Fertility Centers of Illinois

FCI River North is a beautiful facility with a very friendly staff. All of the doctors and nurses are great. It is usually very busy but the wait times are never long and I never feel like just a number. Your doctor may not be the one doing the actual procedures, like egg retrievals and transfers (it will be whoever the doctor on duty is). But as mentioned, they are all great, just something to be prepared for! Also, they don't always use the online portal consistently when it comes to posting treatment updates, but they are very responsive if you ever have a question and always call to communicate any updates or important information.

Dr. Hirshfeld always made time to go over every detail of our IVF cycle and answer our long list of questions. She is very intelligent and honest, while also being compassionate and empathetic to our situation. The clinic is very big and usually busy, but I always felt like the staff was very attentive and we were never rushed.

The nurses at FCI are incredible. They are all so kind and take the time to answer any questions you have. The only downsides I experienced were inconsistency with using the online portal to communicate protocol updates and the size of the nursing staff. The online portal is great when you need to ask a question regarding treatment and the nurses are always quick to respond. However, they used the portal to post my medication schedule at the beginning of my cycle but then stopped using it later on in my cycle. It was not a big deal because they call you every day with the information you need, but it would be great if the information was also consistently posted on the portal through the whole cycle, just in case I failed to write something down from the phone call. Also, you rarely talk to the same person twice, as the nursing staff is pretty big. Again, not a big deal since they are all incredible, but it made it more difficult to establish a deeper relationship with the nurses.

My husband and I came to Dr. Hirshfeld after 9 months of TTC. In the past, I have felt dismissed by doctors regarding my infertility concerns, many of them believing that we had nothing to worry about because we were young and had been trying for less than a year. However, Dr. Hirshfeld took our concerns seriously and wanted to do everything possible to find answers. She took a very detailed history of both of us and explained our next steps. When we discovered that the reason we were not conceiving was azoospermia, she immediately referred us to an incredible urologist, who ended up performing a sperm retrieval operation. From there, Dr. Hirshfeld recommended we go straight to IVF and went over every detail of the process. The only thing I feel wasn't fully communicated was the possibility that our fertilization results may be lower than average due to my husband's azoospermia. So when we got a very disappointing fertilization report following a successful egg retrieval, we were shocked and very upset. After our first cycle ended with no viable embryos, we met with Dr. Hirshfeld to go over what happened and how to move forward. Before we could go into how disappointed we were about the failed cycle and the dozens of questions we had, Dr. Hirshfeld stated that she knew this was not the result we were hoping for but that there were concrete things we could do differently to get a better result next cycle. She explained that low fertilization is common following a sperm retrieval and was honest about that not being something we could change. However, she could make changes to my medication protocol in hopes of obtaining more mature eggs to fertilize. She also recommended a fresh transfer instead of the frozen transfer we originally planned to do. She explained that the clinic had seen higher success rates with fresh transfers and the possible reasons for this, but stated that the decision was of course ultimately up to us. She answered many of the questions we had before we even asked them, and remained very hopeful despite the disappointing results of our first cycle. She answered the remaining questions we had very clearly and thoughtfully and we left feeling very hopeful about our next IVF cycle. Dr. Hirshfeld is extremely intelligent and always takes the time during appointments to go over everything. She is positive and optimistic, while also being honest about the situation and chances of success. She also remembers details about our personal lives, like what we do for work, and always asks us how things are going, making us feel like more than just a number.

Ask any and all questions you have. Dr. Hirshfeld always takes the time to give very clear and thoughtful answers. While she is very kind, don't expect a lot of hand holding. Her intelligence and thoroughness is what makes her comforting, not hand holding.

Dr. Hirshfeld put me on the most basic protocol, since all of my initial bloodwork and ultrasounds looked good. However, during stimulation, my left ovary was much more active than my right, which struggled to keep up. She kept me at a pretty low dose of medications since my left ovary was responding well and I had a good number of follicles. But my follicles grew at different rates, leaving only a small number within the preferred range. So while they were able to retrieve 17 eggs, only 8 of those were mature and because of my husband's azoospermia, only 3 fertilized. On day 5 we only had 1 blastocyst and unfortunately it was genetically abnormal so we did not do a transfer. Dr. Hirshfeld plans on changing my protocol next cycle so that my follicles grow more evenly and we get a higher number of mature eggs. She is adding birth control and Lupron to accomplish this, which I did not take during my first cycle. The way she described it, there are different types of protocols, and they can choose one based on initial tests but they don't really know which is the best for you until you do a complete round and see the results. Now that we saw how I responded the first time around, she can better choose a protocol to give us better results. This is exactly why they say IVF is the most expensive science experiment!

The monitoring appointments are very efficient and convenient. The appointments are usually in the morning, with times early enough so that it didn't interfere with my work schedule (I believe they start as early as 6:15 but I usually went in between 7 and 8). They were typically very quick, with the exception of one very busy Sunday where I waited longer than normal. All of the ultrasound techs and nurses are fantastic and very friendly.

Our insurance covered egg retrieval, fertilization, and transfer. We paid out of pocket for embryo biopsy ($1200), genetic testing ($300 for one embryo), embryo freezing ($1500), medications ($5000) and storage of my husband's sperm from his retrieval ($500 per year). We also paid smaller bills here and there for bloodwork and ultrasounds, a few hundred dollars approximately.

Dr. Hirshfeld said that they prefer to do single embryo transfers unless the female is over a certain age or has recurrent pregnancy loss. We do not fall into these categories and prefer single embryo transfers ourselves so we did not push for more information.

They are very organized and keep the appointments in a timely manner. They are very clear about what needs to happen and when. They return phone calls and treat you as an individual not just another patient.

He looked at my case specifically, reached out personally and made sure that the goal was a healthy baby

They would call every evening after an appointment to go over results and next steps from dr. Alvarez. They would always return phone calls and walk me through any questions I had.

He was very knowledgeable and was able to explain everything at a level that I could understand and ask questions He made sure that I knew what was happening, why and when. He reached out personally to develop plans for continuing IVF in the hopes of a healthy baby.

Ask questions, be patient and trust that he is working towards the same goal as you.

We first started with a testing. Making sure everything was where it needed to be. We then did a monitored clomid cycle. We met and discuss what he saw and what the next steps would be. We did 2 IUI next at 50mg clomid. After the second he suggested trying 100mg clomid. After that didnt work he wanted to consult and go over the results. He allowed me to choose between 2 options. We chose 1 more IUI at 100mg clomid. After it failed we discussed IVF and proceeded. He called the day before egg retrieval to go over my levels and discuss what would would happen next. We just had out egg retrieval and have 20 eggs, 11 mature and 8 fertilized.

FCI is like a baby making factory. It is very easy to feel like just a number there. If you want or need early morning appointments you will be happy here. However if you need afternoon or evening appointments this is not the place for you.

It is difficult not to feel like a number while going through treatments at FCI. But I do feel like Dr. Hirshfeld tries her best to personalize the treatments spend time explaining the processes during our consultations.

Marni was amazing. Very good with answering emails in a timely manner. If she didnt know the answer to a question, she would find the answer for us. She was compassionate, kind, and genuine.

Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron is very knowledgeable and also very kind hearted. During consultations, she was very good about explaining things thoroughly and giving the reasoning behind the course of treatment she was suggesting. She always made sure to ask if I had any questions before I left her office. And she did her best to answer all questions I had. My wife however felt as though she didn't really give us personalized attention and that perhaps she didn't have great attention to detail when dealing with us. For these reasons, we almost switched doctors, but ultimately decided to stay with Dr. Hirshfeld because of her nurses and the daunting thought of starting over with another doctor.

Make sure you let her know what you feel you need from her as your doctor.

I went through two IUI cycles because I did not have a problem producing my own eggs. Neither resulted in pregnancy so Dr. Hirshfeld suggested moving to IVF because of my age and the increased success rate with IVF. I took clomid, follistim, and a nu.ber of other drugs I cannot recall right now. I also took some supplements and tried acupuncture treatments. After the first two cycles were unsuccessful, she tweaked the treatment a bit. I believe I did testosterone patches and estrogen patches with the third cycle. This cycle was most unsuccessful. I did not have any embryos viable for PGD testing. So she tweaked treatment again for the fourth cycle. But unfortunately no chromosomally normal embryos to implant.

I have blue cross blue shield pop insurance and it was still very, very costly do go through this process. Forty dollar co-pays for ever appointment which was 3-4 times per week at some points in the process.

No comment on this as I was never able to get to the implantation phase.

FCI has been my second home, I feel like I live there with all the appointments I have had! The staff has always been friendly! The IVF surgery nurses, anesthesiologist, ultrasound techs, and phlebotomist are great. The Chicago office is always busy but I have never waited long to see the doctor or nurse. The nurses call back with the results the same day and are friendly on the phone. Dr. Alvarez is a great doctor!

Dr. Juan Alvarez is a very caring and straightforward doctor. He thoroughly explained the treatment for IUI and IVF to my husband and I, as we didn't know much about fertility treatments when we started. After our failed rounds of IUI and IVF, he would go over the new treatment plan continuing to give us hope. He reached out to me after a failed IUI round to make sure I was doing ok and gave me encouragement that the next round would work. I have never had a doctor do that before! It was extremely kind and welcomed.

Dr. Alvarez's nurse Tori is amazing! She is compassionate and kindhearted. I have reached out to her many times with questions and she takes the time to go over every little detail with me. She responds to her emails and phone calls in a timely matter.

Dr. Alvarez took the time to answer my many questions during each consultation. With each failure we had, he always give us hope that the next round will work. He has tweaked the treatment plan with each round of IUI or IVF. We did 3 round of IUI before we started IVF. It was our choice to start IVF, Dr. Alvarez didn't try to push that treatment on us. When my husband and I did get pregnant, he genuinely seemed excited for us.

To be straightforward with him, let him know that you want to get pregnant right away, and that to be aggressive with the medication. Ask as many questions as you want, he will take the time to answer all your questions. You will never feel rushed in his office.

Our first round of IVF we used Follistim, Menopur, and Ganirellix to help us get the most eggs. After a failed first cycle, Dr. Alvarez changed our treatment to help us get more eggs to make it through day 5. Our second round was more successful, we had 2 eggs make it through day 5. We are still currently trying to get pregnant.

Appointments for monitoring are convenient for people who need early morning appointments due to work. You can get an appointment as early as 6:30am and you never wait more than 15 minutes to get in. Most appointments I would be out within 15 to 20 minutes with ultrasound and bloodwork.

Hinsdale FCI is in an area that is being remodeled and having additions daily. That being said it can make getting to appts tricky. Plan in cushion time for traffic! This office it’s self is clean and sleek.

The staff is kind and gentle. They inform you of each thing they will be doing wether a blood draw or exam, they explain what the process is, what you may feel or experience, as well as what the outcome of the testing would ideally be.

Kind and caring staff who greet you with a warm hello in person and in the phone. Always are quick to get you in contact with your nurse when you have a question. When bringing you back they are informative— always cluing you in to how the blood draw or the procedure will go, what to expect, and what outcomes we are looking for. They are gentle in leading you through uncomfortable situation and always put your comfort as the top priority

Dr. Uhler was very compassionate and smart. She explained my diagnosis to me in medical terms and then broke down to me what that meant for me and day to day life, and for the future of our fertility. In regards to treatment she was concise and clear about what the options were, as well how they worked/how we would proceed.

Keep your folders, and read all the extra papers and packets they give. So much useful information that dives deeper into treatments, and meds.

Dr. Uhler think it’s best to try Letrozol after 4 failed round of clomid, it is too early to tell results.

The cost so far has been manageable. We are lucky for great insurance. We did have a debacle with genetic testing but the clinic took on all responsibility to battle it out with the insurance, making sure it was mostly covered.

The clinic is very well organized. The front desk staff is always quick, efficient & friendly. The only weakness they have is their billing department. They are always slow & behind on processing things.

Dr. Rodgers has an amazing & compassionate bedside manner. Her emotions during my living pregnancy, chemical pregnancy & 2 miscarriages show. She’s always warm & embraces you in hugs no matter what the news is.

Stephanie is amazing. She always answers questions in a timely fashion. She explains things in a way that are understandable. She is very compassionate about my treatments & outcomes.

Dr. Rodgers is compassionate. She is very driven & focused to come up with a plan of action to give you the best care possible. She always listens to comments & concerns & is willing to try suggestions. She always puts things into perspective & doesn’t sugar coat things.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. She is amazing at answering everything. She explains things in details that can easily be understood.

We started in 2015 with Letrezole then moved on to injectables with times intercourse. When those did not result in a pregnancy we added IUI to my second round of injectables. That resulted in a pregnancy & live birth. In 2018 we went back to injectables/IUI. Those resulted in a CP & 2 MMC. After having a hysteroscopy to remove scar tissue & polyp I just underwent injectables & another IUI. Currently waiting for beta day.

The first time I went I was complete out of pocket & did not have insurance coverage. Prices for services are reasonable & were expected. They give a fair discount for cash pay patients.

Front desk people are nice . If I have questions or concerns they try to help or make sure I’m in the right place . Usually answer the phones all the time or get back prettt quick . They work with me scheduling and are generally nice and seem like they enjoy there job

I feel like a human cuz dr Nani let me give my opinion on stuff and take into consideration of things I wanted to try or do .

My nurse is amazing! She’s like a friend and let’s me just talk and express my concerns. Never knocks them down . She’s vet compassionate and always gets back to me ASAP and spends as much time with me as needed if on phone , email or in person . Communicates well with doctor Nani and goes above and beyond for me !

Dr Nani I s always optimistic. When there are setbacks or bad outcomes she’s always looking at the bright side . To me she doesn’t give up . She try’s things and doesn’t just do what everyone else is doing or works for them . Let’s you be your own adovcate .

Don’t take her cheery happy attitude as she doesn’t care . She just try’s to look at the bright side and not discourage you

Since I had multiple hystercopy cuz of adhesions dr Nani wouldn’t let me move forward with out doing a mock/era cycle to make my sure my uterus was capable of a transfer . First fet was antagonist. My lining did not respond well . She added extra meds like Del estrogen and extra estrogen in general to help thicken my lining and reduce fluid from my uterus. She didn’t just cancel . My first fet was a positive hcg but ended in miscarriage at 7.5 weeks . My thyroid went crazy and my progesterone dropped so they added extra meds to try to save . 2nd fet did antagonistic. Started out with higher dosage of estrace from beginning. Ended up with fluid again . Added Del estrogen and did fluid aspiration. Day of transfer I had tri lining like last time and no fluid so we went for it . Doctor Nani did give me option to cancel if I wanted . We also started out higher dosage of progesterone to avoid a drop . Also we were checking thyroid weekly and adjusting meds as needed . We were on top of things but unfortunately my thyroid went crazy and had a negative. Went to my what happed appointment. She recommended changing protocol to stimulated cuz of poor lining issues even though the first one did take . Recommended getting more blood work and us on thyroid b4 transferring again . I also brought up a ob/immunologist to her and she was on board and backed me up on everything. She even tried to get me in sooner to the doctor. She also kept in contact with my ob the whole time since I M very close to her . Through out this whole process she always had a smile on her face and always happy even when she was coming into to do surgery on me at 6am . It can be annoying but atleast she’s always optimistic. I knew I was with the right doctor when she didn’t knock down all my ideas .

Us tech vita is amazing. Very compassionate and explains everything. I got so comfortable with her that I would ask for her if another tech was going to take me . All the people I have a relationship with treat me well and treat me like a friend and make me feel like they truly care

I have pretty good coverage . But nothing was always paid fir unless my max oop was met

My first fet was single embryo , 2nd time I was given the option of 1 or 2.

The location of the clinic is great, easy to get in and out. There is plenty of parking available. I feel like for the most part you don’t wait any longer than 10-15mins from your apt time. The front desk staff is friendly and helpful. Weaknesses I feel like sometimes calls are not returned and it’s up to you to follow up with another phone call. Other than that I feel like the clinic is ran well.

My first impression of Dr. Ahmad was great, she’s wonderful very warm and yet upfront and honest. This was my second transfer, but first with Dr. Ahmad. This last transfer I did not feel like my office/ nurse was organized. Sometimes I would call and not get a call back. Other times they would call and would be a little lost on what my next steps would be. Asking me what I have and haven’t done. Overall, the environment in the office was very friendly most of the same staff from when my previous doctor was there. I feel like maybe they are still trying to work out a few kinks with a new doctor coming in.

So my first and second transfer was the same nurse. The first round I thought she was on top of her game very organized. The second round I felt like things were a little out of sorts. I wasn’t always getting call backs when I requested them. Had an issue with medicine not being ordered I also felt like because I had done this before she felt like she wasn’t as clear with directions as she was the first round. It could all be because of the change in doctors , we’ll see how the third round goes in a couple weeks.

Dr. Ahmad has a very sweet personality. Every time I’ve seen her she always has a smile on her face. I’ve had to bring my son in with me one I’ve had a procedure done and she was talking to him and just being very friendly while doing my procedure. This second transfer I just did, Was unsuccessful so I go in next week to meet with her to see where we go from here. I can’t honestly point out any weaknesses just yet.

I always tell my friends that I’m referring to be upfront and honest and ask any question that comes to mind. If the doctor your are dealing with does not answer your questions throughly or gives you the vibe that they aren’t taking you seriously, you need to move on. This process is way to draining and to end up with a doctor you are unsure about or doesn’t give you good vibes is just not worth it. Find your match. I can honestly say so far I feel very comfortable with my decision of seeing Dr. Ahmad.

So this past transfer Dr. Ahmad used to the same protocol as my last Dr. because it was successful. I started on BC for a few weeks then started Lupron shots( dosage was different /lower from my first transfer. Im unsure why but I plan on asking next week). Then from that we started estrogen patches and vaginal inserts along with progesterone inserts. The week of transfer we started progesterone in oil. It was a lot but because it worked my first transfer we figured we would try it again, but we were unsuccessful this time.

I think this last round of treatment was just under $3,000.

Because I was able to get pregnant I was just miscarrying because of genetic issues with embryo, they only recommended transferring one embryo. With my first successful pregnancy I ended up with severe preeclampsia at 35 weeks which resulted in an emergency c-section. I totally understand why they one want to transfer one rather then two embryos in my case.

Everyone at this clinic treats you with care and respect. They are friendly and helpful. The ultrasound techs immediately make you feel comfortable. The receptionists are on a first name basis with a lot of patients when they walk in and are very warm and welcoming.

Anytime I talk to Dr. Jacobs, he is 100% familiar with our journey, what has taken place, and what is coming up next. He’s never provided generic information, only information specific to our journey and treatment.

Cindy was excellent at responding to emails and phone calls to answer any questions I had and to provide me with any instructions I needed.

From the first consult, Dr. Jacobs has been everything we could have hoped for in a fertility doctor. He’s so knowledgeable and does a great job of explaining things and answering all of our questions. When treatment isn’t successful, he reaches out to see how we’re doing and has adjusted treatment and suggested additional testing to rule out certain issues that could prevent future successful treatment. He has always made us feel like we are his only patient. He often expresses his excitement and confidence that our miracle will happen.

Don’t wait to make your appointment.

He wanted to start with IUI for us based on our test results (I had no issues with my Fallopian tubes). After 3 unsuccessful IUIs (and a couple of medical hiccups along the way that required us taking a brief break from treatment), we decided to try IVF. Dr. Jacobs has discussed IVF from the beginning as one of our treatment options, and when we decided we were on board we had a lot of questions. Dr. Jacobs was amazing at helping us understand the process. Our egg retrieval yielded 17 eggs and 4 developed into blastocysts. Because of my age, we decided to do genetic testing on those 4 embryos and only 1 came back normal. So we did a frozen embryo transfer. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in pregnancy. Dr. Jacobs reached out the day I got the results to express his sympathy and check on me, which I thought was incredibly kind. He met with us to go over everything and we decided to try again. We went though a second egg retrieval, which again yielded 17 eggs, 3 of which developed into blastocysts, and 1 of which tested as genetically normal. At that point, I felt that my mind and body needed a break. I started fertility acupuncture and have recently started the process with Dr. Jacobs to start getting ready for another frozen embryo transfer.

Fertility treatment is expensive. I feel that Dr. Jacobs’s services are on par with most fertility clinics. What I love is that they work with Attain Fertility so we were able to save a lot of money with the multi-cycle discount that they offer.

I loved my ultrasound technician at the Lindenhurst clinic! She always made me feel comfortable. I appreciated that there were multiple locations that I could go to depending on my needs. The billing is not great. I would often not get bills in the mail but go to an appointment and be notified of an outstanding balance. The bills were very hard to read and understand. I tried to contact billing via patient portal and never got a reply.

When we had our consultations with Dr. Rodgers I felt like a human. After that I felt like a number. Or rather I didn't feel like I was high on the spectrum of concern, especially in our last cycle. New protocol was introduced by my nurse and not Dr. Rodgers. I felt like I was not important. It made me wonder if IUI patients were treated differently than IVF patients.

I had mixed reactions with the nurses. We went to two different clinics so we experienced I believe 4 different nurses. Nancy was great when I talked to her after a consultation. There was a nurse I did not know that talked to me during the cycle where I had the cyst who was rude (NOT Nancy, Stephanie or Amber). Stephanie was good at explaining when I asked her to go over details again. I know she relayed Dr. Rodgers treatment plan but I did feel like I was encouraged to go forward with treatment when it wasn't a great idea. I had a good talk with Amber and another nurse when we were deciding to stop the treatment cycle.

Face to face interactions with Dr. Rodgers was great. We really clicked with her and were very happy to have her for our doctor, she felt like the right fit. My first two IUIs were fine, though I didn't see Dr. Rodgers for any of the treatments. I only spoke to her when she called to tell us the negative results. For our third (canceled) IUI my cycle started off poorly due to my baseline testing but treatment was recommended anyway. I questioned it but was encouraged to continue. I felt like my personal case was not really being considered when these decisions were being made. It felt like they were trying to "pull out all the stops" without considering me as a whole person.

Reach out directly to her if you need to. I sort of missed the memo on that and only communicated with the nurses. Also speak up if something doesn't feel right. I regret not doing those things.

I had a mass on my ovary. Dr. Rodgers recommended surgery first. She recommended a great surgeon who took out the benign tumor and minimal endometriosis. After that Dr. Rodgers recommended Letrozole IUI/timed intercourse or IVF. We chose to try THREE medicated IUI cycles. For the first one I took 2.5 mg for 5 days. I ended up with 1 follicle but it took a while and wasn't very large. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was directed to take progesterone in oil daily. The cycle ended with a negative result. The next cycle was cancelled due to an estrogen producing cyst. Then we try again with 5 days of 5 mg of Letrozole. Again, it took a while and I only got one follicle, slightly larger. I used ovidrel for the trigger shot. I was on estrogen twice a day and progesterone once a day. It resulted in a negative test. For this cycle my FSH was high on baseline and was told I was less likely to respond to treatment but it was recommended we continued with the cycle. I took 7.5 mg for 5 days. I showed no results. I was recommended 100 IU of gonal-F/follistim for three days but that quickly changed to 300 IU for 4 days. I started showing a response and it as recommended to increase to 600 IU for 2 to 4 days. At that point we decided to stop treatment because the injectable medications were not a protocol we ever discussed with Dr. Rodgers and I had become increasingly uncomfortable with the way treatment was progressing.

Honestly the billing was so confusing I don't think I could tell you how much different aspects cost. I will say it was in the estimated cost they provided. $2000 per IUI.

Strengths are that they are efficient. Weakness is mornings are a mass assembly line of a ton of women going through bloodwork and ultrasounds. Not most personable at times especially during busy mornings. The billing office was super helpful. They worked with us when our authorization for treatment was randomly lost. They helped us figure it out with insurance. They gave a 20% discount if we paid our balance in full. Another downside was not knowing the anesthesiologist was out of network so it was not covered at all. Never thought to ask as it was an in network provider and clinic.

The clinic itself is an assembly line of bloodwork and ultrasounds. The time we were with Dr Rapisarda it was very personable and treated as if we were the most important patient. He was thorough and answered all my wife’s questions.

All the nurses were kind. They delivered the really crappy news of not being pregnant very kindly. They managed my wife’s anxiety about things very patiently.

He was kind, caring, and very thorough. He had no insight into why our iuis were not working other then we were using frozen sperm. When we hit the number of iuis needed for insurance to pay for ivf he fully supported us on that journey.

He may run a bit late but when you are with him you are the most important person in the world.

We started with 3 unmedicated iuis and ovidrel trigger. Two of those we did back to back inseminations. All negatives so we added clomid and ovidrel trigger for two cycles. Also switched sperm donor. Still negative. Iui six was done with gonal f and ovidrel. Again negative. Moved to ivf. Pretty typical protocol of gonal f, menopur, and centricide. Retrieved 17 eggs. 10 mature and fertilized. Transferred one AA embryo on Day 5. Froze two on day 5. Froze anonyher on Day 6. Pregnant with a singleton. Gave birth 9 months later. Now did our consult for a FET for baby 2. Started birth control today. Will use lupron, estradiol, and PIO.

We spent $8000 on ivf procedures total out of pocket after insurance.

Our doctor recommended transferring one due to age and no known fertility issues. We transferred one. Will transfer 1 for our FET due to quality of embryo.

It is truly a baby making mill. Appointments that are as simply as blood work and ultrasound take over an hour because they’re always running behind. It typically takes 30 minutes in the waiting room to be seen. That being said, the ultrasound technicians and lab were all wonderful and very nice. I have nothing negative to say about them or my experience with the staff in that regard!

Throughout I had issues with Dr. Marut’s nurse, Ashley. When I would ask questions she would simply make me feel stupid. This was similar with Dr. Marut as well. If he tried to textbook explain something and we had a question it was like he got angry that he had to answer. Additionally, I felt like I was forced to do 6 IUIs and then was just placed into a generic program for our IVF treatment. Whenever I called to ask about labs and ask for an explanation as to why one level could have been higher or lower it took a significant amount of time to even answer or research. They didn’t know me and I know they didnt really care. I felt like I was a mouse being tested on, poked and prodded regularly without true monitoring or care. It truly felt inhuman but I was blinded by the potential to have a baby.

Torria was much better than Ashley. Ashley has sent me incorrect schedules which i had to correct for her with wrong dates and medications, she made me feel stupid, I was constantly asking questions about my care which she never knew the answers to and had to review and research my file, she was cold and not compassionate.

He is very clinical and seems like a nice man when you first meet him. I don’t think he actually reviews the patient as a person rather just looks at labs (without taking into consideration existing conditions) and plops patients into programs in hopes that the statistics hold up. As mentioned I feel like I was treated in an inhuman manner, it’s hard to even put into words.

Be aggressive with your questions and don’t let him manipulate or bully you into IUI or a specific protocol.

IUI 1-3: medications used were letrozole, regular monitoring and ovidril for trigger. This was chosen as it was “typical” to start out. All results were negative. IUI 4-6: given the first three cycles didn’t work he noted it was typical to do three cycles with injectables. We did not want to actually proceed with IUIs and wanted to jump to IVF but he was adamant that it would work. I took follistim, had regular monitoring and ovidril as a trigger. All results were negative. Retrieval and fresh transfer: medications used were follistim, menopur, ganirelix, minivelle, crinone. He noted this was a standard protocol. During my last monitoring appointment my uterine lining was significantly thinner but no mention was made. Pregnancy test result was negative. FET 1: I took birth control for 3 weeks, lupron, minivelle and crinone for this cycle. This was a standard protocol that he felt was suitable for me. Again, my lining was thinner before the actual transfer than it has been at previous appointments but no mention was made. This transfer ended as a chemical pregnancy. FET 2: I took birth control for 3 weeks, lupron, minivelle and crinone and he added in a baby aspirin for this cycle. This was a standard protocol plus aspirin that he felt was suitable for me. Again, my lining was thinner before the actual transfer than it has been at previous appointments but no mention was made and when I asked it was brushed off and not acknowledged. Pregnancy test result was negative.

The monitoring appointments went well, aside from the long wait times. The staff was very nice and the technicians were all lovely.

Each appointment required a $50 copay and each round of IUI was approximately $1500. The retrieval cycle with fresh embryo transfer was about $10,000 and the frozen transfers after that we’re about $5000 each.

He was adamant about only transferring one embryo at a time (even though we didn’t do genetic testing) and was rude when we asked to do more than one.

It is challenging to work full time and manage monitoring appointments especially since you may only be given a 1-2 days’ notice that you need to come in. It is frustrating that the nurses call you in the evening to advise on next steps but likely by the time they call, the scheduling team is gone for the day. Because of the short notice, they often cannot accommodate me at my desired time, 6:30a. I work in the far north suburbs (~1 hour drive in average). I have had to cancel important meetings, work from home, take calls from the car. My work schedule is challenging because of my level and the fact I am in meetings most of the day. This adds a layer of stress with going to appointments and not having my work suffer as a result.

When interacting with Dr. Kaplan, I felt like a human, however, those interactions were limited. My primary interaction was with his nursing team who usually interacted with me via email on the FCI portal. When I did speak with some nurses, half of the time the experience felt cold, i.e., they were short in answering my questions or seemed put off when I had several questions to ask or did not answer my questions completely. The other half of the time, the nurses were patient and empathetic, e.g., . After my third cycle when all of my embryos arrested, a nurse called me promptly to address my questions and talk through next steps. Each nurse has a different “bedside” manner.

Ilynne is very knowledgeable and kind. Donna is getting better. I was upset after my initial interactions with Donna since they felt rushed and as if she was irritated by my questions. She has gotten better and seems to have more patience. She now spends more time explaining things and does a better job with answering my questions. In general, I do not understand the various nursing teams Dr. Kaplan has and what the responsibilities for each are. He has his Highland Park nurses which I understand are the IVF nurses and the River North nurses (unsure what they do compared to HP). I was annoyed that their process is not seamless. On one occasion, I was told by one of the River North nurses that I needed to contact Highland Park to receive my protocol. I already feel that I have to be my own advocate, ask questions about the protocol/why certain meds are used because they do not consistently explain this, and to have to sort out logistics because communication is poor on their end shouldn’t have to be my responsibility. It’s also challenging if you have a demanding job to be available for their phone calls since they typically do not have a set time that they call. So if you are in a meeting and miss their call but have questions, you often have to email the portal since they have left for the day and need to wait for a response. I do appreciate that the nurses will let Dr. Kaplan know that I want to speak with him after a canceled/failed cycle. Typically, you are asked to leave a message with his admin, Carmen, who never seems to answer her phone or be prompt with her return call. On one occasion, I had already spoken with Dr. Kaplan (nurses had asked him to call me) the week after a failed cycle before Carmen even returned my call!

Dr. Kaplan is direct and clearly communicates his opinion. I appreciate that he does not sugar-coat the situation since fertility treatment is too expensive and time consuming to operate under false pretense. He is, however, quite busy. After my failed or canceled cycles, it was difficult to schedule a consultation appointment that wasn’t a few weeks out (by then I would have missed the opportunity to start a cycle the month immediately following the cancellation/failed cycle). In each case, he was able to do a brief phone consult with me the week after, in between procedures (i.e., no specific time scheduled), so I did not need to wait weeks to speak with him. In interacting with Dr. Kaplan it is best to have done your research and prepared all of your questions in advance. The conversation goes very quickly so know what you want to say and what questions you want answered. Dr. Kaplan does not provide an email address which would be helpful but I understand that this would be impractical given the number if patients he sees. Dr. Kaplan likes to do his own procedures and, therefore, bases your protocol around his set procedure dates each month. I appreciate that he likes to do the procedures himself but at the same time it is frustrating having to wait to start a cycle based on his dates. Dr. Kaplan does his retrievals at the Highland Park location since his embryologists are onsite there. Transfers are done either at Highland Park or at his office on Michigan Avenue, which is beautiful. During my initial consult, Dr. Kaplan informed us that he prefers to do frozen embryo transfers to give the body a bit of time to recover from the retrieval. This is an important consideration for those who want to do fresh transfers.

He is recognized as one of the best. As such, he is in high demand and, therefore, may not get to spend very much time with you. Therefore, you will need to interact more frequently with his nurses. If you want an RE that can spend more time with you, perhaps Dr. Kaplan is not the right doctor for you.

Due to my age, diminished ovarian reserve and low AMH (0.6), we went straight to IVF. My first cycle was a standard antagonistic(?) protocol with Follistim (300 IU to start), Menopur (150 IU), Doxycycline, and Ganirelex (250). I was also taking a prenatal vitamin from my local pharmacy, and had started acupuncture and yoga at Pulling Down the Moon since I could no longer run as a form of exercise. We considered ourselves very lucky with the first cycle as after 4 embryos retrieved, we were able to transfer 1 PGS-tested 5-day embryo via FET. Unfortunately, that did not result in a pregnancy. For my second cycle, I was put on the Lupron microdose protocol since that is typically used with “poor responders.” This included 40mcg of Lupron BID, 450 Gonal, 75 IU Menopur. However, that cycle was canceled as my body did not respond to it. During this cycle, I also started taking the PDTM Prenatal multi-vitamin with supplements and added supplements Kaplan recommended (CoQ10, pycnogenol, L-Arginine). My third cycle was similar to my first but with a different dose of Menopur - 300. I also took 300 Gonal and 250 Ganirelex. All of my 5 embryos arrested before making it to Day 5. For my fourth cycle, I was on 100 mg Clomiphene, 300 Gonal, 150 Menopur then 250 Ganirelex. I had 5 eggs retrieved, 3 fertilized, 2 made it to Day 5. One came back PGS normal and the other designated as “special considerations.” One of my issues in preparing for FET is my lining not getting thick enough. I’ve had three canceled FETs due to this. One FET cycle I was on Estrace (initially 2 pills am/pm) and baby aspirin then doxycycline, Medrol, and PIO. Another FET cycle I was on delestrogen (0.3ml every 3rd day), baby aspirin, and 5 units of Lupron then Doxycycline, Medrol, PIO. The next cycle was a stimulated FET with 150 Gonal but I ovulated before the FET. I’m currently on another stimulated FET protocol - 5 units Lupron and 150 Gonal.

My BCBS IL PPO insurance provided by my employer has different coverage for procedures vs. medications. My lifetime medication max was $15000 which was usurped with my first round of stim medications and didn’t cover the full expense. I have been out of pocket for meds ever since then. For 4 stim rounds and 5 FET preps, I’d estimate I’ve spend $20-25K in medication alone. Most of my procedures are still covered under my insurance so I’ve only had to pay deductible/co-insurance though do not know the amount. I’ve elected for PGS testing for the cycles where it was possible so for 2 rounds that was about $10K including biopsy, testing, and storage.

No compassion at the front desk. Overall the office seems very cold. Dr. Ahmad wasn't super compassionate either. Shanon is amazing to work with. I did feel like a number there. Most of my ultrasounds were done by Cathy. She is very sweet and kind. She always had suckers there for my daughter. Blood draw staff were nice and didn't hurt when poking. I can't remember the name of the girl who did my IUI's but she was very nice as well.

Rushed out of all consults. Didn't go over anything in detail. Laughed at my questions. Didn't take time to hear me out about what's been going on with my body.

Shanon was amazing, sadly I just found out that she left FCI. :( She came up with my protocol and would always help me out trying to find meds b/c she knew I was 100% self pay. I'm unsure who is going to come in now, and FCI never gave us a heads up as to her leaving, so I'm pretty scared about who's going to come in.

After several rounds of nothing working, she ended up telling me that she was out of options for me. My amazing nurse, Shanon, actually came up with my protocol and it worked! Dr. Ahmad is very sweet and seems very caring, but when it came time for me to ask my questions, I think she responded poorly many times...not always, but often she would laugh or just give a quick answer that made it seem like what I brought up wasn't really a valid point. I would also like to feel more secure in her drive to get me pregnant...I'm not sure how motivated she is. I would also like to see statistics specific to someone with my conditions and she work with such patients as far as what I might expect and what results I may see.

Be sure to do your research and push to get your questions answered relevantly.

I tried Gonal-F shots for 2 rounds, but my follicles never grew. Then I did 5 days of Femara and 2-3 days of Menopur (150iu) and was able to get my follicles to grow. I did that 3 times for IUI, but they all failed. Now I'm on to IVF.

Many people don't like FCI and refer to it as a "cattle call" but I believe that's coming from those patients that visit the River North location which is the biggest and busiest with multiple doctors and not to mention where all the procedures take place. There are so many other locations that FCI has in the suburbs where you definitely don't get that feeling. Getting an appointment is pretty easy and the entire staff is super friendly. For monitoring, they try to adhere as close as possible to your appointment time. The most that I had to wait was approximately 15 minutes. It's super helpful that they are open as early as 6:30 am for appointment for those of us who have to get to work early.

Dr. Rodgers is really a cheerleader for all her patients. She takes the time to answer all questions (even has answered emails on the weekends and when on vacation which i felt horrible about!) and personally calls you with good or bad news. I feel that she really has your back and tailors treatment based on each individual case.

Ashley is pretty amazing. Anytime that I had questions, she has made sure to call me or email me back the same day. I never have felt rushed to get off the phone or to keep emails short with her. When she has not been available, all of her other nurses have been nothing short of amazing either. This is honestly the first group of nurses that I have felt the most comfortable and least stressed with. They are a HUGE group of cheerleader for all of Dr. Rodger's patients.

Dr. Rodgers is a compassionate and knowledgeable doctor. She may be younger than most RE's but I honestly thing she takes her time to really understand different treatment options and thinks outside the box. She is not afraid to be challenged and answers all questions and concerns with honesty and with data to back it up if needed. She will try anything and everything that makes sense for your treatment. The only negative that I would say about her is that due to the amount of patients, she sometimes has to be reminded of things like meds, what protocol you followed for your last transfer but that should be probably expected as I am not her only patient. I never have felt rushed during any consults with her and she makes sure to be there for all transfers and procedures. I really wish that I had done a cycle with her with my own eggs.

Once you are a patient and in treatment, make sure you remind her of things that could be important.

Before the first FET I had a saline sono and ERA done. FET #1 included an endometrial scratch, lupron, estrace, estrogen patches, antibiotic, baby asprin, and PIO. I got pregnant for the 1st time ever but sadly miscarried a couple weeks later. After the miscarriage we ran a couple of blood tests and everything was ok. Before FET #2, we did an endometrial biopsy to look for inflammation which came back negative so we proceed with the same protocol as the 1st FET and it was a negative. For our last FET, we added predisone and lovenox (everything but the kitchen sink) and sadly we had another negative. After this last negative, we decided to run a couple of more blood tests and will possibly do an EIP before our next transfer.

Strengths: lot's availability for appointments. I especially like the early appointments (they open at 6:45am - so it's very convenient). Phone is always answered. Weaknesses: Very large office. Hardly ever seen by the same person.

When meeting with Dr. Marut he is very compassionate and does make you feel like a human. The overall feel at FCI though is not the most "homey". It's too large of a practice that at times you do feel like just one more person there.

Dr. Marut's nurse has a really pleasant demeanor. She is cordial and seems to truly care. There were a few instances when I felt that there was some disorganization and that made me a little flustered with the process; but overall, she does a good job and is attentive to your needs.

Overall my experience with Dr. Marut was very good. I met with him for an FET and he took the time to explain the entire protocol with me. At one of our diagnostic exams, I mentioned to him that I'd like to try a "Natural FET" and he allowed for me to go that route. I'd also like to mention that during the saline ultrasound I had to bring my 1year old daughter with me and he was very accommodating. She cried the entire time and he told me not to worry and did what he needed to do as quickly as possible. I was truly touched by how caring and understanding he was in this situation. I didn't see him again until it was time for the actual transfer. I think this may have been the hardest part, because I didn't have that reassurance that I needed during that process. My FET was successful and he seemed genuinely happy for us. I do like that he makes the effort to be at every ultrasound appointment. It's reassuring to hear him say how everything is measuring well and what to expect next.

To make sure you have your questions at hand when you see him at your initial appointment. You will not get that long of a time after the initial consult.

I asked for a Natural FET. So the protocol was basically monitoring of lining and follicles. Once it looked like I was ready to ovulate I took a trigger shot and started Crinone 3 days later. Transfer was 7 days after trigger shot.

$3,500 for FET $250 Transfer of embryos Fee Paid separately to transfer my embryos to the clinic as well as paid separately for medications.

Dr. Marut suggested early on to only transfer one embryo.

Front desk staff is just ok, except Nora, she is awesome! Ultrasound tech Vita is the best!! Weaknesses lie in time management and scheduling. Allow yourself extra time for appointments, because they tend to get backed up quickly.

He was very thorough and tailored his treatment plan exactly to my needs. I did not feel like a number, I felt like a person, and he was so compassionate and determined to make me a mother.

Very thorough, quick and to the point.

Dr. Jacobs is compassionate and honest. He takes challenges headnon and always does his best to remedy the situations. He has a gentle demeanor but he is very knowledgeable in this field. He will answer your emails at all hours of the day, and can always set your mind at ease. He is truly a wonderful doctor with a wonderful purpose in life.

Just go and see him, you never know what miracles he has up his sleeve.

For egg retrieval, Gonal F 225 units nightly along with Menopur 75mg powders, I did two powders. Added in ganirelix around day 6. Triggered with 80 units of lupron. For frozen transfers, I started with lupron and birth control, followed by estrogen patches, crinone and progesterone in oil. For my second successful transfer, we did the ERA biopsy. From those results we adjusted my protocol and did ganirelix, estrogen patches, crinone, progesterone in oil and a short course of steroids. I continued the crinone, estrogen patches and progesterone in oil until my 10th week of pregnancy.

Well oiled machine, very thorough

Don’t remember specifics, but we have paid roughly $10,000 out of pocket with some insurance coverage.

I’m all for the single embryo transfer just because I know multiples carry many risks. Dr. Jacobs always recommended only a single embryo transfer for me every time.

The staff at the clinic is great. I love the phlebotomist and the ultra sound tech. They are caring, empathetic, and aware of what you as a patient are going through. I had a situation where I was two days short on meds and my shipment was late and the phlebotomist who is also a nurse worked with me to find me meds for those 2 days so I would be able to go ahead with the retrieval.

The only times I got a chance to speak to the doctor were the "consultations". Every bit of the care is managed with the nurse and I've had my nurse switched three times. The nurse I am dealing with now has poor communication skills and does not return phone calls or emails. Ever since we had to move to the donor egg process I felt left in the dark and ignored by my physician and nurse. The clinic team is very good, very friendly and caring - but I feel like I get more interaction from the phlebotomist and ultrasound technician than from the people who are managing my care plan.

You are assigned a nurse as soon as you begin. In the first six months I had three different nurses. The first nurse I had was great but suddenly another nurse was calling me about my care. It was never explained why, when, or how the change of care was initiated. I ended up with the nurse I have now. We have complained about her lack of response. During our time of getting things arranged for a egg donor i had a lot of questions and in a 3 week span I emailed her 9 times, left her voice messages 4 times, and never got a response until I called to complain. The only person I could complain to was the receptionist because there is no charge nurse or nurse manager on site, but complaining to her resulted in a phone call from my nurse. It makes the patient feel like they are no longer important. I understand people being out of the office or buy with other patients, but in 3 weeks there should be someone managing my care who could reach out to and explain the dissonance.

He is a very intelligent and seemingly caring physician, however I want to be able to communicate with my physician. The system they have in place is everything runs through the nurses. I made an appointment to see the physician because my husband and I had questions and the appointment was cancelled by the office because "Dr. Sipe is not sure why you have an appointment at this stage of the program." I was not allowed to keep the appointment or go in and speak to him. I had to direct our questions to the nurse. If I have questions I should be able to contact my physician. I cannot be an advocate for my treatment plan if I never have the opportunity to speak to the physician.

Meet with several physicians before you make a choice and ask them how much personal interaction they have with patients. If you like the hands-off approach Dr. Sipe may be for you, but if you like to be informed and have transparent and collaborative communication about your care plan you may want to chose a different clinic/physician.

I had to have a pre-IVF surgeries for an adhesion of the uterus. Then I underwent 3 different protocols for egg retrieval. Based on my age my physician recommended genetic testing between retrieval and implantation. The first Protocol was a Lupron protocol . The second protocol was the Schoyer 2. The third was a modified Lupon Protocol beacuse even though I produced more eggs the second time the quality was not as good. It was only in my first cycle that I had eggs get to blast and be sent for genetic testing. At that point we moved to using donor eggs. In this process we had to see the psychiatrist and deal with a lot of the anxiety and depression of the process. Once we chose our donor we began moving forward on payment as donor eggs add another level of financial stress to a couple. It took us about 2 months and now I am in the middle of the treatment plan for implanting donor eggs.

Making appointments was easy I felt they had plenty of availability.

Our insurance plan covered a great deal, but there were out of pocket costs associated with specific procedures and most of the medications. The donor egg portion is extremely expensive and not covered by any insurance.

I LOVE the Hinsdale clinic with FCI. Lynn the front desk person is so welcoming and helps with any questions and so informative. I love Stacy the ultrasound tech at the clinic. She is thorough and will explain and point things out as we go through ultrasounds. Robin the blood lady is awesome. I feel like when I walk in there it's like seeing my girlfriend. We talk about everything and I'm always excited to go and see her and talk to her for a few minutes while she draws my blood for the millionth time!

Everyone in his office in Hinsdale knows my name and knows me personally. I have never felt like I was just a number. His nurse Agnes always answers all my questions and they always make me feel like I matter.

I love Agnes Dr. Sipes nurse. I can call her with any of my questions or email her about anything! She has been super helpful and compassionate towards everything and she is really amazing! I love her and all the nursing staff that works at the Hinsdale office.

I really appreciated how thorough Dr. Sipe has been with my care. Hes been great at communicating next steps and what he thinks my chances are and what he recommends for my treatment. He always tweaks my treatment to help with the road bumps we have found and I really appreciated that. I have had 3 miscarriages but not from anything that Dr. Sipe did. I am still figuring out what my body and how it responds to pregnancy. He has helped me achieve pregnancy 3 times and I hope soon hell help me get pregnant and stay pregnant for the whole 9 months.

Be advocate for your own care and make sure you have a list of questions you may want to ask because he is very open go asking questions. He has even gone as far as calling me personally to talk about a retrieval that could have been harmful to my body and he always let me know the risks along the way. So just stay informed and ask a lot of questions.

My IUIs we use first clomid which we discovered thinned my lining so we quickly got rid of it. My second IUI we used Follistim but because I have PCOS my follicles overrespond. We got to use it for that IUI that resulted in a miscarriage because my egg was not of good quality. We then tried another IUI but I overstimmed so we move onto IVF. We did a retrieval using menopur, lupron, lupron trigger and very small amount of HCG so we could retrieve. All of my transfers have resulted in pregnancy but have resulted in miscarriage so far.

I dont have many costs because my insurance has been awesome.

We talked with our doctor and because of my younger age we decided on transferring one embryo over two embryos and j was perfectly happy with that.

I prefer the doctor to the clinic - my experience is with the doctor and his staff. I will say making appointments is easy. Check-out it easy. Depending on when you go, wait times can be tough. I opt to go during lunch so it's much less busy! The worst part about the clinic is the location - no easy public transportation to get there. It's along the Chicago River in River north.

Dr. Sipe made us feel comfortable the first time entering his office. My OBGYN had recommended him, and said he was the best. We already went into the appointment knowing we were in good hands. He is practical with his responses and backs everything up with stats. You know where you stand with the IVF numbers game, and I found comfort in that. He feels like a friend more than a doctor. And we deeply share the same goal.

Very responsive. Answered all my questions. Super helpful!

I trust him implicitly. He has already shown us success with my first born, and now we are trying for a sibling. Our experiences with him are thorough and we leave with a great deal of confidence knowing that we (and him) are doing everything we can to achieve a pregnancy. I was successful on my first IVF cycle, so in my book, he is pretty darn good! I also appreciated his candor when I asked him questions about different things to do that I read off the internet to boost my chances. He did say half of his job is de-bunking stuff people read on the internet. He backs everything up with science, and I appreciate that. made the process less stressful to not try every herb out there that claims to help with infertility.

He gives you a lot of time. You won't feel rushed, so come prepared with questions to get the most out of your visit.

3 IUI's failed before moving into IVF. I honestly don't remember the specific protocol. But here it goes: Birth control to suppress system. Lupron injections. Added Follistim for stimulation. Trigger shot HCG, I believe. Retrieval.

Has improved since my first run, but I think switching to go during afternoon hours made a difference. The technicians are wonderful. Very personable and informative. (Blood & Ultrasound)

Handled through insurance, so can't comment on costs.

For my first, it was a fresh transfer and due to my age and quality of embryo's we transferred 3! Hey, one stuck, so yeah! For my transfer now, I am over 40 and protocol has changed. Because of my age, I need to do PGS testing so I have to do a frozen cycle. I have a 65% chance of pregnancy with 1 embryo, so we are only transferring 1 for my upcoming FET.

it’s easy to make appointments but there is very little done to make sure the process runs smoothly. I would routinely wait 45-75 minuets for bloodwork and ultrasound. No one is checking to make sure patients are seen timely. I was told part of this is a computer issue. Part of it is just sloppy office management. For patients to be called for ultrasound a sheet of paper is placed in wall holder for ultrasound techs to grab. I learned from one ultrasound tech that she will take a stack at a time because she likes to be busy. Well, if you’re at the bottom of that stack you’re waiting in a line you didn’t have to wait in because another tech could have seen you in a reasonable order. That paperwork is not closeiy watches either. I had my name, DOB, MRN, home address and medical information disclosed to a third party because they mistakenly gave away my paperwork. Finally scheduling to see Dr. Kaplan is a nightmare. His scheduler Carmen is horrible. I think she might only work one day a week. It takes approximately 5 phone calls and messages to get her to return your call. And when she does she doesn’t give possible dates,she just wants you to call back but she’s never there! So you can’t even call and leave a message saying those two dates work, please let me know which one you schedule me for. She is horrible.

Dr. Kaplan made sure to meet with us a number of times to answer any questions.

Dr. Kaplan’s nurses are mostly responsive. There are a number of them and there appears to be a fair bit of turn over (new names each cycle). Unfortunately I ran into a number of problems because FCI’s computer system had issues working with same sex couples and not generating paperwork the nurses wanted. Rather than communicate this issue to me I was left in the car waiting for responses. Also the nurses have difficulty if you deviate from their standard plans. For instance Dr. Kaplan added a drug (lovenox) for a FET that I had not been on previously. I spoke to Dr. Kaplan about it, he explained the drug and the. It wasn’t called in or added to my schedule. When I asked the nurse I was told I was mistaken twice. I had to explain to the nurse my history of loss and diagnosis to make it clear I wasn’t just asking for the medication and then the nurse admitted that Dr.Kaplan had added it to my chart. The nurses just missed it. When going through an already stressful process, it’s hard to have the nurses add to the stress.

Dr. Kaplan is extremely knowledgable but does not push the boundaries for treatment or looking for answers. He will not order additional testing until you’ve reached 3 miscarriages. Thankfully my OB ran a thrombophelia screen after two and discovered an issue. Dr. Kaplan added lovenox, but then after a 3rd miscarriage mentioned additional medications to consider. After having that many losses, and doing PGS, I was shocked to hear that there were additional low risk medications to add that could help. I wish he would have laid that all out ahead of time.

If you aren’t having success push him on options. He’s willing to adjust treatment a bit but I think he’s been in the game so long that he’s looking at statistics and not considering individualized options to better help the specific needs of his patients. For instance 2/3 of my pregnancies have been twins. I luckily get pregnant easily, but don’t stay pregnant. I sought a second opinion and that RE suggested only transferring one embryo next time to avoid complications of a twin pregnancy cycle given my fertility issues. I was shocked Dr. Kaplan hadn’t suggested this as a means to lower the risks I face with a clotting disorder that would make a twin pregnancy especially difficult. Dr. Kaplan is great, but doesn’t seem willing to think outside of the box.

Dr. Kaplan’s stimulation protocols for egg retrieval’s worked very well for me. He closely monitored me, frequently I was going in daily. I don’t recall the specific protocol.

Typically I had a $30 copay for ultrasounds and the costs for FET and ER were nominal under BCBS.

Dr. Kaplan prefers transferring two embryos. He never discussed eset.

It is a large facility meaning they can accommodate you 7 days a weeks for various procedures. I had numerous procedures performed over the weekend. The con is that because it is large facility it is hard to get the personal attention.

Dr Marut was the first fertility specialist I saw based on my primary care physician's recommendation. I spent 2 years at FCI under his care and did not get pregnant. I did 5 iuis (one cancelled) and 2 IVFs. I had 2 euploid (normal) embryos after PGS testing with a 65% chance of implantation. Dr Marut transferred one of the euploid embryos in a fresh cycle where I had retrieved 30+ eggs. I saw 3 other fertility specialists after Dr Marut and every single one of them indicated that this was a huge mistake. I had very little chance of getting pregnant given how overstimulated my ovaries were. I asked Dr. Marut about this and he acknowledged that I would have had a better chance of getting pregnant in a frozen cycle. I was 43 at the time and I don't know Dr. Marut thought my chances shouldn't be optimized. To this day, I'm so upset about losing this embryo.

All the nursing staff at FCI was excellent. My primary nurse Torria was really a compassionate and caring nurse. She went out of her way to assist me.

I did not feel Dr Marut paid attention to my case as a patient. Given my high ovarian reserve, from the first visit he was highly optimistic about my chances of getting pregnant however did not adjust my protocol after 7 failed cycles over two years. I was able to successfully get pregnant at age 44 quickly after I left Dr. Marut's care.

Check the SART data and find a successful doctor for your personal circumstances.

Monitoring is efficient however given the size of the practice could take a while. I was usually there at 630 am

The staff differs by location and some locations are definitely more empathetic, understanding and easier to work with than others. For the most part everyone is welcoming and encouraging. I do wish there was better communication with their billing department

Dr Jacobs too the time to meet with us, explain what he was doing and made sure our questions were answered. And how we could get in touch with him even when we weren’t at the office. Also, the direct line of communication with the nurses are so important!

I love that FCI has a patient portal. With having a full time job and not always being able to make a phone call it’s been such a stress reliever to be able to send a quick message when I have a question or need.

He is very straightforward without being rude and cold. He has experienced fertility struggles as well so he understands. I’ve always felt that he treats us as he would his own family. He is in the business of making babies and you can feel that from moment one.

Make a list of questions. He will answer them all!

I have unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. Both my husband and I did a whole slew of genetic testing, as well as checking out my uterus, ovaries and egg reserve and quality as well as sperm testing. It was found that I’m a carrier for 2 auto immune disorders, deficient in vitamin d, and my progesterone tends to be low. We’ve chosen to try on our own, with medication. Baby asa daily Vitamin d supplement daily Prednisone twice daily Progesterone once daily upon ovulation Lovenox injections upon positive pregnancy test

Still under care.