excellent. My nurse was the one who coordinated my treatment, called with results, etc. They were always responsive and responded within the day. They were the ones who bore the brunt of my questions. They always called when they said they would so I knew that I would always get my test results within the day.

I absolutely trust Dr. Sipe's medical opinion. Especially during the whole IVF process, I had tons of questions and he very patiently explained all of them. He always explained why he was taking the course of action he did, what were medical standards, what were reasons that he adopted certain standards. Probably my main negative is that he was sometimes paternalistic. My husband found that very comforting, myself less so. Also he was very thorough at explaining risks even if sometimes we'd rather not have heard it.

Expect most of the communication to be through his nurses. Advocate for yourself if you need to.

I had a long delay in starting treatments while I started thyroid treatment to get my TSH to < 2.5 which seems to be the norms expected in the fertility/OB community. There was also a long back and forth between my endocrinologist and RE because my TSH values aren't as stable as they say it should be (in retrospect I think other factors, including time of day of testing make a difference). Eventually, I pushed to start fertility treatments once my endocrinologist was comfortable with it. Fertility Treatments: chemical pregnancy (no treatment, while waiting to start) IUI #1: clomid 50mg, HCG trigger. No pregnancy IUI #2: clomid 50mg, HCG trigger. Ectopic pregnancy. Treated with methotrexate. HSG shows tubes are clear but aren't functioning the way they should. Birth control for 3 months after ectopic to (a) prevent a pregnancy while methotrexate clears out of the system (b) resets the body in preparation for IVF. IVF (egg retrieval): gonalF + menopur + cetrotide. Doses adjusted as needed based on regularly blood tests/ultrasounds. Protocol chosen since it often works well for PCOS. HCG trigger. ICSI+assisted hatching (not sure if they did the latter but we gave consent to). ICSI was recommended for PCOS and we saw no downside. 13 eggs retrieved -> 9 fertilized -> 4 day5 blasts IVF (fresh transfer): PIO+minivelle patches+baby aspirin to prep lining. Transferred 1 embryo. No pregnancy FET: Lupron+Minivelle+PIO+baby aspirin. 2 embryos transferred (recommended because frozen success rates are lower than fresh). 2 gestational sacs : 1 blighted ovum, 1 (so far) healthy pregnancy.

IL has a fertility mandate in place so everything (including up to 4 egg retrievals) is covered by insurance. In brackets are the amounts that I personally owed/paid. Initial battery of tests ~$3.5k (out of pocket $800). Each of the IUI's were ~$2.5k (out of pocket ~$400). The ectopic was another $2k (meds/monitoring/etc) (out of pocket $400). HSG had a facility fee so $1.2k. IVF $17k (out of pocket $3k) FET $5k (out of pocket $500)

Dr. Sipe is very careful to try and avoid a multiple pregnancy. With our FET, he recommended 2 with the following logic: 1 embryo has a 40% chance of a pregnancy; 2 embryos has a 55% chance of a pregnancy with an equivalent increase in the chance of twins. In the end, it turned out to absolutely be the right choice for us.

Wonderful staff and beautiful office. Many locations so if there isn’t an appointment available, you do have the option of seeing another clinic considering most of the tests are time sensitive. It felt like the nurses are always available or get back to you quickly. Never any mishaps or confusion, the staff seemed to always be aware and on top of everything.

The entire staff was helpful and kind. There were many quick appointments and tests but I never felt like I was just being shuffled around. They always took time to answer any questions and make sure I felt comfortable.

All the nurses were incredible. Kind and patient and very knowledgeable. They did so much during the whole process and I will forever be grateful for all their help.

Dr. Sipe is direct and precise. He lets you know what you’re looking at and is very honest and clear about your situation. All the while, he’s still able to show compassion and very willing to hear you out and try to ease any concerns.

See him, he’s great!

The intial steps were a series of tests throughout my cycle to make sure everything was okay. Everything came back fine except my progesterone level. It was lower than he would have liked to see so I was prescribed Clomid 50mg for 5 days. Once that was through they monitored the follicles to make sure they were growing okay, and when they got to a sufficient size, I did a trigger shot of hcg to force ovulation. The following day and the day after that they performed an IUI. 12 days later they did a blood test and found I was pregnant! Prescribed me Crinone 8% vaginal gel to help my progesterone levels continue to rise, which I continued for 30 days. Had a vaginal Ultrasound at 5 weeks and found out it’s twins!

Thankfully my insurance had great coverage, once I met my $3000 deductible. That is the amount I paid for everything excluding the specimen.