Fertility Centers of Illinois

The front desk staff are very helpful, friendly ladies and I was glad to interact with them on a daily basis. They know a lot and really helped me with the paperwork side of things. They were also incredibly kind and offered hugs and encouragement when I came into the office scared and upset after a bleed. The ultrasound staff, especially Jan, are fantastic and helpful. Definitely feel free to ask as many questions of the financial staff as you need to ask in order to understand payment options and insurance coverage. They do a good job of outlining things for you, and even when things become frustrating (as they inevitably do when paying for fertility treatments), they took the time to explain and answer all of my questions until things were clear.

Everyone was friendly, comforting, treated me as an individual that they wanted to get to know. I felt that my becoming pregnant was as important to the doctor and the staff as it was to me. The nurses always responded quickly and thoroughly to my emails, and I was always made to feel welcome to ask any questions I had no matter how small the issue.

Jen and Myung were absolutely fantastic- I was able to email them directly with my questions, they always called me promptly with test results, asked if I had questions, and treated my kindly and professionally. I felt very comfortable expressing fears, concerns, and doubts and they handled them the way a friend would. They truly made me feel like they knew me as a person and cared for my well-being.

Dr. Hirshfeld always clearly and patiently explained procedures, risks, and even drew diagrams to illustrate her explanations. She always gave me plenty of time to consider whether I had questions. She talked over options like genetic testing - which we almost didn't do- in the way that a friend who had been through this experience would explain it. She never talked down to me, just spoke plainly and clearly. She didn't sugar coat anything, and also managed to be comforting and encouraging without making false promises about success. I had a terrible scare with a bleed about 2 weeks after my positive pregnancy test (post FET); I had the doctor paged and she immediately called me, listened to my fear that I was miscarrying, and reassured me that she believed the bleeding could have another cause- again, without promising anything. She turned out to be right, I was not having a miscarriage, and everyone was so compassionate towards me in that situation. She has called me from her personal cell phone to check on me. She is a kind, consummate medical professional.

Ask as many questions as you may have, because she is totally willing to take the time to answer them. She is extremely compassionate and knowledgeable.

Dr. Hirshfeld was aware that I had been a strong responder to Gonal-F in my previous IUI cycles at another clinic. I had cycles cancelled due to this issue. So her approach to my first IVF cycle was conservative in this regard, and as we went forward, she adjusted the medication up and down as needed. She was also trying to spare me the pain of OHSS since I was higher risk for that. At the same time, she wanted to get the most eggs since, given my age, there was a high likelihood that many of them would not develop to become embryos. Right before the egg retrieval, in order to get the most eggs possible, she prescribed another, second trigger medication which would allow the few remaining eggs that were right on the cusp of being mature enough to develop in time for the retrieval- without increasing my chances of developing OHSS. This strategy worked perfectly, as they were able to retrieve 25 eggs, with 20 fertilizing, 14 becoming embryos, and 4 of them making it to the day 5 embryo stage. We opted for PGS testing. Of these 4, two were normal, 1 was undetermined (needing to be re-biopsied) and 1 was abnormal. Dr. Hirshfeld counseled us to transfer 1 embryo, explained the success rates, and also explained our options for retesting the undetermined embryo. I did have some bloating after the retrieval, but I did not develop OHSS and Dr. Hirshfeld was very helpful in advising me on how to care for myself and decrease the bloating afterwards. I was put on estrogen and birth control to prepare for the frozen transfer, and one embryo (the best available, as we chose not to know gender at that time), was transferred. Recovery was fairly easy, lots of rest and 10 days later I had a positive pregnancy test at the lab.

It was a specific time window, and I would choose a specific time to arrive. I was able to bring my 3 year old daughter and the staff was very accommodating. Easy to schedule and felt very efficient. I never waited past my appointment time.

We had to meet our deductible and out of pocket max, and with the high cost of the medications, this happened very quickly. Our out of pocket max was $6000. FCI required a deposit of $1500 to begin treatment and this was applied towards this amount. Insurance covered 100% of everything after that- ultrasounds, visits, labs, additional medications. We also opted for PGS testing of the embryos, and we paid for this entirely out of pocket as it was not covered by insurance. I believe the cost of that was approximately $4200. We also paid $500 to freeze our embryos for 1 year, also out of pocket.

She advised one embryo since she was very much trying to reduce the possibility of a twin or higher order pregnancy. This was extremely important to my husband and I, since a twin pregnancy was NOT what we wanted. Given that we opted to do PGS, she explained that the odds of a singleton pregnancy were not helped by putting in two genetically tested embryos. If we had decided not to genetic test, she would have considered transferring two embryos but this is not what we wanted to do, so her recommendation of PGS testing and a single embryo transfer is exactly what we decided to do.

Strengths: The doctors and nurses are very compassionate and caring. They are very organized and pretty prompt. I have never had to wait more then 15 minutes .The facility is very clean. Great about calling back. Weaknesses: Front desk staff isn’t always bad the friendliest. You would think that they would be extra nice considering the patients that they are dealing with. Tinley Park facility isn’t open on the weekends so if you are scheduled for a monitoring appointment you have to go to the River North office. Retrieval’s and transfers are done at River North facility as well.

Dr. Juan Alvarez was very compassionate and caring. I did not feel like jus another “number” with him. He took the time to look over my history and when my first FET resulted in a blighted ovum he was very comforting and has me come into his office. He made sure that I was aware that it was nothing that I did.

Michelle was great. She was prompt with calling back and answering any questions that I may have. She was very caring and compassionate and made sure that I understood the process.

Dr. Juan Alvarez is great. He is very caring and compassionate and you can tell that he loves what he does. He is very thorough and makes sure that you are aware and understand all of the steps involved in the process. He is very positive and upbeat and made me feel super comfortable with both of my transfers. Our first FET resulted in a blighted ovum. I was devastated and in tears. He had me come into his office to explain what exactly a blighted ovum was and assured me that it was nothing that I did. Hearing that made me feel a little better because it’s so hard not to blame yourself. He asked if he could give me a hug and did so. You definitely do not feel like just a “number” when in his care. I highly recommend him.

That he is very knowledgeable and has your outcome in his best interest. His goal is to help you achieve your dream of having a family.

I did two FET’s with Dr. Alvarez. My fresh cycle that resulted with my twins was done under the care of Dr. Hirschfield whom transferred to another location. My first cycle with Dr. Alvarez I was on oral estrace, baby aspirin, POI and medrol and doxycycline a few days before transfer. My lining wasn’t thickening in the beginning so he had me insert the estrace vaginally for a few days which did the trick. My progesterone was also increased once I had a positive pregnancy test because it was low. He also added oral progesterone as well. That cycle ended in a blighted ovum. Second cycle I was on the same protocol but he made sure to check my progesterone level the day of my transfer and a week later. I was taking oral progesterone and an increased dosage of POI shots as well. Everything else was the same.

Out of Pocket (insurance doesn’t cover fertility treatment) Saline Sonogram $450 FET: $3500 x 2 = $7000 Meds: $150 x 2 = $300 Consultation: $225 Total: $7975

Dr. Alvarez would only let me transfer one embryo at a time since we already had twins. He said that we had a higher chance of that happening again and that twin pregnancies pose a higher risk. We were okay with this since we already have our twins.

FCI is run very efficiently - this is both a strength and a weakness. The strength part of this is you can get the appointments you need to proceed with your treatments, while also working and living your life. The weakness is that this can sometimes feel like you are just a number they call to perform another procedure. There are also times when things are running behind (30 mins+) and there is no apology/explanation, or even acknowledgement that they are running behind. Efficient, but not always personal. However, when you need to go for an ultrasound and blood work each morning of a week, and you can get the appointment you need before work and are in and out in 30 minutes, generally you can count on FCI to make it happen. I also find that the nurses and office staff to do acknowledge any person accompanying a patient for treatment. In my case, my wife would be with me for many appointments (or I would go with my wife for appointments), and as the nurse or office staff would call your name to go to the procedure - they would never acknowledge or greet the non-patient. I find this odd, since in many, if not most scenarios, the non-patient is likely a partner or spouse, who feel every bit as much patient as the actual patient through this process.

There were times I felt like she was more interested in my partner's fertility chances than my own because my chances of going through a successful egg retrieval were low.

Marni and Dr. H's nursing staff were attentive, responsive and knowledgeable. I felt confident in the information they were providing and knew I would always get a response if I emailed a question.

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.

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.

Strengths:they will fit you in. There wouldn’t be a weight list to get you started in treatment. Weaknesses: they don’t care about you. They care about numbers. They don’t care about money or helping figure out finances. They just will help you till you run out. They are all over the place. Disorganized. Even if insurance paid for this. I would never go here.

I never got more than one consultation with Dr. Kaplan. They never answered questions. Never followed up. And made every moment even more stressful. They even forgot a lot of times my history.

They were awful. All over the place. I felt like every week I had a different nurse. We had to keep reminding them that my husband couldn’t do in person sperm retrieval. And they never answered questions. I could hardly get a hold of them. It was possibly the most frustrating thing I’ve ever dealt with.

In person he was friendly and charismatic. But I hardly ever dealt with him. I felt I was just being told what I wanted to hear. At first I liked him but the more I wanted to ask questions or get a hold of him it was always pushed off to his nurses. And then they never knew our history. He sounded so promising but I felt like he just said the same things to everyone.

If you want to feel like just a number and feel like you’re just another women going through a “routine” procedure then this is for you. Nothing seemed to be personalized to your needs.

We wanted to try several IUI’s before we spend so much of our own money on IVF but he said it wouldn’t work for us. So we only did one. I reacted really well to the drugs for egg retrieval and they said it all looked normal. I don’t remember the specifics here. But I got a lot of eggs. But not very matured enough eggs.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

It was a lot. We spent over 25k.

Okay. So they never let me know the grade of my embryos. I didn’t even know there was a grade till I met with my new doctor. So we did the first transfer and he recommended just one. Even though later I found out the grade wasn’t great. So the chances of positive pregnancy was a very low percentage. I knew none of this. I would do multiple every time if I couldn’t do PGS testing.

The strengths are that they are a well oiled machine and I always got into my appointment on time or close to on time. The staff is professional, and the receptionists are super kind as well. The weakness is that on a weekend I did have to go downtown one time and it was super busy because they just had so many people... I'm not sure there's any way around that.

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Hirshfeld. The process is extremely daunting and emotional, and Dr. Hirshfeld always gave candid answers and was available when I needed her. Any time I sent her an email she would get back to me within 24 hours, and often within just one or two hours. When I met with her on our visits, she did not rush me as many doctors do. She takes the time to explain in detail what's going on and what her recommendations are. She is unbelievably knowledgeable and kind. She definitely does not add much fluffery- she always gets right to the point. But in this type of experience the best way to feel human is usually to know the truth of what's going on and get honest opinions quickly.

The nursing staff was excellent. You work with so many nurses during IVF that you can't always count on consistency, even though they come very close. Always allow times to call and ask clarifying questions if needed, because at times they can communicate through voicemail which obviously isn't the very best method when trying to understand something new. They get back to you 100% of the time that you try calling, though, if you don't catch them and want to ask clarifying questions. All of them are so kind.

Dr. Hirshfeld is available to meet with patients when they specifically ask or when treatment needs to be reviewed. I felt that she always was 100% focused on me when I met with her, which is a relief because every doctor obviously has so many patients. She remembered all the details of what was going on with me and my husband and proved to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful at all times. We were so disappointed after a first failed IVF round, and she is extremely practical in her approach to solutions and recommendations for next steps, we always felt safe even though the road was hard. I truly cannot say enough good things about her.

Dr. Hirshfeld gets to the point when you meet with her. I found this refreshing during a process where everything seems uncertain (and it is!). Don't be afraid to send her an email with simple questions. The simpler it is, the easier it is for her to get back to you and it can make you feel so much better. It is always super frustrating to have to wait until your appointment to have face-to-face communications and some more complicated questions answered, but that's all part of the process. Know that when you do meet with her she is totally committed to your cause.

We did two rounds of IVF. The first round was not very successful, I am young so it was a shock to get so few embryos of very low quality. I decided to do a second round to get more embryos before implanting any of them. Dr. Hirshfeld guided me on my choices, but really the choice was mine and she was supportive of doing another round. I also was honest about non-medical issues, like financial concerns and our current insurance plan that we knew would not last forever, so she kept all factors in mind when considering when and how to do our next treatments. This was all really important to us. The second round of IVF she did differently from the first. We had higher quality embryos, which could have been the treatment or just the luck of the draw.

It was covered by insurance, but I'm pretty sure each round of IVF is close to $20K.

Because of my age and our circumstances, Dr. Hirsheld recommended single embryo transfer. Everybody is different.

They seem to only be interested in making money not whether or not you have a baby. I tried the highland park location and I had a hard time getting prompt communication from nursing. I then switched over to the Buffalo Grove location and communication was a little better, but the clinic was so busy it was difficult to feel truly cared for. Everything was rushed and nursing was only available via email or a call back. If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars, this is not how you want to be treated. The support staff (receptionists, phlebotomists and others were very nice).

Never focused in consultations. Always typing her progress notes during our visits. Repeating herself each visit to make me feel even more like she had no idea what was going on.

The communication between nursing staff and myself was horrendous. I would always have to follow up with Rxs, appointments and nothing was proactive about them. I did meet a few nurses with a very sweet disposition, but unfortunately that was not the norm. I felt as if I had to manage my own care.

Will not take responsibility for negligent care even when confronted. She tries to multitask instead of paying attention to her patient. She has ordered incorrect medication for me more than once. She tries to fit each patient into a predetermined course of action instead of making a plan of action based off of the patient. She defended her nurses when they were clearly in the wrong on multiple occasions. She was sarcastic and completely tuned out during our face to face visits.

Run!

She prescribed me solely endometrin and my progesterone level did not rise because my body did not absorb it. She questioned if I was inserting it correctly and the documented in my medical chart that I had stopped taking it, which was untrue. Now that I have a better physician I know that research shows endometrin alone is rarely successful. I should have been prescribed PIO or a PIO and vag insert combo.

12,000

She didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

FCI is crowded. Runs like a factory. You will likely feel like a number but that was ok with me. I care about the results. The monitor days seem to be pretty efficient with labs and sono. They have hours that accommodate most schedules. They open at 6am.

He is charismatic and charming. FCI is a busy clinic. I was not always sure he remembered who I was, though he was very polite the few times I have directly interacted with him.

Aileen/Eileen is terrible. She is rude, condescending and snarky. In my second cycle no nurse from FCI called me to tell me when too trigger. I called at least 3 times in which they told me " to calm down, and a nurse will call me to trigger". No one did. The next morning, I finally reach Eileen. She never apologized for this mishap. She wanted me to drive an hour to Highland park to see if I ovulated, which I had. She never apologized, in fact she blamed me!!! I have heard other stories from other women about her. She is terrible.

He is very charming. I feel though unless you have a fairly easy case, easy to stimulate, lots of eggs, good rate of fertilization then he is willing to work with you. If you are a challenging or slightly difficult case, meaning you have DOR, poor eq quality, high attrition rate of your eggs then you should definitely look elsewhere. He seemed to have no added advice or plan of action if you had a poor stim cycle.

If you are older, 40 and over, DOR, this is not the doctor you should choose. He is very sweet, but if you are a difficult case, then I would choose another clinic.

Initially, he started me on OCP, which over suppressed me. That was stopped half way through. The 2nd time, he primed me with Estrogen and Progesterone and that helped my numbers. The Menopur and Gonal were high doses. I cannot recall the exact numbers. 5 eggs from this cycle. The 3rd time, he did Estrogen and progesterone priming, but added Lupron, and same doses of Menopur and Gonal. 1 egg from this cycle. My AFC was 10-11.

All my costs were covered by BCBS AFTER I met my deductible which was $2400 in network.Meds covered pretty much under my insurance.

I travel to FCI so I saw Dr. Rodgers in the buffalo grove clinic and that is where my primary nurse is located, but for all my monitoring appointments I would go to Tinley Park clinic because it was closer to my house. Much less waiting at Tinley park and the staff are very compassionate people.

Dr. Rodgers is very compassionate. I was concerned about my stimulation (day 11) and not progressing as I'd hoped. My nurse coordinator tried to assure me that Dr. Rodgers was trying to give me the best chance by adding another day on to my stimulation plan. I emailed Dr. Rodgers directly and she called that night from her child's swim meet to discuss my concerns! Wow. She also went to bat for me when we ran into some bumps with our donor sperm. I believe she cares about our outcome.

Ashley typically emails me information and responds quickly by that method. It was a little harder to get her on the phone if I wanted to talk. She was generally on top of things and I believe passed items on to Dr. Rodgers when I asked her input too.

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.

It’s nice to be assigned a nurse and have them check on you and follow up with answers. The amount of options FCI gives is so impressive & informative. We feel like we’re in good hands during this difficult time trying to conceive

The care and treatment to get to the bottom of our infertility has been superb by far. Out of all the other doctors we’ve seen so far (4 others-in 2 states) She’s doing her due diligence to get to the root of the issues before we spend the money to do IVF and we can truly appreciate that since we’ve spent 60k + out of pocket so far in 7 years of trying to conceive

Very informative & constantly checking in

Very compassionate and honest. We feel that she is truly doing her due diligence with testing before we rush into IVF again. She takes the time to answer all our questions and walk us through the process. Her team is amazing as well. They are constantly checking in with us

The compassion she has for her job shows and she truly wants you to understand all your options and the risk involved. I’ve worked with several RE’s and she by far has the most upfront doctor explaining all our options and tests to get to the bottom of our infertility & reoccurring loss.

Treatment strategy so far has been to test for all possible outcomes for reoccurring loss & infertility. The supplement protocol and timing of procedures and even freezing eggs and transferring back once your body has healed is a different approach than most of the other clinics that only want a freah transfer

$40 Co pay for initial visit. Insurance covers some testing to determine cause of infertility.. lots of out of pocket for sonograms and blood work. We’re in process of starting IVF so roughly $20k out of pocket

From the minute you walk into the door you are greeted by Diane who sets the tone for the office. Her positive, genuine personality is very welcoming. Your receptionist is someone you will have to work with every time and we are grateful she is so sweet and prompt. I also met with Patty and Allie throughout my rounds of IVF. At times they were the only two I saw during appointments due to needing an ultrasound and blood work. Both are the most sincere and positive people. For being 7am when I usually see them they are so easy to talk to and at times pretty funny! A personality that you will thank especially for being so early in the morning! All three are such caring individuals that again we are lucky to have chosen such a great clinic. Its an atmosphere that I never thought I would encounter during this process. For all of them, we are thankful!

Walking into this clinic with my husband was both emotionally draining and made us both highly anxious. Every person that we talked to at the clinic made us feel as if our decision for this specific clinic was the best choice. Everyone was and has been very down to earth and truly genuine. I am very grateful that my husband and I are going through our IVF process here.

My husband and I are truly appreciative of Sahar K! She has been a great part of our journey throughout this whole process. Sahar has such a down to earth personality that is so welcoming that the times I came in anxious into the office she made me feel calm and positive. She is also detailed and organized to the tenth degree. The charts she makes me are so straightforward and easy to read it becomes one less thing to worry about when going through IVF. At times when I worked with other nurses per the downtown location I could not wait to talk to Sahar. Her way of stating information and explaining was different from the others. She is very genuine and empathetic. When going through rounds of IVF it takes a toll on one emotionally and mentally that I can say my husband are truly appreciative of everything she has done for us. From her promptness to answering my questions when anxiety was high to being empathetic when a round failed genetic testing. We are so thankful and blessed to have Sahar as our nurse throughout this whole journey!

Dr. Ahmad is like no other doctor my husband and I have ever met. She comes off as very genuine and down to earth. Every time we have met with Dr. Ahmad whether the news was bad or great, we know that she truly did all that she could to give us the best outcome. My first round of shots ended with not being able to go to retrieval due to the follicles not growing at the same rate. Though that news was upsetting, she spoke openly to us and explained why and how we would have a better outcome especially knowing how my body now reacted to certain medicines. The news that she had to present to us was difficult but by her telling us straight forward yet being empathetic made my husband and I proceed further with her. The second round of IVF I made it to retrieval yet after genetic testing all came back abnormal. We talked to her about how upsetting the news was and it was by talking to Dr Ahmad that made us proceed again. We took about a month to mentally take a break, but it was her that made us feel good about trying again. Recently I just had my retrieval with a great outcome of 6 embryos that came back normal from genetic testing! My husband and I are truly grateful to have Dr Ahmad with us throughout this difficult journey that we have been on.

Dr Ahmad is a very informative doctor that will talk to you in a way that most doctors are unable to. She has an easy going personality but is very determined to assist you with having a great outcome. You will feel this way your first time meeting her. She has a big heart and is very passionate about her work.

Per my first retrieval I used Gonal F whereas on this second retrieval I used Follistim which produced a positive outcome of 6 embryos. She watched closely to all my levels, especially estrogen. Estrogen was something that kept increasing and i had to change the units per medicine at times.

During our second round of IVF my husband was laid off. We are still paying cobra for both of us due to his insurance covering some of the costs. Due to our personal issue Dr. Ahmad and Sahar have and are assisting us with medicine. Their generosity is what helped us be able to move onto the second IVF retrieval.

Yes my husband and I were educated on both single versus multiple embryo transfers. We are currently in this stage.

The clinic overall is responsive. Waiting times for appointments tend to be longer than I'd like. Sometimes it's been over a 30min wait. Billing is sometimes a little funky. I get balances each visit but nothing in the mail for a couple of months.

Allison Rodgers has been through a journey herself and really cares about her patients. She is open to listening and trying things to get her patients at a point of success.

I absolutely love my nurses at the clinic. I feel as though they are my friend but so supportive along the way. Fertility has touched them in some point of their life and they really understand. I couldn't ask for better nurses.

Dr. Rodgers has provided a caring service. She really shows that she cares for patients success and wants to do anything to get them there. She is always staying up to date on the latest studies too. We have not had the success we have been looking for yet but Dr. Rodgers has made us aware of our options.

Dr. Rodgers will be there with you every step of the way. She is not at every appointment you might have but she is very open to you emailing her with any questions too!

Dr. Rodgers really believes in the ERA biopsies to check when the body is receptive to receiving an embryo. We did an ERA before another transfer of my embryos from my first clinic. We found out I am receptive at the right time and moved on to a transfer. When that transfer failed we moved on two a fresh egg retrieval with transfer. I was on gonal f, letrozole, menopur and cetrotide. All these drugs were standard for producing healthy eggs.

We had some IVF insurance coverage at this clinic. With two retrievals, we still have to pay for medication out of pocket and the coinsurance. Overall under $10,000.

Dr. Rodgers was open to transferring 2 untested but with pgs, transferring 1 was recommended.

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.

I had nothing but a wonderful experience working with Dr. Kaplan and everyone at FCI. I felt as if they were always supporting me. The only weakness I will mention is the billing / insurance component. While this may be easy for most to understand, there were times I felt overwhelmed because I didn't fully understand. Thankfully there were a few employees that helped me better understand. A big thanks to Rita and Tanya!

Dr. Kaplan is a great listener and shares options that are best for you and your family. He always addressed me by name and greeted me if he saw me outside of his office. There were a few times he called me personally.

I worked closely with Dr. Kaplan's team of nurses - all of which were incredibly organized, helpful and super prompt with responding to my questions (believe me when I say I have a lot of them). I especially felt connected with Caroline and Ilynne. Both women are so lovely to work with and I knew they genuinely cared for me as much as I cared for them.

If I could give more stars to Dr. Kaplan, his staff and everyone at FCI, I would. I have been working with FCI for over a year now and anyone who has undergone IVF knows it's quite the rollercoaster. From day one Dr. Kaplan was nothing but understanding, knowledgeable, compassionate and patient. He is extraordinary at listening to a patient's needs and explaining options. As I told Dr. Kaplan, I walked into his office with so much heartache and pain. I was a grieving mother who lost her only child - a 2 year old to cancer just a year prior. Additionally, I was in remission from breast cancer. I didn't know if having another child was even a possibility for me but my husband and I thought it was worth a try to see "the best of the best." Dr. Kaplan listened to my tragic story and genuinely shared his optimism in helping me become a mom again. I never felt that he was BS'ing me or just trying to get my business. It's almost as if I instantly trusted him and believe me - I don't trust many people, especially right away. Here I am a year later and pregnant with my second child. For the first in many years, I feel happiness that is authentic. It is because of Dr. Kaplan and his team of nurses that I am finally sharing happy news. When you're 8-9 weeks pregnant, FCI will release you to be seen by your OB regularly. Today was the day I was released by Dr. Kaplan and although I am very happy, I will admit that I have been very emotional. I loved working with him and his team and have been extremely comfortable. I know I will be in excellent care with my OB, however, Dr. Kaplan and his nurses made this experience even more meaningful. I pray to have the opportunity to work with them in the future!

If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask for clarification! Maintain optimism even if there are turning points. Always ask what your options are.

Egg retrieval - Gonal, Menopur, Lupron, Cetrotide, trigger shot Embryo transfer - Prenatal pills, Estradiol, baby aspirin

I really don't know exactly because I have two insurance policies, however, I am estimating it has cost us approximately $20,000 out of pocket (I had two egg retrievals and 1 embryo transfer)

Dr. Kaplan strongly recommended one embryo to be transferred and my husband and I were very comfortable with this decision.

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.