Penn Fertility Care

Samantha Butts was recommended to me by my GYN. During our first consultation, she made me feel at ease and answered all my questions in detail. I liked how quickly and candidly she delivered information to me and I felt her warm bedside manner which confirmed the previous reviews that I had read about her.However, throughout the process, our communication declined. It became very difficult to get in contact with her directly even when using the portal, most times there were repeated follow ups, and as changes occurred during the process a plan that was initially communicated and agreed upon would be changed with little to no communication /explanation which created further delays. Once she and I had a discussion about the lack of and difficulties in our communication, it improved immediately and our standards of communication has remained consistent. Furthermore, she offers great medical insights on what may be going on with you and your cycle and makes recommendations based upon these insights which eliminates the cookie cutter response and approach.

At the initial onset and throughout the process, as needed, express to her your communication needs.

Before starting any process, a hysterosalpingogram was performed and due to the results a laparoscopy followed. Once these procedures were completed, discussions about IVF followed. The IVF protocol I was prescribed was Lupron 10 units & Gonal F 400 units for egg retrieval resulted in 24 eggs being retrieved. This protocol was used because my previous cycle was canceled.The IVF protocol for frozen transfer was Lupron & Progesterone which resulted in a positive pregnancy which was later on miscarried.

The monitoring appointments were from 6:45 to 9 am and they were very convenient for my work schedule. Your wait time was minimal and you were seen, in and out quickly.

2019, Invocell was $6500 and IVF was $8500. Both included single embryo transfer, mock transfer, blood draws, ultrasound checks, and storage. IVF transfers were $2500.00. In 2020, IVF transfers are $3500.

Her approach was elective single embryo transfer for both the fresh and frozen transfer. However, I inquired about multiple embryo transfers due to my age and she discussed with me the pros, cons, and trade offs and she is willing to transfer multiples.

I wanted to write this review before we transferred so I could share my experience without bias stemming from success or failure. I have had consultations with three REs and been in treatment with two, so I'm writing about Dr. O'Neill in relation to my general experience of the fertility industrial complex. PROS: -willing to listen and try newer diagnostics such as ERA and DNA fragmentation testing, *if you suggest them* -considers research brought by patients when developing a treatment plan -will initiate phone calls (vs. portal messages) outside of official consultations for quick discussions on next steps forward -seems to have a consultative approach and often mentions working with her Fellows and other colleagues to come to a decision on treatment. -while I would not say she is deeply informed on the role of race in infertility treatment, I was able to bring up the subject and she did not shy away from it -Genuinely kind and empathetic when you get bad news CONS (with the note that I think many of these are universal problems in high-patient volume clinics) -Not so good at communicating with her nurse. On multiple occasions I've gotten one set of medication instructions from Dr. O'Neill, a different set from the nurse, and had to ask her to double check with Dr. O'Neill. -Can be overconfident when she's incorrect about something - e.g. you believe you are having a procedure to look at X and Y issues, but she only remembers issue Y, so you have to ask her to go dig through your records to find evidence of issue X NEUTRAL/GENERAL INFO -Seems to err on the side of slightly conservative measures when it comes to making adjustments in treatment protocols. As mentioned above, she's open to ideas, but when left to her own devices, her style seems to favor treatments with a long track record of success -Does not give estimated probability of success (I didn't ask for it either) -Can be blunt and action oriented or warm and sympathetic at turns

Very efficient. Never had to wait more than ten minutes and usually in and out within thirty minutes total. I like that they have soothing images of clouds, etc .on the lights! Each treatment room has its own private bathroom, which is a plus.

I had insurance through Aetna (NJ) so most of my costs were covered. I did pay out of pocket for sperm freezing ($350ish/year), embryo storage ($430/yr), and mock transfers ($240)

Dr. O'Neill bases her transfer protocol for untested embryos on anticipated number of euploid embryos by age. For example, if you have three embryos and research estimates 30% aneuploid, she would transfer one embryo, then two, since we'd assume at least one of those embryos would not be viable.

I have found Dr. Gracia to be intelligent, responsive and warm. She is generally quite receptive as well but there are times that I feel she could be a bit more open to a different idea or a less studied approach or intervention.

She is a great RE and has always made me feel that she cared about my treatment and wanted me to have a baby. Be educated and direct about what you would like to try and she is often receptive.

For my first cycle an agonist protocol was used. I produced a lot of eggs but only had 1 left on day 5 to transfer. For my next 2 cycles antagonist protocols with human growth hormone (both freeze all and then frozen embryo transfers) were used and these were more successful (4 embryos and then 3 embryos to freeze).

My first cycle was about $10,500. My second cycle was $5500 ( and $2000 for an additional frozen embryo transfer cycle). My third cycle was $8500. None of these prices included medications which were an additional $2500-$3500 each full cycle. There are also embryo storage fees that are about $250 every few months.

My doctor was willing to do either eSET or 2 embryo transfer depending on the situation and my preference.

He is very nice and kind. The clinic is very busy and I felt like a number. We always felt overwhelmed and needed more direction and guidance after leaving this office. It was stressful. Thanks

Make sure you ask lots of questions and feel comfortable that your doctor will be overseeing your case. You need to trust your doctor, whoever you choose, for this overwhelming process.

IUIs. First we did a natural IUI, the second time I requested I was on a medication so he dose Letroxol

IUI procedure, meds, ovadril shot, Monoriting and consults (that you have to book if you ever want to speak or hear from your physician )

We left the group before IVF

Dr. Kalra is a very kind and knowledgeable woman. We saw her after two natural miscarriages, and the OBGYN pointed us towards Penn to try and get some answers as to why it happened twice. Dr. Kalra sat down with us and mapped out the next steps and what blood work and tests were needed. She explained the process of pregnancy and why miscarriages happen from time to time. While under her care, my husband and I went on two have two more miscarriages and she could not have been more compassionate during that time. She really felt for us and it showed. During the course of treatment, often times you will see the nursing staff and not necessarily your doctor. When I did see Dr. Kalra, she was really great.

I think it is important to ask questions. While she explained everything to us, asking for clarification or more detail can be very important. Often it is very emotional and overwhelming when receiving all of the details, so come prepared with questions!

After receiving the initial testing back, Dr. Kalra told us to try on our own for a few months. We did and it resulted in a pregnancy that then ended in miscarriage (#3). We met with her again and she told us to try on our own. When nothing happened after 4 months, I started Clomid and timed intercourse. The following month we did Clomid and IUI, which failed. I then got my period too soon and thankfully a wonderful NP stepped in and viewed my chart and changed me to Letrozole. We then did three more IUI cycles, all which failed. During this time, I did not have any communication with Dr. Kalra and had it not been for the WONDERFUL NP, I most likely would have left Penn. Following the IUI failures, we met with Dr. Kalra again and were going to move towards IVF. However, I ended up getting a new job, and we put that on hold for the summer. Low and behold, I ended up pregnant again on my own, with yet another miscarriage (#4). Now we are awaiting results and another doctors visit.

The four rounds of failed IUI cost me about $1000 out of pocket.

Dr Barnhart was thorough and caring. The clinic is big so I did see a different doctor for each procedure and often times I only saw the nurse or tech. I would get a phone call from his nurse in the afternoon with instructions. I do feel like he was not that present for my cycles as I am sure he was involved behind the scenes managing everything.

Know that he isn’t a fluffy guy, he is matter of fact and to the point which I appreciate

My fresh cycle and retrieval cycle I was on a “high responder” protocol. My stim meds started out low and I used them for 9 days before trigger. I was only on progesterone for yhe transfer and it was not successful. For my frozen transfer I was on an antagonist protocol. I took Lupron during my leutal phase, got a cycle then started estrace, aspirin and started progesterone 6 days before transfer. Currently waiting to see if this was successful

The IVF package did not include embryo freezing, testing, or a mov transfer.

Dr Barnhart was open to transferring 2 embryos after my failed fresh cycle.

Dr. Mainigi is thorough, communicative, compassionate, and incredibly detail-oriented. During a really vulnerable time, she completely put my partner and me at ease. She knew so many details about my story during each of our conversations and was able to talk about my medical history in detail without even glancing at my chart. She is incredibly prepared for each appointment. She's also very empathetic and completely understands the delicate balance between emotional urgency and cost. Would recommend to anyone -- She's the best!!

Provide her with as many details as possible, as she takes everything into consideration when creating an individualized plan. She's also incredibly honest and communicative, so you'll get thorough answers to your questions.

After my initial testing (bloodwork, ultrasound), I had a hysteroscopy to evaluate whether or not I had a uterine polyp. Dr. Mainigi wanted to take this step after one of my ultrasounds because the alternative was to wait and do a second ultrasound weeks later -- which, in addition to not being efficient, wouldn't have enabled her to treat any polyps if she found them. Post procedure, she recommended that I begin IUI because she knew that I had already been trying for a long time and was eager to move forward as quickly as possible. She was very understanding when I delayed this by a couple of months after finding out that my insurance doesn't cover any fertility treatments, and supported my decision to try Clomid alone for two months. When that didn't work, we started the IUI process. I'm undergoing my first round now -- She generally recommends 3 rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF.

I had a great insurance plan during my initial visits and hysteroscopy, so I only had to pay $10 copays. Under my new insurance, I've had to pay for everything. The Clomid costs about $16/month (for 10 pills). A round of IUI is $1000 and a round of IVF is $8000. I was also told that IUI with injections is $2000 but I haven't undergone this procedure and don't know very much about it. Those prices do not include associated prescriptions. The one injection for my IUI was around $35 under my insurance plan. I believe I paid around $100 for my most recent consultation.

Dr. O'Neill has a warm and engaging demeanor. She is thorough and accessible in her explanation of options and procedures. She is understanding of the financial pressures of using donor sperm and makes sure my wife and I are fully on board with the plan at each step of the process. I appreciate her careful balance between expressing optimism and hope, and being realistic about the process of fertility care. I would recommend her without any hesitation to any of my friends or family members in need of fertility care.

Be open and honest about your needs and desires, and never shy away from asking questions about your treatment. Dr. O'Neill will truly partner with you in this process.

I have PCOS, and was put on letrozole protocol (days 4-8), as it is shown to be more effective than Clomid in PCOS. Given that we have the expense of donor sperm, Dr. O'Neill offered to do monitored cycles with trigger shots to optimize our timing for IUI insemination. She also offered to let us use home OPKs if we preferred to have a less invasive/clinical approach to conception as a lesbian couple without "proven infertility" (by insurance standards). We opted for the monitored cycles, but appreciated her sensitivity to our situation. We have not been successful in our first four cycles so far, and are in the TWW for our 5th.

IUI cycles are $1000 plus meds

N/a

Dr. Butts was extremely thorough when developing my treatment protocol. She requested surgery records from my OBGYN and used all the information gathered to give me predictions of my chances of success with retrieval cycles and my overall chances of conception in general. As a patient who tends to worry, Dr. Butts was able to assuage my fears with evidence based information and years of experience. I truly felt that we were in this journey together and that she would be willing to do whatever possible to help me achieve success.

As with any doctor, develop a list of questions and feel free to ask for explanations as often necessary. As a difficult to manage case, I had many concerns along the way, but Dr. Butts was always responsive and able to provide answers to my questions.

Initially we tried estrogen pill priming, then a course of daily Gonal-F and Menopur with ganirelix added at the end of the cycle. The outcome was initially as expected. For the next cycle, Dr. Butts suggested a different protocol with estrogen priming, then twice daily micro dose Lupron and daily Gonal F. We saw improvement in results the second time, which really boosted my confidence is Dr. Butt’s ability to alter the protocol using information gained from previous cycles. We used he second protocol for the third cycle as well which was successful.

All costs were paid out of pocket. Fees for an egg freezing cycle were extremely reasonable. Penn gets a drug discount that is passed on to the patient. I paid 1/3 the cost of medications compared to what I would have paid at another clinic, saving me thousands of dollars. Of course I would have paid full price is necessary, but getting the same medications for less was a nice benefit.

I have not gotten to this stage yet.

Dr. Butts is knowledgeable and well-intentioned. She is flexible, and was willing to change my plan based on new information. But either she is pulled in too many different directions or she does not have sufficient time to spend with patients. I felt like I was a burden to her through my care cycle. She would express exasperation when faced with questions - rather than viewing patient questions as an opportunity to clarify and solidify the plan, she was defensive and vague with her responses. She expressed confidence that she knew my case very well, but frequently brought up factually incorrect information related to the medications I should have been taking and my medical history. She was difficult to reach and often unavailable. She did not express compassion for miscarriages and other challenges that I faced during my time in her care. I did not feel that she truly cared about or was invested in my fertility outcomes.

I would recommend for patients of Dr. Butts to be prepared to advocate for themselves.

Monitoring appointments were convenient with relatively short wait times.

Approximately $5,000 out of pocket costs with insurance coverage including required mock transfer (out of pocket only), medications, and co-pays/deductibles.

Dr. Sondheimer is very kind and compassionate. He takes the time to fully understand your story and your goals. I felt like I was very prepared for all of my procedures (HSG, IUI, egg retrieval), and knew I was in good hands. After my first miscarriage, he called multiple times to see how I was doing, both physically and mentally. I never felt like he was rushing me out of his office, and he treated me like family.

Ask every question you have! Write them down and take your list with you. He will take all the time he needs to answer them.

I did a stimulation protocol as follows: 1. Lupron for 10 days 2. Start Gonal-F 3. Add Menopur 4. hCG trigger shot I had monitoring appointments daily during stimulation. I have PCOS, so there was a slight concern of OHSS. My doctor retrieved 23 eggs, 19 of which fertilized. 8 of those matured, 5 were frozen on Day 5, and 3 were frozen on Day 6. I don't recall the exact grading, but my doctor assured me that they only ever froze embryos they thought would be successful as FET's.

I was very fortunate to have insurance that covered fertility treatments entirely. I paid copays for my appointments. The embryo storage fee I believe was $550 for the initial freeze + 3 months, and then $225 billed quarterly after that.

I did not have an embryo transfer yet, but my doctor usually recommends single embryo transfer, because transferring 2 doesn't significantly increase your chance of pregnancy, and also to avoid the risk that comes with carrying multiples.

Dr Butts wants me to have success. She listens to my questions/concerns/needs and has always agreed not to give up until I felt I was finished. When everything we had tried wasn’t working, she would consult with colleagues and come up with a new plan. She makes every effort to be the one to perform all of my procedures, and calls me personally to discuss any outcome or treatment plan.

Try to research everything you can to find out what’s going on with your body. And don’t be afraid to have opinions or suggestions and stick up for yourself if you feel something isn’t right.

I did 3 IVF cycles using a combination of lupron, menopur and follistim. I have low AMH/DOR and a thin lining. I was only able to produce 9 eggs on my best cycle, and 4 eggs on my worst. Those 3 cycles resulted in 2 total embryos that were frozen for later FETs.

Costs were minimal because I work in that health system and my insurance covered nearly everything in network. Once I hit my IVF insurance cap I had to pay $5k-$8k on remaining meds.

My doctor was willing to transfer multiple embryos if the quality wasn’t great. But in my case I only had 2 to work with so we did 2 separate single embryo transfers.

Dr. Masson's biggest strength is his communication. We felt like he was genuinely invested in our care and made every effort to ensure that our other fertility specialists were aware of our needs. He was compassionate and called my husband before and after each procedure.

Don't be afraid to call his office to speak to him directly! His office staff was great about helping us get in touch with him.

Dr. Masson performed 2 TESEs for my husband and he recommended that he take Ubiquinol, Vitamin D and Ester C for a few months prior to the procedure. The first time, my husband was not aware of these recommendations but the TESE did yield viable sperm. He DID take the recommended supplements before the second TESE, which yielded sperm of approximately the same quality as the first time. So I can't say whether or not the supplements helped, but both procedures did yield useable sperm.

The charges associated with my husband's TESE were extremely unclear. We got multiple bills that we were not expecting and they do not inform you about costs associated with sperm storage.

When I first went to see Dr Senapati I didn't know what to expect. She explained all the procedures such as IUI and IVF in great detail. I believe she could come off a little more compassionate as some of the other doctors I've met in the practice.

Dr Senapati throws a lot of information at you at once. Make sure you bring your questions and you take down notes.

I began birth control for a few weeks and then went on 10ml of lupron. On the second day of my period I had a baseline ultrasound to check my ovaries and lining. I started injections (5ml lupron in the morning and 375ml Gonal F in the evening). I had bloodwork and ultrasounds to check my hormone levels and follicle development 4 days later and my dose changed to 5ml Lupron, 300 Gonal F and 150 menopur for the rest of the days. I took my HCG trigger shot on day 11 and had my egg retrieval on day 13 (36 after my trigger shot.) I sent my embryos out for PGS testing and i'm waiting on the results. I don't know the strategies behind or rational because I just did what the nurse told me to do.

From June 2017 until now $62,567 in medical expenses not including prescription drugs. I still have to do the IVF transfer after the PGS results come in.

He is a caring man who has been in this field for a very long time. He is good at direct communication, and I feel that I am in the hands of an expert. He makes himself available as much as possible, and when he is not able to he makes sure I am in good hands with his colleagues. He sometimes seems rushed, but he is always concentrating on me.

Ask all your questions, even the very minute details. And be prepared to not see him all the time.

After a couple of failed letrozole IUIs, I tried a few rounds of clomid IUI. When that didn't work, I added injectables (Follistim). All of those were with Ovidrel trigger. After round 9, I moved to IVF using Gonal F, Menopur, Ganarelix, and Novarel trigger. My retrieval is tomorrow. I have 7 follicles right now. We discussed switching to IUI but Dr Sondheimer didn't recommend it. I am hoping for at least a few embryos. All have this has been with donor sperm, as my partner is another woman.

My insurance covered everything for IUIs except for Ovidrel ($35), and donor sperm washing ($150). For IVF most things have been covered. I think genetic testing (PGS) will be around $1850

He has a strong preference for only transferring 1 frozen embryo at a time. If I do a fresh transfer, he will put in 2.

Dr. Kalra, was great in describing you the basics of how hormones talk to ovaries, egg are produced etc. But she is not interested in listening to your concerns. She would like to push her agenda on you for treatment. I did not like her approach of the way she treats her patients. She can be more compassionate.

She is doctor who runs by numbers, I mean that they want to have good success rates and will take only patients that they think will have better IVF success rates. So if you have DOR, other complications, I will suggest to stay away for her. She will not ask you to do some tests like HSG, hystroscopy etc which at times could be helpful in diagnosing the problem and prevent you from going towards IVF. As I said she wants to IVF and for that she doesnot need fallopian tubes and uterus etc. So stay away from her practice if you want to find diagnosis to your infertility/DOR.

3 cycles of Clomid (100mg) and timed intercourse. No rationale, just trying if it works

was covered by insurance

Doctor Senapati is very good at clearly and patiently explaining things, and takes a very matter-of-fact approach. I always felt very comfortable asking questions, and she never made me feel rushed when we were discussing my care. I always felt like I had a good grasp of the steps we were taking and the reasons behind them. The only reservation I had about her was that my husband and I chose to take a less conventional approach to IVF for religious reasons. We elected to inseminate only a small number of eggs to reduce the chances of excess embryos. We didn't feel like Dr. Senapati always fully understood how important this priority was to us, and we knew she didn't agree with our approach. In the end, we took a path we were comfortable with, but not before we experienced some (respectful) pushback. In summary: If you've got personal ethical concerns about fertility treatments/IVF, consider another doctor who might better understand where you're coming from. If what you want is an expert walking you through your care step by step, she's a great choice.

Don't hesitate to ask questions at any point! She's going to explain a TON of information to you, which can quickly get overwhelming and make decisions difficult. So ask about anything that's unclear, and request to go over something again if you didn't fully grasp it the first time. She'll never make you feel dumb for asking more questions.

Dr. Senapati understood that I wanted to avoid IVF if at all possible, so we exhausted every approach to IUI first. Unfortunately, my extremely sensitive ovaries made this difficult. After I overreacted to even the lowest dose of Clomid, we switched to Letrozole cycles. After I underreacted to even the highest dose of Letrozole, we switched to a hybrid Letrozole+Gonal F cycle. When that didn't work, we used exclusively Gonal F because the dosage can be calibrated so precisely. In the end, we did 14 hormone cycles, with 7 cancelled cycles and 7 IUIs. At that point she recommended we discontinue IUI, so we switched to IVF and I got pregnant after my first embryo transfer.

Dr. Senapati's preferences for single embryo transfer aligned with my own, so we didn't have to discuss it much. From what we did discuss, I felt confident that it was the best choice for my health and for my pregnancy goals. I also felt that the choice was my own and I could have gone a different way if I'd wanted to.

I saw Dr. Butts for general gynecology, because I knew that once I started trying to conceive I would have difficulty based on my irregular periods. Dr Butts diagnosed me with PCOS and then continued to treat me. When I started trying to get pregnant, I had a few (3?) IUIs with her and then she went on sabbatical. At that time I switched to a different provider. I found Dr Butts to be very knowledgeable, very up to date with research, and very approachable. Had I not gotten comfortable with a different provider during her sabbatical, I would have stuck with her.

She can be a quick talker, so be sure to write down all your questions to be sure that you fit them all in. She'll spend as much time with you as you need.

I did a few IUIs with her-- either 2 or 3. I used letrozole alone for the first one, but my ovulation was hard to predict. On the second (and third?) I used letrozole and Ovidrel. Unfortunately none resulted in a pregnancy.

It was just about all covered by insurance, besides a $150 sperm washing fee.

n/a- I did not do IVF with her

My impression of Dr. Kalra is that she is incredibly smart and incredibly busy. I only saw her during consultations. All my other procedures and monitoring appointments were done by someone else (Dr, technician or resident). I did not get a "warm and fuzzy" vibe but, in the end, that was not the most important thing to me. I think the protocol she chose was best for me and when it did not work, she adjusted it.

Come prepared with all your questions because she is impossible to reach outside of specific office visits.

Mostly covered by insurance. Trigger shot was $30. Clomid/Femara $10. Bloodwork $50. HSG $180. IVF ???? likely in the neighborhood of $7-10k

I was told that, due to my age, only one embryo is recommended. I was not given an option for multiples.

From the beginning, Dr. Butts was rude and treated me more as if I was an annoyance than a patient. On my first appointment, she had me wait over 1 1/2. When I finally met with her, she didn't even apologize or acknowledge the wait. She treated me as if I was dumb, yet was visibly annoyed when I asked her to explain anything. She also was unwilling to give her opinion on anything and when I asked her what she thought about PGS, all she would ask was "how do you feel about it?" This is not a therapy session- i wanted her actual opinion. I figured bad bedside manner would be ok if there were results. There were not. I have PCOS- having eggs is not my issue. Dr. Butts cancelled my egg retrieval after 14 days of injections. I believe I was not monitored closely enough and was given a "cookie cutter" cocktail of meds and not one geared towards my body. To give you an idea, my next doctor retrieved 17 mature. I found out that my cycle was being cancelled after 14 days from her nurse. Dr. Butts did not call or reach out. After I called Dr. Butts several times, she finally called me back after hours so that when I missed her call and tried to call back, I had no way of reaching her. When we finally did call, she showed no compassion, did not explain anything, was arrogant and was frankly annoyed that I wanted to speak to her to understand why she cancelled my cycle. When I called Penn and said that Dr. Butts was my dr and i wanted at least a partial refund, they were not surprised to get my call. I can only guess that they were used to it.

find a new Dr. immediately.

She does not monitor you closely enough. I was on menopur, ganirelix, and I forgot the name of the third one- starts with an F and is the pen shot. After I started ganirelix she waited over 48 hours to run my bloods. I have since learned that ganirelix commonly can have an adverse impact on people's estrogen and they need to be monitored closely when started to see if other drugs should be increased to offset the effects. That did not happen with Dr Butts

pricey but not terrible

didnt get that far

Dr. Sondhiemer is a superb physician at this clinic. He is caring and extremely knowledgable and very methodical in his investigative process when trying to root cause infertility. I've been under his care for 14 yrs as a routine gyn patient due to my PCOS. He was on sabbatical when we ended up doing our retrieval and transfer but he routinely checked in with his RN to see how things were going because he wanted to make sure all was going well. He truly cares about his patients and goes above and beyond as a physician.

He can be very straightforward, but not in a blunt manner.

My protocol was the hyperstimulation protocol due to my PCOS. I was very carefully monitored and was lucky to have no adverse side effects and a very successful round of stimulation and retrieval.

Approx $6800 for 1 fresh and 1 frozen cycle, retrieval, all monitoring. Meds not included. They cost about another $2000 given my particular insurance coverage (or lack there of)

Sometimes he can seem rushed, but I find that asking questions gets me a long way. He's very willing to explain everything. I'm on the road to motherhood on my own and he couldn't be more supportive. He's very caring and made sure that I had a good supportive network before I started the process. I went through egg freezing a few years ago and he was great through that also.

Ask questions!!!

I don't remember all the medications for the egg retrieval. I know I started on bcp, was on follistim, menapur and I believe Gonal-F. For the IUIs, I do an ultrasound and baseline bloodwork on Day 3 of my cycle, 50 mg of Clomid days 4-8, another ultrasound on Day 12 to check the follicles. The first IUI I did the trigger shot (Ovidrel) the night of CD 12 and had the IUI morning of CD 14. The second time, they did bloodwork on CD 12 to check for an LH surge which I was starting so I triggered as soon as they got the blood results back, 3pm CD 12 and had the IUI the morning of CD 13. I take an at-home pregnancy test two weeks later and call the office with the results. Due to my low AMH and single ovary, if this cycle doesn't work I'll likely move to IVF.

I don't recall the costs for egg retrieval. IUI is covered by my insurance.

I had a good experience overall at Penn Fertility. Dr Kalra was a great doctor. However, if you're looking to build a close relationship with your doctor this may not be the best place for you. I didn't get to do any of our IUI's or IVF transfers with her. I basically saw her at our consult appointments and when we were discussing our plans. If you got to this practice you will end up with whatever doctor is available at the location that day. It can sometimes feel a bit impersonal.

Dr Kalra used all of our day 3 testing results to decide which protocol to use. She said my AMH was within normal range so she used what they called a high responder protocol. It worked and we had a smooth and successful retrieval with embryos to freeze. Our first transfer was unsuccessful but our frozen embryo transfer gave us a BFP.

IUIs were 1000 each not including trigger shot and clomic IVF was 6775 for retrieval and 2 transfers (I ended up doing 1 fresh and 1 frozen) My meds for stims were 1800 Meds for FET 350 Overall they are extremely affordable in comparison to many other clinics

Dr Dokras seems very knowledgeable, but she is conservative (self-admitted) in her approach - both with medications/dosages and with risk factors (testing required for any existing health issues prior to IVF treatments and number of embryos transferred).

Ask as many questions as you need and do you own research, but trust your doctor while in the middle of treatment - they do have a plan even if you don't understand all aspects of it!

I was on a hyper response IVF protocol due to having PCOS (my understanding of it is that lower doses of injectible meds are used to avoid overstimulating the ovaries). My stimulation phase took several days longer than expected, which meant having to order additional meds, but the eggs produced were very good quality even though the total number was not as high as might be expected with a regular IVF cycle. We ended up with 6 high quality 5 day embryos from that cycle.

We were lucky to have IVF coverage through our insurance and only had to pay 10% deductible and co-pays. The financial counselors at the clinic were very helpful in confirming our insurance coverage and explaining to us what our remaining cost would be for each procedure before starting that treatment.

He was honest and I felt kept me prepared for a setback or a success. I felt like I always had a plan "B" after each visit so I never really had "false hopes". I also liked that he consulted with other top doctors regarding my care at Penn. He told me their opinions as well and what the plan would be moving forward. I felt like they genuinely cared whether I got pregnant and would try anything to get me there!

Ask a lot of questions and request to see him at major appointments. If you aren't comfortable seeing other doctors or fellows, this might not be the practice for you.

I was a DOR patient based off of egg counts and my AMH level so they treated me very aggressively in my first cycle. I forget the name of the protocol but I think it was "mini Lupron". I got canceled after my first ultrasound after having a lead egg (I can't remember the terminology!) so they converted it to an IUI. After that, Dr. Sondheimer treated me with a typical cycle instead of one more used for DOR patients. I used high dosages of Follistim though. I had 6 eggs at my baseline and had 7 mature. They retrieved all and 4 made it to Day 5 embryos. We transferred 2 the first round and I had a singleton (now 4). We transferred two frozen 2 years later and my twins are now 2.

The appointments were in the AM (I would go before work) so they could also draw blood (if necessary) and it would leave time for the doctors to review results and adjust your meds if necessary. It was a well oiled machine that ran very smoothly.

I was fortunate to have been covered by my insurance.

The practice encouraged me to transfer 2 each time. I was hesitant during my frozen transfer but I listened and had a multiple pregnancy. Looking back, I wouldn't change it but it was a shock to the system when I found out both took.