Kaiser Permanente SoCal

We struggled with infertility for a long time and I really felt like Dr. Huang was not on my side. When he felt like the IUIs weren't working, he told me that the only way for me to get pregnant was to get IVF which I could not afford. Fast forward to a few years later, I did in home insemination with frozen sperm and I gave birth to a healthy baby girl last year. He made me feel like I was a lost cause and that without medical intervention, I'd never have a family. But he was wrong and I'm glad I kept trying despite his opinion. He was disappointing as a fertility doctor and I regret having him as a doctor. Your doctor should be on your side and he wasn't. I was a statistic to him. He gave me the boot after a year and said I was wasting resources and everyone's time.

Find another doctor.

Covered with insurance

Dr Ivan Huang is very pleasant and informative. He takes his time and doesn’t make you feel rushed. He’s very encouraging and welcomes any questions or concerns. He also makes sure to let his patients know that if we need to reach him to please call or email him directly.

To make sure and ask any questions. He is there to help and doesn’t mind getting asked.

Dr Huang made sure order all the necessary testing beforehand to make sure there are no prior issues before we start our process. He gave me different options to choose from but ended up deciding going with the natural cycle with options to go more aggressive with medication and or injections.

I’ve only have done phone follow ups, I have yet to meet him in person. However the first conversation I knew he would be an excellent doctor I want for my infertility journey. He was compassionate and very sensitive to my needs.

Scheduling is the only issue, he gets pretty booked far out.

I am using my insurance

Dr. Murray was very punctual to meet with me. She was able to answer my questions and was very straightforward in her delivery. There was a time that she misremembered what I had done earlier in the cycle. She could have checked the charts, but went from memory and was incorrect. I was able to correct her and she was able to then prescribe the correct next step. I can understand as she sees a lot of patients that it must be difficult to recall without referencing the charts.

Dr. Murray is straight to the point, don't expect any hand holding or taking time to get to know you. She has been doing this for a long time and knows what she is doing. I felt confident in her ability, but just had to get used to her bedside manner.

We first tried Clomid, however the first cycle did not result in any ovaries that were ready so we did not go through with IUI. The next cycle she did the max Clomid, however that still wasn't working so after a week we switched to Menopur and we were able to try for an IUI. The 3rd cycle we did all Menopur and was also able to try for an IUI. All resulted in negative pregnancy tests.

$1K-$2K of copays and medications. The rest was covered by insurance.

NA

Dr Yates, takes time to understand you as a patient, she is very knowledgeable and helpful, always cheerful when entering your room. very detail when she discuss what is going on with you. she understands the pain you feel and the frustration, she has a good ear to listen

always ask questions

Letrozole, Progesterone , Menopur (5th cycle) & injectable shots can remember the name

i had to pay a co-pay of $20 each visit

Dr Rubal is a true ally when it comes to infertility. She always treated us with respect and made me feel supported, heard and validated throughout the course of treatment. She made an effort to reach out and check on me when things weren’t a positive outcome. She always made me feel like I was her most important patient and that I could contact her and message her whenever and never made me feel like she didn’t have time, she was always very accommodating and empathetic. She never pressured me or pushed me to make a decision I did not feel comfortable with.

Don’t be afraid to ask her questions, she will always support you and won’t make you feel less than.

During my first treatment cycle, we used Clomid, my lining did not do well with that form of treatment so she added in vaginal estrogen pills, which helped. She expressed that this may not have a positive outcome and encouraged us to save money by not doing IUI on a potentially compromised cycle. Our next 2 cycles we used menopur due to the thinned lining on clomid, did HCG trigger/ovidrel, and IUI. I was sent home with vaginal progesterone (endometrin). Our last cycle we used menopur, ovidrel, IUI and did progesterone in oil. We changed to the PIO per my request to ensure I was actually absorbing the progesterone because I did not like the vaginal suppositories.

My care was covered 50% by insurance, my 3 cycles of medication and IUI with labs cost somewhere between $2500-3000.

The world needs more doctors like Dr. Rubal. She knows how to connect with her patients and create a safe feeling environment. She ensures you walk out of the appointment feeling confident and educated. Infertility can be scary but having her as our doctor made for a positive experience.

Ask questions, she does an excellent jobs ensuring she answers any questions you have and makes herself available through email for any after thoughts or concerns once you have left your appointment.

She watched my Menopur prescription closely changing the dosages as needed for optimal results leading up to our IUI. She kept a close watch on our follicle count and growth ensuring safety and making changes to the plan as needed.

Our insurance covered 50% of our office visits and procedures.

I could not have asked for a better experience. Dr. Rubal held my hand the whole way. I felt like she was there for me. The process is stressful on so many levels. She was a good listener. She was able to reassure me when I thought I'd made mistakes. She was patient with me when I had her paged at home because I was panicking about something. She was able to talk me thru pros and cons of different treatments. She was very good at making sure the treatment plan took into account the whole picture.

She is very warm and outgoing. If you want to feel like you are getting help from a friend she's for you.

Unfortunately, I've waited to do this review and I don't remember the specific protocols etc. I am/was older when I got started. I was intent on just doing it as "natural" as possible. Dr. Rubal was totally fine doing it that way. After one IUI it became apparent my cycle was incredible erratic and in the interest of saving money on office visit waiting for me to ovulate we started a medicated cycle. We used clomid and I think that was it. On my 3rd IUI we were a little more aggressive. After 3 IUI I was required to have a consultation. At the consultation Dr. Rubal was very honest and explain that based on my age it was recommended that I start trying IVF. However, she knew money was a big issue for me and also said that we could keep trying IUI (Once I started the process I had mentally decided I would try 5 times.) and she recommended some medications for that but I don't remember. While waiting for my next cycle I decided I wanted to do IVF. I follow Dr. Rubal to the Reproductive Fertility Center to do IVF. I was very happy to be able to continue using Dr. Rubal and not having to change (Kaiser doesn't do IVF). I had a very successful Egg Retrieval. However, my first FET was cancelled due to poor uterine lining. I was disappointed. The egg retrieval made my fibroids grow quite large and were of a size to be removed. I had 2 when I first went in they were fairly small I don't remember the numbers. After the egg retrieval they were close to 5mm (I am guessing on the number it has been a year and a half). It was recommend as a possibility to remove they to improve my chances of conceiving. My age and financial situation made that a very difficult situation. Dr. Rubal recommended that simply try again as the fibroids were large but not in a bad location. I was very stressed out and she talked me thru my anxiety and stress. She was supportive of me doing a few homeopathic things to help with my lining. We did a second FET and everything went great. Dr. Rubal even came in on her day off to do the transfer!! I so appreciated it. My pregnancy test came back positive but a bit weak. We did 2 more test which were positive.

My Kaiser plan covered 50% and 50% of the medications. It was about $2000 with appointments and medication for the IUI.

At my age at the time of transfer (42) I think it is sometimes recommended that you transfer 2 at the same time. Dr. Rubal said they were planning on just doing one and she felt that was the best coarse of action. After genetic testing I only had 2 embryos left of 11, so I felt if it didn't work having another egg to try again would be better. Also, I did a little research and found that while having 2 transfers upped your chances of becoming pregnant it did not increase your chance of carrying to a live birth. Lastly, as a single mom by choice I wanted to limit my chances of multiples.

Dr. Rubal is very personable. I always felt comfortable talking to her about personal details. I also felt she really listened and did everything she could to help us conceive. Dr. Rubal took the time to really get to know us and our situation. She shared her knowledge and was always honest with us throughout our treatment path. When we ran into a bump in the road, she would deliver the news gently and then come up with a plan to overcome. She helped us deal at ease through the process, which was comforting with the stress on infertility.

As hard as it can be, don’t stress yourself out. Stress can cause additional problems. Stay positive, enjoy life, and be patient with the process.

It was originally recommended that we do IVF in order to conceive. However, we could not financially do that at the time. So we decided to complete rounds of IUI since it was covered by insurance. We did 2 rounds, which were unsuccessful. Dr. Rubal was aggressive, but cautious with my medications and timing of the IUI. She walked us through each stage of the process and was always positive with our treatment path. We took a few years off and went back to her this year. She remembered me right away upon coming back and was excited to get us on another IUI cycle right away. This last cycle she went a little more aggressive with the dosage of my infections to get better results, and we did! She recommended I transition to an IVF cycle because I had such a high reaction to the dosage. She then went around calling clinics on. Saturday for me so that I wouldn’t lose the results of my cycle.

All IUI cycles were covered by my insurance. When the clinic did IVF, I was quoted $12,000-$18,000. But, Kaiser no longer performs IVF.

I appreciated the way Dr. Rubal explained everything to my husband and I at our initial consultation. From there, each time we met, I always felt like she answered all my questions, and gave me clear plans on where we should go next, without feeling forced that it was our only plan of action. I still felt like it was my decision to make for each part of the process, with a clear and understandable plan and guidance on what we should do. I liked that I actually saw Dr. Rubal on every single one of my appointments, except one ultrasound. I was told I may see different doctors during my IUI cycles because I was going in for ultrasounds so frequently. During my first IUI procedure, I was really nervous, not really knowing what to expect. Dr. Rubal made it very comfortable, by explaining exactly what she was doing, and walking me through the process. There were no surprises and made the process very comfortable. Dr. Rubal really knows what she's doing, and even though we haven't gotten pregnant yet, I really like working with Dr. Rubal.

Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any.

My case being a bit unique, I appreciated that Dr. Rubal looked into what would be the best protocol for me specifically. Although I am only 30, I never felt like she categorized me as "you're so young, you'll be fine" or anything of that nature. She took me seriously, and allowed me to be my own advocate. With my history of elevated LFTs, we jumped straight to an all injections round for IUI instead of using clomid or letrazole which could have irritated/inflammed my liver further. After months of working on getting my LFTs to stabilize, we used menopur (1-3 vials/night) to get my follicles to mature. Each cycle (we did 2), the plan was "slow & steady". With having PCOS, I have no shortage of follicles, and we wanted to be sure we didn't over stimulate. My first IUI cycle, I had 1 mature follicle before trigger, and the second IUI cycle, I had 2 (almost 3) mature follicles before trigger. Each cycle, I had a hard time thickening my lining, and therefore that could have been a reason for no implantation, but can't be certain. Although I didn't get pregnant from either cycle, I am aware of the percentage of success with IUI and therefore we are contemplating doing another IUI or moving onto IVF.

My insurance only covers 50% of infertility (no coverage on IVF), so my copays were about $160 and meds were still very expensive.

Dr Rubal is very caring and empathetic to the difficulties of infertility treatments. She is candid about the risks and potential negatives of each course of treatment. On the weaknesses, Dr Rubal threw climid at me even though she explained there was less than 5% chance it would work. Dr Rubal informed me that I needed to get another cyst removed before moving forward, but did not discuss what would come next after my cyst removal. Dr Rubal also neglected to follow up and be along with the symptoms I was experiencing due to a 7 inch cyst. I inquired about freezing eggs due to risk of losing my one and only ovary left prior to my surgery. Dr Rubal informed me there "was no way" which was very unsettling without fully understanding why there was "no way" to freeze eggs.

Advocate for yourself, tell her how you are feeling and what you need.

HSG test (3 times) too see if tube is blocked 2 ovarian cyst removal surgeries 2 rounds of clomid - 1 at 50 mg -1 at 100 mg both she only followed up via email and I never stepped foot into her office during the rounds of clomid

Most was covered through insurance benefits. We had a 15 dollar co-pay for each visit. My HSG tests had no co-pay, and my surgeries had 15 dollar copay

The thing that I love about Dr. Rosencrantz is his honesty. He has an ability to present the facts clearly, but also with empathy. He's not afraid to tell you when it's time to move on to another course of treatment, because he has already weighed the risks and thought about what would be the best possible outcome for you and your family. I remember coming back to see him to start trying for our second child after the stillbirth of our daughter he knew all of the details. He made sure to acknowledge the loss of our daughter, he even used her name when we talked about her. He helped us come up with the best course of action in our journey to conceive our next baby. You can tell that he genuinely cares about his patients and only wants the best for them.

Don't be put off by his honesty. Some people are afraid of people who are really honest with them. But in the business of fertility you want someone who is honest. You want someone who is going to tell you what the best possible options are and also when it is time to move on to a different treatment. Some doctors will let you continue to spend money on things that will not really help you. Dr. Rosencrantz is not afraid to speak the truth, which in the long run will benefit you.

After the stillbirth of our daughter my husband and I decided that we wanted to try IUI six months after her death. We sat down with Dr. Rosencrantz and went over our test results. Since our fertility issues are related to male factor, he recommended some additional things my husband could do to improve his morphology. For our first IUI round we did a combination of Clomid and Menopur injections. With the combination of those drugs I was able to create 3 follicles, after the IUI I used Estrogen Suppositories. After that round was unsuccessful, we added more Menopur and extra Estrogen to thicken my lining. Because I had responded to the Menopur so well we were very optimistic that this would be our round. But it too was unsuccessful. For our third and final IUI we decided that since the last cycle had gone so well we would continue everything the same as the last cycle. This cycle also went well, but it did not result in a positive pregnancy test. After all that we had been through, Dr. Rosencrantz presented a few different options to my husband and I. His recommendation was that we move on to IVF. We cause we are young and I have a high egg count he thinks this would be the best option for us. At this time we have decided to work towards IVF.

I was very fortunate that Kaiser covers 50% of my fertility medications. The IUI cost was covered completely by my insurance. Each time I saw him it was a $ 20 co-pay. In total each cycle was about $ 400-500.

Our Doctor recommends transferring two embryos but has said that we can do anywhere from one to five.

A huge strength of Rosencrantz is his communication skills, he makes sure that you fully understand what is going on and that you understand the information given to you. The only negative is that he isn't very open minded about holistic treatments to aide in the medical ones, but not many doctors are.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how dumb you might feel asking them or if you feel like you're asking to many. Rosencrantz gladly makes certain you are comfortable with the road ahead, and you have all the information you need.

We went through a low level of IUI. Rosencrantz wanted us to begin at a higher level, but frankly I have a massive fear or needles and wasn't comfortable with more injections than the lower level. I am currently taking 50 mg of Clomid for two months.

Our plan covered 50% of costs. The low level of IUI that we did ended up costing about $5,000

Dr. Kashani is informative and uses visuals to help in understanding our fertility and what paths we can take. She was upfront about our chances of conceiving and provided resources to better understand the process. She hinted more to going to IVF when two of the medications weren’t working even though we still had other options to continue for a successful IUI. We were then scheduled with a different doctor for our next cycle.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Dr. Kashani started off with medication in pill form for the first 3 cycles. We had ultrasound follow ups and revisited our fertility plan after each cycle. She was super friendly but it seemed like we were going off a checklist instead of evaluating what we could do to make a cycle optimal and prevent cancelation. It felt like our path was to go to IVF.

As a Kaiser member, we had a 50% co-pay for all procedures and appointments.

He was wonderful, thorough, compassionate, informative, delicate but honest and presented information clearly. He was very patient and answered all of our millions of questions. We were very confident in his ability. He is unfortunately not with Kaiser any longer, so to follow him to his private clinic may cost us more out of pocket, but he's worth it. If we can somehow financially manage it.

You're in good hands, he is thorough and patient and kind. He is also honest and will tell you exactly like it is. He uses helpful statistics in explaining the outcome of certain situations and he acts as though you are his first patient, meaning he takes time with you as if he has an endless amount. Very patient

No treatment started yet, only consultation. Currently we are saving money to be able to afford treatment

10% co-insurance per visit

Preference was eSET due to my history of RPL

Dr Rosencrantz has been my doctor for 5-ish years. We continue to try different methods to talk about what to try next and what the best options are for me. Sometimes he does seem to be a little bit short, but I also enjoy doing research on my own to see what others with similar situations are doing.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. He is very knowledgeable and helpful

The first round of iui we tried clomid and trigger shot and procedure. The second round, we tried clomid. Then after I went in for a checkup, we decided to try menopur and then the trigger shot/procedure. The second one ended as a chemical pregnancy, so hoping this next round will stick.

My medical insurance covers a good portion of the medical costs.

Dr. Marcus Rosencrantz in my and my husbands opinion was a great infertility specialist. He treated not on my infertility but removed my fibroids. He was always professional and well mannered doing consultations

To be open minded. Scary to seen a different or a new specialist for the first time. But Dr. Roscencrantz and his team always present the best attitude and confidence

I was prescribed menopur with a trigger shot for 3 cycles of IUI. Did not work. Also removed fibroids prior to 2 IUI

My insurance only covered 50% each IUi was about $800 and about 8700-$900 in medication

this has not been discussed

Dr. Dhesi is very thorough and patient. While explaining my first medicated cycle with provera and femara, she explained all of the risks and processes involved. I was scheduled for a 30 minute appointment and she spent over an hour with me. That being said, getting in to see Dr. Dhesi can be difficult. Be sure to call well in advance to set up appointments, and have a game plan going in as far as what you want to cover.

Be your own advocate! Dhesi is very thorough and explains treatment very well, but knowing options, treatment routes, and having a list of questions ready will make each appointment so much more productive, which is key when every appointment is quite pricey. Make the most of your time with her!

My husband and I unfortunately suffer from dual infertility. He suffered from a varicocele and I have PCOS and do not ovulate on my own. Dr. Dhesi referred us to Dr. Craig Abber (a reproductive urologist) to help address my husband's varicocele, while Dr. Dhesi worked with me on my PCOS and anovulation. My husband had a varicocelectomy via an inguinal approach on June 20, 2019. We had to wait three months to see if this would help (he had an extremely low total motile sperm count (1 million)). Luckily, when we had a semen analysis done in September, his count had improved to 69 million! Yay! I myself worked with Dr. Dhesi during this time to try and regulate my cycle. I took Provera (10mg) 1x daily for 10 days. I did this three consecutive cycles in a row to try and get my cycle regulated, but unfortunately it did not work. This cycle Dr. Dhesi has once again asked that I take 10mg of Provera 1x daily for 10 days and then we hope to follow this with Femara (2.5 mg cycle days 3-7) followed by a trigger shot to force me to ovulate. Dr. Dhesi noted that we can do an IUI if we wish in conjunction with these strategies but is in no way pushing any treatment on us. We chose Femara over Clomid, as Dr. Dhesi noted that this seems to be more successful for patients with PCOS.

Fertility billing with Kaiser is a HUGE HEADACHE. It is my #1 complaint with this clinic. With our coverage plan, we are responsible for 50% of cost of services. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it seems that the fertility/reproductive medicine branch and its separate billing format from the rest of Kaiser is hugely confusing to everyone in billing. Getting a quote for my husband's surgery took HOURS of phone calls and explanations about my coverage to a number of Kaiser representatives and we still did not receive a final quote. Eventually, I decided to just pay for it all out of pocket ($$$$) and hope for a refund after surgery. The entire process was incredibly frustrating and not to mention emotionally and financially stressful! When procedures are done within the clinic, you pay the 50% directly following your appointment at the register, easy! But, if you need something done outside the clinic (still within Kaiser though) it's ridiculously difficult. Be prepared for lots of calls to Kaiser billing and 6 different quotes.

When we (my husband and I) first met her, we had hopes because the communication was good. But then, cycle after cycle, I get to see her less and I am handled by either other doctors or just nurses. I keep asking her about meds but then she would always direct me to the nurse for instructions. Not everything is bad about her, she is a kind-hearted woman and tries her best. However, there was one time when I was double-booked and I waited more than 15 minutes lying on the bed with my legs up on the stirrups and I finally called out the attention of one nurse and I was informed that Dr. Ben-Ozer will be with me soon. So, she came and she just looked so tired and so cranky that she did not smile at all. I was then so devastated because that's when the COVID-19 started so I was debating if I should still continue my treatments or not. I did not get much of an answer. Truth be told, it's still another negative pregnancy test.

Do not be intimidated and ASK QUESTIONS

2 CLOMID everyday 2.5 vials of menopur HCG boost everyday Ovidrel on ovulation day IUI Indometrin vaginal suppository until pregnancy test

My co-pay each doctor's visit is $5 because I work for the same company. Each medication is also $5. But since I go to the doctor almost every other day during my cycle, it adds up and costs a lot.

I did not do embryo transfer. But on my IUI cyle, I should have no more than 3 mature follicles.

Dr. Jabara is one of the most kind and compassionate doctors I have ever met and have the pleasure to work with. He is honest with you but also he will guide you step by step through the process and will be cheering you on every step of the way! One can tell that he enjoys the work that he does, cares about his patients, and very much wants them to success in building their family. He will also go out of his way to personally relay information to you himself. For example, the hospital is going through renovations, so he called me the day before my appointment to give me a heads up about the terrible traffic and to account for time to find a parking spot. I have never had previous doctors give me this type of courtesy call, so I know he is very mindful of others, thanks Dr. J!!!

If you are on the fence about seeing “one more doctor”, schedule a consult with him and meet with him in-person (if possible). You will find him knowledgeable, pragmatic, realistic, funny, and compassionate. I know my husband and I did!

My “cocktail” consisted of clomid and menopur. My first round of IUI was with another RE who came up with this combination, and we conceived; however it resulted in a missed miscarriage. Dr. Jabara feels that I have been responsive to this and should continue with this protocol due to my diminished ovarian reserve.

Under my insurance, we paid 50% per cycle.

I have not done any rounds of IVF at this time.

Out of all of my procedures, bloodwork, labs, and IUIs, I only saw Dr. Dhesi once. Nevertheless, the nurses at Kaiser were amazing and friendly and I wish I was reviewing them. You never knew which nurse you would get when you arrived but, imI do not fault the staff. This is often the issue with big hospitals. I would now like to move onto IVF and Kaiser does not offer the service. I will now have to do every over with a new clinic.

Be prepare to see a different person Everytime and advocate for what you would like during your treatments.

I completed a larger series of bloodwork and labs before starting treatment. Then, I would have a vaginal ultrasound on day 3 of my cycle. I would then start 5mg of Letrozole from days 3-7. I would return for another ultrasound on days 10 & 12. I would trigger on day 12/13 and have my iui 36 hours later.

Initial consultation was $200 Each visit and iui was $167. ( approx. 4 visits) Trigger shot $99 each Pregnancy test $20 each Plus the cost of pretreatment labs & bloodwork. Letrozole was $7

N/A

While I’ve only seen Dr. Jabara twice, he has always demonstrated kindness and positivity. It feels like he’s on your side. But he’s also direct and I appreciate that. I get my questions answered and know all of the statistics and risks. I appreciate feeling knowledgeable when I leave every visit.

Ask all the questions that you have—he’ll answer all of the them. He appreciates when patients are their own advocate and know that they want to partner with him.

I’m in the middle of my protocol treatment which is three IUI cycles with 100mg of Clomid. I completed two which resulted in negative pregnancy tests. I’ve responded well to the medication—feeling only a bit more irritable and some hot flashes. It’s been explained to us that we have a 2% chance of conceiving naturally each month and a 15% with each IUI cycle. I will complete one more cycle, and then if no success, my husband and I will meet with Dr. Jabara and see what our next step is.

$550 per IUI cycle with Clomid and trigger shot.

I liked that she was honest and kind. We started out with minimal fertility drugs before we got more aggressive and moved onto menopur (which I was also thankful for considering the cost different between clomid and menopur)

Dont be afraid to ask questions even if toy think they're silly

After several tests I was diagnosed with "unexplained fertility" and we decided to do IUI. First round was with clomid and second was leterozole since my body didnt react to clomid and clomid thinned my lining. The third IUI was with clomid and menopur along with estrogen pills. The fourth IUI was more aggressive and only used menopur. All times I also used ovidrel to help with ovulation for the planned IUIs

My insurance covered 50% of my treatment. Ultrasounds were around $160, IUIs were around $250. Also had a Hsg test and saline ultrasound which were each about $200. Clomid and leterozole were cheap (I think about $15 per cycle) and menopur was expensive ($50 per dose). Ovidrel was about $100.

With every cycle and even leading up to the cycles, she had a plan and a plan that she explained in depth to us so we knew just what to expect. With every unsuccessful cycle she adjusted the plan to see how we can get better results the next time. Her staff has always been accommodating and kind. Kaiser covers 6 IUI's but she does not recommend that we do 6. We have done 3 thus far and will do 1 more soon, hoping it's finally "The One". I am happy to have come across DR. Dhesi, she has helped me understand fertility so well and I am grateful, even if we have not had a successful pregnancy YET, I am still glad. I did get pregnant last year but it was not through IUI or any fertility assistance. It was 1 month after our 3rd IUI but I miscarried at 8 weeks. It's been a rough recovery but we are ready to try again and I hope and pray that my body just recognizes what to do. I am definitely going to do my 4th & final IUI with Dr. Dhesi in the upcoming months.

DON'T wait!! We started seeing Dr. Dhesi for a consultation and testing in late 2015 then prolonged the"getting ready" for IUI (the procedures, medications, additional bloodwork, etc.) because we felt like we had time. We finally did our 1st IUI in Jan 2018 assuming it would just work but it didn't. Time goes by so quickly and you think you have time but you don't. The truth is, this is a hard process, it's an emotional roller coaster and many times you feel alone, broken and hopeless but you are not. Feel your feelings but don;t snooze for too long, like we have. Also, ask as many questions as you want and need to. I would write questions down and save them in my phone so that I could remember to ask the doctor.

Cycle 1: Low Clomid dosage, but quickly increased. I produced 1 egg that cycle. Cycle 2: Increased Clomid dosage and added Menopur injections. Also produced 1 egg that cycle. Cycle 3: Only used Menopur injections (no more Clomid) and also started taking progesterone suppositories. It looked like I may have 2-3 eggs but by the end of the cycle only 1 matured.

I have been fortunate enough that our Kaiser Plan has covered the costs thus far. If we move on to IVF, we will need to be referred out of Kaiser and cover all the costs out of pocket.

Dr. Baker is thorough with my treatment. She reviews my progress and adjusts as needed for the most positive outcome. Dr. Baker makes sure that I understand the process and treatments and answers all questions I may have.

Be patient with the process. It's not the same for everyone.

My first round, I was put on clomid. Negative result. Second round, I was put on Letrozole and then it was changed to Menopur due to my body not reacting to the last two medications. Second IUI was also a negative. Even though the test came out a negative, I had the best reaction to Menopur so I was put on Menopur my third round. I had a checmical pregnancy on my third IUI. Since my third IUI did come out as positve, Dr. Baker continued the Menopur for my fourth round with Novarel added. The end resulted in another chemical pregnancy. Fifth round was with the same meds and results were the same as the fourth round. Based off the results of rounds three, four, and five, Dr. Baker could see there was progress being made, so we tried another round of IUI with the same meds as previously. My sixth IUI was a postive. Lovenox was prescribed to reduce the risk of a chemical pregnancy this round. After two weeks on Lovenox I had a reaction so I was switched to Progesterone injections. In between I had ultrasounds done to check my pregnancy and the baby is growing and making progress, so I was offically discharged from REI at a little over my eight week mark to see a OB-GYN.

My care is covered under my insurance except my co-pay.