Fertility Centers of Illinois

I could never get ahold of my nurse or doctor when I needed to (at one point, I left a voicemail in tears on a Monday and didn't hear from anyone until Friday). And I think something was off with the protocol. I was never told ahead of time what medications I may need in the near future, so I wasn't prepared with Cetrotide when we needed it. Then I only got 2 eggs frozen - I went to another clinic and 2 months later I had 12 eggs. VASTLY different results!!

Do not go here for egg freezing, especially if you are paying out of pocket. Go somewhere that will make you a priority and not waste your money, and will be available to answer your questions and fears.

I had been on birth control for 10-15 years, so I went off of it for about 3-4 months. Then I did 5-6 days of Minivelle/Estradial patches and Cetrotide for priming. A week later, my period started and we began with Menopur and Gonal F. Stimulation lasted 11 days. We kept Menopur at 150 the entire protocol, while the Gonal F we increased from 225 for 3 days, then 300, then 375, then 450 for the last 4 days. I started Cetrotide again on day 8. We triggered with just 10,000 HCG.

Dr Jacobs is a highly skilled and experienced practitioner, with complete understanding of what would be best for an individual. He assessed uz very closely and suggested next steps/treatment accordingly rather than providing a defined set of treatment. Being an ivf doctor, one is dealing with a very sensitive subject and situation and his empathetic nature and confidence in his own skills were the major reasons we opted for him for our ivf treatment and it was the beet decision of our lives. Also, being such a senior doctor, he has performed a lot of research on different areas in Ivf and also has many white papers published on hie name, which also helped us a lot to take certain important decisions

Trust him and his experience and follow his treatment recommendations at each step

Some of the protocols (more of recommendations) followed by Dr Jacobs that did wonders for me: Simulation cycle before actual FET Saline ultrasound before retrieval Specific Medicines for the cycle prep

Around $10k out of pocket with PPO insurance

Its quite simple - the lesser the number of embryos formed the lesser the transfer count, so we have more chances of trying again

Dr. Rodgers is always willing to answer our questions. She never acts like we are bothering her by asking questions. I wanted to try a different medication and she was open to discussing that option with me.

Go into an appointment with your questions written down. She doesn't rush you and will answer all your questions, but she sometimes talks fast. For me, it was easy to get sidetracked while in our meetings. Writing everything down kept me on track during our meetings and made sure all my questions were answered.

My first cycle was clomid. My next two cycles were letrozole. We switched from clomid to letrozole per my request. We are currently moving on to IUI.

I have insurance so it's just been my normal deductible for now until I reach my limit.

She is very determined to make you successful. I am one of 4 friends who has used her and we all have gotten pregnant. She takes time with you and is very blunt about her expectations. She is all business but is also very compassionate.

Make sure you are ready to hear the hard truth. She is willing to do whatever you want for the most part but does not want to waste your time or money.

Before egg retrievals she did not use birth control but instead waited for natural ovulation before starting estrogen patches and Lupron. Then after your period started, the stimulation meds began (follistim, ganirellix, menopur). I then had appointments every 2 days for monitoring. We also did ERA cycles to make sure Lining was receptive before frozen transfers. For transfers we used Lupron, estradiol patches, vaginal estrogen, and progesterone in oil.

We were very lucky to have insurance coverage for IVF. We were only responsible for our copays until our deductible was met.

Dr. Rodgers is usually against multiple embryo transfer until several attempts have failed or embryo quality is not ideal.

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.

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.

We had lots of set backs and unexplained infertility. Dr. Jacobs always explained all of our options and what our next course of treatment was. He seemed to share some of our feelings with set backs and wanted us to succeed with a live birth-not just as a doctor but as a person.

Ask lots of questions if you don't understand something. He explains everything and he's very scientific with his explanations which can be confusing; however, if you ask more details-he's great at breaking it down so you can understand it better and make informed decisions.

I had good insurance but after everything was done-we ended up spending about $25,000 of our own money.

I didn't have many embryos to transfer so we didn't really have much choice.

Dr Rodgers was very helpful and understanding during this process. Still to early to know if IUI worked. But appreciated Doc and her staff. I only wish the protocol was outlined a bit clearer considering the several appts needed. Sometimes I didn’t know why I was coming in for an appt, I just showed up.

Be encouraged to ask questions

Not sure as this is my first time.

High deductible plan$1500

Dr. Rodgers uncovered a host of fertility issues I didn't even know I was dealing with. I’d seen another fertility doctor prior to Dr. Rodgers and didn't get anywhere. Dr. Rodgers is extremely knowledgeable and thorough. She knows the latest research, and ran all the necessary tests to get to the bottom of my infertility. She had great recommendations for which medications would make me feel best. Because of that, I felt really good throughout my treatments, which is almost unheard of. While fertility treatments aren't fun, due to frequency of appointments and volume of patients, I always felt like I was in good hands with Dr. Rodgers. Thanks to her, I finally got pregnant after years of trying. I will definitely be going back to Dr. Rodgers if I want to have another baby in the future!

Be patient with the process, and trust Dr. Rodgers' recommendations. I don't like taking medications, but at some point I had to go outside my comfort zone to get the results I wanted. Fertility treatments are difficult for everyone, but it's best to work with someone who knows what they're doing, so you can get through the process as quickly as possible.

Saline Ultrasound to test for polyps, Hysteroscopy to remove polyps, Letrozole to stimulate ovulation, Ovidrel Shot 1x/cycle, 3 timed intercourse cycles, and 2 IUI cycles (second was successful).

I spent several thousand out of pocket. Everything else was covered by insurance.

I think she will try everything. She investigates stuff other doctors don't bother checking. I had an OB tell me to temp for three months before they'd even bother doing anything else. Well, not Dr. Rodgers! I don't know if our issues would have ever been treated if we hadn't come here.

Be open

For ivf we did ganirelix, gonalf, menopur, ovidrel. Antibiotics, probiotics, electrolytes. For the FET, lupron. I always needed metric tons of progesterone. We got 4 day-5 embryos with good grading. The first iui I used clomid and it was not the best drug for me so she switched me to letrozole. At our first consult she recommended skipping iui due to our history but I wanted to do them (I wasn't ready for ivf yet). Probably should have skipped them.

We had insurance coverage and employer-sponsored fertility treatments. I don't know what cash prices were like. It seemed in line with what I would expect.

I never considered doing more than one embryo (and I was under 35) so I'm not sure.

Dr. Rodgers makes changes to try to give the best outcome. The second egg retrieval we made changes that helped retrieve more eggs. She's open to talking about supplements. She will go to bat for you if medically she thinks it worth perusing. I think she tries to do the right thing for each patient. I'm no just a number.

She's great at answering questions, make sure you bring some because she doesn't always cover details unless directly asked-why do you think this treatment plan will be better for me, etc.

1) Schoyer Ganirelix 175 Gonal F/150 Menopur-increase to 450 Gonal/F 2)Micro dose Lupron with 300 Gonal F/300 Menopur no changes made to stim doses

I used Attain $26,600 for two cycle program and FET transfers until one worked. We paid that amount and $10,000 in stimulate medications, $3000 in donor workup for sperm, $1,000 for FET medications

My doctor suggested 1 and said we have a good chance if you'd done an ERA and the embroyo is PGT tested. I'm aware of the health risks to both mom and baby with multiples and from past failures don't want to waste embroyos. Plus we signed up for Attain so the transfers are covered until one works.

There is no way to explain the amazing experience that I had with dr jacobs. He was always there for us and would meet with us at any time and quickly answered all emails. After 9 miscarriages Dr Jacobs never gave up on us and was always willing to work with us and change our treatment plans. We saw a few other specialists during our time with Dr Jacobs and he was willing to work with anyone if it meant that we would get the answers and results of a heathy baby! In the end we were successful and had a beautiful baby girl thanks to dr Jacobs and the whole team at fertility centers of Illinois!

He is amazing and wants the best for each of his patients!

My insurance is very good so I didn’t have to worry about costs

We were always given the choice of transferring one or two embryos. Both unsuccessful transfers were with two embryos and our final, successful transfer was with one embryo

Dr. Rogers is very confident in what she does. When things weren’t going as planned she always made me feel like everything would be okay - that we would reach our ultimate goal of becoming parents. She was again confident in the procedures she performed for me and always made me feel comfortable in such a whirlwind of an experience.

Ask lots of questions and listen carefully. There is a lot of information being throw your way, but Dr Rogers and her team are there to consistently answer any questions or concerns.

It is clear that Dr. Kaplan is extremely intelligent but he is more of a salesman than he is a physician. In our initial consultation, he raved about how 'easy' our case was and was so bold as to promise it would not take much to get us pregnant. Unfortunately, in doing so he ignored blatant indicators in both my labs and imaging that I had PCOS. I was put on a generic protocol. Even when the protocol failed and we looked for reasons and potential causes he continued to ignore the notes in every single one of my ultrasounds on the condition of my ovaries.

Dr. Kaplan is not the right physician if the cause of your infertility is still unclear and if you want a protocol that is customized to your unique diagnosis. He does not do much in terms of work up and pushes hard for IVF as the first course of treatment even if underlying issues are still unclear. As a result, the protocol you're initially put on will not be tailored to you. If you feel strongly about using Dr. Kaplan (he is very nice and very warm) I can't stress enough how important it will be to advocate for yourself to do research on testing before starting your protocols. Despite the fact that he agreed with me (wholeheartedly) I had to ask for an ERA with only 1 embryo to transfer, I had to as for PGT testing, I had to ask for ICSI despite my husband's poor morphology. He has a cookie-cutter template and if you want a unique approach you will have to do the research and present it to him.

When we came to Dr. Kaplan we believed our issue was MFI (poor morphology, good counts, and motility). We moved directly into two medicated IUIs. I am a hyper responder and got 3 follicles each cycle with just 5mg of Letrozole (he is not a Clomid fan). After both failed we moved to IVF. I did 21 days of birth control, 225 gonalF, and 75 menopur with an antagonist protocol. We did a Lupron trigger because my estrogen climbed very high and my retrieval yielded 40+ eggs. Only 14 were mature, 11 fertilized, 6 embryos and just 1 tested PGT normal. I believe this protocol was far too aggressive for a hyper responder like myself.

Dr. Rapisarda's demeanor is professional, calm, and warm. He is very inquisitive and has an investigative approach to diagnosing and treating infertility. When he discovered that I had an isthmocele ( a c-section scar defect) he referred me to a surgeon. He let us know our treatment options, including an Endometrial Receptivity Test which assesses the best time to implant an embryo.

Come with a list of questions and he will be happy to answer them.

He performed a saline ultrasound to diagnosis an isthmocele. He then referred me to a surgeon to determine if an isthmocele repair was necessary or not. He performed an ERA at his office to assess the best day for an embryo transfer. For my FET and ERA, I was put on a protocol of estrogen pills 3x a day and a daily progesterone shot. After it was discovered that there was fluid in my uterus from the estrogen, he changed the protocol so that one of the estrogen pills was taken internally.

We're still waiting for our final bill. Our insurance paid for the first ERA.

I understand that I'm not the ideal patient. I have had 2 natural pregnancies and losses and advanced maternal age with diminished ovarian reserves. However, Dr. Kaplan remained positive for me and optimistic during my cycles. But also remained very honest. I appreciate the fact that Dr. Kaplan performs all his own retrievals and transfers with his team of embryologists in Highland Park. So the retrieval and transfer dates are set each month. So you can plan your life around those set dates. Dr. Kaplan is also creative in his treatments. He changed the protocol for my 2nd cycle to improve my #'s. He is creative and adjusts the medications depending on my response. Prior to my 2nd cycle, my blood tests showed that I was not ready to proceed with stimulation. I expressed that I was disappointed but he told me to return in a couple days to test again. My numbers improved slightly and he allowed me to proceed with IVF. I really appreciated that he just didn't cancel me and have me wait another month but was understanding and compassionate to give me a 2nd chance.

You won't be able to see Dr. Kaplan often or hear from him directly, but you can trust his IVF coordination nurse Ilynne. Trust that he is reviewing your labwork and providing the best treatment even if you don't hear from him. If you have questions and need answers, be persistent with the nurses and they will communicate with Dr. Kaplan for you.

1st cycle: Priming: Endometrin 3 times a day for 4 weeks prior to stimulation. Estrace pill once a day. Stimulation: 1) Follistim 450. 2) Menopur 150. 3) Microdose Leuprolide. 4) HCG. 5) Ovidrel trigger shot Retrieval: 10 eggs, 6 fertilized, 2 blastocyst sent for PGS testing. Both embryos returned as aneuploid. 2nd cycle: Priming: Endometrin 3 times a day and Estrace pill 1 times a day. Stimulation: Clomid for 12 days during stimulation. 1) Follistim 450. 2) Menopur 150. 3) HCG 4) Ganirelix 5) Ovidrel trigger shot Retrieval: 6 eggs. 3 fertilized. 3 blastocysts sent for PGS testing. All 3 returned as aneuploid. Awaiting to commence 3rd cycle. I also took the following OTC supplements: Prenatal Coq10 Ovasitol Probiotic Omega Fish Oil Vitamin D Magnesium/Calcium Melatonin Acupuncture and Yoga

For each cycle not covered by Insurance: Biopsy of embryo for genetic testing $2600, Freezing $1200, Thawing $200. Genetic Lab testing $2500. HCG Shots $700-800 Insurance Out of Pocket: $3k each year. 4 cycles retrievals covered by insurance. Vitamins/Acupuncture/Yoga out of pocket. $2k

I believe that Dr. Hirshfeld is well informed and I trusted her care. I wouldn't characterize her as a "warm" person, but rather she is straight to the point which for me was totally fine. I appreciated her direct answers, but I could see how some other women might need a warmer experience especially during such a trying moment in their lives.

If you are looking for a no-nonsense, fact based experience that gets results and don't need someone who is warm and fuzzy to deliver the good and bad news, Dr. Hirshfeld is a good option.

I had diminished ovarian reserve and my husband had some motility issues. Dr. Hirshfeld prescribed some vitamins including Vitamin D and CoQ10 for each of us. I was prescribed Letrozole for 5 days, then after an ultrasound confirming I had a viable follicle I used the Ovidrel trigger shot and then took Prometrium every evening following. We had one unsuccessful IUI, but we got pregnant on the second try. I used Prometrium every evening until I was 9 weeks. I am now 16 weeks pregnant.

My insurance is pretty good so much of my costs were covered. I think I only paid for the ultrasounds and the prescriptions. All in all, with two rounds of IUI I think we spent around $500. After the first unsuccessful IUI I did more research on IVF and that would have been considerably more, in the range of $5K-$8K, due mostly to the prescription drugs.

Perhaps my opinion is schewed by the fact that both my wife and have each worked with Dr. Hirshfeld to try to get pregnant, and we have not yet gotten a healthy embryo to implant, but I often felt like I was a lower priority than my wife because my probability of producing healthy eggs was lower. This would manifest in time spent focused on my options during a consultation and how quickly she recommended moving on to only my wife attempting egg retrieval. However, at a recent appoint in the last 6 months, I felt like she started to "click" with us a bit better and really understood that my wife and I are both going through the fertility treatments as patients who might both conceive and not just a carrier and supporter. We have been seeing Dr. H for nearly 3 years and will stick with her through the remaining pursuit to have a baby. Despite some of the concerns I had about her interest in my fertility options (as opposed to my wife's), I trust her judgement and appreciate her compassionate approach to the ups and downs of the last couple of years. She also always took the time to explain the processes in great detail, in terms we could understand, was honest about the percentages of success for most procedures and took the time to answer questions.

Make sure she understands your family dynamic and that you ask questions if you feel unsure that all options have been explored or offered.

I started an egg retrieval cycle following standard diagnostic tests and consultation. IUI was not an option because of a blocked tube. My bloodwork and ultrasounds revealed that my estrogen levels were very low and only 1 follicle per ovary reacted to the drugs. Per this info, Dr. H said we could not go through with the egg retrieval. We are now working to use an egg donor, and I have completed a new round of ultrasounds and bloodwork to prep for this process. I am now on birth control pills to regulate my cycle while determine the egg donor and associated paperwork.

We are lucky that we have insurance that covers some of the costs associated with fertility, but only to a point and for so many attempts. I feel that the cost most glaring was tied to the storage of sperm and/or embryos. That was a significant cost for us during this process and it is not covered by insurance. This is especially difficult to get a large bill like that following an egg retrieval that results in abnormal embryos that need to be destroyed (or used in research). Long-term storage of embryos or sperm seems reasonable, but short-term storage while viability is determined seems unfair.

No comments as it is not relevant to my treatment to date.

She is the ideal balance of science-backed guidance + empathy. I always felt like I was in very good hands with her. She also was open to offering alternative treatments suggestions to assist / enhance the IVF process -- such as Chinese acupuncture. She is highly respected as a fertility doctor in Chicago for her knowledge and expertise -- I trust her and highly recommend her to friends who are looking for pursue fertility treatments.

Stay open, come with questions, know that you're in great hands with her. <3

She gave us the facts of single versus multiple, and there was very little "steering" as to what she would recommend until I asked her point-blank. Given my age and the increased risk for miscarriage and complications, my husband and I opted to move forward with a single embryo transfer.

Dr. Alvarez's strengths include being honest yet empathetic to his patients. He was my second opinion after failing 3 rounds of IVF with my first RE. I appreciated that he stated that he would do everything in his power to get us a baby using our own embryo but also stated that I realistically needed to consider using donor eggs too if things don't work out. He made that statement after knowing my history of DOR and poor egg quality (among other issues). I know a lot of women who do not appreciate donor eggs being brought up on consultation, but that made me trust him even more. He was honest with me and giving me realistic expectations, but at the same time gave me hope that he could successfully get us our own genetically normal embryos (which he did). Another strength is his communication. He personally would call me with updates on certain important parts of each process, something my first RE never once did. If I missed his call, he would try calling me back a few times in the day (one time he called me 4 times in one day) to ensure that he gave me an update and to make sure all of my questions were answered. Another strength is his up-to-date knowledge and best practices in all things RE. He graduated from his fellowship a few years ago and is up to date on all the of the latest best-evidence research on how to achieve your goals of creating a family. I firmly believe that his recent training contributed to our success. He is also just a very sweet and kind human being. My husband and I loved every interaction with him... he's just so sweet and positive! I honestly have no weaknesses to describe of him.

Trust his process. IVF in general is a long, arduous journey, but he truly has your best interest at heart. My first embryo transfer failed, and we were all so perplexed because I had such a high chance of success given all of the testing we had done prior to the transfer (ERA, Receptiva, HSG, saline sonogram, etc). But Dr. Alvarez explained that these transfers sometimes fail and we will never know why. When I asked him what we were going to do differently for the next transfer, he said he didn't want to do anything different... that everything was perfect last time. That was a very hard answer to hear and to come to terms with, but we trusted him. We did the exact same protocol for our second transfer and it worked! I'm currently over 13 weeks pregnant. In all, trust his judgment. He truly wants the very best for you.

Before switching to Dr. Alvarez, my previous RE had maxed me out on Follistim (450/day) and Menopur (150/day), Omnitrope priming, and had me on Ovasital and CoQ10. He did on micro flare protocol too. All of these methods failed to produce any genetically normal embryos. When I switched to Dr. Alvarez, he did a gentler approach with these medications and put me on low doses. My Follistim was 100 twice a day (once in the morning and once at night), Menopur 75/day, and he added I believe 5 days of Clomid. Before starting a cycle, he would also put me on birth control pills for 10-14 days. Then I would prime with estrogen and omnitrope before starting the stim medications. I had major success with Dr. Alvarez's method, as I think my follicles responded better to a slower, gentler stimulation to gradually grow my follicles/eggs rather than being blasted with the highest doses of everything. Dr. Alvarez was able to get me a total of 3 genetically normal embryos... something we never imagined would happen!

Our costs were minimal because we bought a BCBS marketplace plan for myself. After we paid $8,000 out of pocket, we didn't have to pay for anything else other than genetic testing (total of $1000) and freezing and storage ($750). So we paid a total of $9,750 for the entire year. We met that deductible within 3 months via medications and two retrievals.

Things with Dr. Alvarez started out well. We had an initial consult during which he was empathetic, patient, and detailed in explaining what next steps would be given that my diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve probably came as a shock at my age. We then ordered some testing and he walked me through the results and my options in a follow up conversation in a thoughtful and sensible way, making sure I had no questions. That's where the good experience ended. Separately, in the nursing section, I provide detail on what happened over the next five weeks with his nurse. Working with her for over a month, I couldn't get the requisite attention from her to even successfully order the prescriptions necessary to accomplish the egg retrieval, and missed two opportunities for egg freezing cycles in the process. At this point, I decided to loop in Dr. Alvarez. In a telehealth appointment, I explained to him everything that had happened with Rebecca, his nurse, and told him it had been 5 weeks just trying to get medications ordered and I was losing faith in their ability to oversee a complicated and time sensitive process. He had emphasized that time was of the essence for me to do this freezing procedure and so I asked for his help in giving Rebecca more supervision and making sure we were able to proceed. Although I made it clear that I felt my experience with her went beyond the typical complicated insurance dance of fertility treatment, which I was familiar with and knew what to expect, he did not seem willing to accept that Rebecca had done anything wrong. He excused Rebecca's inattention to detail and lack of responsiveness by explaining that they have many patients to balance and that insurance can be complicated so hiccups are to be expected. He explained Rebecca's perspective to me, which was that everything had been lined up and ready to go for weeks and she didn't know why I was saying that there was a problem. I encouraged him to look at the messages we had traded back and forth, which he has access to, as well as the record of the prescriptions she'd called in for me and what she hadn't called in, to see that her version of events was clearly not supported by the facts. He continued to resist any implication that the delays in my treatment were somehow Rebecca's or his fault, or that any mistakes had been made so far, although he did admit that he was concerned that at one point she had lied to me about having done a task I asked her to do, which she had not done. I began to feel like his priority was in protecting himself and Rebecca, not providing quality care to me particularly in light of the time sensitive nature of my diagnosis. During this appointment I also asked him a medical question about what could have caused my diagnosis. He at first gave me a very confident answer, however, moments later, he interrupted my response to that answer and said that he was just now looking at some medical articles online that indicated that actually maybe the answer was more nuanced than what he'd said moments before. I was a bit unnerved that he would answer so confidently if he wanted to do some research, instead of simply saying that he needed to look into it and get back to me. My problems with Rebecca continued for another two weeks after I looped in Dr. Alvarez, and I describe those further details below in the nurse section. If Dr. Alvarez did discuss with her and intervene, it did not have any obvious impact on Rebecca's ability to run things to ground effectively, and he never followed up with me to see if we were ready for a cycle or if things had improved. After 7 weeks of Dr. Alvarez and Rebecca and two missed opportunities for cycles, I decided to switch to Dr. Kaplan in the same practice. His nurses got me completely squared away within 36 hours of my first appointment with him, and I started my cycle just a week later. I only mention that to underscore the point that what I experienced with Dr. Alvarez and Rebecca was truly not typical and went beyond the normal insurance dance with infertility treatment. The whole experience made me feel like an inconvenience to them, not like a patient.

Go to Dr. Kaplan instead.

I never proceeded with a cycle with Dr. Alvarez because the simple process of ordering prescriptions was never able to be completed.

Miscommunications over treatment with Dr. Hirshfeld played a significant role in my negative experience with FCI. My husband and I had two initial meetings over zoom with Dr H to discuss egg/ embryo freezing/ transfer options. I found Dr H very polite but somewhat indirect. She explained that my TSH was high (3.19) and my AMH was low (0.5) but that was pretty standard for women my age. She showed me numerous charts and graphs about the decline of fertility over time for women in their late 30’s (I’m 38). She explained that to get the optimal number of viable eggs, with my low AMH, we are looking at multiple cycles. Nothing in those conversations ever seemed prohibitive. She did tell me numerous times that low AMH would make the process harder but if the cycle fails, the plan would be to continue with additional months of stimulation and retrieval. I did not want to pursue IUI because of the low success rate, so for my first round we opted for an IVF cycle to retrieve eggs, fertilize, conduct genetic testing, and transfer. I was given Follistim 225u, Menopur 225u, Dexamethasone 0.5mg and 250 mcg of Ganirelix beginning day 5. I triggered on day 12 with HCG. I grew 4 follicles on my right (17.4m, 26.6m, 22.1m, 16.6m) and 3 follicles on my left (18.3m, 10.7m, 9.5m). The results from the retrieval were 3 oocytes: 2 did not mature and 1 did not fertilize. I was not surprised when the cycle did not yield any viable embryos as this was predicted and my assumption was that we would just continue additional rounds of treatment. In fact, the day after I learned of the results, Dr H called me and said, “don’t worry because there are at least 4 additional aggressive protocols we can try.” A few weeks later my husband and I had a meeting with her to discuss next steps and this is where my confusion with Dr. H begins. During this conversation, Dr. H said I was resistant to the medication and my response was low- even though in our initial conversation she correctly predicted I would only yield 3-5 eggs based on age/ AMH. She stated that the dosage of medications I was given was the maximum for women with “poor reserve” and that if treatment goes the same way this next round, IVF is not a good option and we should consider donor eggs. When I asked why her assessment seemed in conflict with the charts, that she took care to show me in our previous meetings that outlined the necessity for numerous cycles, she said those numbers no longer apply to me because I couldn’t create a single embryo. She declared although my AMH is 0.5 I have the eggs of a 44-year-old woman. When I asked her why the medication was not adjusted at all during the cycle to account for any of these obstacles, she stated again I was on the maximum dose of all medications. (I later learned that I was not on the maximum doses, but it was a refrain Dr H would continue to tell me throughout the second IVF cycle). Needless to say, these contradictions shattered my confidence in the process. This should have been the most delicate conversation and instead I walked away totally demoralized, confused, and feeling like I was being “blamed” for the outcome. Additionally, the suggestion of donor eggs after one failed IVF cycle felt completely premature. For my second IVF round I was put on estrogen priming then MD Lupron 20 units in the AM and PM, 225 unit of Follistim SQ, 225 units of Menopur SQ and 0.3 ml of the Omnitrope SQ for 4 days. Around day 4 Follistim was increased to 300, then 375 and eventually 425 for days 13 and 14 (see previous statement about being on max doses). I also received bi-weekly acupuncture. Ultimately, I only grew 2 follicles on the left (18.2m and 17.7m) and 2 follicles on the right (21.0m and 12.8m). During a blood draw towards the end of the cycle, a random nurse looked at my chart and suggested I switch to IUI to save the expense of the retrieval. Days later, this recommendation was echoed by Dr H in a zoom appointment. She said we could go forward with IVF if I wanted to, but the response would likely be the same. With such a banal recommendation, I knew I could no longer continue with FCI for my treatments. I agreed to the IUI in order to quickly bring the cycle to an end. The IUI ultimately failed. In addition to this failure of communication, I was never given a diagnosis for my fertility issues other than DOR. I later found, by requesting my full medical records, that the ultrasound techs documented on numerous occasions “Nabothian cysts” and “known myomas” which was never disclosed to me. This seems like something important a doctor might discuss with their patient, regardless of its impact or importance. I think the moral of my story here is that if you are like me- in your late 30’s with a somewhat unsophisticated understanding of fertility, any conversations about plan, treatment, or options must be had with the utmost care and consideration. It’s not enough to say a doctor just doesn’t have a good “bedside manner” and its’ certainly never ok for patients to walk away confused, demoralized or feeling blamed for their infertility. It is also unacceptable to rely on the category of “unexplained infertility” when other possible barriers have not even been discussed. My case appears to be one with significant complications. But based on this experience, I don’t believe FCI is a sophisticated clinic that can address my issues. I certainly didn’t feel appropriately educated about or confident in my treatment plan. The only hope I have is the possibility of obtaining a second opinion from a doctor who might be better suited to address my specific needs.

This doctor may not be the best fit if you are a woman who has fertility issues that require close monitoring or if you need a personalized treatment plan.

2020: Complete Workup, Bloodwork, Self-Pay Appts w DR H, Self-Pay Natera genetics testing. TOTAL: $2,430.95. 2021: Loan for meds to meet out of pocket insurance max, acupuncture, specialty pharmacy for meds not covered by insurance. TOTAL: $10,758. Estimated total billed to insurance: around $50k

Dr Sipe can be considered a nice, caring, friendly, knowledgeable fertility doctor. Many patients believe he's amazing and dedicated to helping them become pregnant. However, this doctor didn't show that same dedication, compassion, hope, and heart for wanting to help me become pregnant. It's hard to ever meet or have an appt with Dr Sipe unless you have surgery or a procedure scheduled, especially during the Covid years. Dr Sipe acted like it was an inconvenience to have a phone call. He doesn't accept email either from patients even though the company newsletter encouraged emailing your doctor. I did have a couple Zoom video calls that included nice conversations with the doctor, but I do not feel this platform is the same kind of connection as an in-person or phone call consult. I didn't feel as much compassion was given towards myself and my file in the same way as other content patients. Dr Sipe chose to not listen to comments about issues with how the office staff communicated and handled paperwork with some of the patients, which I believe he should have stepped up to assist his staff to manage. One positive mention is that I felt cared for and safe having surgery done by Dr Sipe. The nurse anesthetist Dan did a great job administering anesthesia also. One great day of care can't replace or make up for the many days of various communication and paperwork issues that occurred with some of his staff on my file. Dr Sipe should have some respect of his patients' honest truths, as several of my file's issues and the treatment of some staff towards me were presented to Dr Sipe and dismissed.

My advice for prospective patients of Dr Sipe is to only have a consult if you have a healthy body in general. Write down all your questions in advance of your consult because he’s very hard to reach, as you’ll mostly be having communication with his nurses and office staff. During the consult, make sure to find out exactly the type of other doctor appointments and prerequisites required (ex: a primary care physical, mammogram, or missing shots) from the doctor in order for him to allow you to do the fertility treatments and when appts need to be completed. Write this info down. Otherwise, his staff do not provide a worksheet of medical prereqs needed and this will take precious months of your time. Advise the doctor the qualities you need as far as dedication and caring toward your goals, and not the goals that influence the office pregnancy stats. Encourage this doctor to not play the wait-and-see game when it comes to deciding on IUI or IVF protocols / plans. Be prepared to do extra outside office work for his staff on your own time, especially if you're having records transfered there because the office staff misplaces records and signed docs often.

I had the hysteroscopy surgery in summer to remove uterus polyps. Then we moved towards an IUI due to low egg reserve. It wasn't until the winter months when my body was ready for the IUI due to a few setbacks, so the initial protocol was changed. The IUI protocol changed into doing Follistim injections for several nights plus oral Letrizole for five days instead of doing Estrogen priming first. This plan didn't work and the cycle was canceled, so now I am focused on Estrogen priming first.

I had to pay approx. $2400 total to FCI over the course of the year for blood labs and ultrasounds, using insurance. I paid Labcorp, which bills separately for genetics testing, the cost of $331 for the blood draw done at FCI. Then I paid $1700 to FCI plus $546 anesthesia costs to Lakeshore Anesthesia for my hysteroscopy, with my PPO plan. Since I met my deductible by the time of the IUI cycle, I didn’t have to pay for the Follistim injectable meds. However, if I had attempted the IUI four months earlier Walgreens Alliance were going to charge $2600 for the first two Follistim vials shipped and then remainder vials shipping would be free since the deductible would have then been met. My cycle was canceled halfway thru, but my insurance would have paid for IUI costs since I met the deductible.

Dr. Hirshfeld took the time to listen to my story and address my concerns. She provided facts and research while answering my questions. She adjusted my treatment plan after failed attempts. She was clear and precise.

Be prepared with questions; as she can not help you if she doesn’t know your concerns.

I began my journey a few years ago with the hopes of preserving my eggs for future use. I went through hormone shots to increase the number of follicles. And now have 6 eggs in freezer. About a year ago I went back to start my journey to motherhood. At that time my bloodwork came back that my thyroid levels were to high so was put on medicine. She then did the saline ultrasound and told me I had polyps within my uterus. I would then have surgical procedure to have them done. I was given a vaginal pill to thin my lining the morning of the procedure within 1 hr I was having every side effect I could related to that drug. They took me back flush my iv to clear the drug and then put me under. Before the surgery I was told it would be 15mins but 4hrs later i was able to go home. (partially cause of all the allergic reaction). Originally they said they would scrap the fee polyps but when I woke up I was told there were way more then they thought so they performed a full D&C. A few months later I decided to pick a sperm donor and start the iui process. The 4 trials I always took clomid the first 2 were same dosage the 3rd time she up’d the dosage and the 4th she added a hormone shot.

IUI treatments monthly roughly cost me $1500 out of pocket after insurance.

He is very busy and not very accessible; most communication is done through the nurses. But otherwise we had no complaints about working with Dr. Sipe. He was warm, funny, and direct, which was what we wanted. He was never pushy or judgmental, just laid out the options and the odds and left it to us to make the decisions.

Take notes during your consult because he goes over things pretty fast and the clinic doesn’t provide a lot of written summaries.

I’m not sure what this question is asking. First we tried IUI 2 or 3 times in early 2015, then changed to egg retrieval and fresh embryo transfer. My protocol included intramuscular injections of progesterone. That led to a single live birth. We tried a frozen embryo transfer in early 2020 with the progesterone IM injections, as week as pills, patches and suppositories. Although my lining ended up at 10 mm, which was good, and everything looked good with the embryo after thawing, sadly this transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test.

The first round of IVF was covered by my insurance so our total costs including drugs ended up being about $6000. The frozen embryo transfer in 2020 wasn’t covered by insurance. They charged us $2575, not including drugs or out-of-state monitoring.

The doctor initially told us in 2015 that they’d recommend transferring two embryos, on the day of, Dr.Sipe switched to recommending a single transfer. When we did the frozen transfer in 2020, he again recommended transfer of one.