Shady Grove Fertility Richmond

We come away from our video chats feeling like we fully understand the next steps and course of action. Unfortunately, subsequent communication from other staff have not seemed to agree, introducing new information we wish had been explained better and causing confusion and uncertainty.

Take notes on your conversation and review the action plan before signing off of a call, because other staff may not explain your next steps the same way she did. Better yet would be to have a way to directly follow up with her for clarification, but that doesn't seem to be an option anywhere anymore.

About $17000 to enter the Shared Risk program, but not sure about the additional tests and medications -- probably another $5000 or so, so far at this clinic. Maybe $20000 more in other treatment at previous clinics. There were also non-monetary costs: Emotional cost of repeated hormone treatments and failures. Also had to stop working with an adoption agency because they had a policy not to consider placement during or within a year of pregnancy.

In initial discussions with this doctor, single embryo was our only option despite our preference for multiple. After that attempt failed, transferring two was presented as an option we were happy to take, only to find there were no donors available with multiple embryos, and the selection process did not seem to allow that option.

He was so lovely. Very down to earth and funny but also very knowledgeable. He explained things in an understandable way and always answered our questions and spent the time we needed. We really appreciate him.

Be sure to advocate for what you need and ask questions.

We simply tried egg retrieval 3 times but unfortunately my egg quality was poor. We never were able to create embryos. We are now moving on to donor eggs.

It was very easy to go in for appointments- I could schedule for whatever I needed basically. And whenever I went in a hardly ever had to wait more than 10 minutes before I was seen. I had blood taken immediately and then was put into a room and seen immediately. I was always impressed with how fast everything was.

I spent so much money. Nearly $25,000 dollars if I remember correctly. And now I’m trying to save up for donor eggs.

We never reached this stage.

Dr Johnston was our primary RE throughout our term of care. Though sometimes other doctors would do IUIs if she wasn't in clinic, she was always there for retrievals, transfers, and a fibroid removal I had to have done. We have unexplained infertility, though I also have PCOS. Since we were paying out of pocket and the initial testing looked promising, Dr Johnston offered us the chance to try IUIs before moving to the more expensive IVF. We had one interrupted by an early ovulation and another interruption later when I developed a fibroid that partially blocked a tube. When we had to move to IVF there was a slight hiccup. The clinic previously had a program for service members with a significant discount, and we'd been given a brochure for it. That program wasn't being offered anymore. When we brought it up, Dr Johnston talked with her partners and got us the discount anyway. I appreciate that Dr Johnston let me have a large say in when we could do transfers and how soon after my loss we could start again. It didn't feel like there was unnecessary waiting, and when there was a wait she explained why it had to be that way and the risks of avoiding it.

I would say not to hesitate about asking any questions or bringing up concerns. She is very busy (although I never felt like she was rushing out of the room) but she's also very willing to spend a bit of extra time explaining something, so when she asks, "Anything else on your mind?" go ahead and ask. It's not a rhetorical question.

-5x IUIs (one interrupted due to early ovulation). We did more because there was good reason to believe getting my ovulation started would work, then also I had a fibroid removed which could have been the issue. -2 retrieval cycles (one produced 21 eggs, 8 mature, 7 fertilized, 3 reached 5 day, 0 PGT normal; second was 27 eggs, 17 mature, 15 fertilized, 5 reached 5 day, 2 PGT normal) -2 frozen transfers (1 loss in first trimester, 1 ongoing pregnancy)

IUIs were around 1800/cycle. We did the shared risk program which was a bit over $20K for up to 6 cycles. I don't remember the med costs for IUIs but for retrieval cycle after insurance meds were $1k and the transfer meds were pretty cheap at $40ish per refill.

I think this would be my only issue, and it's not a big concern. I would like to have had the option to transfer both my embryos at the same time instead of one at a time. I'm older and if they didn't work, I could get back to retrievals at a younger point. The clinic only lets you transfer two if you don't do PGT testing. However, I respect the argument that doing them at the same time could have resulted in a high risk twin pregnancy.

The only thing I wish I had been told is what to expect as far a timeline, before treatment. This probably should have come from the office. We had a hiccup with our testing (I rested positive for antibodies and I have O- blood type, meaning rhogam was still in my system) and the office seemed like they wanted me to wait another month or so because of this. I contacted my OBGYN who reached out and got the ball rolling.

Ask exactly what to expect for your problems. This may be a blanket answer or very specific depending on your problems.

I have had recurrent pregnancy loss with several chemical miscarriages, longer cycles, diagnostic testing that appeared more like PCOS but without the physical characteristics. I was placed on Letrozole 2.5 for 5 days after having an ultrasound to determine I was indeed not pregnant and an HCG test when I started my period. Then, after those 5 days, I had two ultrasounds, to see when my folicules were ready. Once the appropriate size, I was instructed to take a trigger shot. Then we had times intercourse as explained to us. We then had a positive pregnancy test and two bHCGs drawn to ensure progression. Then, at 6, 7&8 weeks we had ultrasounds to ensure growth.

Between genetic testing, lab work, co-pays, drugs, and ultrasounds it was about $1500.

At first glance, Dr. Johnston is very intelligent and knows her stuff. However, when a doctor tells you any alternative treatments you're doing is not going to help, or it's as if a cancer patient is choosing herbs over chemotherapy when you take charge of your own fertility, they're belittling you as a patient and a person, as if to say it is poor judgement on my part. I think if she had chosen to be more empathetic and compassionate with her words, we might have continued our work together.

If you do not feel supported in your journey and you're given limited options, do yourself a favor and find a new doctor.

In the end, because we were disqualified from the shared risk program, our saved funds could only cover two cycles at Dr. Johnston's clinic. We decided to move forward with a different clinic for treatment.

12,000 per IVF cycle, not including meds, PGS, ICSI, cryo-preservation, OR multi-cycle discount for 18,500 (2 cycles) were what I qualified for, unless I agreed to donor egg IVF and I would have qualified for their shared risk program.

Dr. Steingold was recommended to us by a couple of friends, so we have trusted him from the start. He is personable, caring, open, and keeps things lighthearted. We have only done one round of just letrozole & one round of letrozole / IUI at this point and are not pregnant, but we are hopeful. He continues to ask us what we want to do and gives us his opinion, and then he adjusts treatment accordingly.

Don’t hesitate to ask him any and all the questions you have (even if you think they may sound silly); he’ll answer them graciously and honestly.

When we initially met Dr. Steingold for a consultation, we had already been through 3 rounds of clomid with my OB. So, we first completed the HSG and initial ultrasound. I also told him I noticed less cervical mucus with clomid, so he also did a post-coital test (although he said they tend to do less of those because they are more outdated/not as accurate). He decided it couldn’t hurt if it was something I was concerned about. HSG went well; Fallopian tubes were clear. Post-coital went well (it was really cool to look in the microscope!). Ultrasound showed something near / on my right ovary. (He was out of town for this, so it was another doctor who performed it, and he was very vague about it, but just told me I might need to get surgery which worried me.) Dr. Steingold followed up with a second ultrasound with him to see what was going on before starting any treatment. Second ultrasound proved clear, which was confusing, but he was very happy with. He said we will continue to do ultrasounds to make sure whatever was there was gone — and to monitor egg size. Third ultrasound was CD 14 proved to be clear again, and egg size looked good with one Letrozole pill, but got a negative pregnancy test. Fourth ultrasound looked good as well. This round was two Letrozole pills, a trigger shot on CD 16 for ovulation, and IUI on CD 17. Just received negative pregnancy test today, so we are entering into another 2 letrozole pill / IUI round before we change to different dosage or shots with IUI for third IUI round.

Initial consultation $216 / HSG treatment $380 / 4 ultrasounds $100 each / Post-coital $50

I have had two IUI rounds with Clomid and injections with Dr. Shah, and we are planning our third. The most difficult aspect of the process has been making sure we get the appointments that work for our schedule and for the doctor. Dr. Shah has hours available on the weekends to accommodate menstrual cycles, which has been a big help for us. There have been times where we needed to come in later in the day, which has also helped my husband and I with scheduling. Dr. Shah has been the only physician we have had, making the experience consistent for each visit. He has made my husband and I both feel comfortable during the process. Dr. Shah is a very technical speaker, he is rather blunt, and direct with the information he provides. This approach has been great for my husband and I because we appreciate knowing all of the details as we go along. We like to hear technical terms and we appreciate direct language for what is to come. We have grown thick skin through the process of infertility and have decided we want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly no matter what. Dr. Shah has supported us through each step.

I would advise evaluating your schedule to know what times of day you will be available for treatments. It's best to determine whether you will have flexibility in your work schedule or not at the outset. Dr. Shah is in high demand, so scheduling can throw some curveballs.

We used/ are using clomid and ovidrel for our IUI cycles. We have been advised that IVF may be the most effective since age and sperm count is the biggest factor for our infertility (I am 34, my husband has low sperm count). My insurance, however, allotted 4 cycles of IUI, so we thought we would try IUI before taking the financial plunge for IVF.

I just didn’t feel like I received a proper pre treatment workup like others that were undergoing similar therapy and treatments. He never seemed to give me definitive choices and made me feel a little unsure about everything he told me. My husband felt like he was reactive to everything and not proactive and quickly jumped us to donor eggs.

Come with a list of questions because he doesn’t offer up much without asking.

Clomid with TRIGGER ANS IUI X2 Femara with trigger and iui x2 last one ovulated early IVF With own eggs with starting with BCP and injections. Not tailored for anyone with low egg reserve. Never made one follicle when I had 2-5 follicles on oral Med cycles. Retrieval cancelled Donor egg cycle with two donor egg embryos and that outcome was a negative pregnancy test. Then he decided a possible fibroid could be interfering with implantation and he removed two small fibroids.

Spent a total of 30,000

He made appropriate recommendations

She is very nice and patient. She ensure not only that I was comfortable but my husband as well. She ensured no questions were had before the meeting was over. She is open to listening and willing to take all measures before IVF was the final decision

Be honest and ask your questions

STI testing Mock Trial Blood work including A1C Semen analysis Endocrinology Appointment

22450 IVF (no insurance) 150 mock trial 600 anesthesiology (no insurance) 50 doctor appointment

Currently approved 1 5 day embryo as my other test scores were good. Multiple can be discussed if IVF cycle fails

I started at Shady Grove Fertility as a woman choosing to be a single mother by choice. I thought I would have a few IUI at most and have a baby. I was originally with a different physician at this same clinic in the beginning. From my lab results, I had/have diminished ovarian reserve. I went ahead with 5 unmedicated IUI under the previous physician. All failed. I decided to go ahead and try medicated IUI. By this time, I had switched to Dr Johnston for a second opinion. I couldn't accept that I had very few eggs at a relatively young age. I had my first medicated IUI (sixth IUI total) under Dr Johnston. I got pregnant that cycle, but it ended up being a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Dr Johnston was quick to diagnose it at what would have been my first OB ultrasound. I was sent to my OBGYN where I had surgery. During the surgery, it was found I had/have endometriosis. I later had another medication IUI, which failed. By this time, I decided to move on IVF. I had a consult for IVF and Dr Johnston was honest that I really wasn't a good candidate for IVF with my own eggs. I decided to go with an embryo transfer with donor embryo. I am currently pregnant from that embryo transfer.

Be realistic in your expectations.

The first medicated IUI, I used clomid 50 mg and had a decent follicle response and got pregnant that round. It resulted in the ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The second medicated IUI, I used clomid 100 mg. I must have had an allergic reaction to the clomid as I broke out in a rash every time I took it. That round I ended up with a few follicles but only 1-2 were on the side I needed them to be (I only had one tube left at this point). That cycle failed.

I did two medicated IUI cycles under Dr Johnston, which were $1200 each plus the cost of medication. I moved on to an embryo transfer, which I decided to do the shared risk option. That was $16,800.

Reproductive Endocrinologists usually only suggest to transfer one at a time and it is no different with Dr Johnston. I was okay with a single embryo transfer.

Dr. Edelstein was very detailed and showed us the statistics of the clinic and current overall success with IVF. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive. I love the atmosphere and because they were the very first doctors I went too and felt comfortable with. I have no complaints. We went over pros and cons on what ever decision we were leaning towards and we tried them. So he was supportive but made sure we knew all risks.

Be open, clear, and stick to what you would like to happen or try first before making any life altering decisions.

I had multiple HSG’s to verify that my tubes were indeed blocked. I then had the tubes cleaned out and as they healed, one side partially closed while the other remained open. I was told that I have hydrospalnix. I wanted to try different options before going with his plan, which was to remove the tubes to increase the chance of success. So I decided to try a few IUIs using clomid, lextrazole, and both used a trigger shot. None of the IUIs were successful. We went onto another clinic due to us being military and that’s where we had a fresh IVF cycle completed and lost the baby about 4weeks.

For what we could afford while using federal insurance, each IUI was 350, plus 100 for the semen wash plus cost of meds. Copay only for clomid and lextrazole. The tubal reconstruction, I had to pay about 300. Each visit had a copay roughly of about 40. ( for the second doctor with Walter Reed, we had to pay 5,500 for the whole process; start to finish. This was only because I was lucky enough to land active duty orders. This is only temporary and can be cut at any time due to my change in status.

If I had a choice, I would do multiple. At shady grove we could but because of my change in service, I can not be seen at shady Grove unless we pay out of pocket for everything. So Walter Reed has a protocol and it’s very strict. One embryo under the age of 35.

She was straight forward and honest, but spot on. Visits were timely. My only reservation was that it was an on call physician who performed my procedure each time. That surprised me at first, but every physician was excellent.

She is smart and competent.

We used the highest dose for my stimulation in the setting of my diminished ovarian reserve. My treatments were stacked and my second retrieval was much more successful.

Approximately $7000 for the treatment and $5000 for medications.

From the first virtual visit, to my "graduation", Dr. Johnston and her team made me feel at ease. Throughout my entire fertility journey, they were supportive, warm, welcoming and overall made me feel as if nothing was my fault and we were going to handle it all together. Dr. Johnston was realistic, but optimistic, every step of the way and it was easy for me to believe it. With fertility treatments, I believe the mental aspect is a huge part. Although a very hard process to navigate, Dr. Johnston and the Shady Grove team made me feel hopeful, which help me keep the mindset that we would find success. It is crazy how much this team turned into a second family. I knew they were just a e-mail away and would have answers for me. Forever grateful and thankful for Shady Grove, Dr. Johnston and the entire team. If you want a medical team who cares, is honest and welcoming- look to Dr. Johnston. Thank you for your expertise in making my dream a reality.

Be honest, go in open-minded. Dr. Johnston knows what she is doing and trust is crucial.

We started with lots of testing, once PCOS was confirmed, we decided to move to try IUI. We used medically induced ovulation with Letrozole then used an Ovidrel trigger shot. Next day was the IUI and 2 weeks later we had a positive pregnancy test. During those 2 weeks, leading up to 7 weeks gestation, I was prescribed progesterone suppositories to help thicken the lining of my uterus.

My wife and I (same sex couple) went in for a consult with Dr. Gentry. We haven't tried to conceive before and have no diagnosed infertility. I am planning to be the carrier. Dr. Gentry explained the basics of conception to us fairly well and then outlined the treatment plan. Only then did she tell me that I was ineligible for care from her practice unless I lost enough weight to lower my BMI to the BMI cutoff of 40. Her justification was that above 40 I would be less likely to conceive and more likely to miscarry -- both true, but the difference in risk is marginal. I understand the risks and am fully willing to try to conceive at this weight. Throughout the whole process she made me feel like my weight was dangerous and all my fault (even thought I have a pretty significant diagnosed disorder that contributes to it), and basically said that if we weren't able to get pregnant or if we experienced a miscarriage I would be responsible for it simply because I'm overweight. She basically said that I didn't deserve to have a baby unless I lost weight and got "healthy." I am trying not to believe her but honestly this took a huge toll on my mental health. Another note for LGBTQ+ folks, she gave us a very long, disingenuous speech about how she personally was fighting for LGBTQ rights and told us about a protest she went to. It felt very fake and like the treatment we often get from people who are trying so hard to prove that they aren't homophobic that they forget they're talking to real people and not the whole of the LBGBTQ community.

She seems like she would be a perfectly fine doctor for a straight couple with conventional bodies -- which I don't think is a very big section of the fertility community.

We were planning to do IUI. The practice lets you select your own donor sperm from any bank you choose. We were directed to base most of our decision of which donor to choose on how many successful live births the donor had produced. She recommended we buy at least three vials at a time. The practice has cryo storage on-site. She does use Clomid for all couples, even if there are no known fertility issues. She does a hysterosalpingography on every patient, along with the FDA-required testing, along with a baseline ultrasound and one at ovulation each month.

The cost of one IUI cycle was about $500 before the cost of sperm, which is entirely dependent on which bank you use. For us, the cost was going to be about $1,500 per cycle.

My wife and I have had nothing but great experiences with Dr. Gentry. She is knowledgeable, she responds in a very timely manner, and has always taken the time to explain the various aspects of my treatment. We would 100% recommend her for fertility care. Our treatment plan did not come to fruition as we had originally anticipated due to fibroids that had to be removed over a few surgeries. Through the surgeries and various procedures I have had done, Dr. Gentry has been sensitive to our needs and concerns and has spent the time to walk us through our options for future treatment.

Some fertility clinics have a backlog for new patients (not sure that there currently is with this clinic) but we are so glad that we chose to wait and work with Dr. Gentry. My piece advice would be not to wait and to go ahead and get in for a consultation :)

Dr. Gentry was very knowledgeable of what was needed for my treatment being in an LGBTQ relationship. She is always respectful and welcoming.

Cycle ultrasounds were around $165 and insemination is around $240.

Dr. Gentry is incredibly open and honest about treatment, rates of success, side effects, etc. I didn't experience a single thing during treatment that I wasn't advised about beforehand. She is knowledgeable in all things fertility related and I absolutely trust her judgement. She never made me feel as though I was just a number, and never belittled any of my concerns.

You will receive a lot of information at your consultation, take notes.

My consultation was in December. I had a Saline Ultrasound the following week, and in January my first IUI was scheduled. I had my baseline ultrasound around CD3, took Clomid on CD5-9, had my mid-cycle ultrasound to check my follicles on CD11, trigger shot on CD12, and the IUI procedure on CD13. For this cycle, I had three follicles. Unfortunately the IUI failed. In February when my next cycle started, I scheduled my baseline ultrasound to set up IUI #2. At that appointment I learned that the Clomid caused me to produce two cysts on my ovaries. I wouldn't be able to proceed with an IUI that cycle and would have to try again in March. Dr. Gentry advised that since the Clomid made me produce cysts, we wouldn't be trying that medication again. My next IUI would be paired with Letrozole. Her rationale was that if I had that reaction to the Clomid, I probably wouldn't have it with the Letrozole. When my cycle began in March, I went in for my baseline ultrasound, and everything was clear. This time I took Letrozole on CD5-9, had my mid-cycle ultrasound on CD10, trigger shot on CD13, and IUI on CD15. For this cycle I had four follicles. Unfortunately, that IUI also failed. When my next cycle started I called the clinic to set up my next baseline ultrasound, but due to COVID-19 all new cycles have been postponed. I was advised to call back in April once my cycle began again to see if the clinic was back up and running. I completely understood why the clinic wasn't starting new cycles, I just wish I could've gone in for a baseline ultrasound to see if I had the same reaction to the Letrozole that I had with the Clomid.

The entire IUI (Medications, Ultrasounds, IUI procedure) was about $700.

I think that she is very knowledgeable in the field of reoccurring pregnancy loss. She made me feel that I was not alone and that it is very common. She made me feel like it wasn’t my fault which was huge for me. She has awesome bedside manner and she is easy to talk to.

The only piece of advice that I could give someone would be to brush up on your fertility journey before your initial consultation. There are LOTS of questions and dates that are involved.

Initially there was many different types of bloodwork that she ran. They all came back normal for my husband and I. I did an HSG that came back normal as well. I was diagnosed with unexplained reoccurring pregnancy loss. I did a medicated cycle with trigger shot and progesterone. Cycle failed. I could not do another cycle due to COVID restrictions.

Since we have only done 1 medicated cycle in this clinic so far, our cost has not been high. However, after the COVID restrictions are lifted I imagine our cost will significantly increase.

I was told if we chose IVF, due to my age (33), there would only be 1 embryo transferred which was a little disappointing.

Dr. Gentry is very personable. She takes the time to get to know her patients and you can feel how much she cares. When I first met her I told her I had had a miscarriage the year before, she did not just brush over that. In that moment she stopped and expressed her condolences and reminded us that while her goal is to help us have a family, that doesn’t mean our first baby isn’t important. She said that during this process if we struggle with anything due to fear etc. from that previous miscarriage to be open and let her know so she can help us through it. She also knows I struggle with my weight. She said to use our patient portal as my accountability partner if needed. She loves to help her patients. She gave pointers on how I could lose weight. We communicate weekly about what I’ve been doing and how that has or hasn’t helped me. I have communicated with her when our baby’s due date approached in 2019 and how I felt not having a baby to bring home. She took time to talk with me about it and not just say oh I’m sorry and move on. She has checked in with me if I don’t reach out to her first. She is genuinely excited to help families grow their families

When she says she wants to be there for you, she means it. Don’t be afraid to open up to her. You won’t get “cut and paste” “cookie cutter” type responses from her. She genuinely cares for her patients.

I had a copay each visit. We have not got to treatments yet, but we discussed prices. IUI is about $710 and is to be paid as steps are completed. Her reasoning is so you don’t pay for a full procedure and then something not get done. For example if she found I hyper-ovulated and had too many mature eggs to do the IUI I wouldn’t be charged for the remainder of the procedure, just the parts I had actually completed. I can’t remember the total for IVF.

My wife and I (same-sex couple) started seeing Dr. Gentry in January of 2019 to consult about IUI with donor sperm. We were referred to this clinic by another LGBTQ+ couple in the area and feel like we were so lucky to have found Dr. Gentry on our journey to becoming parents. Dr. Gentry has been respectful, welcoming, very informative, and has always made us feel 100% comfortable throughout out treatment - at every appointment. When we first started, we were a bit naive to just how long our journey could possibly end up taking - we thought, okay, we just need to come to this clinic to have them perform the IUI with donor sperm for us and that's that. At our consultation, Dr. Gentry asked me to lose a certain amount of weight before my first treatment cycle and said that we could continue with our pre-treatment labs and work-ups in the mean time. I successfully did this and we continued on. After my first baseline, we realized I needed surgery to remove a benign but problematic cyst that was blocking access to my uterus. Dr. Gentry performed the surgery herself and truly eased my nervousness about having my first surgery ever - I was so thankful to know I had a brilliant, compassionate doctor to get me through this. Since then, we have completed 3 medicated IUI cycles (using Letrozole and Ovidrel), an HSG "tube test", and we are continuing treatment as I have not yet become pregnant. Although I have no gotten pregnant yet, and we have had setbacks (solely because of naturally occuring circumstances/PCOS/etc) - I am still so grateful to have Dr. Gentry doing everything she can to get us the results we all want. It is always important to my wife and I to find doctors that are welcoming and affirming to the LGBTQ+ Community - and naturally, we were nervous going into our first appointment with Dr. Gentry; however, once we were in the door we quickly realized we were in good, safe, company. Dr. Gentry has never treated us differently or as "others"; she has never made us feel discriminated against or judged by any means. Dr. Gentry, from the beginning and throughout, has thoroughly explained each step of the processes we are doing, why we are doing each step, and has made sure we understand everything before and during treatment...and she is always checking in during your appointments/procedures to make sure you are comfortable. Don't be afraid to ask questions; better yet - ask ALL the questions! No question is silly or too small - even if they are basic reproductive questions, Dr. Gentry is happy to make sure you are not in the dark for any part of your treatment. We never feel like we are being rushed out of the room or that we don't have time to address all of our needs and questions. Aside from Dr. Gentry's professional knowledge and and skills - she is also a great "people person"... she will always be direct and truthful, as that is always important to your medical care, but she always deliver information/results/etc with compassion and will almost certainly make you laugh in the process. 10/10 would recommend Dr. Gentry - she is an amazing doctor and person.

Come prepared with questions, an open mind, and relax! Dr. Gentry will walk you through everything each step of the way.

For each medicated cycle, once my period started - that counts as Cycle Day 1. On CD1, I call the clinic and schedule an appointment to have my Baseline ultrasound done - this is the ultrasound to take a look at my uterus lining, check to see if there are any problematic cysts, and generally to see if I am ready to begin fertility drugs (in my case, letrozole). If all is well at my baseline then I start Letrozole for 5 days to encourage growth of follicles before ovulating. Around day 14 of my cycle I will go back into the clinic for my Midcycle scan which is the ultrasound to see if I have any follicles, how many, and to measure them. The number of follicles that I have and their size will determine how soon after that I will administer my trigger shot (ovidrel) at home. (If there are too many follicles, typically more than 3 - then the cycle will be cancelled to prevent a possibility of high order pregnancy) After my trigger shot, I will go in to the clinic for my IUI typically between 30-36 hours later. The IUI is performed by Dr. Gentry's fertility nurse (who is wonderful!). After IUI, you enter the "2 week wait" - proceed as if you are pregnant (no drinking, smoking, no tylenol, etc - a do/don't list is given to you). At the end of your 2 week wait, if you have no gotten your period yet, take a pregnancy test - if it is positive, call the clinic to schedule a blood test; if it is negative - you will be directed to call the clinic once your period starts to schedule your next baseline, assuming you are proceeding with treatment.

Baseline ultrasound - $163, Letrozole - no cost with my insurance; otherwise, I believe it's under $20, "trigger shot" (ovidrel) about $100, Midcycle scan $163, Insemination $260

She makes me feel like I have value, that I am not broken. I can feel her passion for her job and truest wants us to be successful. She explains everything in a way that’s easy to understand and answers all of my silly little questions.

Go in with an open mind and don’t be afraid to ask any questions. She is very honest with her answers but only because she wants wants best for her patients.

We used Clomid the very first cycle but I overstimulated so we cancelled. She adjusted my medication and put me on Letrozole. We then completed 3 IUIs. During that time she noticed my husband’s sperm count was not great, and she referred us to a fertility urologist. From there we learned he had a varicocele and he had surgery after that. By a miracle we got pregnant before we were told we would see a difference in my husband’s sperm, but our pregnancy was ectopic. Dr. Evans-Hoeker was very honest and direct with us about our options. She explained we could use methotrexate or go right for surgery, but she recommended the medication first as my turn had not ruptured at that time. Unfortunately though it did rupture a day later. In the emergency room she was talking to the doctors on her personal cell phone which made me feel very safe in their hands, knowing she had talked to them specifically about me. After surgery and I was home recovering, she called me to check on me which made me feel very cared for. At follow up appointments she was very gentle with both me and my husband as we talked about next steps. Several months went by and we were able to start trying again. We were able to conceive again but it was a chemical pregnancy. We have started IUIs again since them and she has been very supportive the entire process.

Everything has been paid for out of pocket, my insurance does not cover fertility treatments. However, when we had the ectopic pregnancy everything was filed under insurance immediately and there were no problems.

N/a

Honestly, I cannot think of anything bad about Dr. Gentry. I fully trust her in our infertility journey and this is why. She has been completely open and straightforward about how she approaches infertility as a whole, I went through three tests, HSG, water ultrasound, and sperm analysis, then she determines what the root cause of the problem. I feel like she is on our team to finding out the problem and reaching the goal of having a baby. My husband and I have been trying for 2.5 years and finally searched for a fertility doctor in our area. Now we will be moving forward towards an IVF cycle later this year. Dr. Gentry is willing to know her limits, or rather experience, and ask for help when needed. This is admirable in my opinion! I recently underwent surgery and she had a fellow doctor help out who specialized in the type of surgery I needed for tubal blockage with a rare uterine anomaly, unicornuate uterus. Dr.Gentry is able to relate in most instances, but can still keep boundaries between her patients and isn't overbearing or conceited. Dr. Gentry encourages for questions to be asked at any time, whether in person or online, and she takes personal time to answer them. Like I said, I am extremely satisfied with my care as a patient of going to Dr. Adrienne Gentry. I have no reason to find another fertility doctor and receive a second opinion. If you are in the Roanoke area, I would highly recommend seeing Dr. Gentry!

Don't be afraid to ask questions! Any question is a good question, even if it's re-learning the basic of female anatomy! :)

I find that my story is a little different than most. I haven't been on any fertility drugs on any cycle. I don't know if this is the place to share it all of why that is the case, so I will give a brief overview. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 2 years with no luck. With this fertility doctor, I met with her and went through two tests, Hysterosalpingography (HSG) and Sonohysterography (Water Ultrasound) and my husband went through a Sperm Analysis. These three tests results should identify if there is a problem and what the cause of it is. Sperm results came back and they were great. In the middle of the Water Ultrasound, Dr. Gentry shared a concern with me. Though, wanted to get the HSG before confirming anything. I had the HSG and boy was it PAINFUL. I opted not to take a pain reliever beforehand, but took one afterwards. Again, Dr. Gentry shared her thoughts of what I might have, a unicornuate uterus, but wanted to do an MRI before confirming the diagnosis. I had the MRI and received the results back in a timely manner. The diagnosis was confirmed and was told I had a blocked tube as well. I was given three options and the risks of all of them. I decided to go through with a tubal removal procedure and IVF. I just had surgery and have recovered mostly. I will do an IVF cycle with Dr. Gentry in a few months.

My insurance covered the basic infertility diagnosis and tests of underlying medical treatment. (Them 80% and me 20%). I am grateful for that. I don't remember the details of the costs with that. Moving forward with IVF in the state of Virginia will be a headache. It is currently not covered through insurance, to my knowledge. It would be nice if there was something, anything, covered for the IVF process.

With my current diagnosis of having a unicornuate uterus, I will be considered high risk pregnancy as is and so my doctor's approach will be doing a single embryo transfer. I will not be able to have a multiple embryo transfer due to my uterus not being full sized.

Dr. Gentry was the best doctor we could have ever hoped for when my wife and I decided it was time to expand our family. From our first consultation to our last ultrasound with her, she was communicative, helpful, professional and incredibly kind. She explained everything that was going to happen and made sure we understood the process. The fact that my wife and I were a same-sex couple made no difference in her treatment of us as patients and human beings. She was genuinely excited for us and we’ve told so many of our LGBTQ+ friends to visit her when they are ready. We couldn’t recommend Dr. Gentry more to anyone who needs a fertility doctor.

Ask questions! She is extremely knowledgeable and can answer the questions you have!

We started with a consultation and then after we purchased our donor sperm and had our initial FDA blood work done, we started ultrasounds to track my cycle. If I remember correctly, we had 3 ultrasounds before our IUI procedure. After our IUI and then getting pregnant, we had one follow-up ultrasound before we graduated to our OB.

It was a little over $1000 for services.

Dr. Evans-Hoeker knows her stuff which is what is most important to me as a patient. She is careful to provide accurate information and doesn't over promise; she manages expectations appropriately. I think other patients may perceive this as a lack of warmth, but I felt it was appropriate.

Don't misconstrue her factual nature as a lack of caring. She cares. The other comments about her not giving a direct answer -- she gives you the information she can without creating false expectations or false hope. Not everything about fertility is known. She provides the information that she can. I also think some patients want to be told what to do. Dr. EH gives you the options and the facts and allows you to make your own decision. I think that frustrates people.

I went through two IUI treatments and one round of IVF. The IUI treatments were unsuccessful. We were told due to low sperm count at the time of IUI that we had a very small chance of success. At that point we decided to pursue IVF. I had 31 eggs retrieved, 15 fertilized and we had 9 high quality embryos after day 5. I froze all of my embryos after my retrieval which was my choice. I did a frozen embryo transfer and I am currently 8 weeks pregnant with my first child.

My insurance didn't cover most of my visits. All-in-all I didn't think the prices for any of the services were unrealistic. You have to have multiple visits to track progress so that's where it adds up.

My husband and I jokingly asked if they would put more than one embryo in so we could have two at once. Dr. EH followed the guidelines prescribed based on my age and risk factors and only transferred one embryo. She advised us that a 1:1 ratio is the healthiest.

When asking questions, at times, Emily would not give a concrete answer. It seemed she would recommend one option, and then turn around and recommend a different option as best. This left the patient confused and feeling as though an expert, professional opinion was not given on which way to continue treatment. Often, it felt as though she were just reciting book facts or giving generalized statements, and not focusing and relating information on you as the individualized patient. Lastly, it seemed that she had too many commitments and was pulled in too many different directions. I did have an appointment have to be rescheduled by the office due to it conflicting with a lecture commitment she had. Last treatment cycle, I also called on the day of my cycle to continue with another round of an IUI with injectables. The scheduler tried to schedule me too late in my cycle than what is recommended for injectables. I questioned this, and the scheduler put me on hold to verify. I was correct, and the scheduler confirmed this, but informed me that I would not be able to continue with this, as Emily was going to be out on vacation and the provider filling in was not qualified to perform monitoring and IUI with injectables. I was told I would have to sit this month out due to this and wait and continue next month. I was devastated and felt this was not acceptable treatment and was very insensitive to those battling infertility, as timing each month is crucial and patients count down to this obsessively. I finished the phone call, barely holding back the tears. I was later called and told Emily had been contacted and said I could go back to oral medication this cycle and continue injectables next time. However, this was not my treatment plan or optimal for me, as this treatment option had been unsuccessful many times and oral medications caused cysts for me. She recommended moving on from this, as it was not best for me, but when was not available wanted to revert back to something that was not working for me.

Ask many questions and continue asking until you get a definite answer/one you are comfortable with, and be sure you are alright with seeing an RE at a clinic with only one RE. So, when she is out of the office different providers may have to see you, often times one who is just an OBGYN and not an RE.

I tried Clomiphene Citrate with plans of following with an IUI. However, at my midcycle scan, she stated that I ovulated early and it was too late for an IUI to be completed. After that, I moved on from Clomid to Letrozole with plans for IUI. Many cycles I tried 2 Letrozole pills (2.5 mg each) with IUI. No positive pregnancy test resulted. I then tried Tamoxifen, which did not result in a positive result either. I then tried Letrozole (2.5 mg) 3 pills a day. No positive result achieved either. Many times the oral medication caused cysts to form; many treatment cycles had to be cancelled and no fertility medications taken due to cyst formation. I also had to take birth control many months to try to get rid of the cysts. I tried one cycle with Gonal-F and IUI. This also resulted in a negative pregnancy test.

My insurance did not cover fertility related costs. Each scan was $163. Each IUI was $260. My last round of injectable medications cost almost $800.

Dr. Emily A. Evans-Hoeker was good at explaining the general processes of each procedure and the risks. However, I would have been more comfortable if she tailored the information and advice to my specific situation and details. I felt like my inquiries were often answered with vague generalizations rather than related to my own individual issues. Often, I felt like she was not entirely open to questions from me. She seemed hesitant to guide my husband and I on next steps for treatment. This entire process is very overwhelming, and I feel like her professional input based on experience could be beneficial. Her method is practical and generally matter of fact. For baseline and mid cycle scans, I would have felt more informed if she had turned the monitor and pointed out my uterus lining, follicles, etc. to my husband and I. Dr. Evans-Hoeker performed a laparoscopy on me to remedy a blocked fallopian tube, uterine fibroids, and uterine polyps. The surgery was successful, and I healed very quickly. Either my twin sister or husband came to every appointment for support and Dr. Evans-Hoeker always acknowledged them. Dr. Evans-Hoeker seems very educated in her field.

I would advise prospective patients of Dr. Emily Evans-Hoeker to always listen to your gut instincts, ask as many questions as you need to, and determine at the consultation if her manner is what you prefer.

For my first cycle of expected IUI, I was prescribed Clomid 50 mg and Ovidrel trigger shot. However, follicles developed on the side of a blocked fallopian tube, so we proceeded this cycle with only timed intercourse. Following, I underwent a laparoscopy to correct the blocked fallopian tube and remove uterine fibroids and polyps. I tried the next cycle of IUI after surgery with Letrozole 2.5 mg (2 pills at a time) paired with Ovidrel trigger shot, followed by the insemination. For the second cycle of IUI, Dr. Evans-Hoeker increased the Letrozole 2.5 mg to 3 pills at a time followed by Ovidrel trigger shot and insemination. My last cycle of IUI consisted of Letrozole 2.5 mg/4 pills at a time this round followed by Ovidrel trigger shot and insemination. Also, on my last two cycles of IUI Dr. Evans-Hoeker added Progesterone 200 mg capsule vaginally. Sadly, all cycles ended with a negative pregnancy test precisely two weeks after the insemination.

Each baseline scan and mid cycle scan cost $163. Each IUI cost $260. Ovidrel trigger shot cost approximately $150. Medication (Clomid, Letrozole, and Progesterone) ranged from $5 to around $15 each. Also, I had a CAT Scan for diagnosis purposes that cost $500 out of pocket and a hysterosalpingogram. Laparoscopic surgery to unblock fallopian tube and remove uterine fibroids and polyps cost $2500 out of pocket.