Shady Grove Fertility

Doctor to patient I would love to see her face to face more. I think in a total 2.5 years we have seen her 3 times. I haven’t seen her yet this year and I’ve done a IVF cycle, retrieval and ERA with transfer approaching. I understand with covid-19 now but I don’t think we met up her her face to face last year either. Would love more of that.

To compile all questions and concerns up front in your consultation because even though Dr. Li has a team of nurses it’s always better to hear your concerns coming straight from your doctor.

The overall strategy was what came from my baseline and test of bloodwork. I believe my baseline for estrogen is not high enough so I was on Menopur 75 which moved up to 150 on the 7th or 8th day, Gonal stayed at 250 both retrieval’s. For my second retrieval Menopur went up to 150 right away (maybe on day 3) this was successful I believe because we got 17 eggs, 15 mature. Whereas first cycle was 12 eggs, 9 mature. My protocol for my second IVF was to do a ERA and PGS testing since we had 2 failed transfers on good lookin embryos. Waiting on ERA results and PGS testing gave us all 5 genetically normal embryos. So happy and would say my protocol has been successful.

My monitoring appointments are always consistent I know what to expect and know I will always get my results within a few hours of the appointment.

Global package IVF #1 $8,000 Storage $1,800 last year fee plus $35 every month FET #1 $4,600 Shared risk program IVF #2 $20,000 Medication total $5,000

No I completely understand, I’m under 35 I know the risk.

Dr Doyle is smart, well informed, kind, and shares plenty of information. He was with us from step one, always encouraging us that we'd have great chances at a pregnancy. Even when we encountered setbacks, he explained them well and helped us chart next steps. I can't be more grateful that we got Dr Doyle as a doctor, and genuinely believe our success was thanks to him.

Know that he will be there with you through the ups and downs, and don't be afraid to share with him if things outside of your treatment are impacting how you're feeling or how anxious you are. He wants to know, and will treat you and your partner with compassion.

We tried two IUIs, one with clomid and one with letrazole. I had a bad reaction to the clomid, so Dr. Doyle changed it up after our first failed procedure. We also found other issues along the way, and did two polyp removal surgeries. While initially we weren't certain if IVF would be necessary, as we continued to find polyps, Dr Doyle supported our plan of moving to IVF after just two cycles of IUI, and we got pregnant on that first transfer (plus we have many PGS tested embryos ready to go if we want to give this baby a sibling).

We're still waiting to see - we had some insurance coverage but some things were out of pocket, so we need to figure out our final bill. We didn't find billing to be incredibly transparent but that wasn't a huge issue for us.

Our doctor was quite clear that with our ages and lack of issues, a single transfer was the only good option, and we agreed with him on that assessment.

Dr. Browne has always been the best choice for a fertility doctor for me and my husband. She truly is knowledgeable, kind and trustworthy. She is science and compassion rolled into one. I would definitely recommend her to anyone seeking fertility treatment.

Be open about your feelings and hesitations. Ask a lot of questions because she is willing to answer them.

After trying for 6 months my husband and I got a recommendation from our primary care doctor for Shady Grove. Having no idea what to expect when we called we were asked if we had a preference for which doctor we wanted and we did not. I feel we truly lucked out on getting Dr. Browne. After initial testing I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and given the go ahead to keep trying naturally for another 3-6 months. After one very early miscarriage we started on Clomid through my regular OBGYN and without any monitoring. We did this for a few months and nothing happened. Once off of Clomid we contacted Dr. Browne to try IUIs. Right before we were set to start I had a chemical pregnancy confirmed. The next month we started IUIs and Dr. Browne was nothing but helpful throughout the process. I saw her for every monitoring appointment with the nurse. We tried four rounds of IUIs with two different doses of clomid, a round with Letrozole and then a round with both Clomid and Gonal (injectables). Only once with the higher dose Clomid did we get two follicles to respond. At this point we went for more testing showing my AMH and FSH levels were showing signs of diminished ovarian reserve and poor egg quality. Which was what they thought was resulting it early pregnancy losses. After the last IUI cycle we decided we needed a break and took a couple months off. Two months later we ended up pregnant again only to have another early loss. With no insurance coverage for IVF we stopped all fertility treatments for a little over a year. Then just a few months ago decided (with the help of family) to begin IVF using the multicycle discount (I no longer qualified for shared risk due to my levels). I went on birth control for two weeks and then I started on Menopur 150 IUs and Gonal 300 IUs. After three days of that dose they upped my gonal to 450 IUs. I did this dosing for 12 days (added in Cetrotide at day 11). However, due to my response to meds, my levels showing I ovulated and the current COVID 19 crisis my cycle was cancelled after 12 days of stims. Doctor Browne called me personally to apologize and explained everything to me. Then within the hour her nurse also called to check on me to see if I had any follow up questions. They also told me that they had some medication donations as well as different protocol for whenever the next cycle begins. (Switching from antagonist protocol to a flair protocol). They are hopeful that with my AMH and FSH levels this will result in me being able to actual make it to the retrieval stage. At this point it’s just a waiting to game for my period to start again so I can begin my next cycle.

$18,500 for two round of IVF which included all monitoring appts, two retrievals but unlimited transfers. Medication was separate cost.

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Dr Khan is on top of the latest science and was very hands on as we selected our egg donor. I felt I could ask about my protocol and he would get back to me with his rationale in making certain decisions. I felt the coordination level between SGF offices was high. I never had any issues or confusion. Dr Khan is detail oriented and will be realistic about your prognosis.

Dr Khan is willing to spend time answering your questions and talking to you about different options. Be prepared with your thoughts and it will be a productive conversation.

I am doing the shared risk egg donor program — we did 1:2 and anonymously shared the egg haul with another receipt(s). We got 12 mature eggs, 10 of which became blasts, 6 of which tested PGS normal. This is an incredible result so far. We got one blast in two retrievals with my own eggs. I am currently pregnant from our first transfer - although it is early.

We paid around $50k for all inclusive 1:2 shared risk program and PGS testing. Baby or money back.

Non-issue. I only wanted to transfer one at a time so it wasn’t something discussed at length.

We switched to SGF after a not so great experience with another clinic in Pittsburgh. We had heard so many wonderful things about Shady Grove and were so excited and full of hope to start treatment with them. Dr. Bromer is friendly, positive, and honest, but also to the point which we appreciated. He took his time with us at our initial in person consult. Prior to this, wewere even given a free of charge phone consult before scheduling our first office consultation since we lived 2 hours away from the clinic. Both times he was very knowledgeable, kind and answered our questions about treatment, PGS testing, ICSI, and medication protocols.

If you are a self-pay patient as we were, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the financial options offered. You will meet with a financial advisor at SGF as well, and she is awesome. But we went with the “shared risk” plan and probably could have gone with the “multi cycle” plan to save some $. Hindsight is 20/20, but be sure to ask questions about chances of success based on your particular situation or diagnosis before making that big decision!

I was treated with a high responder antagonist protocol. I believe the reason for this was that I don’t have any diagnosed fertility issues (although I *may* have some underlying problems, read below) and Dr. Bromer was confident that he could retrieve eggs. I am in a same sex marriage, which was the primary reason my wife and I chose IVF to start a family. However, I also have a substantially sized endometrioma on my right ovary which was likely getting in the way of IUI success and most likely points to endometriosis elsewhere, although I’ve never had the lap surgery done. As far as the treatment plan goes, I was on birth control for 18 days prior to starting 150 IUs of Follistim/Gonal F daily (after my first follicle check this was increased to 175 daily) and 75 IU Menapur, daily. I started Ganirelix 1x per day once follicles were >14mm. Triggered with Lupron. The results were: 16 eggs retrieved, 15 mature, 13 fertilized and 8 made it to 5 day blastocysts. Of those 8, 6 were PGS normal.

Our treatment was not covered at all under insurance. We chose the shared risk program ($22,500) through Shady Grove which included 6 stimulated cycles and unlimited transfers until 1 live birth. We also added the PGS testing for 5,000 for a total of $27,500. We became pregnant on the first try, after 1 retrieval and 1 transfer, so we overpaid! BUT, we probably wouldn’t have changed our decision. Hindsight is 20/20, but I think we would have gone with the shared risk plan ultimately for peace of mind and not knowing if we would have failed transfers or not. To help compare the other plans available...1 cycle at SGF is $10,500. With PGS it’s 14,000. The “multi cycle” plan allows for 2 stimulated cycles with unlimited frozen embryo transfers for $18,500 or $23,500 with PGS.

Shady Grove Fertility in general has a strong stance on only transferring 1 embryo in most circumstances. Personally, we were totally on board with this.

I gush about Dr. O'Brien every chance I get - and I don't have a baby yet! She's a wonderful doctor. She's generous with her time and knowledge, she's innovative and persistent. She's also very honest and open with sharing her thought process. She advocates for her patients. On many occasions, I've been in for monitoring and end up getting a surprise visit. When my first retrieval attempt canceled, she came in and told me herself - and helped me feel ok about it. The next time around, I saw her in the hall and she pulled up my results to review them with me in real-time. She's taken time out of her day to call me to discuss next steps (answering all of my questions for 20+ minutes!) and never makes me feel like I'm not important. She's even emailed me with updates or to let me know she'd call at a certain time. I feel so lucky to have found her!

Don't be afraid to ask questions - she'll answer thoughtfully and thoroughly! She is very transparent so that does mean she shares a lot of information and detail. The first time I spoke with her (phone consult) it was a little overwhelming but now that I know her and her style, I greatly appreciate that.

Retrieval attempt 1 - microflare. I took microdose Lupron for several days and then added in Gonal-F and Menopur. With only three follicles leading, she decided to cancel because she felt my ovaries could do better. Retrieval 1 - estrogen priming. This started with estrogen patches for several days. I added other meds later (forget the details!) and then Gonal-F and Menopur. The doses were pretty high, especially of Menopur. Towards the end I was taking 5 vials! Also added in Cetrotide to help extend the cycle and allow more follicles to grow. I ultimately had 6 retrieved, 4 mature. Retrieval 2- microflare - after the first cancellation on this protocol, she lowered the microdose lupron dose to ensure my follicles didn't grow too fast. This also allowed for lower doses of Gonal-F and Menopur. We were hoping for 8 eggs but only got 4. Lucky for me, 3 fertilized and became AA embryos. One has been transfered (fresh) and resulted in chemical pregnancy. The other two were PGS tested and are normal.

The majority of my first IVF cycle (actual procedure) was covered by my insurance. Dr. O'Brien did a lot to help ensure I was able to maximize that. Now I am doing Shared Risk which is EXPENSIVE - but it's worth it for the peace of mind. If you qualify, it's a great option if there's a likelihood that you'll have to do multiple retrievals and transfers.

Dr. Widra is blunt and this is what you notice first and foremost about him. However he is compassionate in his own way and he is extremely knowledgeable. He is also a leader in a large practice. If you you are looking for a straight shooter with a strong research background, he is your guy.

Don't be afraid to push back and ask questions. He is flexible and understanding but because he is a bit intimidating it can be a bit hard. But I think he respects and appreciates when you are your own advocate.

First cycle (fresh) : Vivelle patch, then Cetrotide injection, then pre eval, initial Dosing: 300 IU Gonal-F and 150 IU Menopur (2 vials), monitored follicles and finished with HCG Trigger injection. Retrevial two days later (7 eggs--> 2 embryos) and then 5 day transfer of 1 fresh and froze the other. Estradiol/Estrace and endrometrin during TWW. Negative preg test. Second cycle(ERA and FET): Estradiol/Estrace 2mg tablets 3 times a day, then lining check, then Progesterone in Oil 1 ml every third day, then 2 endometrin inserts 2x a day. ERA test showed late stage receptivity so timing of oil shots was shifted by 12 hours. Transfered 1 week ago and waiting for preg test.

In total for the fresch cycle, including meds, with 50% insurance we initially paid about $6000 for the first cycle. We were later reimbursed some of it due to a higher payout of the insurance. For the ERA and FET we paid I think around $2000 including meds with insurance.

Strongly recommended against multiple transfers.

He is very good at explaining the process, the good, bad, and ugly. He makes sure you leave his office understanding everything. Several times he called us himself after hours to check in on us whether it was after our retrieval, when I got OHSS, and after each of our losses. He is hard to schedule with because he is sought after which makes booking difficult but when you are able to see him, the wait is worth it.

Schedule now. Don’t wait too long because his appointments fill up fast.

Lupron Antagonist Protocol. I produced 30 eggs. We did ICSI due to make factor. He suggested a frozen transfer due to me showing signs of OHSS, and my medical history. When the second transfer ended in another m/c, he suggested uterine septum removal before doing next transfer. This resulted in successful pregnancy. He made sure to do a extra ultrasound because initial HR was low. At this time he was realistic with us and therefore, we knew our chances. Thankfully it was successful and next an revealed higher HR.

We were lucky. Our treatment was covered partially by insurance. So our max OOP was $3500. However, their financial department is one of their worst departments. They are very wishy washy and not clear as to what you need to pay and what your paying for. We actually overpaid by a couple thousand and had to be reimbursed but I had to fight to get them to send the check and finally had to speak to financial manager. The coordinator I was assigned was terrible and I felt like I was constantly fighting to get in contact with her. When I did, I felt like she didn’t know what she was talking about and certainly wasn’t making things very clear.

He actually works with NIH to prevent cases of negligence where fertility doctors are allowing transfers of 3 embryos (for example) and having sextuplets. He is advocate for only transferring one (based off our personal history) because we already had high risk factors for pregnancy.

Dr. Bromer was very clear that our chances with our own eggs might be low, given our age, history, and diagnosis. Every step of the way, he was trying to save us time, money, and heartache. In all his communications, he was warm, compassionate, and candid. He incorporated our wishes into his own treatment recommendations, and listened carefully to all our questions and concerns. We eventually conceived using our own eggs (at age 42) in an IVF cycle with Dr. Bromer. We will be forever grateful to him for his guidance, treatment plan, and advice.

You can totally trust his guidance—he is up-to-date on all the most current research, and he truly cares about his patients.

I was 42.5 when my cycle occurred. Dr. Bromer used a standard IVF antagonist protocol with bcp priming for us. He also recommended ICSI due to the age of my eggs (we had avoided ICSI in a prior cycle because we had no MFI issues). Dr. Bromer also recommended a freeze all cycle, given my response in a previous cycle. He was also receptive and encouraging when it came to my own reading on supplements; with his approval, I took melatonin, myo inositol, ubiquinol, fish oil, and MTHFR prenatal vitamins. We did not use PGS. We had three 5AA embryos and one 5AB embryo to freeze. We transferred one embryo, which resulted in the birth of our first child at 43.

I was the one with the strongest preference for eSET, given what I had read about the risks of multiple transfers. Dr. Bromer was in agreement with our preference, and did not urge us to transfer more than one embryo, despite our age.

Dr. Chang was a great doctor to have for pcos and male factor infertility. He gave us both things to work on for about six months before retesting my husbands semen to see if we could improve our odds without further treatment. When that wasn’t the case, we moved forward with IUI and ultimately IVF when it became clear that we needed to do ICSI. He was very matter of fact about odds, treatment and protocol. He adjusted as necessary during cycles and had a kind bedside manner before and after our egg retrieval. We had a successful pregnancy on our first frozen transfer and we plan to transfer our remaining embryo this year. If that does not work we will not hesitate to use Dr. Chang for another round of ivf to have our second baby.

Ask a lot of questions at your consultations and appointments. He will answer everything thoughtfully.

Clomid for one IUI cycle (adding extra days of Clomid for further follicle development) with ovidrel trigger (negative pregnancy test) , Letrozole for one IUI with ovidrel trigger (negative pregnancy test- male factor), IVF cycle with menopur, final-f, endometrin and a lupron trigger. 20 eggs retrieved, 16 mature, 9 fertilized, 2 made it to blast. 1 fresh embryo transfer resulting in live birth, 1 embryo frozen.

We are very lucky to have good insurance so our coverage was excellent. We mostly paid copays and for some of our medications. Many of the tests were not considered “fertility” and fell under regular insurance coverage so they didn’t eat into our fertility coverage.

He strongly suggested single embryo transfer due to risk to mother and child with a multiple pregnancy, no added odds of getting pregnant if you transfer multiple and also due to our non-advances ages.

Dr. Chason is accessible. While most of my treatment I communicated with my nurse, I could always be in touch with her if needed. I feel she has strong analytical skills to assess what appropriate next steps may be if one course of action did not pan out as expected. She is compassionate, empathetic and realistic.

Trust her, and ask questions if you need more for your own understanding. She is patient and will make sure you walk away knowing what the plan is and that you understand it as much as you want to.

1st cycle was an antagonist protocol using birth control start, Menopur, Gonal F, Ganirelix and Lupron trigger (I do not recall the dosage). I had a high AF count and we wanted to prevent OHSS, and she felt I would be a good responder. I stimmed for 8 days, triggered on the 9th. We retrieved 21 eggs, 13 mature, 4 fertilized, 2 made to it to blast and 1 was euploid. That transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy. For the 2nd round we made a change to improve our fertilization rate, we switched to a Lupron stop protocol. The goal was to produce better quality eggs to increase fertilization. I used Lupron for 9 days once I had a positive ovulation test, then I stimmed for 8 days triggering on the 9th using Menopur, Gonal F and a HCG trigger. We retrieved 19 eggs, 13 mature, 12 fertilized, 10 made it to blast, 7 euploid, 1 transferred resulted in a miscarriage. This last round is still being monitored for my HCG levels to drop and we will discuss next steps. I between round 1 & 2 retrieval I had a mock transfer which discovered a polyp, and between round 2 retrieval and transfer I had one hysteroscopy to remove the polyp and endometritis was discovered as well as low visibility of my right tube. I had a course of antibiotics for 2 weeks to rid the inflammation, followed by an endometrial biopsy which showed improvement but endometritis still present. At that time I opted for an additional hysteroscopy for a repeat biopsy and to look at the right tube. The biopsy showed the endometritis cleared, and the right tube entrance had scar tissue that was cleared.

Most of my treatment was covered by insurance, outside of pgt-a testing, and embryo freezing cost.

My doctor recommended the transfer of a single embryo. We were informed as to the reasoning and stats behind that recommendation.

Dr. Bromer looked over my entire medical history, not just the lab numbers. Fertility science is constantly changing and he seems understanding of that, whereas other doctors I’ve had historically are inflexible. Dr. Bromer is honest and direct while being caring. He seems to understand how challenging and stressful this is, so he presents all the information up front and made me aware of all my options and the chances of it working realistically. No false hope, but he’s kind about it, and willing to work with the patient. I have the utmost respect for him.

See him. You won’t regret it.

I will be using an IVF cycle with a sperm donor. The amount and types of medications will be closely monitored dependent on my body’s response to them.

There are several treatment options with different costs associated, including shared responsibility, income based discounts, and the one I used- military discounts.

There was never a time where I didn’t feel heard or seen as a patient. Dr. Esposito was always understanding of my concerns and hesitations. She took the time to explain to me anything I had Questions about. After learning my son was born 14 weeks prematurely she made sure to check in to see how he was doing and has continued to check in on him. She truly cares about her patients and wants them to be successful in their treatment.

Go in with an open mind. Be open to hearing your options and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

For my egg retrieval I was on menopeur, and gonal F. It yielded 15 eggs, 11 fertilized and 4 made it to day 5/6 with 2 testing genetically normal through PGT-A testing. For my first transfer I was on estrogen and 5 days of PIO prior to the transfer. For my second transfer, after an ERA cycle adjustments were made to my protocol.

Monitoring appointments were always scheduled for the morning, I never felt like just a number. I always felt like my time was valued and respected.

Roughly $30,000 including costs of medication

The only thing that may be considered a weakness to some is that Dr. Durso can be a bit socially awkward when it comes to small talk or casual conversation. She’s a great listener, though, if you like to chat. Regardless, when it’s time to talk treatment she really knows her stuff and gives you a clear plan and predicted outcomes, and we leave comfortable with every appointment we have with her.

Be open and honest with her. She would’ve stopped us after our 3rd IUI and moved us to IVF but we weren’t comfortable without one more try. She listened to us and gave it a 4th and final attempt. Now we are comfortable moving into IVF with ICSI since our attempts revealed MFI in addition to my PCOS.

Because of my PCOS we had to use Provera to jumpstart the first treatment, as well as Letrazole tablets because previous attempts with Clomid (at my former OBGYN) failed. We did 4 IUIs using Gonal-F and triggering with Ovidrel. I was also placed on progesterone suppositories and Estrace, both taken vaginally. None resulted in pregnancy but male factor infertility was revealed.

We have not yet undergone our first IVF round but I did ask if we would be able to transfer two embryos. Dr. Durso highly recommends only transferring one because it will ultimately be safer for mom and baby.

Dr. Chason has always treated us with respect and felt like our concerns were always valid. For example our recent miscarriage at 15 weeks resulted from a genetic disorder. She gave us all the options going forward. Dr. Chason called us before our telehealth visit to order labs for us ahead of time.

Ask all the questions whether or not you think it's silly. Dr Chason will always answer it to the best of her ability.

IUI we used clomid for 3 cycles and switched to Letrozole with HCG trigger shot. She thought based off of my age and diagnosis we would have success. We ended up not havimg success so we started IVF. For IVF Dr. Chason chose an agonist protocol with Gonal-F and Menopur. She decided on a dual trigger Lupron and HCG to try and avoid OHSS due to my small weight/ follicles. She was very attentive to adjust my meds and I did not have OHSS. On egg retrieval day we had 15 eggs, 9 were mature, and we ended up with 5 embryos. We transferred 1 fresh 5 day blastocyst which worked. Although we ended up miscarrying at 15 weeks due to a rare genetic disorder. We did not PGS test due to our ages. I am 30 and my husband is 33.

We had to pay for some of our medications. Most of our appointments had a copay. We had to pay for embryo freezing and will need to come out of pocket for PGS testing of our frozen embryos.

My Dr prefers eSET. We never discussed transferring more than one based off of my age.

Dr. Reh is very professional and sensitive to how emotionally fraught infertility treatment can be. She always treated us and our decisions with respect. She was understanding when we initially sought treatment at another clinic for financial reasons and also understood that finances affected other decisions like opting out of PGT-A testing. I also appreciate that from the beginning she emphasized that my behavior or diet or supplement regimen was not contributing to my infertility. I was confident that she was trying the treatment that had the highest odds of success.

Don’t expect to be able to reach her directly. I have heard that other doctors in the practice are more accessible. She would call to give important results but otherwise all communication is through her nurse.

Lupron stop protocol yielded 1 abnormal embryo, antagonist with estrogen patch protocol yielded 1 embryo and miscarriage, micro lupron flare yielded 2 embryos and miscarriage. The goal with each was to increase my low number of mature eggs but changes in protocol did not yield a different outcome, despite trying different trigger times/types.

22,500 for shared risk plus cost of medication

eSET is preferred but two embryos transferred due to multiple failed cycles.

Dr. Doyle is the kind of doctor that feels like family. He cares about you and your well-being. He is very interested in achieving a healthy pregnancy while keeping you healthy as well. He is upfront and honest. Dr. Doyle is gentle and understanding how difficult this process can be. He is very attentive. I have had to have multiple surgeries but I have always felt safe because of Dr. Doyle. I trust him with my body and my future family.

Be honest with Dr. Doyle. He will listen to you and understand. He will create a plan that will be in your best interest. If you need to talk to him, call him. He may not be available at the time but he WILL call you back...even if it is late at night. He is committed.

I had a surgery to unblock one of my tubes. I have been on clomid, injections and the trigger shot. I then had 6 IUIs thus far with donor sperm.

IUI is a few thousand and IVF is about 10 thousand.

Dr. Widra was always pleasant, kind and compassionate, and every appointment I had with him felt judgement-free. I felt like Dr. Widra cared about my well-being and truly wanted to help me reach my fertility goals. I communicate in a very matter-of-fact fashion, and Dr. Widra was able to take my fertility vision and put it into a medical protocol that made sense to me and was appropriate for me.

Just be yourself and be honest with your goals.

I am a single mother by choice. My fertility numbers were good enough to start with an unmedicated IUI, so that's what we did. I had one IUI that didn't take (not uncommon). I have since changed course because of my desire to have multiple children so I will be undergoing egg freezing. Dr. Widra was very open to this and immediately set a new protocol in action to determine the best course of action for my changed goals.

My insurance covered a lot of it, so fortunately I haven't paid a whole lot. I've only gotten one IUI done thus far though, so my costs will increase as I have more fertility treatments.

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I have been a patient of Dr. Devine's for several years. First, in my late 30s I was diagnosed with an early stage breast cancer. I saw Dr. Devine to undergo a round of egg freezing before beginning a long-term medication to prevent a recurrence. I had a successful round of egg freezing at that time. Several years later I returned to Dr. Devine with my husband to thaw and inseminate the eggs. At the time of our consultation, Dr. Devine presented us with the most recent statistics on egg freezing and let us know that our prospects of a successful pregnancy with the frozen eggs were only just above 50%. Although this was disappointing news, we truly appreciated Dr. Devine's ability to be direct, honest, and clear about our chances, while remaining compassionate and cautiously optimistic. Unfortunately, this set of eggs did not result in viable embryos for transfer. My husband and I then decided to proceed with a new round of IVF. Again, Dr. Devine took the time to walk us through the statistics and provide us with guidance. Ultimately, this round of IVF did not result in embryos for transfer, but Dr. Devine was with us through each step. She took the time to personally call us as results were coming in about the growth of our embryos and discuss what this would mean for our future options. In particular, we have truly appreciated how Dr. Devine never tires of our questions (sometimes with both my husband and I on the phone line) and always takes the time to provide detailed answers. We had planned to continue to the next step in our fertility treatment with Dr. Devine until we were interrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

You should know that you are in extremely good and capable hands with Dr. Devine. She is not "selling" fertility treatment to you. She wants you to have the agency to make choices with her guidance. This means that she has a very science-based approach - meaning to say, she is personable and has a good sense of humor, etc. but she will ensure that you know the facts and chances you are dealing with, even if they are uncomfortable to hear. Given how much financial and emotional capital you are about to spend, that kind of no-nonsense honest approach is extremely important.

Femara, Gonal-F/Menopur, Cetrotide

Monitoring appointments are pretty convenient. Although a time is set the day before with your nurse, I've found that earlier appointments require a lot less waiting then appointments in the later part of the morning.

Costs at SGF are high. Unfortunately, we do not have any insurance coverage for fertility treatment so the expenses have been extraordinary.

Dr. Nair was direct and honest. Initial consult was very informative and she was incredibly positive at the idea of being a single mother by choice. She saw me in person when I started treatment and hormone levels were very elevated, she explained everything and I understood my process clearly. She called to deliver the final news as well for my successful treatment.

Understand that you will not be able to see the doctor every visit and that you are in good hands with the rest of the clinical staff.

Started with standard Gonal 112 and started Menopur 1 vial on day 4 perhaps? Needed to dial back the gonal down to eventually I think 25-50. I triggered a day earlier than anticipated. We didn't want to hormones to outpace the growth of the follicles.

Loved that it was very early morning. Basically walk in even though there are appointments, dependent upon how many people were there. Staff was friendly and moved as quickly as they could.

$11,000

At this time I have only met with Dr. Reh once for my consultation. She made recommendations but also allowed me to make my own informed decision. Due to having endometriosis and one blocked tube IVF is the preferred treatment. My insurance does not cover IVF so I decided to begin with IUI for a few cycles. Dr. Reh moved forward with my desired treatment. Following initial ultrasound she reported to her staff that I would have to take birth control for one month prior to proceeding. I just started Clomid cycle with Gonal f injection

Have all documents in order to present to her so that she can review them with you in the room. If she has questions she can ask. Make notes of your questions and ask them at the end...once she is finished talking

Initial ultrasound, one month of birth control, Clomid (5 days) and Gonal f injection plus trigger shot, IUI. I am currently still taking the Clomid

Kaiser insurance: thus far $377 for Rx, $450 for IUI, $30 office visit

It was explained that single embryo is preferred. I am not at this stage yet so we will see what happens in the future

His knowledge and competence is without question. As a doctor myself, I had to remind him that I wanted to know every detail without the sugarcoating or layman's optimism. Because he was not available without an appointment, it was difficult to speak with him about questions or concerns. This was frustrating because it was my first cycle. He is thorough and compassionate if the news is not as hoped as was our case. He has adjusted treatment based on our specific results and explained the next steps.

Patients have all different backgrounds and those who want to know more detail should be treated accordingly within reason.

Based on AMH, FSH, it was determined that my ovarian reserve was more than adequate and similar to someone approximately 5-6 yrs younger however quality was still unknown. The protocol was about 15 days and began with gonal f 150iu and 75iu of menopur. The menopur was increased up to 225 in the last week. I took doses of Cetrotide and used Leuprolide as the trigger. 17 eggs were retrieved, 13 of which were mature. 9 embryos were fertilized with 2 making it to day 6. Embryo testing of the 2 showed chromosome 21 trisomy and chromosome 21 monosomy. My husband and I were sent out for karyotype testing and awaiting results.

We did a multicycle package with a military discount and paid additional 5k for blast genetic testing. Altogether the services were 18k without medication.

Given our age and no children, we will be transferring more than 1 blast if available.

Warm, honest, compassionate, and expert. I fully trust her advice and recommendations and feel like I could not have a better doctor for this journey. She truly cares about her patients, and can evaluate each patient’s specific needs to determine the best course of action. She tells the truth, shares empathy, and always strives for the best outcomes for each patient. She is a Godsend.

This is the doctor that you want to work with! She’s on your side and in your fight as much as you are.

During early processes for elective egg freezing at age 37, it became apparent that I had diminished ovarian reserves and might not have the outcome I wanted. Dr Nair delivered these facts gently and compassionately, and was willing to be as aggressive and patient as I was willing to be. It took a maximum amount of ovarian stimulation each cycle, and I took 4-6 days longer than average to get to the right blood level numbers (showing optimal ovarian stimulation) each cycle. Other doctors would have likely cancelled my first cycle when it took so long. Dr Nair did discuss this possibility and ramifications with me, but did let me keep trying a bit longer. Turns out, I’m just a slow goer; we successfully harvested 6 eggs the first round, which I was ecstatic about given my poor indicators. She helped me maximize each of 3 cycles, through medication decisions, and was my cheerleader throughout the process. We harvested 18 eggs over 3 cycles (over 2ish years) and froze 17 mature eggs. A few years later, my new husband and I are starting the process to thaw and fertilize and hopefully transfer an embryo! As with the freezing procedures, I trust and valie her recommendations 100%.

My medication costs were at the highest end of the spectrum, due to my situation. Dr Nair’s team gave me tips on how to find the most cost effective pharmacies to fill them. The per cycle cost was hefty, yes, but I truly felt that I got what I paid for, from start to finish.

Not yet!

Dr. Kulshrestha is very warm, approachable, and friendly. She listens to patient concerns and is great at drawing diagrams to really drive information home. She has made this experience at lot less daunting.

Be patient. Everyone's treatment is specifically tailored to their needs so that the best outcome can be reached. There is no "one size fits all" approach with Dr. Kulshrestha.

Femara 2.5 mg, increased to 5 mg daily to help with follicle stimulation. Ovidrel (trigger shot) and IUI 48 hours later. Progesterone suppositories to maintain uterine lining. 2 week wait for blood draw pregnancy test. We attempted timed cycles prior to IUI #1.

I will start this by saying that I have had a long and traumatic journey to get to my SGF graduation--I was a patient for over two years and suffered two miscarriages, a corneal ectopic pregnancy, and at least six negative pregnancy tests. And with every setback, Dr. Devine was sympathetic, encouraging, and confident that we would achieve success. And while I'm not sure when I'll stop holding my breath, I can close my eyes as I write this and hear the rhythmic thudding of my baby's heartbeat on the ultrasound machine. I am also trained as a psychologist and understand the value of evidence-based treatment; my husband is an attorney and finds solace in rules, numbers and facts. Dr. Devine is a researcher at her core--something we have both respected and appreciated throughout this process. She is consistent in her approach: compassionate, particularly during our repeated losses, and at the same time straightforward. She was also always available for a call (or, since COVID, a video call). I never felt like she was being anything less than honest with me. No upselling, no B-S. And when I wanted to explore my options, she was responsive--balancing her clinical opinion with a willingness to try it my way, if that's really what I wanted to do. For example, when I wanted to explore transferring two embryos, she shared with me the statistics (Yes, it would increase the probability of a live birth, but the probability a live birth per embryo was drastically lower.) and her clinical reasons for preferring singleton pregnancies, particularly for women with my BMI. We also explored the research on using more Progesterone (PIO) prior to/during transfer; Adding Prednisone and/or Lovenox to my transfer protocol (which may have been the magic bullet); and the risks of PGS testing on an embryo's viability. We were excited to say goodbye to Dr. Devine as we 'graduated' to an obstetrician--not because she wasn't a great doctor, but because we are elated to FINALLY be closing a door on what has been a painfully long chapter in our lives and marriage. Should fertility continue to be an obstacle (which I expect it will), we plan to return to Dr. Devine for any/all attempts at future siblings for baby M.

Do not be afraid to ask for her time and come to the appointment armed with questions. She will take her time to answer all of them.

IUI #1 - Clomid - Cancelled due to over-response IUI #2 - Femera + Estrace (lining support) - Not pregnant IUI #3 - Femera + Menopur (1/2 vial) - Not pregnant IUI #4 - Femera - Not pregnant IUI #5 - Femera - Not pregnant IUI #6 - Femera + Menopur (1/2 vial) - Not pregnant IVF Retrieval #1-3 - Follistim, Menopur, Gannirelix, Lupron, Zithromax --all produced 12-16 eggs; 6-8 embryos, 2-4 PGS-normal embroys FET #1 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Miscarriage at 6 weeks FET #2 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Corneal ectopic FET #3 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) - Miscarriage at 5.5 weeks FET #4 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (100mg) *for implantation support* + Baby asprin + Prednisone (7.5mg) *for implantion support / immunosuppression* - Not pregnant FET #5 - Estrace (2mg) 3x/daily + PIO (50mg) + Baby asprin + Prednisone (7.5mg) + Lovenox *for implantation support* - Currently Pregnant

I have amazing insurance. The vast majority of my costs have been for co-pays, embryo testing, and cryopreservation.

She strongly encouraged us to transfer one embryo at a time, citing the risks of twin pregnancies and preferring to give each tested embryo its best chance at survival.