Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine

Dr. Kim has been great to work with thus far. We are still undergoing treatment, so I don't have an ending yet, but in terms of our experience up to this point, we are satisfied with our treatment. She definitely gets straight to the point (which some people may not like), but for me, and especially in our specific situation, I really appreciated that. We are going down what I would consider a very nontraditional route to build our family, but with Dr. Kim's experience and expertise, she made me feel like this is a very normal procedure that many people do. We had a devastating diagnosis, yet she didn't harp on that and just focused on the future. I'm excited to see how the rest of the treatments pan out.

Just be prepared for straight to the point discussion of your treatment, next steps, etc. This doesn't mean rushed or no time for questions, but she is very straightforward.

We are starting with medicated IUI for 3 cycles, then moving to IVF if we do not have success. This includes 50mg Clomid along with an Ovidrel shot. We are currently in our first IUI cycle, and expect to adjust as necessary depending on the results.

It's difficult to answer this right now as we're still in the middle of treatment. We are also very fortunate to have our costs subsidized by insurance.

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It was really frustrating that Dr. Jungheim tried, essentially, the same protocol on us over and over again with the same results, and after our 3rd IVF cycle we were met with "I'm not sure what else I can do for you."

I'd stay away from Northwestern.

We did 4 medicated (Letrozole) IUIs - none worked. For our first IVF cycle we used a very standard Folistim/ Menopur stim and Letrozole + HGC trigger. I produced a lot of eggs - 33 in total - but had really low maturation rates, and we only ended up with one low quality embryo available the day of transfer (she was very pro-fresh transfer), and then an additional one to freeze that had matured the day after. We did a frozen transfer with Estrace prep/ stim, and it didn't take. For our second IVF cycle, she pulled my stim meds down, but pulled them too far down and our cycle was cancelled. I somehow went from creating 33 follicles, to just 3... so something was clearly off with my meds. She advised that we do an IUI in order to make it not a total loss. It didn't work. For our third IVF cycle, we did the standard Folistim/ Menopur stim again. I got 23 eggs that time, but again had low maturation rates. We only ended up with one embryo, which we transferred fresh. It didn't work.

We're lucky enough to have insurance that covered nearly everything.

Very open, transparent and honest. Let us know all of the outcomes. The good, the bad and how we can adjust depending on how each treatment went. He was compassionate, caring, and very educational as we were going through the process for over 24 months. We couldn't recommend him and a team highly enough.

Be open to learning all of the different options available. Dr. Jain is an excellent doctor and will be sure to inform you of all different ideas and potential options.

Dr. Kim is knowledgeable and competent, but sometimes it didn't feel like she listened to why we were pursuing these specific fertility services. She seems less versed in LGBTQ+ care and somewhat unwilling to understand the ways in which gender identity may influence a person's decision to be pregnant or not.

If it's important to you, be confident in how you'd like to approach things. Dr. Kim won't lead you astray, but you may need to advocate for yourself a bit.

No strong preference, but it ended up not being relevant to us because we had only one embryo to freeze.

Although Dr Pavone is not warm and fuzzy but she's extremely smart, knowledgeable and highly skilled at what she does. Her understanding and knowledge is not just limited to her field of Reproductive Endocrinology but in fact she has very strong general medical knowledge as well. Northwestern's success rate is not as high as some other clinics and one of the reasons is that they see more complex patients who have already been at other clinics in the Chicago area. Overall, they have a great team there, a well oiled machine.

Dont hesitate to ask questions.

I dont remember the details.Its been a while.

efficient, well oiled machine

at least 20 k as it was all out of pocket and not coveerd by my crappy insurance.

She quoted guidelines and evidence based data and recommended eSET.

Dr. Jain gave good explanations and helped me decide to do the egg retrieval. I honestly didn't interact with him much but when I did it was good. I don't have much else to say - he wasn't a big part of my experience with the egg retrieval.

Find a way to ask the nurses for more input if you want to know what's going on

Day: Date: [Ganirelix], Dose Gonal F, dose novarel/HCG 1: 10/27: 100, 0.06 (estradiol 61) 2: 10/28: 100, 0.06 3: 10/29: 100, 0.06 4: 10/30: 150, 0.06 (estradiol 153) -You have a few follicles measuring less than 10mm 5: 10/31: 150, 0.06 6: 11/1: Gonal-F 225 units, HCG 6 units (estradiol 366) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 10mm. -You also have smaller follicles measuring less than 10mm 7: 11/2: Ganirelix AM, Gonal-F 225 units, HCG 6 units 8: 11/3: Ganirelix AM, Gonal-F 300 units, HCG 6 units (estradiol 954) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 13 mm. -You also have 3 smaller follicles measuring between 12 and 13. 9: 11/4: Ganirelix AM, Gonal-F 300 units, HCG 6 units 10: 11/5: Ganirelix AM, Gonal-F 300 units, HCG 6 units 11: 11/6: Ganirelix AM, Gonal-F 300 units, HCG 6 units (estradiol 1408) -Your estrogen level is 1408. You have 5 follicles measuring between 17 mm and 27 mm. 12: 11/7 1am: leupron 13: retrieval (11 follicles, of which 6 were mature) Total meds used: -Gonal-F used: 2250 (required 3 pens) -Ganirelix: 5 doses. -HCG: Plenty of HCG leftover Round 2 Day: Date: [Ganirelix], Dose Gonal F, dose menopur 1: Mon 2/14: Gonal-F 200u, Menopur 75u. (estradiol 60) 2: Tues 2/15: Gonal-F 200u, Menopur 75u. 3: Wed 2/16: Gonal-F 200u, Menopur 75u. 4: Thur 2/17: Gonal-F 200u, Menopur 75u. (est 339) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 10 mm. -You also have 2 smaller follicles measuring 10 mm. 5: Fri 2/18: AM: Gan. Gonal-F 200u, Men 75u. 6: Sat 2/19: AM: Gan. Gonal-F 200, Men 75u. (est 749) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 14mm. -You also have 6 smaller follicles measuring between 10 and 13mm. 7: Sun 2/20: AM: Gan. Gonal-F 200, Men 75u. 8: Mon 2/21: AM Gan. Gonal-F 200, Men 75u. (est 922) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 19 mm. -You also have 12 smaller follicles measuring between 11 and 18 mm. 9: Tues 2/22: AM Gan. Gonal-F 200, Men 75u. (est 1190) -The largest follicle measuring by ultrasound is 20 mm. -You also have 12 smaller follicles measuring between 11 and 17 mm. 10: Wed 2/23: AM Gan. Gonal-F 200, Men 75u. (est 1685) -You have 10 follicles measuring between 15mm and 30mm. 11: Thurs 2/24: 12am Leurpon 80u. am labs 12: Fri 2/25: 12pm retrieval (16 follicles, of which 12 were mature) Total meds used: -Gonal F: 2000u (3 pens) -Menopur: 10 vials -Ganirelix: 6 doses

1500 procedure, 200-300 for meds per round

She was very direct and answered all my questions about IUI in detail, she provided a lot of statistics and didn’t set me up with inaccurate expectations but was also kind and listened well. My partner and I felt heard and comfortable as a queer couple seeking fertility support. She connected us to detailed information of sperm banks, financial information and how she would continue working with us and be available through the process.

Be ready for direct information, she is kind, but ready to get to business.

We started with the initial round of IUI without medications as my labs (TSH, AMH, routine screening labs), ovarian count via ultrasound and fallopian tube were without concern, she said we could discuss use of medications if after 3-6 cycles I was not pregnant but she thought it was quite likely I would get pregnant in that time.

Majority covered by insurance, about 20% out of pocket, this was informed to me upfront prior to any treatments.

Dr Jain invests deeply in the care of his patients. Although my journey was complicated, Dr Jain never gave up on me. After each appointment, we would change the treatment protocol and explore additional testing if needed. I did a lot of research myself and felt very comfortable asking him questions to share my wants and needs. Dr Jain had no problem adjusting the treatment plan to what I felt most comfortable with. During each appointment, I never felt rushed. He would also send MyChart messages very late at night as he is catching up on his charting. It showed that I was not just a number to him, and that he genuinely cared about me as his patient.

Come prepared to ask questions! If you’re up for it (or in the healthcare field), do your own research and ask Dr Jain what he thinks about certain tests, labs, or procedures. Knowledge is power, so take your time during the appointment to make sure all questions are answered.

IUI - letrozole alone, and letrozole with clomid. Unfortunately all were unsuccessful. IVF - low doses of GonalF and Menopur since I made a lot of eggs. He monitored me closely to make sure I didn’t develop OHSS. We ended up with 29 eggs and 13 embryos from that one cycle! FET - due to my risk of OHSS, all of my transfers were frozen. First transfer was a medicated transfer with estradiol and IM progesterone - which failed. I ended up fainting with the IM progesterone once, so we avoided it for the next transfers. Second transfer was a modified natural cycle with letrozole and Ovidrel - but unfortunately ended in an ectopic. Third transfer was another modified natural cycle and currently pregnant! (We did genetic testing of embryos and ERA test prior to the third transfer)

My insurance thankfully covered IVF, so I just had to pay my out of pocket max for the year which was $3500. I never had any issues with the billing department. Embryo testing was not covered, so that was an additional $5000. Also, the ERA and ReceptivaDx testing is not covered by any insurance, so that was an extra $1500 out of pocket. In total: $10,000

Always starts with one tested/untested embryo. If first transfer fails, will consider 2 untested embryos if patient understands the risks. If embryos are tested, then single embryo transfers only.

My husband and I were advised to complete genetic testing of our embryos and paid for the service. Genetic testing never occurred. After the fact, Dr. Boots indicated my embryos were too fragile; however, this was never told to myself or my husband until the mistake was made. Since it did not occur, we were required to re-open an emotional wound and try for the embryo transfer which ultimately was unsuccessful.

Make sure she writes everything down for you and you have a copy. Do not trust her word.

Cattle call, had to get there super early, wait in line. COVID hit and they started scheduling appointments which made it easier. Would not be allowed to get lab work at the clinic if I was getting blood draw only which was ridiculous.

IVF - $10K out of pocket plus drugs, FET - $5K out of pocket plus drugs, bloodwork and monitoring. Genetic testing was between $2-3K which never happened. Billing there is a nightmare.

He has always been supportive of my interest in trying supplementary treatment outside of just the RE world (i.e. supplements, Naturopath, acupuncture). He has been very flexible with doing things on our timeline and not his or the clinics. He has given us his honest medical opinion for treatment based on our clinical presentation. I have never felt like he was forcing us into doing certain treatments (i.e. going right to IVF after my miscarriage). He has been clear and direct with us and explained all the medical language he was using. One issue I had was when I was 3 days after my D&C when I was in significant pain due to additional clots passing. Another doctor in the clinic performed my surgery so she was the one who I saw when I went into the clinic to figure out what was going on. After, it all subsided and i passed all the tissue I heard from my nurse who I work with but I did not hear from Dr. Jain himself about the issues after my surgery.

Come in with questions. If you do your research before you will be able to get even more out of your appointment than you have to begin with.

I have done 6 IUI's up to this date. Dr. Jain's rationale for performing IUI's was because my main issue with irregular cycles due to mild PCOS. I had no other abnormal test results that indicated a more severe treatment was needed (i.e. IVF). He also had me immediately start taking 25 mcg of Synthroid to balance out my thyroid. For the IUI's, I took 5 mg of letrozole and then used the ovidrel trigger shot for each cycle. On the second IUI, my uterine lining wasn't thickening as it should have been so they put me on 10 mg of Estradiol. This was the cycle I got pregnant! I had an early miscarriage for unknown cause (genetic test showed the baby was chromosomal normal). For the following 3 IUI's, Dr. Jain had me taking 20 mg progesterone suppositories following the IUI to help assist with implantation. Throughout this process I have had to increase my Synthroid dose. After my 5th IUI (4th failed), we decided to take a break from treatments and see a Naturopath doctor. After a few months of diet change and additional testing/treatments suggested by the Naturopath we returned to Dr. Jain to discuss next treatment options. He went talked us through what IVF would look like and the pros and cons for our situation. He also talked about the pros and cons of continuing with IUI's. He was very supportive and willing to continue with IUI's because we had success. After that appointment, we decided to try more IUI's. We had our 6th IUI in March 2020 with the same treatment protocol listed above. We had set a plan with Dr. Jain for what we would do different if I got a positive pregnancy test. This included taking blood thinners to help maintain the pregnancy. Unfortunately, I did not get pregnant from that cycle. We are currently in a holding pattern right now due to COVID-19 and have not been able to start another IUI. Our plan is to try two more IUI's and see if either is successful before discussing other options.

Our insurance did not cover any procedures. It is $709 per IUI. My Ovidrel injections cost $92. We paid co-pays per our insurance for all other appointments.

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Dr. Goldman has been amazing during our infertility journey. We met her for a consultation the day after my 40th birthday. She has been informative, comforting, and encouraging. She has been thorough in presenting us with all our options, making sure we understand next steps and available to answer questions that arise along the way. Most recently after our stimulation process did not produce the results we were hoping for, she scheduled a telehealth appointment (due to COVID-19) to check-in with us to ensure we were okay. She gives us hope that they process will eventually work!

Any prospective patient would be in great hands with Dr. Goldman. I would recommend scheduling in advance as she is often booked.

We completed two IUI cycles. I was prescribed Clomid for 5 days and then an Ovidrel injection. Neither IUI cycle resulted in pregnancy. We have gone through one round of egg stimulation and retrieval thus far. We have not been able to do another cycle of stimulation nor transfer due to the COVID 19 emergency. Due to my age, I was prescribed high doses of stimulation medications to retrieve as many eggs as possible. ( Gonal F 300 units/day; Menopur 150 units/day; Ganirelix 250 mg; Ovidrel 250 mg as the trigger shot). The egg stimulation resulted in 12 eggs retrieved. 10 of the eggs fertilized and we had 4 embryos created. Due to my age, genetic testing was recommended. After the genetic testing was complete, we have 1 healthy embryo for eventual transfer.

The monitoring appointments were convenient and occurred before work hours. The process was efficient and smoothly ran.

My insurance coverage for fertility medications is a $10,000 lifetime allotment and 10% out of pocket copay. I went through this allotment very fast and the copay amount was pretty high. The Northwestern Medicine Specialty Pharmacy was willing to work with me and my insurance to maximize the most insurance coverage and less the out of pocket expense. The clinic has a $2,095 payment for embryo storage that is due before the stimulation process can begin. We spent just over $3500 for medication copays, medications, and genetic testing. Thus in total our out of pocket cost for the egg stimulation/retrieval is over $5,600. We will have to pay out of pocket for any further medication associated with the embryo transfer and if we would like to pursue another round of egg stimulation/retrieval. Unfortunately, we were informed that there is no financial assistance available for us during this process through Northwester Medicine nor EMD Serrano as we do not qualify financially :(

Dr. Goldman recommended a single embryo transfer to ensure the likelihood of a successful, healthy pregnancy.

Dr. Jain is a great, compassionate doctor. I only with he would have changed our protocol much earlier than he did. He waited for three failed cycles before changing anything. That being said, it is my understanding that he is one of the best doctors at Northwestern and in the area in general.

Please be sure to advocate for yourself. Understand that you’ll be seeing the other doctors at the practice much more often than your specific doctor

I respond very well to the meds and create a lot of eggs. I am always on the lowest doses of Menopur and Follistim. My problem is that I don’t produce high quality embryos so after three rounds we only produced two PGS tested Day 6 embryos. One transfer resulted in a miscarriage of a chromosomally abnormal embryo despite the PGS resting. The other PGS tested embryo resulted in a negative beta. After that round we changed our protocol to transfer two Day 3 embryos. That transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy.

Monitoring appointments were quick and easy! Results and any changes to protocol were provided later in the day via secure email.

We’re luck that insurance covers the medical procedures associated with IVF. We have to pay out of pocket for medications (approximately $7k) and genetic testing (approximately $3k) per round of IVF.

I’m happy to do eSETs but understand that transferring two Day 3 embryos, given my history of poor quality embryos, was the right choice.

Dr. Boots was welcoming from the first appointment and very comfortable, I didn't feel rushed in my decision like my two previous doctors, she was very compassionate and made my husband feel included also. My husband has mentioned that he feels very happy with her and feels like we can come out with a baby of our own at the end of our journey. Dr. Boots suggest numerous options and explained every single step and recommended us for grants and she also is great at following up. For a military family always getting stationed in different places, I highly recommend Dr. Boots so far throughout our journey. I'll even go as far as after we have our child and in a few year if we are stationed somewhere else, we will come back to her as she is the most efficient and professional doctor we had so far.

I would tell my friends or anybody looking to start a family with help that you will feel welcomed and don't worry about being rushed with your appointment like most doctors will. She will explain everything even draw out diagrams to help further explain various examples and/or situations. She looks at all angles and will assist you in coming up with a plan. As a military family, we appreciate her so much as our schedule is never routine. She will work around your schedule.

Dr. Boots first went through our situation, took time to understand our story, as we seen clinics in Guam and San Diego with no success, then she explained and present diagrams of all options, after getting an HSG test and a sonohysterogram, I was diagnosed with tube blockage and will have surgery to get my tube removed and with that Dr. Boots explained IVF will be one of the only options left. So she explained the procedure and set us up with a financial counselor to explain the process. Within, our first two visits we had a game plan with the route we were going to go without the financial plan yet. We are still waiting on the results.

Since we are in the military, Tricare allows us to see her and get certain services completed but does not cover IVF or IUI so she recommended various grants and yet the visits, bloodwork, and other procedures were covered by insurance.

Dr. Boots explained the cost and differences between the single and multiple embryo process. She went step by step and explained the different processes.

Dr. Goldman is amazing. She cares deeply for her patients, and really makes you feel like you are on this journey together. She is positive, but doesn't sugar coat the situation you are in dealing with infertility but she provides you with hope. I feel safe in her care and I trust her to take care of me throughout this journey.

Ask as many questions as you want, and if you don't understand something ask for clarification. Dr. Goldman never made me feel rushed or embarrassed to ask questions, she understands this is a sensitive journey and she wants you to be as comfortable as possible.

I had two IUIs with clomid and tigger shot, one ending in a miscarriage at 8 weeks. She got me in the very next day the day before Thanksgiving for a D&C. Then, we tried two more IUIs with Clomid and trigger shot, both ending in a negative pregnancy. We are going to start IVF as soon as the coronoavirus settles down.

She believes you should only transfer one embryo because it's the safest option for me, and I trust this and want this as well!

Dr. Bernardi made us feel instantly at ease. She explained things thoroughly and answered our millions of questions with kindness and expertise. She was happy to try new things and was willing to work with my Reproductive Immunologist.

Do your research and be your own advocate. If you have multiple losses, seek out a reputable Reproductive Immunologist to work with Dr. Bernardi. If you have unexplained infertility, insist upon the ReceptivaDX to test for the biomarker for endometriosis.

Dr. Bernardi did every test (except for ones related to immunology). Based on my AMH, it was determined that have diminished ovarian reserve. Therefore she did not want to over suppress my ovaries. My standard treatment for medicated cycles was: 350 Gonal F Trigger: 250 Ovidrel When that didn't produce more than 2 follicles, we tried Menopur and Estrogen priming but got poorer results.

Thankfully, our insurance covered everything except the ReceptivaDX test. NW does have an onsite financial advisor who is extremely helpful when dealing with insurance and payment.

Compassionate, knowledgeable, experienced. Able to assess situation and offer course of action, adapt it as needed, and offer recommended courses of action. She was recommended by multiple friends from different circles, all of whom also happen to be in the medical field. Highly recommend Dr. Kim and her team.

She’s very willing to answer questions, so ask all the questions you have. If you have exhausted your questions ask what else she thinks you should know.

Wish I could be more specific but it all blurs together. We did multiple rounds of IVF. The dosages of the shots, and supplements were adjusted during various cycles. We also did genetic testing. We’re still in the process but so far highly recommend them.

This will be case specific based on someone’s insurance coverage, so for this one contact the clinic and ask their finance counselors to check your insurance coverage and let you know your specifics.

This will be patient and situation specific, but in our situation, especially since we were doing genetic testing and freezing Dr. Kim suggested eSET.

Dr Jain was very thorough in his explanations and medical opinion. He always listened to me when an IUI cycle didn’t work and adjusted the medications based on patient preference. Be prepared with questions! You won’t see Dr Jain often but he is working with the staff behind the scenes. I highly recommend him!!

Be prepared at your appointment with a list of questions. Ask Dr Jain anything that is on your mind. Patients lose a lot of control during the infertility process, so Dr Jain will listen to your requests to “give back control” in a sense. Do your homework and be prepared to ask questions!

PCOS - letrozole 2.5, letrozole 5, then letrozole 5 with clomid 100

My insurance has great coverage, so our out of pocket costs were low. IUI was about $220 after insurance

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Dr. Kim would call me back when I had questions and show empathy for bad news. However, I was upset that I completed two IUIs and was told that a cyst and fluid would be monitored. It wasn’t until my second IUI failed and I contacted her that she mentioned the cyst and fluid were still present. Because of the cyst and fluid, she was concerned my tubes were blocked and recommended I have another hsg completed. Previously, my obgyn said my tubes were open when I first took a hsg and I attempted to retrieve the images for Dr. Kim as she said she could not locate them. I completed another hsg and was diagnosed with Hydrosalpinges. I felt destroyed because I felt like a thorough examination of my condition was not monitored early on and could have saved me a lot of resources and energy. In addition, I felt like I had to review notes and ask questions in order to get my “plan”/“”case” reassessed. For example, I asked about being placed on birth control to try to prevent the cyst from growing further. Dr. Kim informed me that she did not tell me about this treatment as most clients want to try naturally when they take time off. I would like to have all information and make my own decision in regards to my treatment. There was another time I had to point out that my medication dosage was to be increased for the 2nd iui according to our treatment plan. I lost a lot of trust and confidence with Dr. Kim after these instances and the failure to get a hsg completed or request/retrieve the prior hsg images before having me complete any IUIs.

Make sure you review all notes and do your research beforehand. Do not be afraid to advocate for yourself and speak up.

The plan was to do 3 IUIs, then IVF. After two failed IUIs, I messaged Dr. Kim and she decided to do further testing to determine why I continued to have a cyst and fluid in my ultrasounds. I had to redo an HSG as she could not locate the previous HSG that was completed at NW.

I spent approximately $1900 for IUIs and medication (plus another HSG). Each IUI was $700 out of pocket and my medications were about $120. My monitoring procedures were covered by my insurance.

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Dr. Jain gave the biggest gift he could possibly give us, our miracle baby boy. I was getting treatment at FCI prior to seeing Dr. Jain and I felt like I was just treated like a number and not a person. When I started seeing Dr. Jain in January 2020 after a recommendation by my sister n law who was in her 40s and had a very successful 1st cycle of IVF by Dr. Jain, I was blown away at the difference in care with him. Dr. Jain has the best amazing bedside manner. He is a good listener and is very compassionate. You can tell that he is rooting for you. He makes you feel like you are his only patient. Anytime I had questions, it was always very easy to set up a consultation with him. I felt very involved in my care and he was very receptive to my ideas as well. He would change my protocol as needed with each round. I already knew that we have a male factor issue and a poor egg quality issue and even with the odds against us, he made my dream come true. We are having our baby boy in July 2021 and it is all because of Dr. Jain. You would be foolish to look elsewhere. I have recommended him to some of my co-workers and they now pregnant too. Look no further than Dr. Jain for your fertility needs. He is a miracle worker.

nothing, please stay exactly the same. I can't wait to start my next round of IVF with him in January 2022.

micro dose lupron protocol with follistim is the protocol that got me pregnant

not sure, insurance covered everything

I've only met Dr. Jain twice never in person only telemed because of Covid. The very first time I met him to my partner and I he seemed cocky he basically told me to go on a Plant based diet, lose weight, cut sugar out, and stop eating meat because its bad food. He was confident that I would not need IVF and with 4 IUI (3 being negative and 1 being a chemical pregnancy). After our 2nd telemed meeting we are now doing IVF. Which is not only time consuming but is very expensive. I will say I cut dairy out of my diet and did lose 28 pounds. Never had natural periods until I lost all that weight the last 5 months my periods have been coming by themselfs and timid. He does take the time to listen to you and it is very overstimulating the amount of information that is received and what your body really goes through! You are mentally and physically drained.

Be prepared- this experience is very long and becomes overwhelming for you and your partner. It consumes your life from the blood draws, semen samples, ultrasounds, and appointments. You pretty much work around their availability and I've personally have missed a lot of work just to attend these appointments. *Do your researches make notes and DO NOT be afraid to ask Questions.

My partner and I decided to do 2 timid intercourses and 2 IUI. But, the protocols were similar. Timid intercourse: Notify the clinic of day 1 of period. Day 3 of period schedule you for bloodwork and ultrasound. Based on your bloodwork and ultrasound they send you a message letting you know to start taking Letrozole 5mg once a day for 5 days. Return for bloodwork and ultrasound and based on your results the nursing staff will tell you when to give the trigger shot usually 24 hrs last between 9pm-10pm. The nursing staff gave specific instructions for the timid intercourse usually the next three days. Wait 2 weeks and take a pregnancy test. The IUI:Notify the clinic of day 1 of period. Day 3 of period schedule you for bloodwork and ultrasound. Based on your bloodwork and ultrasound they send you a message letting you know to start taking Letrozole 5mg once a day for 5 days. Return for bloodwork and ultrasound and based on your results the nursing staff will tell you when to give the trigger shot usually 24 hrs last between 9pm-10pm. The nursing staff reaches out to scheduling to set you a time for your partner and yourself to go in the IUI procedure (Usually 2-3 days after trigger shot).

Make sure you try to have the best deductible because the cost quickly add up. The trigger shot is through Northwestern Speciality Pharmacy and you have to special order that shot and it was $20.00. The ultrasounds and bloodwork after I met my deductible were free essentially but prior the blood work was roughly $10-$30 and ultrasound was $30-$50

No comments this process was explained thoroughly to me and I understood why he is transferring one embryo instead of multiples.

She seemed very intelligent and professional. I liked her personality and bedside manner. She was very nice. However, they definitely don't prioritize IUI patients which I get. But the whole experience with 2 IUI cycles, I just felt like I was ushered through. I thought I wouldn't be someone who needed my hand held through the process, but left feeling like their process was cold and impersonal.

The clinic is busy, you probably won't talk to her more than once or twice. She is smart and I am sure she's a great doctor. It didn't work out for me. I decided I needed a smaller clinic with a more personal experience.

I had 2 IUI cycles with Letrozole.

She is kind, considerate and caring. She has always taken my opinions and requests into consideration while forming my treatment. I have a lot of worries, and every time I speak to her I feel much better! I’ve seen 2 other RE’s and she is by far the best RE I’ve ever seen by a long shot!

I love Northwestern because it runs in a “team” patient care model — meaning, you have an entire team, not just one doctor. However, that also means you may not see your doctor all the time or very often. My advice is to simply ASK for an appointment with your RE whenever you want one — either in person or TeleHealth appointments — and you can get one! Don’t expect to see your doctor during all of your MANY ultrasound and lab appointments.

I am lucky to live in Illinois, which has a fertility insurance mandate, so I have very good insurance coverage for fertility / IVF. I paid $8200 a year max for everything with my insurance — up to 6 retrieval’s a year and unlimited transfers. My insurance covered all medications after that $8200 max out of pocket. Northwestern has been GREAT about coming up with a payment plan to pay that $8200 a year where we pay monthly.

Dr. Bernardi is excellent when it comes to evaluating transfer determinations based on the individual patient. I was very turned off by RE’s I’ve consulted with who had one protocol (ie, usually transferring only 1 or 2 max, even if low quality embryos) that they used for EVERY patient. Dr. Bernardi and my entire Northwestern team doesn’t do this at all. They are flexible and decide on how many transfers depending on the individual patient and their specific circumstances. This is a HUGE plus in an RE!

Compassionate, skilled, experienced. She is realistic, thoughtful, and hopeful. Responsive when directly reach out and state want to speak with dr. Most communication is canned responses of next steps and with nurse.

Ask for what you need. Ask clarifying questions for better understanding.

3 medicated IUI cycles using 100mg Clomid x 5 days, Ovidrel trigger shot, IUI and progesterone. 3 cycles using 7.5 mg Letrozole x 5 days, timed intercourse, progesterone.

Had met deductible when started IUI so most costs covered. Monitoring ultrasounds cost about $300, labs $30-60. Unable to afford IVF not covered by insurance.

Dr. Feinberg is one of the foremost doctors in the field. She is knowledgeable and experienced and no nonsense, which I appreciate. Dr. Feinberg is also empathetic, caring, considerate, honest and an excellent communicator. I very much appreciate her approach to treatment.

Book early. She's difficult to get an appointment with.

We started with Clomid IUI when my saline ultrasound and bloodwork demonstrated positive findings. After disappointing sperm counts and motility, we moved directly into IVF.

Insurance will not cover our treatments. IUI was approximately $2000 including medication. IVF is approximately $18,000, including medication.

I have not gotten to the point of retrieval yet, as is was cancelled for COVID -19

My husband and I are people that like to just get to the point, Dr. Robins was always incredibly informative and was to the point without seeming like he was insensitive to our situation. He had confidence in what he was doing that gave us peace of mind.

Trust the process, knowing that you are in good hands.

We have only had a plethora of testing done at this point, we have not yet moved forward with IVF cycles at this point.

All I can remember is IVF is approximately 10,000 out of pocket- not including medications.

He firmly believes in only transferring one embryo to avoid complications.