RBA

Dr. Toledo's assistant - Melissa - is amazing and returns calls quickly. The front office staff, particularly Mary Ellen, is a delight and calls you by name when she sees you come in. They do have a policy that no children are allowed, which I appreciated as a patient before we had our girls and respected as a patient who has had two successful pregnancies. If you are bringing in new babies to meet Dr. Toledo, they ask you to wait across the elevator bank, just so you do not upset couples who have not yet had successful pregnancies. The only complaint I had about the clinic was their financial/accounting people. They often tried to bill us for things we hadn't had done, and one lady was particularly insensitive when I had to check out after I'd found out we wouldn't be able to go forward with the second planned IUI. The parking is also kind of expensive, so I would recommend carpooling with your significant other for appointments so you don't have to pay two parking fees.

Dr. Toledo is the most kind and caring doctor I've ever had. He has a wonderful bedside manner. Every time we have been back to see him, he remembers us, our kids, and things we like to do. When we did our egg retrieval, we got fewer eggs than we expected, and he let me cry on his shoulder when I found out.

Megan and Lisa were my primary nurses during my IUIs, egg retrieval, and first transfer. They were both wonderful and responded to all of my emails quickly. I did not have as much interaction with Krista because I treated there for a relatively short period of time with my second transfer (Megan and Lisa had both left by then), but she was always kind, called promptly with lab results, and answered emails quickly too.

Dr. Toledo has a wonderful bedside manner. He is friendly and personable and has been doing this a long time. It takes a long time to get into see him, but there's a reason for it. You won't be sad you waited an extra few weeks. Some of his explanations are technical, but for the most part, he explains things in terms non-medical people can understand. He will take as much time as he needs with patients for consultations - I think those are booked in one hour blocks, just so he doesn't have to get to another patient. I think we spent one hour with him in our initial consult (not including exams, bloodwork, and meeting with the nurses before and after). He answers questions patiently and is happy to take follow up calls. Once we had decided to go forward with IVF, I had questions about the drugs and injections I was prescribed, and I was able to get on the phone with him personally within a couple of days to get answers from him.

Be prepared to wait for your initial appointment, but he is worth the wait. And have a list of questions ready to go and be prepared to take notes.

We started with IUI on Femara. (I had been prescribed Clomid and timed intercourse with my OB/GYN but that had not worked, so we moved onto Femara.) Each IUI cycle also included a trigger shot 12 hours before the first insemination, and then 24 hours, there was a second insemination. The first IUI cycle was negative, so they changed the timing of my progesterone. The second attempted IUI did not make it to insemination because I did not get any follicles, so they reversed on the progesterone timing. The second and third IUI were identical in terms of medications, and both resulted in chemical pregnancies. My beta with the second IUI stalled at just below 50, and the beta with the third IUI barely made it above 10. Dr. Toledo did give us the option after the second failed IUI to start IVF, but we elected to try one more. After the third failed IUI, we were told our best option was to proceed with IVF. We had a whole lot of bloodwork done (on both me and my husband) and a meeting with a genetic counselor. Dr. Toledo suspected that we were getting "bad eggs" (resulting in the chemical pregnancies), and he therefore recommended pre-implantation genetic screening to screen for embryos with abnormal numbers of chromosomes. He also suggested ICSI to directly inject the sperm into the egg. We did our first and only retrieval in November 2013, and came away with 9 eggs, 8 fertilized, and 7 made it to day 5, at which point they froze and biopsied all of them for genetic screening. I was on Bravelle and Menopur at the lowest doses recommended (I believe 2 injections of each, each day) because I have PCOS and they were worried about overstimulating. We then stopped the medication since we would be doing a fresh transfer. We ended up with 4 genetically normal embryos, and planned to transfer one of them in January. For the transfer, I was placed on birth control to level off my hormones and then put on estrogen (patches) and progesterone (suppositories) on the first day of the transfer cycle, which I was on till the pregnancy reached 12 weeks. (They will normally wean you off these starting at 8 weeks when the placenta has taken over, but I was traveling around week 10 and was being extra cautious, so they let me stay on it till 12 weeks, when I started seeing my regular OB/GYN). The transfer took place on day 20 of my cycle, and Dr. Toledo did the transfer himself. We got a positive pregnancy test, and that baby is now almost 4.5 years old. Dr. Toledo also did an "uterine scratch test" at the beginning of the cycle, which has shown increased pregnancy rates. We did a second frozen transfer in October 2016 with the same protocol and steps as our first frozen transfer, but Dr. Toledo did do an HSG test to make sure my uterus was still in good shape (no fibroids, cysts, etc.) It was all clear, and one of his colleagues did the second transfer. That baby is now 1.5.

The IUIs cost around $1500 ($500 per insemination, plus ultrasound monitoring and meds). For IVF, we used a financing plan that totaled approximately $22,000, but included 3 fresh cycles and 3 frozen cycles (and the benefit stops after a successful pregnancy). We only ended up needing one of each, so we probably overpaid. We were told when we went back for our second transfer that they had changed the program such that we could have used the funds leftover after our first successful transfer to put toward the second transfer. Medications for the egg retrieval were probably in the neighborhood of $4,000 to $5,000, most of it being out of pocket. My husband changed insurance plans for our second transfer, which had an allowance for fertility coverage, and it cost us approximately $600 or $700 out of pocket (including meds) . I think the frozen transfer without insurance would have been around $3000.

Dr. Toledo was strongly in favor of a single embryo transfer - I was 31 and 34 at the time of both my transfers - and he did not see a reason to consider a multiple embryo transfer at my age. Given our circumstances, we also had a very good chance of one working (and those odds only increased with two), and he reminded us that twins is twice the cost at the same time (two daycare payments, two college tuitions, two of all the baby gear, etc.).

They are really efficient once you are a patient! Since you need to be in the clinic so often, you don’t want to wait 30 mins just to get blood drawn (like my previous clinic). RBA is great with this, always prompt and communicate very well on the process.

The clinic is so well run that you are never left in the waiting room for more than 15 minutes while the “number” of other patients walked in.

There has been turnover in the nursing and support staff. This is one pain point with the clinic. My experience this time around was much better than previously and Dr Shapiro was honest with us letting us know that the nursing staff is fairly new but learning everything quickly.

Dr Shapiro is very knowledgeable in his field. He can over explain certain things but that only makes you feel more confident in the plan going forward. He properly assesses the pros and cons of each situation and let’s you and your partner make a decision.

Be knowledgeable walking in and have somewhat of a plan as to the outcome you want and timeframe. Dr Shapiro is flexible and can tailor treatment plans that work best for you! I am terrible with shots so during the transfers I was able to do a crinone gel instead of progesterone shots everyday!

I was on estradiol, baby aspirin and crinone for both embryo transfers. On the second, my endometrial lining wasn’t where we wanted it to be on day 10 so we increased the estradiol orally and vaginally.

Thankfully IVF is covered under our insurance for this clinic. Egg retrieval + embryo transfer came to about $3,000. The latest embryo transfer was $900!

Dr Shapiro was very upfront with us and would let us decide whether to transfer multiple embryos or not. My first transfer he recommended one as I had unexplained infertility so we wanted to see if that took - and it did! On the second we did the same given the success of the first!

There are honestly no weaknesses with Dr. Best or the Marietta office. Everyone there is spectacular. The main office in Sandy Springs is busy so you feel a bit more like a number, but everyone there was kind and easy to work with. Probably my only big complaint is the cost, but I think that is pretty standard when it comes to IVF. It's not cheap!

Dr. Best is one of the best doctors I've ever worked with. From the first moment we met with her, she was warm, she listened, addressed our issues and explained our options in a very clear and concise manner. She has called me on weekends and I even have her cell number (though I try not to use it!)

Julie was my friend, psychologist, nurse and cheerleader through the process. I had zero understanding of this process and had never even given anyone an injection. She taught me how to inject the meds and how to make it less painful. She gave me samples when I was running out of meds and she was just awesome to work with.

My husband and I opted for assisted reproduction after an unexplained miscarriage and inability to get pregnant again. Dr. Best listened to our story with compassion and took copious notes on our issues. She ordered every test in her "arsenal" to try and help us figure out what was going on. She explained the results of the tests and then explained our options (IVF v IUI, etc). I can honestly say that I enjoyed every appointment with her and actually looked forward to seeing her (something I can't say about most doctor visits). She kept my hopes up and was there for me during the difficult moments as well. She is a model doctor.

To be completely open and honest with Dr. Best about your fears and expectations and concerns. I had concerns about having a trisomy baby due to my age and Dr. Best reviewed with me how we could handle such a situation if it arose. She also had referrals to other doctors I could speak with (MFM's). If money is an issue, let her know and she will try to work out a treatment plan within your budget.

I can't remember the exact protocol used, but the first egg retrieval produced a disappointing three eggs so we banked those and did another retrieval that resulted in 12 more eggs! Using ICSI, we then created 12 embryos which we froze until I was ready for a transfer.

We spent about $40,000 for two egg retrievals, three embryo transfers and this includes medicine.

This was something I agonized over quite a bit. Dr. Best was good at showing me the ASRM standard for number of embryos transferred due to age, but she listened to my concern about multiples and helped me reach an informed decision each time on how many embryos to transfer.

Overall, I enjoyed coming into RBA. The front desk staff was always friendly and willing to help in any way they could. Strengths-Friendly, Good Communication, Great group of Doctors and Nurses Weaknesses-Paying for parking every time, Cost, Uncertainty

Dr. Toledo has the best bed side manners I have encountered with a doctor. He treated my husband and I like a true patient. He did pronounce my name wrong though.

It was hard to get a grip of contacting the nurse team when I had a question at the beginning. Calling them is impossible. I learned soon after emailing my two primary nurses was the best way to get any of my questions answered. They were very quick to answer when I emailed them. They were always on top of it. Krista and Lindsey were my go to nurses during the process. I enjoyed working with them.

Dr. Toledo is the most compassionate doctor we have came across. He was very good at explaining the process and showed he truly cared as he was talking to us about our options. My husband and I had a male factor infertility and he showed us that he cared and felt bad that I had to go through the medication and shots. He really showed his fatherly side when he truly felt bad that the woman had to go through everything regarding our situation. Dr. Toledo explained things thoroughly but it was hard to keep track of the language during the infertility process. He always explained when we asked so we were glad he took the time to talk to us in detail every time.

Don't be afraid to ask your questions. You are paying a lot of money, you have the right to clarify all of the details.

First we went in for our IVF consult. We then had some factors checked out with the in house urologist. We then started the IVF Egg Retrieval Protocol. I took Lupron and Gonal F. I went in every few days for an ultra sound and some blood work. My estrogen level was out of this roof close to 6000. They found a fibroid or a Polyp so I had to do a frozen 5 day transfer as they said my uterine lining wasnt thick enough to hold the baby. I didnt have my egg retrieval until 14 days later. I also had a hysteroscopy done to remove the fibroid...which they discovered was only a polyp. That was good but also frustrating as I felt this could have been done closer to the time they discovered something was not right rather than closer to the transfer time. I had a different doctor conducting my egg retrieval, hysteroscopy and then finally had Dr. Toledo conduct my embryo transfer. I made sure it was Dr. Toledo. This is the frustrating part about an infertility clinic since there are lots of doctors on staff and their schedules and on call schedules are already set while your schedule is so unpredictable as every women is different with the protocol. Prior to the egg retrieval I had to take a baby aspirin, pre-natal vitamin, vaginal progestrone twice a day and estradiol patches every three days. All the medication put me on a very regimented schedule for 4 months! He did say if we were to do this again he would change the protocol and take out lupron and use another drug.

Initially our cost was $10,000 where insurance paid 80% of it. Then, my insurance changed and nothing was covered. We then paid $4300 out of pocket for the Hysteroscopy. We paid $5000 out of pocket for the Frozen Transfer and $270 out of pocket for my HCG, Progestrone, Estradiol levels 10 days after the transfer. We also paid $6000 out of pocket for medication. We started with Aetna PPO then had Kaiser HMO. Kaiser didn't cover anything.

Dr. Toledo mentioned since I am little in stature and for the health of the mom to be and the baby it is safer to just have one embryo transfer. My husband and I agreed.

Again educate yourself on the process, ask a lot of questions,Take notes and be prepared to be the squeaky wheel. They should have someone on staff just to answer phones and answer questions. Calling and getting someone on the phone is an act of God. Most times I would have to call and email and call again and again.

Dr. Brahma is great! She is very sweet and reassuring of the process. The process in general in regards to the office and getting people to call you back and give you all the details you need was less than great. I felt like I had to be on top of all phone calls and calling and or emailing several times in order to get an answer.

I felt that they forget we don’t know the process of what is happening. There are some things you don’t know to ask or to do if you aren’t told or haven’t been through this before. Some vital information was not effectively communicated.

Dr. Brahma is very compassionate and knowledgeable. I feel like some extra communication could have been better for example I did not realized that eggs were graded and actually asked afterwards and then was explained.

Be prepared to be very persistent and knowledgeable on the subject yourself.

I was on the highest dosage of meds for the egg retrieval and wasn’t expected to result in many eggs as my AMH was a .42. My egg retrieval was the highest dosages of Lupron and Follistim. The Lupron gave me migraines. Although the 2nd transfer using it maybe my body adjusted as I didn’t have the headaches like the first two times. I responded very well during the egg retrieval. I produced 15 eggs. 10 mature. 7 eggs fertilized. 5 made it to the 5 day blastocyst stage. After genetically testing those 3 came back normal. My transfer protocol was 10cc Lupron then down to 5. With Estrogen and Progesterone. My first transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy. The embryo started to implant but ultimately did not. All my levels were perfect and everything should have worked but it didn’t. Additionally after the failed transfer I had a scratch biopsy and was put on antibiotics. My 2nd transfer is scheduled in 10 days. In addition to the medication I have been receiving accupuncture treatments.

Approximately $14k for the retrieval process. Then an additional cost of a choice of $4k for one embryo transfer or $6500 for multiple transfers up to a live birth. The second round cost was unexpected and not communicated until it was necessary. I was not able to have My medications ordered until everything was paid upfront.

At first I really wanted to do multiple embryos in the transfer. Due to having a myomectomy in 2014 Dr. Brahma recommended that I only do one at a time due to the potential my uterus may not be able to take getting so enlarged. She also explained that if the uterine environment were to be the cause of a transfer not taking I would most likely lose both embryos in a multiple transfer.

There are no weaknesses at RBA. This clinic is wonderful. The office staff, nurses, and doctors simply are amazing. I feel welcome and cared for each time I step in and out of that office. This office has made our process if unexplained infertility much easier with their love and care!

He gives 100% of his time to his patients. Answers and elaborates on the treatment process. Answers all our questions thoroughly.

The nursing staff is excellent! They return all calls within the same day, spend time goingover results with you in person and on the phone if I call with questions. They show professionalism, love, and compassion every time I step in the office. They want my treatment to be a success just as much as I do and they provide me 100% of their time always.

He is filled with knowledge about his profession. I felt hopeful and at peace each time we left his office. He gives 100% of himself to his patients. He answers any and all questions thoroughly. I wouldn’t trust anyone more with the future of growing our family than I do him. He is a contributing factor to my mother in law’s IVF transfer which resulted in the live birth of my husband! He is a wonderful doctor!

Trust him wholeheartedly over any article or research you read, he knows exactly what he is doing.

I was given instructions to avoid alcohol and hot tubs before and after my IUIs. This prevents a rise in my body temperature potentially putting my inseminations at risk. He put me on an antibiotic to take Agee the IUIs to avoid any potential infection since the uterus is sterile and that barrier was crossed with the IUI process.

Unexplained infertility is not covered under insurance. We have spent an estimated $5,000 in bloodwork, ultrasounds, IUIs, and consults.

He is the professional when it comes to any and all fertility treatments. Having suffered two miscarriages naturally, now under his care I know he knows what is best for my body and the potential risks that come with multiple transfers. I trust him 100% in his approach to eSET.

RBA is huge and it is a pretty well oiled machine. The most annoying part for us has been the billing office which took forever to return my calls or emails. Everyone else has been mostly kind. I had one rude person answer the phone but that’s all.

Dr. Straub is very matter of fact. He doesn’t give any emotional support. He did make a joke at the end of my second appt with him and it was kind of a shock because his personality is so straight forward.

The nurses have been wonderful. They answer all of my questions and put up with my crazy. They tell me of their own personal experiences with IVF. They are quick to respond and always thorough. They made me feel like they cared.

Dr. Straub is direct and to the point. He draws a diagram as he speaks and lays out all of the details for you. He answered all of my questions and was pretty patient with me because I had a lot. He is not emotionally supportive at all. I cried when he told us ivf was our best option and he pointed to the box of tissues on his desk and kept talking.

Go with this doctor if you want an efficient, smart doctor who will cater to your timeline. Get a therapist elsewhere.

We had a lot of tests run on me including amh level, hormone levels, femvue test and maybe more tests. My husband had to do two semen analyses and ultimately they found male factor infertility was the issue. Due to his numbers ivf using ICSI and a frozen transfer were presented as our best option. We are about to start the egg retrieval process.

So far we have paid about 13,000 but expect to pay 26 or so for IVF with ICSI.

He recommended transferring only one embryo for us as it is lower risk.

It’s a big clinic. Things run smoothly and I’ve never had issues with billing or scheduling but I know some people are turned off by that big box feel. It doesn’t bother me. The admin assistant at the front is amazing. So kind and warm. The lab and ultrasound techs are also kind and compassionate. I always leave feeling happy.

Dr. Toledo is warm and caring. He always comments on things in my life we’ve talked about in the past, I’m sure he doesn’t remember, he probably makes notes and then reviews his notes before our appointments BUT he takes the time to do that. He’s caring and compassionate. When my beta came back negative he called me himself and talked to me while I cried. He’s simply the best.

Dr. Toledo’s main nurse, Krista, is amazing. She never seemed bothered by my calls or questions and she was kind and compassionate. He had another nurse or assistant, I don’t remember her name, who is also ok, but not quite as warm as Krista. But she wasn’t mean and she got the job done, just not with that warm fuzzy feeling. His NP is also great!

Like I said before, he’s warm and compassionate. He is friendly and funny. He takes the times to answer questions and doesn’t make me feel rushed. When the first plan didn’t work he made a new one. He’s open to things I suggest or ask about.

Write down your questions ahead of time. Write down his answers. Know that once treatment starts you won’t see him frequently but he does look at what’s happening and have his nurse call with the recommendations and changes.

We did a cycle with follistim and ganirelix. I don’t remember dosages but do know that my dose never changed from the starting dose bc I responded well. They retrieved 19 eggs but only 8 were mature. Six fertilized with ICSI and one of the immature eggs did fertilize in the dish overnight. On day 3 the embryos looked good and they pushed me back to a day 5 transfer. On day 5 all the embryos had stalled in the day 4 stage so we transferred 2. Unfortunately, we didn’t get pregnant and the remaining 5 embryos died in the lab the day after transfer.

We had some insurance coverage so paid a deposit of about $3000 and about $2500 for meds. We also did two IUIs. We submitted one to insurance and maybe paid a couple hundred dollars out of pocket for that but I can’t remember exactly. The second one we paid for ourselves and it was probably about $2-3000

RBA is a great clinic overall. They are easy to get ahold of and worked with us in scheduling a time to meet with the first available doctor and his team. I've had some issues with the billing office and my insurance company covering some items that should be covered; however, I hope this can be worked out.

Dr. Daniel Shapiro was great at addressing my and my husband's concerns and explaining the details involved for the surgery I had in 2017 to remove my left fallopian tube and clean the adhesions & scar tissue from endometriosis. He also has a great sense of humor, which helped alleviate my anxiety.

For the initial visit, my husband and I met with a nurse practitioner, who was very helpful in answering our questions and who showed compassion. After my surgery, I saw another nurse for the post-op visit, who was good, but not as great as the first nurse was.

Dr. Shapiro was very detailed in his explanations and, in particular, explained the next steps needed. He also helped me feel calmer before undergoing surgery. He is a forthright and direct communicator, which I appreciated.

Feel comfortable asking questions, even if you think they are minor or irrelevant.

Dr. Shapiro removed my left fallopian tube, which was blocked, and cleaned the adhesions and scar tissue present as a result of stage 3 endometriosis. I did not know I had endometriosis, but I did find that I had a blocked fallopian tube after having done the HSG test. The surgery was necessary to remove the blocked fallopian tube and to diagnose if I had endometriosis.

The surgery I had was around $3-4k, though most was covered by the insurance company. It was less expensive because the clinic has an out-patient facility. The office consultations were $100-$300/visit. The bloodwork was about $300-$900 for my husband and me. Most of these costs were covered by my insurance company, though we did pay money for co-payments and co-insurance. Right now, I have been billed by Lab Corps to cover the lab work done with our initial visit, which should've been covered by the insurance company. I have been in touch with the billing office; however, it has not yet been resolved. RBA needs to resubmit the claim with the diagnosis code that will be covered by the insurance company. The billing office person said they've had several of these returned claims and are working on handling them. However, this has been the most frustrating part of the process so far.

Strengths: great success rates, many offices so it’s convenient, very knowledgeable drs and nurses Weakness sometimes it can take a little while to get an appt bc they are busy. The sperm freezes have to be done at one location in Atlanta and the latest you can do it is 9 am so that is inconvenient if you live for away like we do. (1.5 hours)

Dr. Best has been through IVF herself and took the time to share with me how she understands going through infertility. She made me feel comfortable through the whole process. She’s actually the only doctor that found the issue with my husband and I because she took her time and didnt rush through the testing!

All nurses are very caring and helpful! They always email me back if I have questions within a few hours!

I’ve never felt more comfortable with a dr. She told me at my first visit with her to put all the stress on her and for me to relax and I’ve honestly done that for once. I trust Dr. Best because she knows what it’s like to have infertility problems and I know she’s going to help us start a family! She’s very patient and answers all questions and I always leave understanding what our next step is.

Make sure you have your past history all printed out, it helps to have it there to look at when you’re going over what’s next.

I did two IUI prior to Dr. Best so when we went to her I wanted to try timed intercourse to see if my eggs would even respond and they finally did. We did clomid 100 and a trigger shot and both cycles I had 4 and 6 follicles!! We didn’t get pregnant unfortunately because we later found out my husband has a morphology issue so we are seeing the male specialist now and hoping to improve sperm quality and then go back to iui or ivf!

Consult is $250, hsg was around $700 I think, sperm freeze was $650, ultrasounds around $200, husbands ultrasound was $510, IUI is around $1700, IVF starts at $14,500

I haven’t gotten this far yet.

I liked the initial presentation that I was able to attend on a Saturday morning. It was a good presentation to introduce prospective patients to the clinic, procedures, and some of their doctors and staff. I never had a problem contacting the main office via phone or email. I also never waited more than 10-15 minutes for them to call me back for an appointment.

I have some medical issues, and Dr. Straub took those into account and required each of my physicians to "sign off" on me getting pregnant. He wanted to be very sure everyone on my "team" was on the same page. When I saw him post-treatment (that did not work), I felt like he was completely "on my side". I had anticipated trying this one time, but he was very encouraging as everything went as planned except that the embryo did not result in a pregnancy. We are in the process of deciding to move ahead with another try.

Amy was great. The best way to contact her was through the email portal. She usually replied within a maximum of a couple of hours. She answered all my questions and concerns as well as helped me make sure all my records came in from my other physicians.

The first time I met with Dr. Straub, he was compassionate yet blunt. Blunt due to the issues my age may play a role in success of any fertility procedures. I understood that. The last time I met with him was after the failure of my procedure. He was extremely encouraging, as my body did everything it was supposed to do to prepare with the help of the fertility drugs and we had a great looking embryo. It was the "flip of a coin", as he put it, whether the pregnancy would happen. Because everything set up so perfectly, he is completely on my side in taking 1 more chance.

He's a good guy. You can't go wrong choosing him to be your physician.

I started with Lupron injections. Then, patches and internal suppositories were added. These were simply to control my cycle and prepare my uterus. I was lucky as I had no apparent side-effects of any of the medications. The results were excellent as my uterus did everything it was supposed to do in the expected time frames.

My costs for embryo transfer were ~$6000 + medications. Insurance covered the cost of the initial consultation and the FemView (maybe?).

We never discussed multiple embryo transfer. I'm not sure that is even a consideration due to my age.

The clinic in my opinion is well maintained and the systems they have in place have worked well for me. They do have a great after hours answering center which gives us patients a peace of mind. Any time I had to call them during the weekend or after hours they made sure a nurse returned my call within 10-15 minutes. Multiple times I had to come in during the weekend for appointments and those were scheduled and handled very well which saved me lots of worries. The only weakness I would mention is that any time I called the office during working hours I always had to leave a voice message and wait for a call back. When I just became a patient at the clinic I was very unhappy with that. I felt that it was very important for someone to actually answer the phone when patients call. Later my attitude about that had changed, and because they never failed to called me back. Another part where I was a little stressed is when the business center (again in my opinion) were not very clear on the treatment payment/cost. I had to speak with multiple finance people until I was given a clear explanation.

Dr. Shapiro is one of the most personable. Any time my husband and I came to see him or just came to the clinic for other visits, he would always make sure he remembered us by our names, remembered our story and gave us the warmest greeting and spent a lot of time with us at our each visit with him.

The nursing staff is excellent! Very informative, caring and ready to help. They all seem very well trained and great professionals. They are very prompt returning phone calls which in this process could be extreme;y sensitive matter. I do not recall them ever not returning my call, falling short on answering my questions and were extremely patient and pleasant throughout the process. In the past month or so most of his staff members have become more like friends that I get to see on almost daily basis. It is amazing as I walk down the hall everyone knows my name and my treatment and it makes it easy to attend knowing how pleasant they all are and ready to help. The nurses are also making sure to let you know how excited they are for you and wish you the best outcome! Its another much needed support team :)

Dr. Shapiro is one of the most personable, attentive, kind and energetic doctors I have ever been treated by. Any time my husband and I came to see him or just came to the clinic for other visits, he would always make sure he remembered us by our names and gave us the warmest greeting. He is extremely attentive and will spend all the time we need at each appointment we had with him. We have never felt rushed and always felt very comfortable asking any questions we might've had for him while he was always very graceful answering all of them. He is one giving soul who takes mission trips often, dedicated his time to much research and is an amazing world of knowledge, and I wish all medical professionals had the same attitude about their patients, as it means so much to us, especially in case with fertility treatment us patients get very vulnerable and experiencing so many new emotions. If I ever had a question for him I would always get a call from him very soon. Any time I was at the clinic and bumped into him he would always make sure he acknowledges me and always gives a moment for some encouraging words. So having such qualities as kindness, attentiveness, being highly knowledgeable in the sphere, having fine bed-side manners, and a great sense of humor, make an outstanding medical professional in my book! Hands down Dr. Shapiro is on top of the list for me!

Trust him he is one great fertility specialist!

Given that my husband and I are both healthy and have no reason to not be able to conceive on our own, Dr. Shapiro first recommended to go with IUI, and try it a few times before we consider IVF. He seemed very rational and considered of our situation and always tried to be very frank and honest with us. Never have we ever felt that he is not invested in our journey. It always seemed that he is also concerned with our financials as well, since he mentioned that IVF is a very costly treatment and lets stay away from it as we can. After two unsuccessful IUI treatments my husband and I have decided to go with IVF. Dr. Shapiro was very supportive of that. Every time along the way whether it was IUI or IVF he was extremely informative, has had multiple consultations with us to make sure every detail is covered. At the current moment we are kind of half way in IVF treatment, and only yesterday I had the eggs extracted for fertilization. Once again the preparation period, including ultrasounds, blood work, genetic consultation, nurse consultations and more, was great and made us feel that we do have a fantastic team of professionals that are guiding us and "thinking for us' to some degree which was a very comforting feeling since it al was very foreign to us. So the path to the surgery was not as draining as I was expecting and have heard it would be from outside parties, online research, etc. and again the reason being that I was very well informed and guided and felt a lot of support from my doctor whom I trust and his team. He had assured me that I would have great response to the medications / shots I was using leading to the egg retrieval and that was the case. He was pretty excited on the day of the procedure to inform me with the outcome. Aside the psychological burden we experience as patients, the process was very well orchestrated and organized which relieved me of so much stress. Dr. Shapiro has so far exceeded my expectations and I would recommend him in a heart beat!

I was given a range of 25-30,000 for the IVF treatment.

Dr. Shapiro had mentioned to us that many patients do in fact transfer multiple embryos for many different reasons. We did not feel that he was steering us to one or the other direction and what he did is inform us of all the potential results / consequences of a multiple embryo vs. single embryo transfer. After he had heard our story and realized our situation he was very much focused on our personal situation and our needs.

Strengths: Truly want to see you succeed. They are very friendly! They will talk about their lives and open up if you chose to open up about your life. They know you by name and face. They are always respectful, kind, and compassionate. They communicate in a timely fashion and never hesitate to answer questions or concerns. The billing department is on the ball with what you need to know, prices, and billing questions. Weaknesses: there was a time when the group was changing ownership. During this period, things were a little rocky. However, when we stated our concerns, things were dealt with immediately.

The moment I walked in, there was always a smiling face to welcome me. The staff know my name, know about our last conversations we had, gave hugs when news wasn't always the best, hugs when news was good, always positive, and always concerned with feelings and emotions.

I could not ask for a better nursing staff. They are always responding to all our questions by the end of the day, even if more than one email was sent. If it was easier to call and discuss, they would. In the office, they would spend as much time as needed with us to go over protocols and questions. They too, are always compassionate! I know I'm not just a number to them, but a human being when I meet with them. They truly want to get to know you and they don't mind you getting to know them. It feels like my favorite place when I am with them.

From the moment my husband and I met with Dr. Shapiro, there was an instant connection. He treated us like real people. Real people going through a not so great time in our lives. We never felt rushed to leave the office when talking with him. He always made sure that we knew the course of action being taken and why. If there was something I or my husband didn't understand, he would explain it again in a different way. If something didn't work to his liking, he'd tweak the protocol. If he was stumped as to why we couldn't get pregnant, he would schedule an appointment with us, bring food, and make sure we went through everything with a fine toothed comb. He'd even text or call to check on us during retrievals, after transfers, or while waiting to things to happen. My experience with Dr. Shapiro has been one of the best when dealing with a doctor.

Trust him. He knows what he's doing!

For the retrievals, I was put on Gonal F, low dose HCG, and Lupron. Each was tweaked after each round to try and get the best possible number of eggs. For the transfers, Estrace, Crinone, and estrogen patches were used each time. After each failed transfer, the protocol was also tweaked. Part of this was due to my having a thin lining. With the tweaking, my uterine lining continued to thicken each time.

Our insurance did not provide payment for services. The cycles cost around $14,000 and embryo freezing/genetic testing cost around $2000 for a package, unlimited for 6 mo. I believe. This has also changed a bit since new ownership.

None. Completely trusted him.

The clinic is pretty on time with your appointment. The weakness is that it is hard to call them and have someone pick up the phone. Usually I will have to leave my number on the answering machine, but they usually get back to you a couple hour later, in the afternoon. Another thing is that they don't have a patient portal for the lab work, so it is hard to find out unless you give them a call.

There is no follow up with the Dr. Mostly it is up to you to call and request a treatment

I usually see a PA when I come in for my monitored time intercourse. I like her, she is easy to talk to and answer all my questions.

I've Dr. twice. The first time was the initial consultation, he described his treatment plans to us in an effective way. The second time I met with the Dr., I express my incline to move forward to IVF after 3 failed letrozole cycles, he did went over the procedure and the types of medications that I will be on. After the appointment, he told me to contact the clinic when my period starts or when I want to start IVF cycle.

He is receptive to your opinion about the treatment plan, so do your own research and tell him how to proceed with the plan

He prescribed me to 3 cycle of monitored timed intercourse with letrozole. I did that but didn't get pregnant. Next option is to do IUI if I choose to, but I decide to go straight to IVF due to the fact with he won't change my medication to injectable due to high risk of multiple. So right now, I'm waiting for my period to start to do IVF, the treatment for IVF is: minimal dose of FSH, and ganirelex for about 10-12 days with monitor. I will be trigger with either HGC or Lupron, more likely Lupron since it has a lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. If it is Lupron trigger, then we will do a FET.

Every is out-of-pocket for me. It is around $600 for a cycle with monitor. This consists of the first Ultrasound in the beginning of your cycle, blood work. Then you have another mid cycle ultrasound to determine if you are near ovulation.

He will do a simple embryo transfer because the clinic has a high success with it.

They were prompt with appointments, there was very little waiting. They had well appointed facilities. They had great communication, putting anything pertinent in writing. I liked that they offered patient education events and had a blog for patient education.

He seemed to be genuinely interested in our circumstances. He listened and ensured he addressed everything we mentioned. He tailored his plan to our level of urgency in conceiving with consideration for our concerns for complications.

My one complaint is that the care coordinator never answered her phone. You always had to leave a message. There was one instance of a time sensitive test having to be scheduled the same day because I didn't get a call back the previous day. That was a bit stressful but ultimately because of my flexibility I didn't need to wait another cycle for the test.

He seemed like a well vetted doctor who was current on his knowledge. He was a good listener, efficient, and concerned with the the things we mentioned as concerns. It seems like he's really honed his craft. He and his wife used the clinic themselves which helped make him relatable.

Don't wait. Modern medicine is a beautiful thing. Dr. Toledo can help you conceive.

He suggested some initial investigative work including an HSG, SIS, a semen analysis for my husband, and extensive blood work for both of us including some genetic testing. He recommended 3 rounds of IUI with femara with progesterone supplementation after ovulation. A baby aspirin per day through the first trimester. Continued metformin and thyroid hormone supplementation. Trigger shot if needed to stimulate egg release. If all that failed he would move to IVF.

Not cheap and not covered by insurance mostly.

N/A

The whole staff is amazing. From the beginning, you're filling out paperwork through their website. That helps by the time you see the doctor on saving time. You meet one on one with the doctor and go over EVERYTHING. You leave having a game plan on what you're about to do. The staff is very caring and positive. You leave having hope on what's about to happen.

The staff is always so helpful and takes their time with you. I didn't feel rushed at all.At every appointment they give me their time and answer all my questions.I never feel rushed! I feel like they really care.

I love these girls. Always answering all my questions. They always got back to me in a timely manner. They always made sure I understood all I had to do. They gave me an outline of EXACTLY what I had to do step by step. I NEVER had to stay on top of them, or ask what was next. I always knew.

Dr.Best has been a God sent! This is not easy to go through at all! This is such an emotional journey for my husband and I. She has a heart of gold and is always there to answer any questions we have. I feel like she's my cheerleader that's right by my side.

Make sure your paperwork is completed. Make sure your knowledgeable in what your insurance covers for fertility. Go in to the office with written questions. Have an idea of what you're willing to spend. Discuss all questions and be open and honest with your doctor.

I went for ultrasounds and labs. I took Letrozole. I injected hormones for a few days. Once my follicles were of normal size I had the IUI done.

I pay out of pocket. Insurance does NOT cover this. That's ok. We feel that Dr.Best wouldn't have us try anything that wouldn't work. I don't feel like they want my money. I feel like they want to help bless us with our miracle.

Strengths: Clean State of the Art Technology and Equipment Kind nurses, technicians, and doctors Weaknesses: Takes a long time to get scheduled Front office staff at Kennestone location is a little unprofessional. Twice when were there for appointments, my husband and I both heard the receptionist talk about another patient with a nurse and complain that she was needy and annoying. It was really embarrassing to think that they might do that to us when we leave after an appointment. I never heard that at the Piedmont location though.

Dr. Best has also had to undergo IVF to have a child, so she shares her own story with her patients and makes them know that she understands their same fears and worries.

My nurse, Julie Morin, always communicated back to my husband and me within the business day, either by phone or email encrypted system. She always listened to our concerns, and even went to bat for us at the hospital when they were refusing to complete a test on me, because I was experiencing spotting. She explained that it was fine, and they needed to do the testing. If we hadn't had the test done, we would have had to wait one more cycle to have testing done. We appreciated her being an advocate for us.

Dr. Best makes sure she takes time with each patient. She even has a sketch pad that she illustrates exactly what the fertility issues are. It was nice for my husband and I to see from her perspective why we were experiencing infertility and would need IVF.

I would have to say that it is difficult to get an initial appointment. We had to wait 3 months for the schedule to open up; however, we are so glad we were patient and waited. She was exactly what we needed in a doctor for our infertility journey.

Dr. Best first listened to everything we had already tried with other doctors. She explained that she wanted to complete some diagnostics of her own to see what was going on. She asked that we both get physicals, and she performed an HSG and an SHG on me. She was able to see that not only do I have uterine fibroids, but I also have hydrosalpinx on my fallopian tubes. She then explained that the fallopian tubes should be removed. We shared our concern to ever conceive on our own, and she listened to us. She shared her medical opinion, and ultimately let us decide our course of treatment. For now, we are going to have the right tube removed and attempt to conceive on our left side with some more fertility drugs, while we attempt to save up for IVF. She was very real about percentages and results experienced in the office with this treatment plan.

I was not covered for any treatment under my insurance. I paid: $250 at inital appointment $98 for second appointment $196 for SHG $1,000 for HSG $121 for consultation meeting Quoted: $14,500 for 1 cycle of IVF and $5,000 for medications.

Dr. Best explained that she would allow us to decide to transfer one or two embryos based on what we were comfortable with. She said she would not transfer more than two at a time, since there are risks with multiples.

The staff is very friendly - much more so than any other place we visited. The receptionist staff is always smiling. The clinic is large but I never felt like a number. I felt like they respected my time and didn't make we wait at appointments. But when I needed to talk to someone they would take the time and never rush me. I had to call the billing department once or twice because there had been an error, which was annoying, but they took care of it as soon as I called.

Dr. Toledo is incredibly compassionate. He always makes time to speak with you, even if you don't have an appointment with him or are only in the office for monitoring. If he isn't available in person, he will call you. He remembers all the details about not just your medical treatment but also your personal life. I have no idea how he does it - he must have tons of patients but he treats you like you are the most important patient. I have an incredibly unusual and rare issue and my treatment has not gone as planned. But Dr. Toledo has been very honest an empathetic throughout the entire process.

Dr. Toledo has two nurses. Both are organized and respond extremely quickly to your questions. Usually I receive a response within 10 minutes if I email and about an hour if I have to leave a voicemail. One of his nurses isn't as positive or energetic as I would like but that did not impair my experience (and since Dr. Toledo himself is so optimistic and positive this particular nurse seems to be a real contrast in personality). But my primary nurse, Krista, is phenomenal - very organized and incredibly empathetic. Also Dr. Toledo's assistant, Mellisa, is very friendly and recognizes the emotional toll that this process takes. I also found the ultrasound techs to be very nice and compassionate, especially when I was having a down day during treatment.

Dr. Toledo has an incredible bedside manner. He really understands what his patients are experiencing emotionally and knows how difficult infertility can be. He made me feel like I was a partner in deciding what treatment options we would pursue. Because my condition turned out to be so unusual (unexplained thin uterine lining that does not respond to hormones/drug therapy and makes carrying a baby highly unlikely) I did a lot of research on my own. I would bring different possible treatments options to Dr. Toledo and we would discuss each one. He made it clear that he was willing to try anything so long as it wasn't dangerous. I also made it clear very early on that it was very important to me that he didn't "sugarcoat" my diagnosis. Dr. Toledo respected my request and always discussed matters with me as an equal - not as a superior. On top of all that, he is a very optimistic person and makes it very clear that he will not give up on you.

Keep a list of questions as they arise and bring them to your meetings with Dr. Toledo. He will answer all of them. Do your research ahead of meeting with him so you can work with him to develop a plan/protocol that is right for you - he is great at creating customized protocols based on your specific needs as a patient. And be your advocate. At one point early on in my treatment I felt like a protocol wasn't right for me and one of the nurses was discounting my concerns. When I spoke with Dr. Toledo he listened to me, understood that I knew my body better, and worked with me to deviate the treatment so it was better suited to my body.

I had an antagonist protocol for my IVF cycle. I was on Gonal-F, Menopur, and Ganirelix. The doses were very light and this was done because I have PCOS. Dr. Toledo listened to my concerns about the possibility of developing OHSS and monitored me closely to ensure this didn't occur. But I was also concerned about using a Lupron trigger (and not an HCG one) - I had read that eggs may not mature as much with a Lupron trigger. But a Lupron trigger is often used with PCOS patients to lessen the risk of OHSS. Dr. Toledo monitored me carefully and after 10 days of stimming allowed me to trigger with HCG. For my retrieval we had 24 eggs (15 were mature), 14 fertilized, 5 made it to day 5 blasts, and 3 tested normal in PGS. I did not have any complications during or after egg retrieval. Unfortunately I have been unable to transfer any embryos (yet) due to my thing lining. But Dr. Toledo has worked with me to try at least 4 different frozen embryo transfer (FET) protocols to try to develop my lining. None have worked so far but he continues to work with me and present new strategies.

IVF cycle (freeze all with genetic testing) - approx. $14,000 FET unlimited transfers until live birth - $6500 My medications were about $4000 for IVF and FET but those were not through the clinic (purchased through specialty pharmacies). I also had a hysteroscopy performed by Dr. Toledo. It was approximately $2000 (not covered by insurance).

I have not made it to transfer yet. However, Dr. Toledo has strongly encouraged that if/when I do I transfer just one embryo, particularly because mine are PGS tested. I get the impression that I could push for two and he would consider it but he has not said that (and I only want to transfer one).

very organized, great staff

Dr Brahma has amazing bedside manner. Her entire team treats me like I'm their only patient. I can easily email them any questions I have and they respond within the day. Brahma greets me with a hug every time we have an appointment together. Her personality and demeanor are the reasons I have not sought out another RE.

Dr Brahma is a wonderful doctor, she explains processes in great detail and will listen to all my concerns and answer all my questions. Never have I felt rushed when meeting with her. She takes all the time that I need to make sure I'm comfortable with the information she's provided. An opportunity I feel Dr Brahma could add to her amazing practice would be to consider more protocols. Especially for DOR patients that don't respond to aggressive stims. There has been a lot of new research and she is aware of it but she sticks to standard protocols. I totally get that when its the first round, but after they fail, why not try something new? The other opportunity I see for Dr Brahma would be to consider more alternative therapies. She does agree with acupuncture but not Chinese herbs. She does not agree with using any supplements that may have desiccated organs. She doesn't suggest any dietary changes.

Do your research about whatever you're diagnosed with. As great of a doctor Dr Brahma is, you still have to advocate for yourself. Ask all the questions you need to feel comfortable. She will answer them and tell you if she agrees with them or if they aren't procedures she would suggest immediately. She is a great listener and provides sound medical advice.

Clomid - I ovulated too early then had cysts for months and months after Lupron, Follistim, Menopur - Only had two follicles, canceled IVF Estrogen, Ganirelix, Follistim, Menopur - Only had two follicles, demanded to proceed and both were retrieved and fertilized. - did not achieve pregnancy HSG - Showed Polyp, had hysteroscopy that removed polyp and endometritis Femara, Follistim, HCG - IUI failed Femara, Follistim - breakthrough bleeding, cycle cancelled Moved on to Donor Egg - Transfer 4/11/17 (next week!)

25k for an IVF, 18k for Donor Egg. Once I got insurance they filed everything thru them and I did not see the prices

RBA is a big clinic. Their staff is generally very friendly! I have had many, many positive interactions.

Dr. Toledo is wonderful. When you are in his office you are his only patient (though he probably has hundreds at any given time). He explains things throughly. The answers questions so that you can understand them. He's patient and compassionate and very easy to talk to.

Krista is amazing she is so through and responsive. She gets everything done as quickly as possible and is always will to help out and answer questions!

I can't say enough nice things about Dr. Toledo. I feel so well cared for and my husband also lijrs and trusts him which is really important in the field. I feel like he genuinely wants us to succeed with every cycle. And he's never pushed me to do something that I wasn't ready to do. We started out very conservatively with my first few cycles and only moved to IVF after all other methods proved unsuccessful.

Plan ahead! He can be hard to get in to see. Usually he has a pretty long wait to get an appointment, so plan to schedule your appointment a few months before you actually want to be seen. Make notes or talking points ahead of time and try to think of questions ahead of time to get the most out of your time with him!

First few cycles were tuned intercourse with femara. Then we moved on to follistim and femara for 1 cycle with timed intercourse. The next month we planned femara + follistim again but we were going to do and IUI. I ended up over responding to the meds that cycle so I was converted to IVF and had a fresh transfer. After a negative pregnancy test that month, we are planning a real IVF cycle next month.

Their strength is that they are available to their patients, no matter the time. I normally got sad because I knew after I graduated, I wouldn’t receive the same quality of care as RBA. A weakness would be their sudden turnover, and what I feel is a lack of knowledge from the newest employees. I know that the veteran employees have been there long enough to have processes down to a science, but I feel there is a need for a more thorough on board process.

Dr. Best’s bedside manner is INCREDIBLE. At times, infertility is a subject that can be difficult to understand. Dr. Best explained it in the simplilest terms, always made me aware of the next course of treatment/testing, and has done it with a posititivity & patience that I’ve never experienced with any other DOCTOR that I’ve patronized (regardless of practice).

Dr. Best’s medical team are awesome! Amanda and Julie were extremely knowledgeable, and always assured me that everything was ok when I felt like I was missing an appointment or a dosage or treatment.

Dr. Best had to remove my Fallopian tubes. It was one of the most difficult periods in my life. She was very kind and compassionate about the situation. I had to trust that she knew best. Fast forward to one beautiful toddler and current pregnancy with TWINS! I guess she knew what she was doing! We are forever grateful for her. Not only would we recommend her to others, WE HAVE. We are donating our remaining embryos, and Dr Best will be the doctor.

Enjoy the journey, and learn more than your friends know about reproductive health.

For retrieval, Gonal-F, Ganirelix and luepron (for trigger). For both transfers estradiol patches, progesterone oil and low-dose aspirin.

It was great! 50% discount for vets

The clinics biggest weakness is their billing system. You rarely know how much something will cost before and seems there is always a hidden fee.

Dr. Shapiro remembers personal information about my life and works with my religious and schedule limits.

Dr. Shapiro truly cares. It feels like my disappointments are his disappointments. He wants us to succeed. Even if my dream is not what he would dream for his life he wants to be able to help me get my dream. He is honest and straightforward.

Say hello to everyone in the office. When you are nice and friendly, the staff gets to know you. Then you feel like everyone is rooting for you.

I have a very high AMH with out PCOS. We used 225 Gonal F to stimulate and get as many eggs as possible. The first 2 days I had a somewhat slow response. But then my estrogen started rising very quickly. We decreased the Gonal F to 175 and then down to 50. We had to trigger at day 10 because I already had many big follicles. We used Ganarelix to stop ovulation. I started it on day 4. We did not use Menopur because Dr. Shapiro believes it will decrease the number of eggs without increasing egg quality. We triggered with Lupron 80mg so I would not hyperstimulate. We got 36 eggs, 30 mature, 17 fertilized, 8 made it to day 5. 3 were PGS normal. We did 2 natural FET because I have a perfect uterus with perfect cycles. Both ended in a negative. We did one medicated FET with an endometrial scratch because it couldn't hurt and maybe it would help. And oral estrogen, vaginal cream progesterone, Lupron to stop from ovulating, medrol because it can't hurt and maybe it can help.

Everything costs extra! Except genetic counseling is free.

Because the lab has to stick a needle into the zona palusa to get the sample for PGS, it increases the risk of the egg splitting so Dr. Shapiro encourages eSET. He also stresses the risks of multiple pregnancies.

Kim in Cumming is excellent. She's totally on top of it if there's an opportunity to see Dr. Straub more quickly. The team does everything they can to not code your chart as infertility so you can use as much insurance as you can, but just double check because Dr. Straub said this then coded an appointment as IVF instead of PCOS or endometriosis which meant it wasn't covered by my insurance. Best to always double check.

When I see Dr. Straub I have his undivided attention. He has my chart and is not distracted.

RBA's nurses are great. While they move quickly, they are very nice and will answer any questions. I feel very comfortable with the nurses.

After 18 months with my OB including PCOS, 5 negative cycles with Femara, and a laparoscopy to remove severe endometriosis, I finally saw Dr. Straub. He was no nonsense which I appreciated. He outlined why IUIs would not work for us and we're on the same page to move forward with IVF. I thought it was great that he recognized we should pursue frozen transfers. I've felt comfortable asking direct questions and getting a clear answer. While I did a ton of research prior to seeing Dr. Straub, my husband did not and he felt Dr. Straub did a good job of explaining our issues, potential courses of treatment, why he recommends IVF, and how it would work. Dr. Straub is visual and lays it all out on paper for you. When he feels like the conversation gets de-railed, he brought it back. I'm a structure person and he seems to be as well so that works out.

Know your health history. Ask direct questions. While the process can be very emotional, go in to appointments with the goal of answers and plans.

Dr. Straub was very clear to recommend a single embryo transfer for my age and first IVF cycle.

This clinic is very busy and travel to and from can be tedious if you do t live nearby. However, the entire staff is beyond friendly and the office is nicely appointed with complimentary classes and seminars available to prospective, new and existing patients.

She was caring and kind. She always remembered me even though I'm sure she had many, many patients. She never made me feel like I was just one person out of hundreds.

The nursing staff was excellent and easy to communicate with via phone or email. The always took time answer my questions and were kind and supportive.

I never expected to find a doctor so openly compassionate and caring, but Dr. Brahma was all of that and more. She was easy to contact and easy to talk to. She spoke of my infertility in ways that made it easy to understand and sought out treatment for me and my partner that would get us as close to a successful outcome as she could. We always felt welcomed with her.

She is a sought after and busy doctor, so it may take awhile to get in to see her initially, but she is definitely worth the wait.

We initially had my partners semen tested and found that due to male factor infertility, we would need to move on to working on him first. We then saw a doctor for him, he underwent a biopsy and medication to improve his sperm count and motility. We then tried clomid to induce ovulation in me for an IUI cycle, but I didn't respond. We then tried clomid and injectible medication but the she was unhappy with the time it was taking for my egg follicles to mature and was worried that even with my partners improved sperm, the chance of success with IUI would be low. She then suggested IVF. We began planning for that, but found out during planning that I had been diagnosed with a rare visual impairment. With this diagnosis, we decided to pursue using an egg donor. We spoke with 2 counselors and chose our donor and then had the eggs fertilized with my partners sperm. The eggs that survived to day 5 of maturity were then frozen. We then began our frozen embryo transfer cycles. The first cycle I was put on antibiotics, estrogen, baby aspirin, and progesterone in oil injections. The transfer was a success and I found out I was pregnant 10 days later. Unfortunately, I then miscarried at 5.5 weeks. After the miscarriage, a SHG was performed to make sure my uterus was clear and we moved on to the next transfer cycle. This cycle I was on estrogen, baby aspirin, folgard, prescription folic acid, progesterone in oil injections and lovenox to rule out any possible blood clotting issue. That transfer was a failure. The third transfer she decided on a more aggressive approach and I was on 20 days of antibiotics then estrogen, baby aspirin, folgard, prescription folic acid, progesterone in oil injections, crinone and lovenox. This transfer was successful and I was released from Dr. Brahms's care at 9 weeks pregnant.

We had decent insurance coverage so most of our office visits and routine procedures were mostly covered. The largest expense was the transfer cycles that were out of pocket and all together cost about $22,000.

Dr. Brahma had a strong opinion on eSET. She felt that the risk to the unborn child and mother were too great to risk a pregnancy with multiples and that transferring more than one embryo did not give us any statistical advantage in becoming pregnant. To her, the risk was not worth the reward and I agreed.