Shady Grove Fertility Colorado

Dr. Murray was clear and compassionate. She explored avenues other doctors had dismissed (sperm fragmentation and testing products of conception after miscarriage to determine if I was miscarrying genetically normal embryos, in which case IVF would not be a solution), as well as revisiting some that hadn't been tested in awhile (RPL). She was frank about treatments she did not think would have value and explained her reasoning clearly, but she also showed a great deal of compassion and empathy for the losses we had been through. We developed a plan that felt a little scary, but she made sure I had what I needed and was considerate of my feelings throughout. She did not suggest jumping back into more expensive treatment (IVF, donor eggs) until she felt we had a better understanding of what might be going on. I really appreciated her willingness to try to better understand the situation before advising further treatment.

I loved Dr. Murray's manner--she answered our questions and made clear what her reasoning was. Bring your questions, she will answer them. She is a direct communicator, which I prefer, but she is not at all gruff and speaks with care and compassion. If you need someone to be more of a sugar-coater or a cheerleader and tell you things will be okay when they may not be, then you may want a different provider.

We first decided to repeat my RPL panel, test my TSH (I'm on levothyroxine for hypothyroidism), and do a sperm fragmentation test on my husband to rule out possible causes of miscarriage. We then decided we would try to conceive on our own and test the products of conception when I miscarried. I was given a miscarriage kit for this purpose and explained how to use it and what we might expect (results are not guaranteed). Prior to this cycle, I had miscarried our one genetically tested embryo after egg retrieval and FET at another clinic. Because we had been able to conceive on our own and because of this miscarriage, we decided on this test to know if I was miscarrying genetically normal embryos before proceeding to further treatment, as IVF/donor eggs would not be successful if so. However, I actually have stayed pregnant and graduated from the fertility clinic last week, and I have my first appointment with my OB today at 9 weeks 4 days. My previous miscarriages occurred at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 9 weeks, so I am cautiously optimistic that this baby will stay.

The experience was great. Everything went exactly as Dr. Polotsky had described and predicted. He was very open about the process and what to expect next. He went over results with us, called with updates, and he answered all of our questions. Plus, he was so laidback during the procedures that it made them a lot less anxiety ridden.

Definitely do it and listen to his advice.

After the initial testing, he went over the results with us. My husband had low sperm count and motility. Dr. Polotsky recommended doing IVF vs. IUI. We did an egg retrieval, we did the PGT-A testing, and then did an FET of 1 embryo about 2-3 weeks after the testing. Everything went exactly as planned and we were successful on the first attempt.

Out of pocket, we paid $30,000 for the shared risk program (up to 6 cycles), plus the cost of medication (approx. $5,000), and the cost of the PGT-A testing (I think $1,250). Very little was covered by our insurance, outside of the initial consultation and some medications.

I don’t recall getting an option to transfer more than 1 embryo. We only wanted 1 baby (having twins would NOT have been ideal for us) and he only transferred 1 embryo.

Dr. Polotsky has a very specific personality- he's warm and funny and admits when his suggestions are based more on clinical experience than on science (as with having me stay on meds 2 extra weeks because I had a subchorionic hemorrhage). I enjoyed his jocular bedside manner, but it might not be to everyone's taste. Of course, the important thing is that we got results!

Be prepared for his slightly oddball manner!

We did only donor embryo transfer cycles with Dr. Polotsky (no retrievals), as well as a hysteroscopy to remove a polyp that turned up. We used fully programmed cycles although he was open to trying a natural one. He prefers estrogen in patch form and a PIO-only regimen. Dr. Polotsky and SGF do not routinely use antibiotics or steroids for transfers, which I appreciate.

SGF has fairly reasonable costs for embryo donation, but my insurance covered it. I think there was a $1500 non-billable charge. Another wrinkle is that the Colorado system can't talk to the East Coast and I sometimes had to pay up front.

For the donor embryo program, I believe 1 is always the standard.

Although Dr. Polotsky was out of town during our FET, he checked in before and after and was always accessible to us. He has this demeanor which is calming yet authoritative in a way that makes you feel held and supported. He's also so calm and matter of fact it helps you to relax and trust him in a way we didn't our previous doctor. He is also always willing to take time to hear your concerns and answer your questions no matter how silly you may think they are.

He's got you. He'll take care of you.

Modified natural FET cycle

IVF Shared Risk, medications, acupuncture, surgical procedures

He was great at listening to our concerns. We felt like all our doctors looked at us individually and they consulted other specialists when considering the best course of action for us. He was good at keeping us as relaxed as we could be during all this.

Write everything down

Very calm atmosphere

We did the shared risk program offered so the expenses were higher than if we had done everything a la carte. However, the peace of mind of knowing we got our money back if it didn’t work was worth it.

This clinic strongly prefers single embryo transfer as they know the risks of a multiple pregnancy on a mother.