UCSF

I cannot express how grateful I am to Dr. Noel. After two failed transfers, I came to her with one embryo left. She was immediately curious about my birth experience of my first child and my failed transfers. She dug into my history and got curious like the doctors at Spring Fertility had not. She developed a hypothesis about what might be going on. We did an ERA test before the transfer and used those results to time the transfer. She also was very careful and detailed in setting up my protocol. I am happy to say I am 11 weeks pregnant. After my previous experience, I told the nurse it was important for me to see Dr. Noel as much as possible at my appointments. And they totally made that happen. If I ever had questions, she emailed me back right away. And Dr. Noel took her time in my appointments like other doctors had never done before. She never made me feel rushed. Overall, she's smart, detailed, empathetic, a strong communicator, just amazing. I am so happy that I switched for my last embryo!

I don't have any. She's amazing.

ERA test

Dr.Fujimoto was encouraging, thoughtful, and thorough. At every turn, he made sure we understood potential risks. Even though we approached IVF with a sense of urgency, he was measured and took his time taking care to consider all of the facts before making a decision. It can be frustrating when you're ready to go but hurdles keep arising, but I'm grateful for Dr. Fujimoto's measured approach as we can all move forward confident that I'll have the appropriate care in pregnancy.

Take advantage of the face time you have with him. UCSF has a large practice and you'll interact with your care team more often than your doctor. Go into meetings with him informed and ready to ask any questions you may have.

Dr. Fujimoto has a preference for single embryo transfer. His goal is to help a family conceive and deliver to a healthy singleton pregnancy.

At this point, I have only had consultations and email exchanges with Dr. Noel due to COVID preventing continuation of treatment. But I can speak to her professionalism, compassion, and communication styles, all which we are finding exceptional to this point. We have visited other clinics in the Bay area and did not receive this level of care.

Be prepared with questions. She is clearly very intelligent and shows interest in making sure you understand what she is sharing.

I am at the very beginning stage of working with Dr. Noel, so unfortunately I cannot answer at this time, but I am happy to come back and share my full journey working with her.

We do not have insurance that will cover this procedure but Dr. Noel was very helpful in explaining that she could file our application to get a huge discount off of the anticipated fertility medications.

I thought she was a perfect fit for me. Very pragmatic, very straightforward, very clear about what she could bank on happening and what she didn’t have much control over. Very easy to communicate with and accessible for questions. She was cautiously optimistic but also reassuring that it would be fine if things didn’t work out immediately and that we’d adjust and try again.

Call and make the appointment! Don’t wait.

We agreed from the start that I only wanted to transfer one embryo at a time.

Since I have PCOS which is her study direction, I think she provided me and explained some key findings to me clearly. The only thing is she is young and not that experienced, for certain concerns she may not be able to answer and need consult other doctors.

Be prepared before your visit and know what do you really want to do.

I will go ahead with mini stimulation IVF, but so far I haven’t received my protocol or calendar.

Mini IVF costs around 6-7k, IVF one around is around 16k.

She answered all of my questions and is very nice and comforting during the initial consultation. I didn’t feel like I was an exclusive patient of hers. My follow up visits were under the care of multiple other colleagues and nurses. I felt a lot of issues were missed

She’s fully capable of treatment and care, but see if you can request her for all of your procedures

She suggested I start off with IUI. I did five cycles and all of them failed. We proceeded with ivf and egg retrieval with PGs testing of the embryos. I did a fresh transfer and it failed. We were in the middle of going through another round when a different doctor found a hydrosalphinx and I required surgery to remove the tube. I was able to have a successful pregnancy and live birth after that. I feel like they missed hydrosalphinx and I wasted a year of my time and money on IUIs that didn’t work because of the hydrosalphinx.

Dr. Thalia was understanding and made sure she explained everything well. I recovered very fast from a surgery because she is such an expert. She was positive and I will never forget that she told me on my first visit that every pregnancy is a miracle.

Any fertility journey is difficult but have patience along with the doctor. Trust her and her plans. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

He was warm but direct. He spoke very highly about his team and did a warm handoff. He clearly and fairly explained cost and risks and benefits of options and let us decide what is best for us. Most of all, instills hope.

none

He said we should be pregnant given our age and nearly 2 years of trying, so we went straight for IUI treatment plan after an ultrasound and genetic testing. We were delayed given COVID but are moving on to CLOMID + timed intercourse this month and then IUI next month.

So far, only a copay

I thought the clinic especially the nurses were incredible. The only downside is after initial plan was set I never saw Dr. Rosen again and it would have been helpful to speak to him directly. Everything was done in a matter of weeks and the doctor who performed the retrieval was also very nice.

Go in with questions and prepared to freeze.

I don't recall much . except that it took place over three weeks or so.

$12000 - 10k for procedure plus meds and labs

N/A

He's very matter of fact. I liked his straightforward nature, but if you are looking for someone to hold your hand, he's not it.

Dr. Segal helped us through one of the hardest experiences of our lives -- trying to get and stay pregnant. After we miscarried, we were set for the next transfer as I had just received my medications, but then Covid hit, and everything was put on hold, indefinitely. She called and emailed to check-in with us as time went by. She also helped navigate some of the challenges within the UCSF system. We now have an amazing daughter that I am so thankful for. I could not imagine going through this process without a doctor like Dr. Segal.

Dr. Segal is amazing but make sure she is/you are fully supported staff wise (nurse and coordinator).

We attempted two rounds of IUI. Both were not successful. We advanced to IVF. For egg retrieval, stimulation phase we used Estrace, Gonal F, Menopur and Ganirelix. The trigger was HCG. After live transfer, I was on Medrol, Endometrin, Estrace and then a Valium (one-time). For our second transfer (FET), originally, we were going to do the "gold standard" which included progesterone in oil. But then Covid hit, and everything was put on hold. When we re-engaged with Dr. Segal a few months later as things were opening back up, we decided to forgo the progesterone protocol as we had two embryos frozen in the same tube and opted to transfer both. I cannot recall the specifics of the protocol the second round, but it was much lighter. Thankfully, one embryo took.

Unfortunately, I do not. My work provided an infertility benefit that we were able to leverage. We did have to pay our deductible and then 10% of the costs. I believe we paid somewhere between $5k and $10k but cannot be more specific at this time.

I am thankful we decided to do multiple embryos the second time. We were a little worried about the idea of twins but also it helped us get going again after the Covid halt.

Dr. Segal was very patient with our concerns, and we never felt rushed through our many questions. She also, once we had the failed transfer, added a stitch + string to make future transfers easier, which was very effective. She tends on the optimistic / "don't worry about it" side of things, but was also very sympathetic when we experienced setbacks. There was a lot of authenticity and Dr. Segal is up-to-date on research.

Same advice to give anybody with UCSF -- try to coordinate your visits with your primary doctor's shifts.

Dr. Segal prefers single embryo transfer, but we did do a multiple embryo transfer after our first egg retrieval, which only yielded two embryos, one of which went through an unnecessary thaw-refreeze cycle.

I saw Dr. Segal for unexplained secondary infertility. She did all the necessary testing and and performed a hysteroscopy on me before we moved forward with fertility treatments. She was very supportive, listened to me, answered all my questions and guided me in my decisions with her knowledge and experience. I loved working with Dr. Segal and wish that I could continue my regular OB care with her and her team due to how well they took care of me.

My only advice to prospective patients is to get on the list to see her ASAP.

First I had a hysterosalpingography (HSG) to assess the status of my uterus and tubes after 2 years of infertility and an ectopic pregnancy. Then there was some irregularities on my initial ultrasound and I underwent a hysteroscopy to remove some tissue and scarring in my uterus. Next, together, we opted to attempt 1 IUI cycle before proceeding with IVF. I did 5 days on Clomid 100mg, had an ultrasound to count follicles. on Day 10 I did 1 trigger injection of Ovidrel 250mcg. Had the IUI on day 12. On day 14 I began using Endometrin 100mg vaginal inserts. 2 weeks after my IUI I received a positive pregnancy test and used Endometrin until my 10th week.

UCSF sent me an estimated amount for my IUI with my insurance we paid a considerably lower amount than estimated.

I have only fantastic things to say about Dr. Segal. I had complete trust in her expertise and competence and felt heard in my concerns and questions. I never felt rushed or dismissed. UCSF does have an on call model, but I knew this going in. I expected to see multiple physicians— all of whom were of top caliber and very warm— but Dr. Segal always followed up with me directly.

Not sure.

Saline sonogram revealed a polyp, which was removed via out patient procedure. Elevated hormones revealed potential thyroid issue now managed with medication. My husband and I naturally conceived the cycle after polypectomy, so we assume that was a major contributor. Unfortunately that pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage. Because of the time sensitive nature (fear of ectopic), another on call doctor performed the procedure, but Dr Segal called me multiple times that weekend to check in. I then conceived again the next cycle. Between the thyroid and the polyp, I believe Dr. Segal has helped me resolve my fertility issues.

I am very fortunate that my insurance covered all of my treatment and would have covered any IVF cycles had we taken that path. There is a billing coordinator you can talk to about all the details.

It’s my understanding UCSF recommends single transfer as it is safer. I didn’t push for more details.

I had consulted with 3 not-so-nice doctors/clinics before meeting with Dr.Segal at UCSF. The 3 doctors/clinics either talked to me like a sales pitch or brushed me off insinuating that I would lower their success rate. Therefore by that point, aside from seeking for help, I also just wanted someone to be kind to us. Dr. Segal treated my husband and I as her patients the moment we met her. She was so compassionate, explained the process to us clearly, was easy to talk to, and most importantly— I can tell that she wanted to help us achieve our baby goals. She got the ball rolling the day of consultation. Nurses drew blood and listed out the medication I’ll need. Dr. Segal gave us the cliff notes on how to navigate and follow up with their clinic. Essentially, she also told us to be patient but yet follow up with the staff. Additionally, she told us that it was usually the people who stayed persistent who saw success. That really helped set expectations for us — and when things got tough, we reminded each other to stay persistent.

Be mindful that everyone at the clinic is very busy. Be patient with the staff but also stay organized. I was constantly on top of scheduling my appointments, making sure I don’t have any payments outstanding with finance dept (it can delay your treatment), and make sure the nurses have sent the medication authorization to your pharmacy. Also, Dr.Segal is busy. When I don’t hear back in 1-2 days (pending the urgency), I’ve had to follow up and ask someone to check if Dr. Segal has seen my request.

My protocol was lead in with estrace then gonal-f + menopur injections each night for about 5 days. The clinic shut down for 2 months during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. During this time, Dr. Segal prescribed me clomid so we can keep trying on our own. Later my protocol switched to only menopur for 5 days then IUI at the clinic.

Our insurance allowed up to 6 IUI treatments but didn’t cover IVF and medication. Unfortunately I don’t remember the exact cost but I do remember that UCSF IVF were the lowest compared to the other clinics. You pay the entire cycle upfront but UCSF would only charge you the stage you go through. If the cycle stops at a certain point before egg retrieval, you can have the remainder applied to the next cycle. Fertility medication is in addition to the cycle cost. My medication for IVF and stimulated IUI cost around $7-9k each cycle. We did 2 IVF cycles and 5 IUI cycles.

We didn’t have this discussion.

Dr. Mok-Lin was clear with us about what was happening at each stage of care - the risks, the odds - and listened to our questions and concerns. We transferred care to her at UCSF after a negative experience with a practitioner at another clinic. She was professional but empathetic to the additional level of stress we were experiencing.

She will be compassionate but professional.

We brought 4 frozen embryos with us when we began working with Dr. Mok-Lin. During the first cycle to prepare for the embryo transfer, I ovulated and we also found a uterine fibroid. She recommended we cancel the cycle, use lupron for a brief period of time, and then start again. The second cycle worked as planned and the embryo transfer was successful.

I honestly can’t think of anything I’d have wanted in a doctor that Dr. Mok-Lin didn’t do. She was professional and compassionate. She communicated clearly and in a way that we could understand. We had such a wonderful experience with her and her team that we have already recommended her to anyone we know who is pursuing starting a family. Dr. MoK-Lin was respectful, kind, courteous, and we fully trusted her judgement during the entire course of treatment. We are so glad to have gone through this process under her care.

Be open about challenges you may be nervous about. Dr. Mok-Lin was great at setting our minds at ease when we were worried about anything, but also offered solutions and took our opinions into account, so don’t be afraid to voice concerns.

Dr. Mok-Lin did a fresh cycle. She shortened my treatment for egg retrieval because I responded very positively to the injections. I ended up with OHSS, but it resolved after about a week. I can’t remember too many specifics other than that she allowed me to not do the steroids due to my risk for mania.

We paid for a test out of pocket, but financed the treatments totaling a little over $13,000.00. We also paid for the medications out of pocket and those were about $250, if I remember correctly. I also had acupuncture regularly and we purchased donor sperm and had it shipped, which added about $3,500 to our total costs.

I’m very glad we transferred just one embryo. She explained that there was a high likelihood that the embryo would take on the first cycle because we had such positive result with retrieval and fertilization and that the best bet for a singleton was transferring just one blastocyst.

My husband and I felt immediately at ease when we first met Dr. Mok-Lin, and within 5 minutes, we knew she was the right doctor for us. (Our first fertility doctor was great, but he moved to Chicago, so we had to find another doctor at UCSF CRH, which is why we had a meeting with her.) There are so many great things to say about Dr. Mok-Lin. Without this incredible woman, I would not have my twin girls, who are 5.5 years old now, and they are literally the best thing that has ever happened to me! It's been nearly 10 years since I first met Dr. Mok-Lin, and not a day goes by that I don't think about her, picture her kind face, and feel the utmost gratitude for everything that she has done for me and my family. Because of her, I have a family! First of all, she has the best bedside manner. She is very compassionate and understanding. She really listens to you, your goals, your concerns, your fears, and she looks you in the eye when she talks to you. She is also brilliant! She is extremely smart, analytical, and articulate. She really knows her stuff, and she explains everything, including complicated things, very clearly. She is a great communicator. She is also a strategic thinker and makes the best recommendations she can based on her expertise and experience at every given point in the process. On top of that, she's funny and fun to be around! IVF is a grueling process, but my husband and I actually looked forward to our meetings and appointments with her. She treated me and my husband like partners in the whole process. She presented our options, gave her recommendations, and we had discussions about how we would like to move forward during each phase of my IVF treatment. She is also honest and realistic about the IVF process. For example, after a failed transfer, I asked her at what point do people stop trying if they're not successful. And she said IVF is a physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially taxing process, and at a certain point it doesn't make sense to keep going if it takes too much of a toll on, e.g., one's mental health. I really appreciated her honesty and how real she was with us. We worked with Dr. Mok-Lin for about three years off and on, mostly on. We took a break when my mom was sick and dying of leukemia, and Dr. Mok-Lin understood my need to do so, even though at that point I was already 38 years old and time was ticking away. I started treatment again after my mom died. Dr. Mok-Lin knew how much I loved my mom, and she was so kind to me after I told her about my mom's passing. A particular issue I had was uterine polyps. Dr. Mok-Lin performed a procedure to remove the uterine polyps, but within 1-2 months they grew back. Over time, I ended up having several procedures to get my uterine polyps removed, because they kept coming back. We would time my retrievals and transfers when my uterus was "clear" or as "pristine" and free of polyps as possible. Dr. Mok-Lin always performed the procedures, and I always felt safe and protected in her hands. After my first IVF transfer in which we transferred 2 embryos, I got pregnant, but sadly, it resulted in a chemical pregnancy. I was devastated, but Dr. Mok-Lin, my husband, and I regrouped. Dr. Mok-Lin said we would adapt and try a different strategy of transferring more embryos. At this point, I was 39 years old. After yet another procedure to remove uterine polyps and my second transfer in which we transferred three embryos, none of the embryos took. I was totally distraught, depressed, overwhelmed by anxiety, and I absolutely had to take another break. A few months later, after doing a lot of yoga, meditation, therapy, and soul-searching, my husband and I went to the Philippines for the first time to celebrate my 40th birthday. I 'm American, but the Philippines is where my parents are from, so going there had lots of meaning for me. In the Philippines, we decided that we would give IVF one more shot, and if it didn't result in a successful pregnancy and live birth, well, we would be okay with that. And part of why we felt okay with that, is because we had a wonderful, human doctor, who made us feel like we would always always be okay. Of course, we would strategize and do our best to make the best decisions possible, and at a certain point, if my husband and I couldn't emotionally or mentally continue doing any more rounds, then we would be fine. So after we got back from the Philippines, I had another procedure to get my uterine polyps removed, and we had one more transfer in which we transferred 5 embryos! Yes, 5! I was in a very good place emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and 3 of the embryos took! I ended up having a selective reduction from triplets to twins, and I gave birth to two, beautiful, healthy, fraternal twin girls, the loves of my life, thanks in large part to Dr. Mok-Lin. I love Dr. Mok-Lin so much that I named one of my daughters after her. As I said, I think about her every day, and I probably will for the rest of my life. It's doctors like her that make this world a better, happier place. She doesn't have a superiority complex, she doesn't think she's God. She treats her patients with respect. To me, she's just the perfect doctor. I honestly can't think of any constructive criticism, and I'm a very critical person. I mean, I'm a professional editor! I think she just needs to keep being herself and doing what she's doing/doing her thing. Last thing I wanted to say: A family friend of mine from the Philippines who lives in Mexico and is married to a Mexican asked me if I would recommend my fertility doctor. Of course I said yes. 100% yes! My family friend ended up moving to San Francisco temporarily for her IVF treatment with Dr. Mok-Lin, and I'm thrilled to report that my family friend has never been happier. She is now a mom of a gorgeous 6-month old boy! Thank you for everything, Dr. Mok-Lin!!!

Listen to Dr. Mok-Lin and trust her. You are in the best hands.

I already addressed this earlier. Dr. Mok-Lin is a strategic thinker and adapts the plan well based on whatever new challenges or issues that come up. Since after my second transfer, none of the embryos took, it made sense to be aggressive and transfer as many as possible so that hopefully at least one embryo would take. Having a pristine uterus was ideal for implantation, so having procedures to remove uterine polyps was the best strategy.

I can't remember, but it was expensive!!!!!

I already answered this question in earlier comments. For me, it made sense to add more embryos in subsequent transfers to increase the chances of success.

She heard us out, explained the treatment and the process in detail and answered all our questions honestly. She understood our concerns and did not dismiss them. She gave us hope, but also explained the risks in the process.

Share your concerns, and get an informed opinion.

I had the standard protocol for egg retrieval, and our GC also had the standard protocol for embryo transfer.

I believe the total treatment cost us between 10-15K

Our doc recommended single embryo transfer because of the risks involved with multiple embryo transfer. We agreed with that assessment, and we didn't want to transfer multiple embryos either.

As a patient of Dr Segal, I would say I am lucky to have her as my fertility doctor. We may have some set backs during the egg retrieval, but those are uncontrolled set backs. I was already losing hope, but Dr segal was very supportive and she gave us hope, she was one of those people who encouraged us not to loose hope and to give it another try.

Just prepare yourself, and be ready for anything, yet stay hopeful since you have a great doctor.

Sorry, I cannot remember thoroughly all the specifics of my treatments that were done. The first egg retrieval took longer than expected since most of my eggs were behind. 9 eggs were retrieved, 2 were tested but were not viable. Second egg retrieval had to be halted midway, since my eggs were not responding and I did not produce much eggs. The 3rd egg retrieval resulted to 9 eggs, 4 tested and 3 were viable.

I was under Arc Financing

Dr. Segal is a very nice person & a very competent provider. She is compassionate, has empathy towards her patients and treats her patient with respect and dignity. She treated me as if she would treat herself. I trusted her for two of my cycles and i conceived in both, one cycle ended in miscarriage and the other to a beautiful baby boy. I would recommend her to anyone who is having difficulty conceiving.

IVF is not easy, it takes time, patience, energy and resources - take it one day at a time and keep a positive attitude. Do your research. Be transparent with your provider about your expectations and ask a lot of questions.

FET with estrogen patches with agonist

Most were covered by my health insurance. One surgery was not and i paid out of pocket onsite; however they billed my heath insurance again and my health insurance to me. I was charged twice. It was really annoying that they messed up my charges, after multiple calls and talk with supervisor, they fixed the problem. IVF patient already have a lot going on and this mistake on their end was a nuisance

Dr. Segal knew my medical history and suggested no multiple embryo trasfer even though i would have wanted that. She was right, i ended up having a cerclage with a singleton, so i am grateful she helped me make the right choice.

Dr. Segal is a kind, caring, highly knowledgeable provider. I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility in 2020 and got pregnant within a year and a half. I underwent two rounds of IVF with a successful pregnancy. I still have plenty of embryos in the bank for future pregnancies. I will definitely return to this provider for my second.

Understand that fertility treatments are not guaranteed. It's not the provider's fault when the result is unsuccessful.

Covered by insurance.

Fresh transfer with two embryos worked for me!

She was great. I really appreciated how she took the time to provide relevant education and walk us through, step by step, what would happen. I even remember a time she drew a diagram for us, which I loved! She was collaborative and respectful.

To not be afraid to talk openly about concerns. She is very collaborative. For example - I didn't want to use Clomid bs I was worried about the risk for multiples, and we talked in depth about the risks and benefits.

I don't remember!

It was about $40k in total - we paid out of pocket for everything

Dr. Segal is fantastic. I would recommend her to anyone. She came up with a detailed plan and always explained the choices and potential options. I liked to ask a lot of specific questions and she always explained things in person or in follow up emails. I highly recommend her.

Ask questions and advocate for what you want. She will find a plan that works for you.