Mid-Iowa Fertility

Strengths- knowledge- everyone knows about infertility there including nurses, 2 very strong infertility doctors, they have good organization- in setting timelines, scheduling appointments, & they are in a good location for the metro area. Also, I like that this clinic moves quickly- or as quickly as you want it to. They get to the solution as fast as they can. Weaknesses- very busy!

Prior to my laparoscopy, Dr Cooper could tell I was nervous. There in the prep room he looked at me and said, it’s all going to be okay! I’ve got you! That meant the world to me. He is also super kind when we express our concerns. He knows our history, our goals, & he is personable in helping us decide what treatments we need to get to that goal.

Strengths - most have been through infertility before so their compassion and knowledge is there. Some were very very smooth at the IUI procedure while others made it hurt more! I wish I remembered names! Weaknesses: they didn’t always respond to phone calls in a super timely manner- but honestly, no real complaints.

He was always willing to answer any questions we had. He’s very knowledgeable & quirky but it actually calms the nerves & sadness around infertility when he cracks a joke. He truly wants what is best for you & is truly passionate about infertility & learning all he can.

Ask as many questions as you can! It’s good to take notes, & to take any of the notes home he writes down for you!

When we first transferred to him, I was so grateful he didn’t make us start over on just hormones like we’d been doing. He looked at my history, and said we could start IUIs straightaway or I could get a laparoscopy based on my symptoms all other doctors had seen but overlooked. I chose the laparoscopy. He performed the surgery and I was diagnosed with Stage 3 endo. After that, I got back on hormones (Femara) for a few months to see if I could get pregnant naturally. It didn’t work. So, we started IUIs 3 months post op by my and my husband’s personal choice. He said we could be as aggressive as we felt comfortable since I was healed by then, so we did 4 rounds of IUI with Femara but no trigger shot. I went in for ultrasounds several days prior to check my lining thickness, the size of the follicles, etc. none of the 4 we tried were successful. Our next step is IVF. Currently I’m still on Femara, but will be switching to birth control 1 month prior to IVF start date.

IUIs themselves were about $270 but with sperm collection & ultrasound it was about $550 without trigger shots (I don’t think they use them), consults were about $140 with insurance, ultrasounds alone were about $200, & IVF is about $11,000 up front not including the extra stuff- like medications, etc.

This clinic is great to work with. Scheduling is pretty easy to get in to see their doctors and to do procedures. The nurses and lab people ate great to work with. They are extremely supportive during the whole process. The doctors are knowledgeable.

He was willing to try a variety of different methods. Until recently he was very optimistic about possible outcomes.

The nursing staff was very compassionate and were very knowledgeable. They were able to answer many of my questions. They were very supportive.

Dr Cooper was very optimistic and open about chances of things working for us. He did well at giving positive news and about trying the next step. He does not deliver negative news well and was not as optimistic about things when the eggs from the egg retrieval did not make it successfully to embryos.

Dr Cooper is willing to let you try what you feel comfortable with and has great knowledge in his field. You need to advocate for what you want when you want changes though.

When we stated we just had to do iuis because of sperm morphology issues. We were successful after four times which resulted in our son. Then we tried again a couple years later. I was put on thyroid meds and Femara to help with timing of ovulation. Again we had did 3 rounds of iui, which resulted in a pregnancy. This pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage due to triplody. Then we stated injectable meds with iui, did this 3 times. Not successful. Moved on to ivf. I was on follistem and menopur for 9 days and did ganirelix. Then did a trigger shot before planning egg retrieval. The egg retrieval was painful because my iv did not work so I did not have meds during this time. They retrieved 9 follicles, 6 were mature eggs, and 2 were fertilized. Neither made it to day 5 blasts so transfer was canceled.

IUI cost just over $500. IVF is estimated around $10000. I have insurance that covers a lot of the costs.

We never made it to the transfer stage.

We were greeted warmly by the front office and it was a very relaxed environment. The whole staff was very friendly and caring, from nurses to doctors to the receptionist. I felt as if I could truly call at any time and they would be happy to help me. From start to finish, I felt well cared for at the facility. The only thing I wish we could've done on our first appointment was meet with the financial coordinator, Monica, to discuss our insurance and other payment info. However, we were able to communicate via phone and email which was extremely convenient.

Dr. Young made me feel at ease when he could see how nervous my husband and I were. He explained he had successfully treated patients with Addison's Disease (an autoimmune disease I suffer from) and he made the whole process seem relaxed and easy - like it was nothing to stress about. He seemed to know so much information and got me so excited to start the process to have a child!

She sat with us and explained the entire process again, from start to finish. She told us she'd be with us every step of the way and went in to more detail on the actual process. She was very compassionate and empathetic but also very knowledgeable.

As I said earlier, our experience was great. He sat and talked to us for a while about us - he didn't just jump right into the nitty gritty. Then, when we relaxed, he started in on the process. He eased my mind (and my husband's) when he said he had successfully treated patients with Addison's Disease and seemed very knowledgeable about the disease itself, which is rare. He was relaxed which made us relax. He seemed confident, but not arrogant.

It takes him a minute to warm up. Once we started talking, it was like we were old friends.

The treatment strategies we established was to use a donor egg (in this case my sister) and then do an embryo transfer. My sister would complete the IVF, then make the embryo's with my husband's sperm and then transfer to myself to carry. He also suggested switching from estradiol to regular birth control to help with my hot flashes and uncomfortable sex. He made the entire process seem so relaxed and like he's done it 1,000 times (which I'm sure he has!:) which in turn made us relax. We're going to start the process soon, so I can't comment on results (yet!).

We had to pay the $35 co-pay. Out of pocket, with insurance, we will pay around $6000-$6500 total, start to finish.

Dr. Young's approach for me was to do a single embryo transfer, especially with my Addison's Disease. Although I disagree, he was keeping my health in mind. My body can't handle stress and carrying multiples would be extremely hard on my body. My husband and I appreciated his honesty.

I think Mid-Iowa is a great fertility clinic. It’s not to big so you get to know the staff which I think is a great thing because this is such a tough journey to go through. The front desk and financial department has been just as great as the nursing staff and Dr. Cooper. They introduced me to a pharmacy discount program since my insurance doesn’t cover anything. I wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for them.

They always were willing to answer questions that I had. I didn’t feel rushed through any of the processes.

The nursing staff has been nothing short of wonderful. They are there to always answer your questions. They have been great at responding to phone calls and emails when I think of something and I’m not at an appointment.

Dr. Cooper has been there for us throughout our entire journey. He has been very upfront about everything but he has shown compassion when we had some tough times that we went through. He explained everything in great detail and then let us decide what would be right for us. We have done IUI with pills, IUI with injectables, and most recently an IVF cycle. He has also performed a small surgery on me when an adhesion was found in my uterus following my miscarriage. If he wouldn’t have been through we might not have found that.

Make sure to have all of you questions written out when you go in for a visit/ consultation. It gets very overwhelming because it’s a lot of information and I always left having more questions.

We spent the first little bit figuring out what worked for me. I ended up being on 12.5 mg of provera because we found that worked for me. After 5 cycles of that it was showing that I wasn’t reacting to it like I first had so we moved on to injectables. We did 2 rounds of injectables using follisitm and then ovidrel for the trigger. The second cycle worked. I got pregnant with multiples, but sadly miscarried at 18 weeks with them. After that we were hoping my body would reset and I would get my period back naturally but it didn’t. My husband and I were reaching our breaking point so we decided to start IVF. We went through one retrieval and retrieved 11 eggs and 4 made it to day 5. We were planning on doing a fresh transfer but my body was not in good shape. I was very bloated and my chest felt tight and hard to breathe. So we decided to wait and do a frozen transfer. We just had that done and are waiting on the results.

We didn’t have any insurance coverage so we paid out of pocket. IUIs were $500. When I was doing them with provera that was less than $10. When I did the IUI with injectables we had to do some monitoring ultrasounds which I think ran around $300 each. Then the injectables were around $3,500. I was able to get a discount through a program that the clinic gave me information on so that was very helpful and reduced my injectable medication to around $1,500. For IVF with medication I believe it was around $15,000.

It's one of two in the entire state of Iowa which means it's super busy. It's hard to get in for that first appointment and then it's a lot of waiting. They are very busy and the waiting room is always full. I think Iowa could use more infertility clinics. It was very clean though and the exam rooms were nice and heated tools and stirrups.

I felt that MidIowa Fertility was a good choice and at first we felt good with our choice. However, later through the process we felt like we were just a number and communication was lacking at points.

The nursing staff for the most part was fantastic. I would say that although you're assigned a nurse coordinator, you see all the staff throughout your experience. I would have preferred to see the same nurse each time and communicate with just one nurse the whole time.

Dr. Cooper is very smart but for the average non-medical professional I found it very hard to follow and understand him and the lingo he used. I often times had to follow up with one of the nurses or the front desk to understand his notes. I think there are a TON of patients at this facility and it was hard for just two doctors to take them all in. We often times left confused and needing more answers.

I would ask a lot of questions and follow up questions. If you don't understand, don't leave until you do. This may require you following up with another staff member.

I started with IUI's using famara. After those failed I moved onto IVF (full dose goal f (225IU) + menopur (225 IU) My first cycle was canceled the day after I took my two shots of cetrotide. I ovulated early and my cycle was canceled. The clinic did give me some donated medications to start the next round, which was appreciated since I didn't have insurance and was paying out of pocket. The clinic said it could have been a fluke or an allergic reaction that caused me to ovulate early. Next round everything was the same but this time I did micro-lupron the whole time and avoided cetrotide. This resulted in 6 eggs being retrieved and although 5/6 fertilized only 2 made it to day 5. We put in both and no go. Second full IVF round we did same meds for gonal f and menopur but did regular lupron. This resulted in 5 eggs and 4/5 fertilized and 2 made it to day 5. We put in both and it didn't work. We were then told our odds were not good to do another round and are seeking a second opinon.

These are scheduled and you're given a calendar. You don't have a say on when these appointments are and have to hope your employer understands. Most of the daily monitoring were around the same time each day.

I spent around $35,000 on three IUI's and two IVF's. I think IUI's were around $600-700 each. IVF's were $11,000 plus medication which for us ran around $5,000 plus we were billed for additional testing as needed. Only things covered were consultations and some blood tests.

I know the clinic won't do more than two but were open to doing two for higher odds when you didn't test the embryos.

Mid-Iowa fertility all around is a very good well organized clinic. You never have very long wait times for anything you might be there for the nurses are always ready to get you back and get any process started and over with quickly. Dr Cooper is outstanding and always a friendly smile and handshake when you see him. The only weakness I would say Mid-Iowa fertility has is their billing department. They seem to always be very unorganized and not sure what you had done or what you still owe. I would recommend this clinic as an all around great clinic just be sure to keep track of your billing the best you can on your own.

Dr Brian Cooper was always super friendly like he was our best friend and had known him our whole lives. He also always acted like he was super excited to see us like we were long lost friends he hadn’t seen in years. He always made us feel special like a human instead of a number or payday.

Every nurse we dealt with was friendly and helpful. There was never a very long wait time for anything my wife and I were having done. The only complaint would have to be the billing department which isn’t really part of the nursing team but billing seems to be very unorganized.

Dr Cooper was always super friendly and made us feel like a human and not a number. He always made my wife and I feel comfortable like we could talk to him about anything going on good or bad and he would have a answer for us. We switched from a dr that we really didn’t like to Dr Cooper years ago and it was a night and day difference on the way he made us feel. The only time that I can say we had any issue with Dr Cooper is my wife had asked multiple times if there was anything else that could be causing the infertility and was always told no. After we decided to move forward with IVF he then said there was some polyps that had to be surgically removed from my wife’s uterus that could cause infertility and cause the IVF to not work. Other than that one issue Dr Cooper has been absolutely fantastic. I would recommend him to anyone having the unfortunate problem of infertility that my wife and I have dealt with for so many years now. Dr Cooper is an excellent fertility dr in my opinion and has a great bedside manner.

To definitely go see Dr Cooper and be open with everything you have going on wether it be good or bad. Listen to what he has to say. He will not make you feel bad no matter what your situation is.

Dr Cooper had us do 8 inseminations with the rational of if you follow up with intercourse there is a good chance of a pregnancy. All 8 Times they produced negative pregnancy tests.

The costs under Dr Cooper were pretty on par with other infertility treatment center that we checked into and in some cases a little cheaper.

I feel that overall the clinic is great at calling you back, setting up appointments, and answering questions. Whitney with billing has been extremely helpful to me. They are also understanding that we drive a far distance and will try to do as much as they can over the phone. Dr. Cooper has personally called me several times and spent time discussing plans with me. We love this clinic!

Dr. Cooper is always so kind and gentle. He is extremely knowledgeable. He will give you all the facts, and still gives you the chance to advocate for yourself and guide your treatments. He always remains familiar with my history unlike some doctors that always have to ask questions about what we’ve done in the past.

Senta was helpful in doing the class for our IVF cycle, and was quick to respond to emails and phone calls. I was a little sad that I didn’t always have the same nurse doing my ultrasounds. The nurse I had for my retrieval was wonderful, sadly I can’t remember her name because the whole day was a blur! They are all so caring !

He is always upbeat, and even made me feel positive no matter how I went into the clinic feeling. He truly makes you feel like he will do everything he can to help you expand your family. We met with Dr. Cooper after having a not so great consult with our first fertility doctor. After meeting Dr. Cooper for the first time, my husband and I both felt a huge sense of relief! He has always made us feel so comfortable, so much that we drive over 3 hours to his clinc when we could go to closer ones.

Just sit and talk to Dr. Cooper one time! He is so easy to talk to, and you will leave feeling that he will do everything he can to get you to your goal!

Our first time with Dr Cooper was in 2013. We had been trying for 2.5 years and another fertility doctor tried to send us straight to IVF. Dr Cooper gave us different options. We started with 3 IUI’s with femara because we had no known fertility issues (after testing on both my husband and I). When those 3 IUI’s failed, he suggested a laparoscopic surgery to check for endometriosis, sure enough I had it. He removed the endometriosis and felt confident that I would become pregnant, and I did the following cycle. Now we have been on this journey for 2 years again for our second child. Unfortunately, we removed endometriosis again, but we have not been able to get pregnant again. We tried 5 IUI’s with femara, then moved on to IVF. I responded well to the injections and my estrogen levels were fine. The egg retrieval went well, we got 15 eggs and 8 fertilized. By day 5, we only had 1 embryo which we transferred. This week we confirmed that the transfer failed. We will be following up with Dr Cooper to discuss what may have happened and what are options are for the future. Hopefully we will finally find the real reason for our infertility through this failed IVF

When I received my calendar, all of my monitoring appointments were scheduled for me ahead of time. However I needed to change some times for my own convenience and they were always able to accommodate me.

I believe the IUI’s were around $500. Our IVF cycle cost $10,900 up front. We also spend around $3,500 for our medications that cycle. We do not have any insurance coverage for fertility treatments. My laparoscopic surgeries were covered by insurance, and labs can typically be billed to insurance.

Mid Iowa is a very organized clinic. They respect your privacy and have a policy against bringing young children to the clinic. I’ve been so grateful for that as it was hard to see kids while going through treatments.

I didn’t feel like he was trying trying to get my money. We started simple and worked through options to determine the best course for me.

The nursing staff at Mid Iowa is incredible. I have never had a bad experience. They are all very patient and understanding and have always answered my questions.

Dr. Young is very knowledgeable and to the point. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat what’s happening and gives you options while providing information to make an informed decision. I trust him as a doctor and am so grateful for his help in conceiving our first child.

Think of any questions you have before you go and write them down. The information can feel overwhelming and so it’s good to have an idea of what you want to get out of the appointment.

To get pregnant with our first we did 3 cycles of IUI on clomid, followed by 3 on Femara. We were using donor sperm with no known fertility for me. After 6 attempts we did laparoscopic surgery and Dr Young diagnosed endometriosis at that time. With my next cycle we tried clomid again and I got pregnant and had our first child. For baby number too we have done 7 IUI’s with clomid of varying doses. After 5 failed attempts we ran bloodwork again and I was diagnosed hypothyroid and started medication. We are now waiting to start IVF.

IUI’s were around $500 plus the cost of donor sperm. I can’t remember the cost for ultrasounds and consultations but around $100-$200 each. We haven’t started IVF yet so I don’t have those costs.

The billing staff is hard to get ahold of. Whitney is great but Monica doesn’t return phone calls. Remember to speak up for yourself and do your own research. You have to be your own advocate since there are not individualized care plans.

Dr young does not do individual care plans. He just treats you as a number.

The nursing staff is great to work with. They all have great communication and never act like you are bothering them with any questions.

I feel that the nurses are very helpful and caring at this clinic. Dr young is a good doctor but needs to work on individual care plans for each patient based on their diagnosis. My last frozen transfer failed and prior to my next transfer I asked for a trail transfer. It was found that I had an endometrial polyp that wasn’t caught previously. It should have been caught if they did a trial transfer prior to each transfer.

Make sure you speak up for yourself and say what you are wanting for you own care. Be knowledgeable and do your research.

We started with three Iui’s while on clomid. All tests were negative. Our first ivf cycle in 2013 wa successful and we had our twins. Starting in 2017 we did a frozen transfer and got a positive hcg level. Our ultrasound revealed a blighted ovum and I ended with a D&c. In January 2018 we did a fresh transfer and got another positive hcg level. That ultrasound showed a blighted ovum as well and resulted in a D&c. After that dr young did blood tests for recurrent loss and suggested we send the remaining five embryos off for genetic testing. Al blood work came back normal but 3 of the five embryos came back with chromosome issues. In August 2018 we transferred one embryo and it ended in a negative test. We only have one embryo and they left to have another baby. I asked for a trial transfer and they said it wasn’t necessary but would do it. During the trial transfer I was found to have an endometrial Polyp. I had surgery to have it removed at the beginning of this month. Our next transfer is set for October 25th, 2018.

Iui’s were around 300 dollars a time. Our first round of ivf was around 8,000 for the procedures and 5,000 for meds. Each frozen transfer is around 3,500 and meds around 1,200. This last round of ivf was closer to 10,000 and meds were 5,000. The genetic testing was around 5,000.

Dr young prefers to only transfer one embryo at a time

All in all the clinic is wonderful. I was very nervous going in as we only have two fertility clinics available to us in the state of Iowa. This sounds crazy, but it is true. The clinic we chose was geographically closest to us (an hour and twenty minute drive), the other clinic was about two and a half hours away. Being that there is little to no competition for Mid-Iowa Fertility, I was afraid that we would just be another number and that we needed them more than they needed us. But, it was the exact opposite. The minute we walked in the doors we were shown compassion. (I keep using the word compassion, but it is the only word to best describe Dr. Cooper, his staff and the clinic as a whole). They have signs posted about not bringing babies or young children into the office as it could negatively impact another patient, and I thought it was so thoughtful. Everyone at the clinic is open, honest and caring. The only weakness I saw was one that couldn't really be helped. The wait times to get into the clinic to initially be seen and the wait times while you're at the clinic are long. I would simply tell others that you need to plan ahead and be prepared to wait, which can be the hardest part of the journey. But, an average wait time for a first consultation can be anywhere from 6-8 weeks. And there were many times that I would need to plan to be at the clinic for a couple of hours at the minimum. But, again, I expected this so it didn't bother me. The strengths of the clinic far outweigh this one slightly negative thing. I think it also says a lot about the quality of the clinic.

Dr. Cooper was incredibly compassionate. We suffered a miscarriage about a year and half into trying to conceive. This information was passed along from my Gyn to Dr. Cooper and as such he really handled both my husband and I with so much care. He has a wonderful bedside manner and is willing to do anything and everything to help create the family you desire, while maintaining realistic views. I never felt like a number to him. He truly cared about me and I felt it.

The entire nursing staff, including our care coordinator were simply the best of the best. Every single person that I interacted with showed true compassion and understanding at every stage of the fertility journey. I honestly cannot say enough about the entire staff (including the front desk, billing coordinator, lab staff, etc.) Literally, every single person that we talked to or helped us in any way was truly wonderful. Everyone is hoping for the same end result, a successful and healthy pregnancy. No judgment or negative feelings along the way. It made one of the hardest times in our lives a little easier. They really took care of us.

From the get-go Dr. Cooper was extremely open and honest. i always knew what we could expect going into any test or treatment. He explains everything in full detail. The only constructive criticism I would have is that he talks very fast. He is obviously very smart and this shows, but when you're hearing life-altering information for the first time, he may go through it rather quickly. But, we got used to his style quickly and I learned to always ask any and all questions or ask that he repeat something he said. He would answer everything to the absolute best of his ability and never showed any impatient behaviors during conversations. He shows so much compassion for the people he treats, you honestly walk away feeling like family. I felt that I was in great hands with someone who knew what they were doing but was always willing to adjust when necessary. Through each test or treatment, I never felt overwhelmed and I always felt like I was being heard. We would take it one treatment at a time and then convene to discuss next steps. During the initial testing process, it was determined that I had about 22 resting follicles. At 31, I was very happy with this number as was Dr. Cooper. After going to three unsuccessful IUI's (all of which I had at least 2-4 mature follicles), we moved onto IVF. Both Dr. Cooper and I (including my husband), felt like we had a really great chance to retrieve a high number of eggs that would result in at least a handful of embryos. All the testing we underwent showed that both my husband and I were very healthy and there was no scientific reason as to why we weren't able to get pregnant after four years of trying. All in all, this was great news as our insurance doesn't cover fertility treatments, so all fertility treatments were out of pocket and we felt like we were going to have great results with IVF. During the IVF process, Dr. Cooper was great. Before egg retrieval it was determined that I had 12 mature follicles with a few smaller ones that might also be candidates for retrieval. I remember sitting in the recovery room after the retrieval anxiously awaiting the good news. I thought for sure we would get at least 12 eggs. Unfortunately, Dr. Cooper had to deliver the news that we only got 5. He wasn't expecting the low number just as much as were weren't expecting the low number. But, he was so kind to me. It was obviously a blow. We had just spent thousands of dollars hoping to create our family with one retrieval. I never expected that, that wouldn't be the case. We suspect that I may have low ovarian reserve. Although my body created a large number of follicles, the majority of my follicles either contained cysts or were empty. Resulting in the 5 eggs. I was devastated. Dr. Cooper remained hopeful though and really gave me the hope that I needed to get through the next five days. On day 5 we had our transfer. From those 5 eggs, only one great embryo was created. This embryo decided to stick and now we have our beautiful daughter. Although we will have to go through the entire IVF process all over again, which may result in the same number of eggs or less, I wouldn't want to be under anyone else's care except for Dr. Cooper. We was just so incredibly warm and kind throughout all of our treatments, failures and ultimate success.

Be prepared to take notes, write really fast and always stop to ask him questions or have him repeat himself. He does not find this annoying at all and always welcomes an honest and open discussion. It's scary walking into a fertility clinic for the first time, but you'll walk away feeling heard, understood and taken care of.

IUI: Femara days 5-9 with ultrasounds to watch for approaching ovulation starting on day 14. IVF: Birth control: 14 days Flagyl (500mg): Twice per day for 7 days Augmentin (875mg): Twice per day for 7 days Baby aspirin (81mg): Daily with the start of birth control to my 6 week ultrasound Menopur (75IU): Once per day in the evening for 8 days Follistim (150IU): Once per day in the morning for 8 days Dexamethasone (1mg): daily for 8 days GnRH-antagonist: Ganirelix for 2 days Recombinant hCG: Ovidrel x2 for trigger The rationale behind the protocol and the amounts I was prescribed were used because as far as we could find there was no reasonable explanation as to why I couldn't get pregnant and stay pregnant. Dr. Cooper wanted to use a soft method as he thought I would respond well. He was right. I responded very well to the treatment, we just didn't know that my follicles weren't actually producing anything. When we go back for round two, there will be discussion about what we can do differently this time around to ensure that we retrieve more eggs that could potentially go to become good quality embryos. During IVF round one, we had the following results: Follicles to retrieve: at least 12 (we were hoping that the smaller ones would catch up by retrieval day) Eggs collected: 5 Eggs mature: 4 (ICSI was used on all four eggs) Eggs fertilized: 2 Embryos created: 1 day 5 embryo was created We went ahead with a fresh transfer with no PGS testing. This transfer resulted in a successful pregnancy and live birth of our daughter at 40 weeks + 3 days. Although we were initially disappointed with our retrieval results, we were obviously thrilled with the ultimate end result of a successful pregnancy and our little girl. We don't have any other embryos frozen, so another round of IVF will be taking place in the near future to hopefully expand our family.

Pre-testing: Any testing that was done before treatment could begin, including IUI and IVF cost roughly ~$1500 IUI: ~$1000 per IUI. I don't respond to OPK's, so I needed ultrasounds to determine when an IUI should be performed. This increased the cost to us as we had to pay out of pocket for each ultrasound. An IUI without ultrasound cost ~$500 per IUI. IVF: ~$14,500 (including medications) IVF pre-testing: ~$2000 IVF (baseline, stims monitoring, egg retrieval, embryo transfer): ~11000 IVF meds: ~$1500

We only had one embryo available for transfer, but we did discuss the possibility of transferring one or two embryos during our initial IVF consultation. Dr. Cooper recommends transferring only one embryo at a time, but would follow our lead. If we wanted to transfer two embryos, then he would leave that decision up to us. We really felt like we had a say in all of this and he understands both sides of the argument.

Don't expect that it is going to happen that you will get pregnant and it being ok. And try not to get mad at the staff if something does happen. But I have almost given up hope because my heart has been ripped out 3 times.

I should have had an ultrasound with my 2nd pregnancy. It was an eptopic and tube erupted. I am high risk for eptopic. They said I didn't need ultrasound for two weeks. I have had a 3rd pregnancy eptopic again this time they made sure to do an ultrasound.

The lab techs are excellent. One had me noticing that I was not taking care of myself. She said how important it is to take care of myself. The rest of them are good but the lab tech she is the best one they have there she always tries to lift you up and she cares alot, I think her name is Jennifer. Sheila also is a great nurse she sent a card to me after one of the losses and she is there every time trying to calm you if you receive sad news.

He is a very nice guy but sometimes I feel as if he goes through this all the time and doesn't show empathy. I feel as his nurses and the lab techs do more than he does to comfort. He is very too the point and basically is kind of short but always takes the time to explain things.

Don't take it personally if he is kind of dry I think he is that way with everyone.

When I first saw Doctor Young he had me do a test where they shoot dye in your tubes. My results came back that I had a tub blocked on one end. But he thought it was close enough to one end that putting me on clomid would help. Tried clomid 2 months as I could not handle the side effect. I had every side effect. So I had an opportunity to have surgery, laproscopy. Had laproscopy and there was some scar tissue around left tube and I thought he said that it was so far gone that he had to do something to make that tube not work. Also found out I have 3 ovaries. After the surgery he put me on femera and went through 3 cycles. 3rd cycle was pregnant which ended in miscarriage which I had d&c. Waited a boutique a month started fermera again and took 2 cycles and pregnant again. Did not have early ultrasound and tube erupted had emergency surgery another laproscopy. Stopped trying for near a year and wanted to try acupuncture and had to have dye test again to see if right tube was good which it was. He wanted me to do clomid again but I wanted to try acupuncture. So gave acupuncture a try and 1 month and pregnant but eptopic again. Did early ultrasound. Now waiting for my hcg to go to zero. Then going to talk about in vitro.

I paid for one of the laproscopy, two dye tests, $10 each time blood drawn to watch hcg levels drop from both eptopic, bills from 2 emergency rooms, ambulance, meds. This was a few thousand dollars.

Many of the people there seemed knowledgeable and willing to help. Very friendly staff. One issue I had was there were a couple times you could hear what was being said in the lab, as it was right off the waiting room. Which makes me think that the whole waiting room probably heard me humming Jesus Loves Me as I got poked on my first visit.

Dr. Cooper talked to us like he was an old friend. He knew who we were without looking at charts. He always listened to what we had to say and would take our input into consideration with every treatment option we went through. He doesn't treat you like every other patient, he tailors each treatment to each individual that comes into his office. We chose him because of many good referrals from friends and family we knew of.

They got back to me promptly, except for once (message got lost?), on all questions.

He talks to you like a friend. He jokes around sometimes, but tells you like it is. We always feel he is on our side cheering us on. I have had many issues and setbacks in my journey so far, and he has taken each issue as it arose and found the best line of treatment for us each time. He even stopped while I was praying before surgery and bowed his head for me to finish. That is respect!

Be open and honest about everything. Don't hide an issue, because he wants to find a way to fix you. Listen to his advice and give him your thoughts as well.

Prenatal Vitamins- for prepping body; HSG- found blocked tubes; Provera- made me very anemic first time, had to go on birth control for 2 weeks to stop bleeding, because I almost passed out at work; Metformin 1500mg- for PCOS and weight issues; Vitamin D 2000ui- for deficiency; Hystereoscopy/Laproscopic surgery- found septummed uterus, one tube blocked by polyps, other tube was kinked and attached to uterus from scar tissue (fixed all); Provera (2nd time)- to start period; Femara (letrozole) 7.5 mg- day 3-7 of each cycle for 4 months, resulted in very heavy day 2 and 3; Sonohystegram- to check on the tubes and see what the heavy cycle days were doing; Femara (letrozole) 10 mg- just finished 2nd month

I loved this clinic. They brought me my two babies! They are usually booked up and busy so call ahead of time. The early times are reserved for people going through ivf which helped with my schedule at work. Everyone is friendly from the front desk to people who draw blood to embryologists to nurses and doctors.

He got to know my husband and I. He would joke around with us and also sense when I was upset and was very caring.

The nurses were very caring. They would calm my nerves and let me come in for an early ultrasound or extra beta to calm my nerves. They understood my fear of miscarriage and ohss. They were quick to return phone calls and emails.

Dr. Cooper was awesome! He was patient when I had a million questions. He was positive and encouraging. He was thorough and explained everything. When we had miscarriages he was sensitive to that. He was helpful when going through options. He would leave decisions up to me and my husband after going over all options. He was current on research.

He will do everything he can to help you create a family. Stay open minded.

We went straight to ivf due to severe male factor infertility. We did a fresh transfer of one embryo. I had severe ohss and needed a pigtail catheter for two weeks. I lost the baby at 10.5 weeks after seeing and hearing heartbeat twice. I then did a frozen transfer of 2 embryos which resulted in a positive beta thT didn’t rise properly. We still had one frozen embryo but decided to do another retrieval with pgs testing. We only had two embryos to send so decided to do another retrieval to get more embryos. We ended up sending four to test and three were normal. We transferred one who is now our daughter. We did a frozen transfer next and miscarried again at 10 weeks. We did another RPL panel and found I had antiphospholipid. We did another retrieval that resulted in one embryo and decided to fresh transfer. That resulted in our son. I was in blood thinners entire pregnancy. We still have two frozen embryos - one tested and one not.

He gave us stats on both and let us decide.

The clinic is very nice. Be prepared to speak to different people for all the different aspects (one person for insurance, one for financial, etc) The receptionists were good at helping with scheduling and compensating for my 2 hour drive. They want you to have as much information from your insurance provider as possible prior to your appointments. We had no coverage, so we were required to pay for everything upfront. While the treatment process, the steps to start, and the waiting to begin can seem to take forever, the flow of the clinic is actually very fast. I never waited long while in the clinic or in my actual appointments. Once you figure out who you need to speak to for which department, it's better. This is the only clinic I have received treatment at, but I would recommend it.

There were times the clinic was understandably busy. Sometimes I felt a little rushed when speaking to the nurses and there were more days than not that I didn't see or speak to the doctor. I really appreciated when Dr. Young was able to communicate with me personally and I felt he was very hopeful for a better/positive outcome to my treatments and he's encouraging us to move on to the next process. And I recently received a follow-up email to see where we are with starting our next treatment plan, which I was thankful for them to check back with me to see if we're still interested and if we have any questions!

The nurses were good at returning phone calls as soon as they could, which sometimes seemed to take a while. I felt a bit rushed anytime they'd call, but I understand they're busy. Appointments went very quickly. They would answer my questions as best as they could.

Dr. Young is very professional. He's understandably very busy, which means I didn't see or speak to him much during our actual treatments. He was great at answering all of our questions at our consultation and I felt comfortable. I was thankful when he did have the time to communicate with me personally. He was very straightforward and honest. At times he seemed compassionate. When our current treatment plan was again unsuccessful, he discussed what our options were and suggested what he would recommend next.

The whole fertility process can be very daunting and emotional, so try not to get too discouraged if it seems that you're not receiving as much communication from the doctor personally as you may have hoped for. Don't be afraid to ask questions. He is professional.

When I first met with Dr. Young, he explained to me that my condition is very rare and what he thought would be the best course of treatment. After initial testing and what seems like a long process to even begin the actual protocol, we began double injections daily with labwork and ultrasounds every other day. After the first few days, he tripled our injections. I had 4 follicles each time and they just wouldn't reach the size needed to be viable before my hormone levels dropped and I'd have to stop. The second time we began, he started with the triple daily injections as well as testosterone priming the month before starting injections. The 3rd attempt, he had me try a hormone patch prior to injections. The 4th attempt, I took birth control pills prior to see if my body would react as hoped for. We began with triple dose of injections again. My follicles just wouldn't grow big enough to continue. We tried different medications throughout, including menopur, Chlomid. His recommendation for our next course of treatment is IVF with egg donation.

I believe consultations and direct appointments with Dr. Young cost about $250. For our treatment protocol, ultrasounds and lab work cost approximately $2,700 and medications cost approximately $3,000. Ultrasounds approximately $250. Our next course of treatment is IVF with egg donation with a cost of approximately $23,000-$28,000

It is hard to get in to see him because there are only 2 places in the state and it is very busy. The front desk people also leave something to be desired. We had a disagreement with the finance lady at the front desk and had to get the dr. involved. They have a no child policy in the clinic which is nice right after you've had a miscarriage and you can't even look at a child without crying. It is very clean and a little bit homey.

He took the time to answer questions and explain everything in a way we could understand. He always came in while I was in the office if I asked for him. When I said I felt like I was going through some anxiety and depression after a miscarriage and several treatments, he didn't make me feel crazy. He told me about support groups and explained to me that this was extremely common. He's funny and lightens up every situation if he can.

When you start IVF they have specific staff assigned just for IVF patients. You are given emails and phone numbers to reach them at anytime. They are pretty quick to respond and compassionate. They learn your story and follow along with you. Most of them have gone through infertility themselves. The lab nurse cried with me on the day of my beta results, I looked forward to getting my blood drawn because I got to see her. Also, the lab dr. Kepler was really amazing

He took the time to explain everything that was happening and why it was happening. He asked all of our questions and never made us feel dumb for asking them or like we were wasting his time. He always tried to make light of the situation or make us feel like there was still hope. He was very compassionate when we had a miscarriage and didn't make me feel crazy when I mentioned I had been feeling anxiety and depression afterward. He always made me laugh during the embryo transfers.

I would say be patient, he is a good doctor and he is hard to get into but he is worth the wait.

When we first went to see Dr. Cooper, we had been trying for about 2 years. My previous OB had done a few tests including the BRACA gene, but nothing much beyond that. He immediately had me doing several labs, testing my husbands sperm and had me go in for an HSG. We found several things wrong with my right tube from my appendix bursting 5 years previous. He immediately scheduled a laparoscopy for the next month. He suggested we try on our own for a few months after that and see if we corrected the problem and we did get pregnant, but it ended in a tragic miscarriage. He suggested IUI so we did 3 rounds of that and it didn't work. We moved right into IVF right after. There are several appointments they have you do leading up to IVF. Blood work, STD screening, a class that teaches you how to give yourself the shots and what to expect, and lots of ultrasounds. remember the doses of anything but they give you a nice calendar with everything laid out when you need to stop and start medications and when your appointments will be. I cannot We only had to do 1 egg retrieval but 2 transfers. The first transfer was not successful and the second one ended in a beautiful baby girl.

I believe gentic testing was $2500 and a transfer was $3000. I can't remember many costs because we had a lifetime maximum policy on our insurance. My husband switched jobs in between but we used his first policy that was $25,000 and have used half of his $15,000. Genetic testing and embryo storage is not included. Embryo storage is $600/year.

The dr. prefers single transfers. He says there are more complications with 2 ie going early harder on the mom etc. If you are over 35 I think it is they will do 2 unless you ask for 1.

Strengths: Punctual and organized, clean, easy to work with. It was not difficult to make our initial consultation appointment and, once the necessary diagnostics were done, we moved through our IVF cycle quickly. Nurses are friendly and approachable. Weaknesses: I question how individually-tailored the protocols are for each patient, but I can't conclude this for sure because I have only been through one cycle here so far. Biggest issue is apparent lack of interest in patients as individuals and lack of emotional support.

I didn't get the impression that Dr. Young ever knew me or cared about me. He politely delivered the information in a no-nonsense way and didn't ever elaborate. My interactions with him were extremely limited in general. I wanted him to know my husband and me more as people (this is a big deal, after all!) and there were a lot of things he didn't ask or bother to find out. I guess it makes sense that interactions are superficial. There is so much heartbreak in fertility treatment it makes sense for Drs. to maintain distance from their patients. It just is hard to take as a patient.

The nurses are the faces of this clinic. They do most of the day-to-day patient interaction, routine diagnostics, and communication. I ended up not having as much interaction with my assigned nurse but everyone I worked with was nice enough, prompt, and professional.

Pros: He was polite, professional, and made himself available for questions (I just didn't feel that comfortable asking them because I felt annoying/stupid). Cons: Didn't get to know us well. Treatment felt very cookie-cutter.

Be an advocate for yourself and ask the questions that you need answered. Don't expect an overly compassionate or warm interaction at any time.

Egg retrieval with PGS testing and a single frozen transfer cost approximately $15,000, excluding initial diagnostics and mediations.

Like I mentioned before, they never answer the phone when you call. You always have to wait for a call back which, like I said before, was annoying and disrespectful of my time. And secondly, they had a policy that, if you had children, you weren't allowed to bring them to your appointment as children in the waiting room would cause other waiting patients to be psychologically distressed. Uh, seriously? We're all there because we like and want children. Personally I think that having children in the waiting room would be fine, not to mention it might make the clinic look like it was successful at helping couples get pregnant.

After asking me a series of initial questions, Dr. Young went on to tell me how they usually treat all of their patients - a series of tests, the first of which needed to be administered during a certain time of my cycle. Problem #1 - Why ask me all these questions if you're going to treat me like every other single person that walks into your office? It didn't seem that my answers to his questions corresponded to a personal treatment plan. Problem #2 - If they treat everyone the same and they always do the first test at a specific cycle time, why not schedule my first consultation at that cycle time so that I don't have to take off work and drive 30 miles to their office twice when 1 appointment time would have taken care of that? That's disrespectful of my time. Additionally, after each consecutive invasive testing, I again had to leave work, drive 30 miles to their office only to be told that each was inconclusive. Ummm...they could have called me on the phone to tell me that and schedule the next test. Again, complete disrespect of my time. And lastly, whenever I called there, which while I was being treated was often, I never once talked to anyone live on the phone. I ALWAYS had to leave a message and wait for a call back. Not only is this a frustrating and generally bad business practice, it is once again disrespectful of my time .

The nurses were fine. They were facilitators of the tests. Although there was one mortifying experience - I had to take a test where they shot dye up my uterus. After the test, the nurse said I was bleeding (a little) but she told me to go ahead and walk out of the room (wearing only a hospital gown) to the changing room. I asked if I needed something to catch the blood and she said no, I'd be fine. I got up and walked across the room with a trail of blood behind me the whole way. I was utterly embarrassed as I was putting my clothes back on and heard her, squirt bottle in hand, mopping up after me.

Dr. Young ordered the tests and gave me the results. That's pretty much it. Not a lot of explanation.

Find someone else -

I can't remember specifics, but each test found nothing wrong. Dr. Young actually gave me a brochure in my initial consultation that listed the series of tests they did for everyone and explained that they did each one until they found what was wrong.

Co-pays. Just co-pays.

It is a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere. It is an excellent clinic. They think of everything. I really can not come up with any weaknesses.

Dr Brian Cooper has excellent bedside manner. He will sit down with you and tell you all your options and approximate cost from the beginning so you know the path you are going down from the beginning. He even takes notes for you when you meet with him for any consults and gives you those to take with you. He very much let me direct the path I wanted to go down.

They were awesome! Very kind, caring and compassionate. Somehow that clinic has had to take care of a lot of people as I keep hearing of people who have gone there and there isn't another one in the area, but you would never know it by the care you received or the waiting room. They always had clients there but it was never crazy busy and you always felt like you were very important to them. They always remembered you and your situation. The staff was excellent!

Brian Cooper is excellent at what he does. He is very honest and makes you feel very comfortable no matter the situation. I had a brief experience with another fertility specialist that was cold and made you feel like you were a number and the experience with Dr Brian Cooper was just the opposite of that. He made you feel like a human being and let you control the timing and course you took within reason. I highly recommend him!

Trust him. He knows what he is doing and will take excellent care of you!

It has been too long to remember what all the different strategies were. But basically I went through testing to make sure I had no issues, I did several rounds of donor insemination, when things weren't working out I would consult with Brian Cooper and he would maybe change a med or we would discuss other alternatives. This went on until I had several donor inseminations that didn't take or didn't make it past the very early stages and one miscarriage and then I decided to use donor embryos. But because of how he handled my consultations I knew all my options so I could review those as everything else was going on and not working. Then my one and only donor embryo produced a live birth.

For the time I believe they seemed reasonable to me.

I don't recall for sure if he transferred one or two, but I am almost certain he didn't transfer any more than that.

Strengths: compassionate and caring professionals who are invested and know your name Weaknesses: the phone & answering service are horrible! You almost always have to leave a message and wait for a call back

They've worked very hard for us at this clinic and have offered some financial discounts. They also sent flowers after a natural pregnancy and miscarriage.

Sheila is always going the extra mile for me and my husband. She's so compassionate and caring. She truly is fighting for us.

Dr.Cooper is sometimes a little distant and speaks above patients, but his intentions are good. He means well and wants to see you have a successful pregnancy. He's even gone above and beyond to make things work for us financially.

Be patient and understanding that some things are out of his control. He's fighting for you.

We've undergone 6 IUIs, nothing out of the normal. 2 IVF cycles. We used regular injections and retrieval procedures. The first round we did 2 fresh transfers at day 5, then attempted a frozen transfer but none survived the thaw. Most recently, none of our embryos made it to day 5 in treatment #2.

All IUI cycles were primarily covered under insurance. The first IVF cycle was primarily covered under insurance, but out of pocket cost in the $15,000-19,000 range. The second IVF treatment he offered us a one time discount I'd rather not disclose. He offered this to us as my insurance had recently dropped fertility coverage.

He was open to us trying to 2 embryos, but did advise not doing any more than that.

Lab staff was excellent. (Because I had four chemicals I had a lot of interaction with the lab staff.) Calming environment and the no children policy was so helpful when going in after losses. Weakness would be that you are responsible for your own understanding and didn't really feel advised about the right course. Didn't test for recurrent losses until I asked.

Neutral-- definitely didn't feel like a number but also didn't try to build a human rapport.

Some staff in past were not very good but they appear to be gone. (One asked me once where my ovary was during an ultrasound.) Karen and Senta did most procedures and are excellent.

Very straightforward. Had a military-like efficiency. He did not go out of the way to explain things although he answered questions thoroughly if you raise the question yourself. He seemed a bit over optimistic with results considering the number of losses we had.

Write down questions before going in, because if you don't ask you may not get an answer.

IUI with donor sperm using Clomid, then Femara, then no medication (no meds was our choice not the recommendation.) Using donor sperm due severe male factor (zero found in biopsy).

Cost has increased since starting. IUI was $475 I think. Did not charge for sperm ordering or storage as long as we used right away. Office visits were a bit high. Lab draws also but they used the insured rate so the out of pocket was reasonable.

Not applicable

Great strength is that it's a small clinic so everyone is always there to help you along the way. We were able to visit with the doc, nurse, lab, embryologist & psych person (another building) all in one visit.

We really liked Mid-Iowa Fertility. We weren't just a number. With their small knit clinic, we felt welcomed and we could accomplish a lot within one visit.

We mainly worked with Shelia-the 3rd party reproductive nurse. She was amazing! Always answered any questions I had. Was very clear with my cycle meds.

He welcomed us into his office. He wanted to hear our story. He wanted to know our history. He listened. He gave us his thoughts, even if they were things we didn't want to hear, we needed to hear them! He was honest. He welcomed our donor embryos, which is not an easy task in our home state.

Bring all of your records, do research, have an idea what you need to get accomplished. Schedule your appt according to your cycle so that you can accomplish multiple things in one visit.

We did a donor frozen embryo transfer with Dr. Young. I used birth control, estradiol, progesterone in oil, doxycline and an additional antibiotic before starting meds for the cycle. My lining I think could have been thicker, I think we should have increased the estradiol.

Roughly $5000 for our donor FET

He gave his opinion but it was up to us in the end.

Scheduling was pretty easy, there wasn't a long wait period like I would have expected. It's very intimidating to go to an office like this but everyone is so welcoming and understanding. They were also very good with discussing payment as well as what insurance will cover.

Dr. Cooper was amazing! He sat with us, answered all of our questions no matter how silly they sounded. He was so optimistic and so positive! Graduating into prenatal care was so bittersweet. I can not say enough about how amazing he is.

Very compassionate to what we were going through, very understanding. They were great and offering advice and keeping us encouraged.

Dr. Cooper was so optimistic and sent us through all the testing we needed. When our first IUI failed, we were crushed. He made the necessary adjustments and lifted us up that we could and would do this. He treated me like I wanted to be treated. He understood how I felt.

Trust the process, trust him.

We did a battery of blood work, HSG (?), semen analysis as well as 2 rounds of femara . The HSG I believe was to check the uterus to make sure everything looked normal and ok. The femara he prescribed because the sode effects were meant to be a little better than Clomid. We also had to track ovulation dates!

Our insurance at the time had a lifetime fertility maximum of 25k. So we were responsible for our $15 co pays and that was it. The Office was good with explaining benefits

The staff at this clinic is wonderful!! I think that it is important for new patients to understand how little interaction they will actually have with their physician. The staff was always available when we had questions or concerns. I do wish that there had been a bit more support when we went through our miscarriage.

Dr Young was very open and honest about our procedures and about what treatments he felt would help us to achieve the best possible results

The nursing staff at mid iowa is wonderful. They are always kind and caring and always call back within a few hours

Dr Young is not warm and fuzzy, he is, however, very intelligent and forthcoming with any and all knowledge. He was very honest with us when we did not have the results that we were looking for and he recommended utilizing a sperm donor which produced much better results for us.

I would let them know that he is very intelligent and knowledgeable.

During my first cycle I used gonal f and menopur. During my second cycle we added testosterone gel and patches to see if I would produce more eggs.

Our first cycle was roughly 20,000 with the cost of medications. After our first and second failed cycle we were offered discounts on our next 2 cycles.