Dr Cooper was very upfront and kind with us, explaining all the process of transfer to a surrogate (our 2nd one with their clinic, the 1st surrogate got covid and dropped out before starting treatment). Dr Cooper did all the medical screening and checking, and took our frozen embryo and placed it in the right spot...Dr Cooper showed vast experience, guided us through the process did all the relevant evaluations and helped us in the process of transferring our day 5 frozen embryo to a surrogate resulting in a good pregnancy and graduating to OB care...
Staff [at Kindbody] was excellent at communications but sometimes pointed at the portal and was not very clear where on the portal things were (its a pretty bad interface, but its sort of industry standard, several clinics we've worked with use the same provider)...they have several locations in the area, and are part of a bigger network...It makes it a bit of a big company, sometimes you deal with people that are not at the location you think they are...They do have a lot of customers, so it can be a bit difficult to get in touch with them...
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper showed vast experience, guided us through the process did all the relevant evaluations and helped us in the process of transferring our day 5 frozen embryo to a surrogate resulting in a good pregnancy and graduating to OB care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper is excellent, we also met with other doctors at her clinic early on (Dr Klenov and Purdy - all of them excellent). I think the biggest problem was getting timely communications with the nursing staff. The portal is a bit obscure to use and one time we had documents in a place nobody expected them, and were missed by us. So the recommendation is to be very alert to communications and diligently follow up if you don't know exactly what to look for (and where) on the portal.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper was very upfront and kind with us, explaining all the process of transfer to a surrogate (our 2nd one with their clinic, the 1st surrogate got covid and dropped out before starting treatment). Dr Cooper did all the medical screening and checking, and took our frozen embryo and placed it in the right spot. Weeks after we have a positive pregnancy and have graduated from her IVF clinic care to the OB.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
It was lupron, estrace and progesterone injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Brittney)
Staff was excellent at communications but sometimes pointed at the portal and was not very clear where on the portal things were (its a pretty bad interface, but its sort of industry standard, several clinics we've worked with use the same provider).
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
We picked that clinic because originally we had a surrogate nearby, and the clinic was highly rated. We shipped an embryo to transfer to that surrogate, but she got covid before we even closed on the legal paperwork. We found another surrogate but liked the treatment we got with vios, so we stuck with them. We intially worked with Dr Klenov, then Dr Purdy (when Klenov went on leave) and eventually Dr Cooper, the lead doctor.
Strengths: they have several locations in the area, and are part of a bigger network (was vios, now bigger with kindbody). It makes it a bit of a big company, sometimes you deal with people that are not at the location you think they are. In the St Louis area, I think they have 3 locations.
Also: we specifically picked a clinic in IL (even though here its listed as Missouri, but the clinic is in swansea IL, across the border) because of the concerns we had early on with the Roe v Wade decision, not only on abortion, but since many medicines overlap with IVF, we wanted a clinic in a solid pro-ivf state.
They do have a lot of customers, so it can be a bit difficult to get in touch with them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Don't remember exactly, but it was around $4500 for the embryo transfer I think.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
no comments, we did single embryo transfer because we only had 1 and it was pgt tested, and the surrogate wanted single embryo transfer.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
We had one case of the clinic putting a document in one part of the portal while saying it was in a different part of the portal, it took time to solve that (specifically, the calendar of meds to take, at first it was in the documents section, then when finalized it was never updated there, rather in the "calendar" section, and it was unclear which one was the correct one (in fact, it was unclear we should look at the "calendar" and ignore the calendar that was uploaded to the documents section). This did cause a delay, but they worked with us to re-set the protocol and we ended up with a better outcome.
Dr Cooper warned me, that I would take 2-3 egg retrievals before my husband and I had a healthy embryo. Although this news wasn’t ideal, it was so nice to know what to expect...[she] was so quick to change my protocol for round 2, in hopes of being more successful...[she] makes me feel like I’m not alone in this journey. If I have questions, she answers. If she says she’s going to call you, she will call you. There is no doubt that she truly cares
She is like my own personal cheerleader, while maintaining the professional nurse-patient relationship. [my nurse] is always quick to respond with all of my questions and concerns...Vios has been amazing. All of their staff is great. I do feel like they overbook a lot of their appointments, it’s very rare that they are “on time” but I understand the speciality and the acuity of their services, so I don’t really mind.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I cannot say enough about Dr Cooper. I was so scared to start this IVF journey but Dr Cooper makes me feel like I’m not alone in this journey. If I have questions, she answers. If she says she’s going to call you, she will call you. There is no doubt that she truly cares.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t feel like you’re in this alone.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper truly cares. She listens, and always explains everything. IVF is so complicated, but she makes it seem so easy.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Dr Cooper warned me, that I would take 2-3 egg retrievals before my husband and I had a healthy embryo. Although this news wasn’t ideal, it was so nice to know what to expect. Our first egg retrieval didn’t give us the results we wanted, but since Dr Cooper was honest, it made the coping and grieving more tolerable. Dr Cooper was so quick to change my protocol for round 2, in hopes of being more successful. And I know she won’t give up until then.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Lexi)
Lexi is the absolute best. She is like my own personal cheerleader, while maintaining the professional nurse-patient relationship. Lexi is always quick to respond with all of my questions and concerns. I feel like there is no judgment from Lexi, and I know I can go to her for anything and everything.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Vios has been amazing. All of their staff is great. I do feel like they overbook a lot of their appointments, it’s very rare that they are “on time” but I understand the speciality and the acuity of their services, so I don’t really mind.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I drive 1.5 hours each way for my appointments with Vios. They are so johns and considerate and truly do their best to have an appointment that fits my schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
The cost of IVF is less than ideal. My very first appointment with Dr Cooper she warned me that my insurance wasn’t easy to get coverage, and recommended I look at a different company. Because of her recommendation, I was able to switch. But it is still very expensive, even after having “good insurance” I pay over $400 a month, and had to pay $7,000 out of pocket. Along with $3,500 for PGT. It is definitely a big factor of my stress.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I haven’t really gotten to the topic of embryo transfers, as we don’t have any to transfer yet. But I will trust Dr Cooper in whatever she decides is best for me.
She [Dr. Cooper] has always been kind and willing to offer any additional resources to ensure that this process is doable...I have been very impressed with Dr. Cooper and how personable she has been...Come with questions--Dr. Cooper is eager to answer them and make sure you truly understand the process...greeted us with as much warmth and enthusiasm this time around as she did back then...
[at Kindbody] The portal is a wonderful asset. I also really enjoyed the interactive videos that were meant to inform patient about the process. This helped me to feel more prepared for my IVF cycle. I love having my own assigned nurse-- I feel like I have built a relationship with her and can ask questions that would normally be uncomfortable for me to ask...Every question I have, she [nurse] answers with the same amount of importance, no matter how minor it may be...
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper seems to be very knowledgeable on the IVF process as a whole. It is still early in our IVF journey, but I am hopeful for that with her experience, we will be successful in expanding our family. She has always been kind and willing to offer any additional resources to ensure that this process is doable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Come with questions--Dr. Cooper is eager to answer them and make sure you truly understand the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
So far, I have been very impressed with Dr. Cooper and how personable she has been. We had initially discussed IVF in 2020 with her; however, we are paying out of pocket for these services. We revisited the IVF process in 2022 and our hopeful for positive results. Though, we did not move forward in 2020 due to the cost, Dr. Cooper greeted us with as much warmth and enthusiasm this time around as she did back then.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Follistim-175 IU increased to 225
Menopur- 75 units
Ganirelix- 1 syringe
We are mid-cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Lexi)
Lexi has been a huge positive in this whole process. She is always willing to answer my (many questions) and usually gets back to me the same day--she responds first thing in the morning, as well as later into the evening. Every question I have, she answers with the same amount of importance, no matter how minor it may be.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The portal is a wonderful asset. I also really enjoyed the interactive videos that were meant to inform patient about the process. This helped me to feel more prepared for my IVF cycle. I love having my own assigned nurse-- I feel like I have built a relationship with her and can ask questions that would normally be uncomfortable for me to ask.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
$18,500
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr. Cooper had previously spoke to the benefits of eSET. However, we have not yet had our retrieval, so I believe this will be further discussed in the future.
Dr. Cooper was funny, kind, considerate, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient. She has likely heard every question in the book but never appeared like her job was too routine. She treats each patient like her only patient and is respectful and personable...I did not feel I was being treated differently as an LGBTQ person.
The [Vios Fertility Institute - St. Louis] staff at the front desk and who took vitals in the clinic were considerate. The office always seemed busy with appointments seldom running behind schedule...Often times, you talk to several people related to financial questions in the online portal which can be frustrating...I did not feel I was being treated differently as an LGBTQ person.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper was funny, kind, considerate, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient. She has likely heard every question in the book but never appeared like her job was too routine. She treats each patient like her only patient and is respectful and personable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Schedule the consultation so you can spend time one on one with Dr. Cooper and ask all of the questions so you can make the most educated decision about what feels right for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper was incredibly personable and met with my wife and I multiple times, even virtually for a scheduled appointment during COVID.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Following the start of my cycle, I went to the clinic regularly for ultrasounds, when the eggs were mature, I began an oral medication for 5 days in a row. When I was given the go ahead, my wife administered the medication into my abdomen. 24 hours later, the IUI occurred. I found out I was pregnant two weeks later.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Becca)
She was always at my appointments and seemed to recall who I was each visit. She spoke quickly and relayed much information. She is very knowledgeable and is patient.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Constant Communication with this clinic is very much necessary in order to ensure requests are followed through, records of payment are posted, and changes in plan of care are recorded. Often times, you talk to several people related to financial questions in the online portal which can be frustrating. The staff at the front desk and who took vitals in the clinic were considerate. The office always seemed busy with appointments seldom running behind schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
All inclusive single IUI cycle for around $1.000 since we were paying out of pocket for all services.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
No comment
How competent was Kindbody - St. Louis at LGBTQ+ care?
I did not feel I was being treated differently as an LGBTQ person.
Describe your experience using 3rd party reproduction (donor eggs, donor sperm, or gestational carrier) at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I did not have any issues using third party reproduction. I felt slightly frustrated about having to complete counseling to make sure my wife and I were ready for this step, however I understand it is the routine for all potential families.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Stated in report of clinic previously as it relates to financial balance and confusion over information billed.
Dr. Cooper is very knowledgeable and was able to explain all processes and procedures very well. She made sure to discuss all test results and fertility options clearly and concisely. Dr. Cooper has been able to answer all of my questions concerning treatment and procedures...I was sufficiently educated on the risk of multiple embryo transfers.
The ultrasound nurses were phenomenal! They explained what they were looking for during the ultrasounds and anwsered all of my questions...I've paid $600 for each IUI cycle and $300 in medication for each cycle...The clinic should work on transparency with cost since they require all bills to be paid off at each visits. You never know what your bill is until you are at your appointment. The nurses that I see at the monitoring appoints are great and have great service.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is very knowledgeable and was able to explain all processes and procedures very well. She made sure to discuss all test results and fertility options clearly and concisely. Dr. Cooper has been able to answer all of my questions concerning treatment and procedures.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I would advise a future patient to do your research and ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
At times it seemed difficult to get in contact with a doctor or nurse.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
During the first IUI cycle I took Letrozole and the trigger shot. My follicles grew to a fair size but the lining of my uterus wasn't as thick a fair measurement. The second round of IUI I had the same protocol but added follistim. I had several follicles that grew to 18-20mm. The third cycle, I had the same protocol as the second cycle. This cycle was cancelled because I had too many large follicles.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amanda)
The ultrasound nurses were phenomenal! They explained what they were looking for during the ultrasounds and anwsered all of my questions. The primary RN, Amanda, was difficult to get in contact with and many times forgot to send my medication to the pharmacy.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The clinic should work on transparency with cost since they require all bills to be paid off at each visits. You never know what your bill is until you are at your appointment. The nurses that I see at the monitoring appoints are great and have great service.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I've paid $600 for each IUI cycle and $300 in medication for each cycle. Now I'm preparing for an IVF cycle.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I was sufficiently educated on the risk of multiple embryo transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I've had a staff member think I was in an IVF cycle when I was in an IUI cycle. I've had issues with medication not being sent to the pharmacy a couple of times
Dr. Cooper advised a single embryo transfer for my first transfer as pregnancy with twins is riskier...She is very busy so it is sometimes hard to get in to see her. I wish I could have spoke with her a couple times during monitoring sea sessions...We decided to do a frozen transfer so that my body had time to recover from the retrieval. We did one transfer. I was on estrogen, progesterone, and baby aspirin
The [Vios Fertility Institute] nursing staff was great. If I called in the morning I could get a return call in the evening...They have good communication. I do wish I could have spoke with dr Cooper or my nurse during some of my monitoring visits, but I understand they are very busy. I would have liked to have some information of “what if cycles fail” just so I knew more about what to expect ahead of time.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is very companionate and caring. She is very busy so it is sometimes hard to get in to see her. I wish I could have spoke with her a couple times during monitoring sea sessions, but I do understand she has a very busy schedule.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Be patient
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
She seems very caring and you can tell she wants the best for her patients
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
We attempted an IUI with medications but I developed too many eggs so it was cancelled. I took injections and pills for retrieval and got 22 eggs. However, unfortunately we only had 3 successful embryos to freeze. We decided to do a frozen transfer so that my body had time to recover from the retrieval. We did one transfer. I was on estrogen, progesterone, and baby aspirin. However, this FET did not result in pregnancy. We have 2 embryos yet and plan on trying FET again. However, I am waiting for my apt with Dr. Cooper to discuss if there is any reason for the failure or anything we could change for next time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
The nursing staff was great. If I called in the morning I could get a return call in the evening.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
They have good communication. I do wish I could have spoke with dr Cooper or my nurse during some of my monitoring visits, but I understand they are very busy. I would have liked to have some information of “what if cycles fail” just so I knew more about what to expect ahead of time.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Monitoring was hard to schedule with work because certain apt’s had to be scheduled at late notice. Monitoring apt’s were the same each time-bloodwork and ultrasound
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
My insurance paid for 50% of costs after I met my deductible. My IVF cycle cost me $3,000. My monitoring appointments were around $200 each I believe. I had several monitoring apt’s with my cancelled IUI, before egg retrieval, and before FET. The medications for egg stimulation and preparation for FET I had to pay out right and costs me around $3,000.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr. Cooper advised a single embryo transfer for my first transfer as pregnancy with twins is riskier.
[Dr. Amber Cooper] will see us in the office, talk on the phone and text which I love! It takes awhile to get in for a 1x1 in the office but if it can't happen soon enough, she will call us. She has sent us to a great referral of hers when surgeries were needed. She always explains things well and is honest with her concerns, feelings and goals for us... My husband has lost sperm count so we knew after one round IUI, etc that IVF was our best option.
I had a nurse tell me she was assigned to me that I never heard back from [at Vios Fertility Institute]. There are other nurses that I would rely on and ask for when I called bc of their great service when I was in the office...my fertility Insurance received the notification that I was doing a different treatment plan than what I was which waste of time and also confuse the insurance company and that caused issues...Weaknesses: Very unorganized or at least comes off that way. Payments, treatments, insurance mistakes have all been made which is concerning and doesn't help my faith or trust. Rude at times- my husband and I have not gotten rude front desk employees when coming in. We pay good money and are in a very emotional place in life so a friendly, informed face would be helpful when coming in the door
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper will see us in the office, talk on the phone and text which I love! It takes awhile to get in for a 1x1 in the office but if it can't happen soon enough, she will call us.
She has sent us to a great referral of hers when surgeries were needed.
She always explains things well and is honest with her concerns, feelings and goals for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Get on the books early! Be your own advocate!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
My concern has always been with the VIOS office not Dr Cooper. It comes across as disorganized at times which makes me feel worried.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Letrozole, IUI, time intercourse and IVF. We plan to do our second embryo transfer or IVF cycle ASAP.
My husband has lost sperm count so we knew after one round IUI, etc that IVF was our best option.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Yes)
I had a nurse tell me she was assigned to me that I never heard back from. There are other nurses that I would rely on and ask for when I called bc of their great service when I was in the office. I have given Dr Cooper this feedback as well.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Weaknesses:
Very unorganized or at least comes off that way. Payments, treatments, insurance mistakes have all been made which is concerning and doesn't help my faith or trust.
Rude at times- my husband and I have not gotten rude front desk employees when coming in. We pay good money and are in a very emotional place in life so a friendly, informed face would be helpful when coming in the door
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
My work benefits cover a lot. We paid about $8000 for our first cycle of IVF.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
When I have called to pay some bigger bills and the employee has not been totally comfortable with processing payment or navigating through my file. The other thing that happened was my fertility Insurance received the notification that I was doing a different treatment plan than what I was which waste of time and also confuse the insurance company and that caused issues.
Dr. Cooper is an amazing, caring and compassionate doctor. She is like a walking anatomy book...[she] is able to answer any question that I've had and is able to explain it in a way that's left me more knowledgable on the topic as a patient...focused on finding out what the issue could possibly be first. Once she was able to identify and treat the problem she focused on a treatment plan that was best for my age and my partner.
They [Vios Fertility Institute] also have multiple locations that makes appointments more convenient when there are options. Be sure to have co-pay and insurance cards for appointments and I encourage all to bring their partners with them in case you miss something...I have insurance coverage for IUI. My Copay is always $45 per visit. My genetic testing was under $200. Copay for current treatment is under $200
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Strengths: Knowledgeable, Compassionate, trustworthy, Gets results for different things.
Cons: This may not be a con...She is a busy Dr due to having so many patients. This seems like a good thing though. She gets referred by many of her patients.
I'm not a fan of having to work with several different nurses. Its hard for all of them to be on the same page if information is not passed down.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I would say do your research 1st on what to expect when going to see any infertility specialist this will save yourself and the Dr time on focusing on your treatment. Dr. Cooper is very good at what she does and you would not want a set back in treatment due to finances etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is an amazing, caring and compassionate doctor. She is like a walking anatomy book. She is knowledgable and it's like talking to your favorite college instructor. I'm not sure how else to describe her, but that was my experience as well as a friend who is currently seeing her. Dr. Cooper is able to answer any question that I've had and is able to explain it in a way that's left me more knowledgable on the topic as a patient. She is very well respected amongst her peers. My OBGYN knew who she was immediately and the previous fertility Doc I was seeing before knew of her as well. They had great things to say about her. I was referred to Dr. Cooper by another friend who conceived on her 2nd round of IUI and had a beautiful baby girl.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Dr. Cooper focused on finding out what the issue could possibly be first. Once she was able to identify and treat the problem she focused on a treatment plan that was best for my age and my partner.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Strengths: Compassionate, helpful
Cons: Too many overseeing one patient. When communicating with them chances are you'll have different nurses responding. Not all of them are on the same page. Not sure how much is passed on to the next nurse.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Nice clean space. Inviting atmosphere. There are always snacks and beverages available. The staff is very friendly and attentive to both myself and my partner. They also have multiple locations that makes appointments more convenient when there are options. Be sure to have co-pay and insurance cards for appointments and I encourage all to bring their partners with them in case you miss something. Two sets of ears are better than one.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I have insurance coverage for IUI. My Copay is always $45 per visit. My genetic testing was under $200. Copay for current treatment is under $200. I have not yet gotten to the IUI just yet.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr Amber Cooper is very thorough. Very kind hearted and makes you feel comfortable from the very first moment. The only downfall is the medical terminology used. I don't understand some of the words she uses so I have to ask what she's talking about. Then she explains with no judgement. My experience as a patient has been wonderful. I felt from the very first moment of meeting her that I could ask anything. Every time I ask something she talks with me as an equal. I finally feel like I have someone helping me figure all this out. The infertility road can be a very lonely one. So it's nice to feel like I have support from my Dr.
The strengths of the clinic [Vios Fertility Inst] are staff is very personable and warm. You feel right at home sometimes you don't even feel like you're at "the doctor" in a good way. ... Also the financial advisor part of the clinic isn't very helpful on suggestions for self pay patients. ... The weaknesses are communicating with each other. I've had a few times that one nurse tells me something and another nurse tells me something different.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Amber Cooper is very thorough. Very kind hearted and makes you feel comfortable from the very first moment. The only downfall is the medical terminology used. I don't understand some of the words she uses so I have to ask what she's talking about. Then she explains with no judgement. My experience as a patient has been wonderful. I felt from the very first moment of meeting her that I could ask anything. Every time I ask something she talks with me as an equal. I finally feel like I have someone helping me figure all this out. The infertility road can be a very lonely one. So it's nice to feel like I have support from my Dr.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Before your first consult do your homework. Write down any questions you have so she can explain things to you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Everyone at vios treats my husband and I like humans. Very warm and considerate.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Ive only had one IUI with Dr Cooper. I was on letrozol for 5 days then follistim injections on day 3,5&7 then trigger shot 36 hours before iui
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Very pleasant and helpful. They just need to communicate with each other a little better.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The strengths of the clinic are staff is very personable and warm. You feel right at home sometimes you don't even feel like you're at "the doctor" in a good way. The weaknesses are communicating with each other. I've had a few times that one nurse tells me something and another nurse tells me something different. Also the financial advisor part of the clinic isn't very helpful on suggestions for self pay patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
$2500 for IUI and $14,500 for our upcoming ivf cycle plus medication cost
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I had some prescription issues. They have been called in too late for delivery. The clinic fixed the problem asap though.
[Protocols with Dr. Cooper included] IVF- normal protocol...no eggs retrieved...IVF- low dose flare protocol one egg retrieved...IVF- low dose flare protocol no eggs retrieved...was very sympathetic and was very informative with the information she gave us...Seeing Dr. Cooper was stress relieving...She explained everything very well and always made me feel better have another failed cycle. She always tried to understand what was going on with my cycles and to charge the protocol to best fit my needs. She understood the way I was feeling and always tried to help me stay positive. I understand how hard Dr. Cooper’s job must be but she always made me feel like I was a priority.
[The nurses at Vios Fertility Institute are] Very polite and had a positive attitude. I believe they were overloaded with patients sometimes where they forgot to call in prescriptions and send portal messages...[monitoring appointments were] Very well organized...IUI 1500X3...IVF cycle 1 and 2 together 14000...IVF cycle 3 11,000...Meds 17000...The clinic was always very clean, workers were very polite and energetic, and the staff always seemed to know what they were doing. Undergoing all my treatments I never felt uncomfortable going under during IVF retrieval or going through any of my IUI. I always felt as if I was getting the best care.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute)?
Amber Cooper was very informative, police, professional, and caring. She explained everything very well and always made me feel better have another failed cycle. She always tried to understand what was going on with my cycles and to charge the protocol to best fit my needs. She understood the way I was feeling and always tried to help me stay positive. I understand how hard Dr. Cooper’s job must be but she always made me feel like I was a priority.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute)?
Very polite and has a lot of experience to help find the best protocol for your treatment plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute)?
Dr. Cooper was very sympathetic and was very informative with the information she gave us. Many of the nurses were too busy to actually handle their job properly. Seeing Dr. Cooper was stress relieving.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute) and their degree of success.
Clomid/trigger with IUI
Letrozole/trigger with IUI
Letrozole/follistim/trigger cancelled IUI
IVF- normal protocol no eggs retrieved
IVF- low dose flare protocol one egg retrieved
IVF- low dose flare protocol no eggs retrieved
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute).
Very polite and had a positive attitude. I believe they were overloaded with patients sometimes where they forgot to call in prescriptions and send portal messages.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute).
The clinic was always very clean, workers were very polite and energetic, and the staff always seemed to know what they were doing. Undergoing all my treatments I never felt uncomfortable going under during IVF retrieval or going through any of my IUI. I always felt as if I was getting the best care.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute).
Very well organized
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute).
IUI 1500X3
IVF cycle 1 and 2 together 14000
IVF cycle 3 11,000
Meds 17000
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute)?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute).
One time I had a nurse call the wrong pharmacy for my prescription.
7
Doctor
Amber Cooper
NPS
Humanity4 of 5
Communication5 of 5
Frequency Seen3 of 5
Trustworthiness5 of 5
Compassion5 of 5
Explained risks5 of 5
Adaptability5 of 5
7
Clinic
Kindbody - Chicago (formerly Vios Fertility Institute)
Dr. Cooper has a way of making you feel like you are her one and only patient. She truly wants the best for her patients. She is a great listener and takes into consideration my thoughts and feelings before moving forward with any treatments...She thinks back to previous patients that have similar back ground and problems as I have and try to incorporate some treatments that may have helped them.
For the most part the nurses [at Vios Fertility Institute] were good with communication and kept me up to date with the plan and called with my results relatively quickly. There were some nurses that were more caring and compassionate than others but overall I am happy with my care...Monitoring appointments typically went really quickly and easily...mainly the front desk workers could use improvement. They weren’t always friendly and welcoming
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper has a way of making you feel like you are her one and only patient. She truly wants the best for her patients. She is a great listener and takes into consideration my thoughts and feelings before moving forward with any treatments. She makes sure I am comfortable with the protocol we may choose to move forward with. She explains her thought process and goes into full detail about everything we are doing. I love that she is willing to try whatever it takes, protocol to protocol, to get to the end result, a healthy pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Feel free to ask her any questions and have her explain to you what you don’t understand. Trust her and have faith in her decisions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr.Cooper has taken time out of her evening at home to give me a call to check in on me to see how I was holding up and feeling. She has met with me in person and held my hand as I cried. She’s so kind hearted and caring. She makes you feel like you are her only patient.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Dr. Cooper always looked at the statistics and history of the protocols being used. She thinks back to previous patients that have similar back ground and problems as I have and try to incorporate some treatments that may have helped them.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
For the most part the nurses were good with communication and kept me up to date with the plan and called with my results relatively quickly. There were some nurses that were more caring and compassionate than others but overall I am happy with my care.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr. Cooper and 90% of her nurses are wonderful and I couldn’t describe a single negative thing about them and that’s what keeps me coming back to Vios. As far as the other staff, mainly the front desk workers could use improvement. They weren’t always friendly and welcoming. I feel there is a lack of communication with them. When we first came to Vios we did not receive much help filling out our paperwork to get my records from previous offices. They handed off the papers and we were pretty much on our own to fill it out and figure out what all we needed. There was an incident where my primary insurance was taken off of my account somehow and resulted in a ton of confusion between me, the team, my insurance company and my secondary insurance. It took months before someone finally found the mistake and was able to fix it. When we finally got ahold of the head of the financial department, she was able to help us and was very apologetic.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Monitoring appointments typically went really quickly and easily. I have no complaints with my monitoring appointments.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
My primary insurance company was taken off of my chart and resulted in mis-billing. It caused us to have to pay over $2000 out of pocket and months before we were refunded our money once the mistake was found.
Dr. Cooper is a fantastic doctor. She is very knowledgeable and stays up to date with fertility studies and data. It is very clear that she individualizes treatment and does what is best for each patient...recommended a single embryo for each transfer. She said the risk of multiples was not worth it, especially with my small size...After 5 transfers, we have had 5 positive betas, but lost each one of them. We have recently looked into other possibilities: DNA fragmentation, ERA, Receptiva (endometriosis), and had a varicocele repaired on my husband
The office [at Vios Fertility Institute] struggles to communicate at times, does run over on appointment times, and can be difficult to get a hold of. However, the doctor and the nurses are the ones treating you. Treatments are individualized and the quality of treatment is there...We have waited for results only for them to never come. I’ve had to call the after hours line for results and next step directions. Multiple times our records have not been sent to another physician by our appointment, but they always say they legally have so many days to send them (which they do)
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is a fantastic doctor. She is very knowledgeable and stays up to date with fertility studies and data. It is very clear that she individualizes treatment and does what is best for each patient.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Don’t hesitate to speak up. If you have a question or an idea in mind, share with the doctor. She is very receptive and has the same goal as you!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
When the office is really busy, I do feel like they are just going through the process to get through y’all the appointments. More often than not, everyone at the office is very compassionate and makes you feel human!
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
Egg retrieval #1- antagonist protocol, 13 eggs retrieved, 11 mature, 9 fertilized, 4 embryos
Egg retrieval #2- antagonist protocol, 11 eggs retrieved, 5 mature, 5 fertilized, 1 embryo
Egg retrieval #3- antagonist protocol, we changed the trigger shot thinking it was possibly a trigger issue last time. 13 eggs, 5 mature, 3 fertilized, 1 embryo. We sent this embryo and one remaining from the first cycle for PGT and 1 came back normal.
After 5 transfers, we have had 5 positive betas, but lost each one of them. We have recently looked into other possibilities: DNA fragmentation, ERA, Receptiva (endometriosis), and had a varicocele repaired on my husband.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie)
We have seen many of the nurses, but Amie has been there for majority of our journey. We trust Amie and her opinion. Sometimes we just want a realistic point of view and Amie will always give us that if we ask. She has always been compassionate and is our biggest cheerleader!
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Overall, I would recommend Vios. We have seen a lot of changes over the years, which is why we are able to be so critical of the office and procedures for things.
The office struggles to communicate at times, does run over on appointment times, and can be difficult to get a hold of.
However, the doctor and the nurses are the ones treating you. Treatments are individualized and the quality of treatment is there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Co-pay for any appointment that you saw the doctor (unless it was a surgery visit), they tried to send our blood draws to quest if it wasn’t for monitoring (my insurance covered quest), PGT - $4400 each time it’s done
Extra tests we opted to have (all at an extra cost): ERA, Receptiva, Fertilome, DNA Fragmentation, endometritis biopsies, hysteroscopy, seman analysis
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Our Doctor recommended a single embryo for each transfer. She said the risk of multiples was not worth it, especially with my small size.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
There have been times where an appointment wasn’t put in the computer, but we had a time. They always saw us anyways. We have waited for results only for them to never come. I’ve had to call the after hours line for results and next step directions. Multiple times our records have not been sent to another physician by our appointment, but they always say they legally have so many days to send them (which they do).
She [Dr. Cooper] listened very well, stayed calm, was honest, but hopeful...right now & the ivf cycle we just did, did not work, however instead of saying let’s just try it again, she added a extra step to increase our odds...We added folistim to this cycle to help the eggs grow. While it helped, my egg quality was poor. So next time she is using testosterone...
We have not met a lot of the nurses [at Washington University School of Medicine], they call with instruction & can answer questions. There is not a assigned nurse to us...[facility]Very calming, intimate, quiet. I really like how they would always answer the phone...We really liked the consult room, they are dim, with a couch & chair, snacks, sound machine, very relaxing instead of doctor office.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
We loved Amber as soon as we met her, she had a comfortable friendly feeling to her that helped us in return feel comfortable. She explained everything so in detail & explained every situation. We are still working with her (she moved to vios fertility, that’s where we are seeing her) right now & the ivf cycle we just did, did not work, however instead of saying let’s just try it again, she added a extra step to increase our odds.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
Be open to everything & listen up, she has a lot of knowledge & she has the ability at vios to be creative with your treatment to give you exactly what your body needs
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
When meeting with Dr. Cooper, it did not feel like a doctors appointment. It felt like a consult, very comfortable feeling to be able to share all of my past & my hopes of having children. She listened very well, stayed calm, was honest, but hopeful.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Washington University School of Medicine and their degree of success.
We added folistim to this cycle to help the eggs grow. While it helped, my egg quality was poor. So next time she is using testosterone.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Washington University School of Medicine.
We have not met a lot of the nurses, they call with instruction & can answer questions. There is not a assigned nurse to us.
Describe your experience with Washington University School of Medicine.
Very calming, intimate, quiet.
I really like how they would always answer the phone. My previous place did not & it was frustrating. Could use a nicer front desk lady, she is rude at times. We really liked the consult room, they are dim, with a couch & chair, snacks, sound machine, very relaxing instead of doctor office.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine.
The cost for ivf at vios is $14000 (not including meds)
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Washington University School of Medicine.
From the first time we met Dr. Cooper, we instantly felt comfortable and at home, like she was the doctor we were meant to be with. She listened to all of our concerns, answered our questions, and we never felt rushed or pressured to follow a plan we didn’t feel comfortable with...We knew we didn’t want to do genetic testing on the embryos, and we were very upfront about our concerns with having too many embryos as we plan to use all of them. Dr. Cooper listened to our concerns throughout the whole way and tailored our plan to something we felt comfortable with. We did a freeze all egg retrieval followed by 3 Singleton frozen embryo transfers. Third time worked and we are expecting our first child! Every time we met with Dr. Cooper through the process, she always knew who we were and felt like she genuinely cared for us like family. I couldn’t ima
I had 3 different nurses that worked with me regularly [at Vios Fertility Institute]. All of the were excellent. They were very responsive to any of my calls and answered any of my questions...All staff was very friendly. The clinic has every patient do all lab work in house which originally seemed like a chore for me given that we live 2 hours from the clinic, however, all our test results were back same day so I came to like having labs done there despite the drive. The clinic does an excellent job monitoring patient progress with regular ultrasounds and lab work which I found comforting as well.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
We had a wonderful experience as her patients. She was honest about our chances with IUI after we tried one round and we decided to move to IVF. We knew we didn’t want to do genetic testing on the embryos, and we were very upfront about our concerns with having too many embryos as we plan to use all of them. Dr. Cooper listened to our concerns throughout the whole way and tailored our plan to something we felt comfortable with. We did a freeze all egg retrieval followed by 3 Singleton frozen embryo transfers. Third time worked and we are expecting our first child! Every time we met with Dr. Cooper through the process, she always knew who we were and felt like she genuinely cared for us like family. I couldn’t imagine going through this process with any other doctor. We plan to return as soon to use our remaining embryos.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Be patient with Dr Cooper getting to your appt on time. She normally is running a little behind but it’s because she takes the time to really address each patient’s needs. Every time she was with us, she never rushed us or hurried along our appointment, so anytime she was late to our appointment, I assumed she was giving her undivided attention to another couple.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
We had been to a well-known fertility specialist prior to Dr. Cooper and felt like a number. From the first time we met Dr. Cooper, we instantly felt comfortable and at home, like she was the doctor we were meant to be with. She listened to all of our concerns, answered our questions, and we never felt rushed or pressured to follow a plan we didn’t feel comfortable with.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
We had tried 3 rounds of Clomid and 2 rounds of Letrozole prior to seeing Dr. Cooper. Once we had our initial consultation, we wanted to continue with another round of letrozole and timed intercourse. We weren’t ready for IUI. After letrozole failed, we moved to injectables with timed intercourse for 1 cycle. We then did injectables with IUI which failed. At this IUI, we found my husband’s counts and motility were significantly low giving us about a 5% success rate if we continued with IUI. We decided to move to IVF. We had a freeze all egg retrieval. I have PCOS so it was assumed I would over respond to the medications and it was recommended to get my body back to baseline before doing a transfer. We had 28 eggs retrieved, 25 fertilized using ICSI, 14 grew to day 3 and 7 made it to day 5 blastocyst stage and were frozen. We did 2 frozen single embryo transfers using assisted hatching back to back that turned out negative. Before moving to our third transfer, Dr. Cooper recommended a uterine biopsy and endometrial receptivity assay, which we did. We followed those procedures with our third single embryo transfer with assisted hatching and had success! I’m currently 12 weeks pregnant with baby #1 and was discharged from Dr. Cooper at 10 weeks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I had 3 different nurses that worked with me regularly. All of the were excellent. They were very responsive to any of my calls and answered any of my questions.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
All staff was very friendly. The clinic has every patient do all lab work in house which originally seemed like a chore for me given that we live 2 hours from the clinic, however, all our test results were back same day so I came to like having labs done there despite the drive. The clinic does an excellent job monitoring patient progress with regular ultrasounds and lab work which I found comforting as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Our treatment was covered with our insurance so we only had copays for our visits and medications.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr. Cooper recommended single embryo transfers for us as our embryos were great quality. Because we had 7 embryos, we had made a plan to do single transfers for the first 3 as they were graded slightly higher than the remaining 4. The remaining 4, we planned to do in sets of 2. Now that I am pregnant from the third single embryo transfer, I am very thankful we only transferred 1 to reduce any risk I would have had carrying multiples. Even now when I think about our remaining 4 embryos, I’m leaning toward doing those as singletons as well.
I chose to have a consult with Dr. Cooper based off reviews I had read on Fertility IQ after having a bad experience with my local RE. I never thought I could leave a fertility consult feeling so hopeful, and excited to continue my treatment with her. She explained everything thoroughly-our issues, possible treatment plans, etc...She has asked my opinion on how treatment is going, accepts any ideas I have and we collaborate on what my next steps should be
[Vios Fertility Institute] is relatively new, and they're busy! But that doesn't take away from your care! They do occasionally run late for appointments, whether its monitoring or a follow up...they do everything at their Swansea location...Amie [a nurse] is the absolute best. She is so sweet and caring. She answers my messages and returns calls in a timely manner
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I chose to have a consult with Dr. Cooper based off reviews I had read on Fertility IQ after having a bad experience with my local RE. I never thought I could leave a fertility consult feeling so hopeful, and excited to continue my treatment with her. She explained everything thoroughly-our issues, possible treatment plans, etc. She never makes you feel like a number or a statistic. She takes the time to listen to you, and talks through your options with you. She has asked my opinion on how treatment is going, accepts any ideas I have and we collaborate on what my next steps should be. She is kind, empathetic, intelligent, and compassionate. I truly wish all doctors were like Dr. Cooper.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Trust her! She always listens to you, and she customizes the treatment plan to YOU.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper and her RN Amie are fantastic, as well as the rest of the VIOS (Swansea) team. I have not once felt like a number, or just another patient in the office. They provide so much support for us and I really feel that they are invested in me, and truly care about myself and my husband, and our outcome.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
IVF round #1: Menopur & Follistim in the evening for the first 5 days or so, then added in Ganirellix (in the am). Dosing for the Menopur and Follistim were adjusted based on ultrasound and lab results. Triggered with Lupron. Successful egg retrieval (14 eggs retrieved, 9 mature, 7 fertilized, 3 blasts biopsied & frozen. Started on Estridol after next period start to prep for transfer, but no PGT-SR normal embryos. FET cycle cancelled.
IVF round #2: Increased starting doses and changed the adminstration schedule this time- Menopur in the am, and Follistim in the pm, for the first 5 days or so. Then added in Ganirellix (in the am). Again, dosing was adjusted based on ultrasound and labs. Triggered with Lupron. Egg retrieval-8 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 5 fertilized, 0 blasts.
IVF round #3: New protocol- Omnitrope daily x 4 days, Letrozole daily x 5 days Dexamethasone daily, Lupron 2x/day, Menopur daily, Follistim daily. No dosing changes were made throughout this stim cycle. Trigger with HCG. Successful egg retrieval- 35 eggs retrieved, 23 mature, 18 fertilized, 3 blasts biopsied and frozen, 1 PGT-SR normal embryo!
August 2019- cycle off, ovulated late. Switched to ERA/mock transfer cycle. Used letrozole x 5 days, dexamethasone daily, estrace 3x/day (morning and afternoon dose oral, evening dose vaginal) When lining was greater than 7, added in aspirin and PIO daily.
IVF round #4: Same protocol as round #3. No changes made throughout, again triggered with HCG. Successful egg retrieval-34 eggs retrieved, 27 mature, 21 fertilized, 4 blasts biopsied and frozen, 1 PGT-SR normal embryo!
FET #1- Same protocol as mock cycle, except following ERA results--added an extra day of PIO, and did doxycycline 2x/day x14 days. Embryo fully hatched, no issues with transfer. Ultimately embryo did not implant.
IVF round #5: same protocol as rounds 3&4. (I was sick (had fever) in the beginning of this round). No medication changes throughout monitoring. Egg retrieval: 14 eggs retrieved, 8 mature, 8 fertilized, 1 blast biopsied and frozen, blast was PGT-SR abnormal.
Currently prepping for IVF round #6, plan to use same protocol as previous 3 egg retrievals.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie)
Amie is the absolute best. She is so sweet and caring. She answers my messages and returns calls in a timely manner. She's a huge supporter of me, as well as all of her patients. I honestly don't know where I'd be on this journey without her.
Honestly, all of the nursing staff is wonderful. No complaints here!
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Vios is relatively new, and they're busy! But that doesn't take away from your care! They do occasionally run late for appointments, whether its monitoring or a follow up, but what doctors office doesn't? A big strength for me is that they do everything at their Swansea location! I already travel over an hour to the office, so it is great that no more additional travel to other facilities is necessary.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
After insurance (deductible NOT met), I paid roughly around $130 for the consult and a follow up appointment, $70 for labs that had to be sent out to another facility, $130 for SHG, and $1100 for MRI. When insurance open enrollment rolled around, I signed up for a second policy with a different insurance company because my primary insurance does not cover fertility treatments. When starting IVF, I met my deductible and out of pocket max with my first medication order (I think it was $6500), and since then have only had to pay for cryopreservation of embryos ($1200 each retrieval) and the genetic testing of embryos. The insurance/finance staff at Vios was able to petition my secondary insurance for partial coverage of the genetic testing due to my diagnosis. I do pay out of pocket for certain medications (Omnitrope, and Progesterone in ethyl oleate. This is due to Omnitrope not being covered by insurance, and I am allergic to the PIO insurance does cover)
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
For my specific case, she will only transfer 1 embryo to minimize risk of multiples due to my unicornuate uterus.
She [Dr. Amber Cooper] is always there for you and is rooting for you 100%...She has helped me immensely during this process...For IUI: femara for 5 days and then a trigger shot (ovidrel) 36 hours before IUI. IUI performed by a nurse...ERA came back receptive with at least 125 hours of progesterone. And a small small case of endometritis. Treated with doxycycline for 14 days...Vitamins: COq10 (600 mg), prenatal, vitamin d, super B complex, fish oil. Taking before next retrieval along with a low carb diet. Only took vitamin D and pre natal before 1st retrieval Doing another retrieval in October. Will add in PGS testing.
Amie [nurse at Vios Fertility Institute] is one of the best nurses I have ever had. She is very knowledgeable and makes sure you fully understand everything. Meredith is also one of my nurses and is the same. Also Karen, she primarily drew my blood and was always very gentle...Strengths: definitely being there for you. They are always rooting for you. Also their response time to when you ask a question is within the same day which is very important. Weakness: you may have to wait a bit for your appointment especially in the mornings because it is busy. But honestly to me that is a good sign because it means they are doing a good job. Just be prepared for them to be running a little bit behind. Not by much though.
(Q121) which of the following did your treatment with the include?
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
She has helped me immensely during this process. We have been TTC for over 4 years and we’re referred last year. I would refer her to anyone. I know this will work and she really wants it to work for all of her patients.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Just know that she is a very busy doctor and that adjustments to your appointments may need to be made in case of emergencies
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
She is always there for you and is rooting for you 100%.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
For IUI: femara for 5 days and then a trigger shot (ovidrel) 36 hours before IUI. IUI performed by a nurse.
For IVF: gonal F and menopur for 5 days. Then add in cetrocide for 6 days. then trigger with Lupron Also took doxycycline to prevent infection.
14 eggs
11 mature
6 fertilized
3 expanded blastocysts
For transfer: estrogen pills 3 times daily (twice orally and once vaginally) then PIO shots 5 days before transfer. Also medrol and doxycycline for 5 days. I did this twice. These transfers failed (more than likely abnormal embryo)
ERA test: same as above besides the medrol. I also took baby aspirin. ERA came back receptive with at least 125 hours of progesterone. And a small small case of endometritis. Treated with doxycycline for 14 days.
3rd transfer: femara for 5 days along with estrogen 3 times a day (same as above) and dexa (once daily) Sorry cannot remember full name. Then 125 hours of progesterone in oil. Also took baby aspirin. Again more than likely abnormal embryo.
Vitamins: COq10 (600 mg), prenatal, vitamin d, super B complex, fish oil. Taking before next retrieval along with a low carb diet. Only took vitamin D and pre natal before 1st retrieval
Doing another retrieval in October. Will add in PGS testing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie Lowe)
Amie is one of the best nurses I have ever had. She is very knowledgeable and makes sure you fully understand everything. Meredith is also one of my nurses and is the same. Also Karen, she primarily drew my blood and was always very gentle.
The Nursing Staff at Vios in Swansea, IL and Missouri are all wonderful and make the experience a lot more easier.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Strengths: definitely being there for you. They are always rooting for you. Also their response time to when you ask a question is within the same day which is very important.
Weakness: you may have to wait a bit for your appointment especially in the mornings because it is busy. But honestly to me that is a good sign because it means they are doing a good job.
Just be prepared for them to be running a little bit behind. Not by much though.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I work at a company that luckily enough covers IVF and IUI. I knew what I needed to pay up front. Mostly my deductible and co pays.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
She always greeted us with a smile and treated us more like close friends instead of patients. She genuinely cared about our wellbeing through the whole process and let us know she was always our number one cheerleader ready with encouragement and information when needed...she will go above and beyond to find and use all current research to try to help you build a family!...We transferred two embryos at a time with each of our IVF procedures. All of our embryos were frozen at day 5 and tested genetically. We were finally able to bring home our beautiful baby girl with this approach and would do the same process again when we decide to have another child.
We visited two locations for the procedures and office visits. Vios Fertility in Swansea, IL is where all surgeries are held, and can hold office visits, provide ultrasounds and blood work. Dr. Cooper holds appointments at the Swansea location as well as the St Louis location within Mercy Hospital where I had a majority of my ultrasounds and bloodwork completed because of the location convenience to my home. The only downside about the St Louis location is there is not a patient restroom located within the office (as of June 2018) but for convenience, we liked the office overall. We did have to travel to the Swansea location for all retrieval’s and transfers, but we’d do it all again!
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
She always greeted us with a smile and treated us more like close friends instead of patients. She genuinely cared about our wellbeing through the whole process and let us know she was always our number one cheerleader ready with encouragement and information when needed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Choose this doctor! She is not only the most well informed and intelligent doctor in her field, she will go above and beyond to find and use all current research to try to help you build a family!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
We were always greeted by Dr Cooper with a warm smile, a caring hug, and a genuine concern for how we were doing, regardless of the point we were in a treatment. Seeing Dr Cooper felt more like visiting a friend than seeing a fertility specialist.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie Lowe)
They continually were supportive and welcoming each time we had to visit the clinic for any appointment. Whether it was a blood draw, ultrasound, retrieval or transfer, the information from each was always communicated with the utmost respect and willingness to explain any part of the process we had questions about. Having visited and had procedures at another fertility clinic in the past, the differences are night and day shining a positive light on VIOS Fertility and their amazing staff! Highly recommend these kind people to anyone and everyone we meet who asks for suggestions where to go to begin their fertility journey. I wish we would have started here!
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
We visited two locations for the procedures and office visits. Vios Fertility in Swansea, IL is where all surgeries are held, and can hold office visits, provide ultrasounds and blood work. Dr. Cooper holds appointments at the Swansea location as well as the St Louis location within Mercy Hospital where I had a majority of my ultrasounds and bloodwork completed because of the location convenience to my home. The only downside about the St Louis location is there is not a patient restroom located within the office (as of June 2018) but for convenience, we liked the office overall. We did have to travel to the Swansea location for all retrieval’s and transfers, but we’d do it all again!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
The transfers cost less than the retrieval surgeries, which were both out of pocket for us and not covered by insurance. Our office visits, bloodwork, and ultrasounds were covered in part by insurance. All medications were out of pocket, but the clinic directed us to a pharmacy that regularly fills prescriptions for fertility patients and worked with us on rebates and offers to get the lowest out of pocket costs possible.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
We transferred two embryos at a time with each of our IVF procedures. All of our embryos were frozen at day 5 and tested genetically. We were finally able to bring home our beautiful baby girl with this approach and would do the same process again when we decide to have another child.
Dr. Amber Cooper will sit with you and hold your hand before your retrievel . The way she looks at you that day is so incredibly compassionate. She has the biggest heart and love for every single patient . She wants this just as bad as we do ! She bends over backwards to make everything possible for us ! Even if I have to send her a message on Facebook about something she replies !!
VIOS makes me feel SO special and like I’m the ONLY patient they have had the entire day... Their strengths are definitely their hearts and being sooooo insanely positive and hopeful with us ! They pray with us and for us . Their financial team is incredible at explaining every single situation and costs to help us decide what we can afford to do... The nursing team at VIOS is sooooo wonderful at being on call when I had a question about a medication dosage
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Amber Cooper will sit with you and hold your hand before your retrievel . The way she looks at you that day is so incredibly compassionate. She has the biggest heart and love for every single patient . She wants this just as bad as we do ! She bends over backwards to make everything possible for us ! Even if I have to send her a message on Facebook about something she replies !!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
To know she does this because it is her dream to make dreams come true and no other reason ! She is the best their is ! Insanely knowledgeable!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
VIOS makes me feel SO special and like I’m the ONLY patient they have had the entire day ! They take time to really sit down and explain , email and Dr. Cooper cries with you and celebrates with you ! I recommend everyone I know to them !
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
I don’t remember every detail of the 3 rounds of IVf I have done with Dr. Amber Cooper ... I know the first was antagonist, second was Lupron flare and third I’m not sure ? We added human growth into third . I am a great responder ! With DOR we are always very excited to get 3-7 mature eggs !
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie and Andrea)
The nursing team at VIOS is sooooo wonderful at being on call when I had a question about a medication dosage , or an email about any tiny thing they were quick to respond ! They know we are all having a hard time on this journey and their hearts are totally in it with us !
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Their strengths are definitely their hearts and being sooooo insanely positive and hopeful with us ! They pray with us and for us . Their financial team is incredible at explaining every single situation and costs to help us decide what we can afford to do ! Hands down this team is so incredible !!! Makes me feel like I’m a part of a huge family !
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
I know the monitoring and ultrasounds with retrievel was $12,250 each round . Medications outside of clinic we spent about $7,000 each round .
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Dr. Cooper explains the risks of transferring 2 but ultimately it is our decision and we chose to transfer 2 the one transfer we did . We had 4 other fertilized embryos that round . Now if we only had 2 we would have just transferred one fresh and one frozen .
Dr. Cooper was very professional from the beginning of our fertility journey, which began on September of 2018. ... She had a checklist of tests to run on me before deciding treatment to ensure that my reproductive system was working properly ... was one hundred percent satisfied with her diagnosis and suggested treatment plan. ... I was very happy and relieved to finally have a plan for pregnancy.
I was happy to hear that our specific clinic was the only place I would have to travel to throughout my fertility journey. They performed all IVF services at their [Vios Fertility Institute] Swansea location. Although they typically run 30-45 minutes behind schedule for office visits, once you are in the private room you have availability to snacks and refreshments. ... The nurses I worked with in person were always excellent. A nurse was also available via the patient portal and would respond very quickly to my questions.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I was one hundred percent satisfied with her diagnosis and suggested treatment plan. She was very positive and confident that we will conceive. The only downfall about the clinic is that because they are so popular, it often takes a few weeks to schedule an appointment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Trust her recommendations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper was very professional from the beginning of our fertility journey, which began on September of 2018. The OB Clinic I was previously working with did not have the knowledge or resources that Vios Fertility could provide. I was very happy and relieved to finally have a plan for pregnancy. We are preparing to start our IVF Cycle at the end of February.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
She had a checklist of tests to run on me before deciding treatment to ensure that my reproductive system was working properly, and my Fallopian tubes were not blocked. After running all of the baseline tests on me with no problems, she had my husband perform a sperm analysis, which is where the problem was found.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Very knowledgeable and helpful. The nurses I worked with in person were always excellent. A nurse was also available via the patient portal and would respond very quickly to my questions.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
I was happy to hear that our specific clinic was the only place I would have to travel to throughout my fertility journey. They performed all IVF services at their Swansea location. Although they typically run 30-45 minutes behind schedule for office visits, once you are in the private room you have availability to snacks and refreshments. My advice would be to take the earliest available appointment in the mornings. If you are going in for bloodwork or ultrasound they are often right on time or early.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Our Healthscope insurance covered 80% of the cost. The IVF Cycle was fairly reasonable at $1800, the medications were fairly expensive $3,000.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Since I do not have any fertility issues that we know of on the female side, she recommended single embryo transfer, though it was ultimately my decision.
Dr.Cooper seriously is amazing. She makes you feel like your her only patient. She is always thinking about your case and things we can try to improve results.... We did genetic blood work before starting the cycle. With the results of that it showed that I was a higher risk of miscarriage. Dr. Cooper put me on a triple progesterone protocol to help with that. She always adjust your meds based on you. She doesn’t just do a cookie cutter protocol for everyone.
The clinic [Vios Fertility] is very busy. In a rare occasion you might have a longer wait time. The care that they offer is well worth any wait. They offer snacks and drinks while you wait. The reception staff is very friendly and make you feel welcome.... We were out of pocket. Our IVF freeze all cycle was $14k. Our PGS testing was $5500.... Amie is absolutely amazing also. She definitely completes the dream team.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr.Cooper seriously is amazing. She makes you feel like your her only patient. She is always thinking about your case and things we can try to improve results. We had lost hope when we got to her office and when we left we had our hope back. She is very honest about your case, but delivers it with such compassion. We recently miscarried and she was there for us for every step.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Just schedule an appointment to meet her. I promise you will love her. I went to my initial meeting with a list of questions. She answered all but one of them before I could even ask them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper offers compassion that I did not receive at my last clinic. She is always thinking outside of the box on your case and always looks at you as an individual.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
We did genetic blood work before starting the cycle. With the results of that it showed that I was a higher risk of miscarriage. Dr. Cooper put me on a triple progesterone protocol to help with that. She always adjust your meds based on you. She doesn’t just do a cookie cutter protocol for everyone.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie )
Amie is absolutely amazing also. She definitely completes the dream team. I can ask her anything and she never makes me feel like I’m asking a stupid question or wasting her time.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The clinic is very busy. In a rare occasion you might have a longer wait time. The care that they offer is well worth any wait. They offer snacks and drinks while you wait. The reception staff is very friendly and make you feel welcome.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
We were out of pocket. Our IVF freeze all cycle was $14k. Our PGS testing was $5500.
[Dr. Cooper is] probably going to be late a lot, but you can trust her and she won’t take advantage of you. She’s honest, very intelligent and very compassionate... My estrogen levels spiked too high so I was advised to freeze the embryos instead of doing a fresh cycle. Then my next three cycles we tried to thicken my uterus using estrogen pills and viagra and nothing worked to thicken it. Finally four months after retrieval, we got to the thickness level dr Cooper was advising by using injectables for ovarian stimulation and my body’s own estrogen. We then did our transfer of one embryo (she let us choose between transferring one or two) and it was successful. I’m currently 13 weeks pregnant and seeing an OB now.
We still have not received many of our bills and the billing coordinator [at Vios Feritlity Institute] has not been easy to communicate with. I was often able to do blood work or ultrasounds early in the morning before I went to work which was really helpful. The front desk person was always kind, but she was new and sometimes confused about when I needed to have a copay. It’s a small clinic location that I went to, which was nice because it felt more personal. They started a patient portal toward the end of my treatment which was helpful.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr Cooper was the single reason I kept going to Vios Fertility. She truly seemed like she cared and I completely trusted her with my care. She never rushed me out of an appointment, listened to all my concerns, answered all of my questions, and helped me to feel as comfortable as possible. She wasn’t always on time, but I was ok with that because I knew when I had her time that it was solely devoted to myself and my husband and our treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
She’s probably going to be late a lot, but you can trust her and she won’t take advantage of you. She’s honest, very intelligent and very compassionate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I went to other doctors before Dr. Cooper and felt very much like I was just another number. Dr. Cooper really listened to us, remembered details even about our personal lives not related to infertility, and gave us hugs and encouragement throughout the process. She answered my emails personally and she called me herself whenever things were not going well, as well as to tell me about the success of my first embryo.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
We tried IUI first and it was not successful. We had done medicated cycles prior to ever seeing her. When IUI failed, we had issues with insurance. Insurance would not cover any other IUI cycles so we decided to do IVF. I did a lot of different injectables before my egg retrieval in August. I had 17 eggs retrieved, of which 11 were the right maturity. We did ICSI and all 11 fertilized. We had 3 make it to stage 5 blastocysts. My estrogen levels spiked too high so I was advised to freeze the embryos instead of doing a fresh cycle. Then my next three cycles we tried to thicken my uterus using estrogen pills and viagra and nothing worked to thicken it. Finally four months after retrieval, we got to the thickness level dr Cooper was advising by using injectables for ovarian stimulation and my body’s own estrogen. We then did our transfer of one embryo (she let us choose between transferring one or two) and it was successful. I’m currently 13 weeks pregnant and seeing an OB now.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Amie)
Our main nurse, Amie, seemed to be a newer nurse. She was young and her professionalism and sense of empathy came across as lacking in comparison to our doctor. The other nurses and ultrasound techs were all much more professional and nice. Amie did not show much enthusiasm when telling me we had two more embryos, did not teach me about medication injections until I requested it, and was chewing gum during my first IUI. She did always answer my emails but often did not seem very concerned about anything I was concerned about.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
Billing was really difficult to navigate. We still have not received many of our bills and the billing coordinator has not been easy to communicate with. I was often able to do blood work or ultrasounds early in the morning before I went to work which was really helpful. The front desk person was always kind, but she was new and sometimes confused about when I needed to have a copay. It’s a small clinic location that I went to, which was nice because it felt more personal. They started a patient portal toward the end of my treatment which was helpful.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Still waiting to find out really. We had some insurance coverage.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
She did not advise transferring more than 2 of our 3 embryos. We chose to transfer one.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
My nurse forgot to call in medications twice. I wasn’t given training on how to do the injections and ended up messing it up and breaking a medication pen. The emergency line had no option to get me to my doctor after closing hours and I ended up talking to a different doctor from the company in Chicago plus a friend who is also a RE. I had to call them to get my results sometimes. I had a nurse call and leave a voicemail asking me to make decisions about my treatment at 5pm on a Friday with no way of contacting her back until Monday, so I had to use the emergency line again for that. When I left to see an ob because I was pregnant, I didn’t know they needed 30 days to transfer my medical records. They emailed me to say they’d be sending my records in the morning and had the doctor signature, but did not send them until a few days later. I had a genetic test almost a year ago that I still have not received a bill for.
Dr. Cooper immediately is a warm, loving, compassionate and kind presence. She is thourough and informative without being aggressive and harsh. I never once felt like I was being rushed through my many questions. I always felt like the most important patient she had at that moment. Our experience couldn’t have been more pleasant. She’s an amazing person and doctor. I wish all physicians were as wonderful as Dr. Cooper.
The office [Univ of Chicago- Desplaines] is comfortable. They always offered a beverage upon arrival. The front desk staff is organized and kind. Even when there was confusion with insurance or my payment plan they were patient and did ALL the work to resolve. Theres a really wonderful energy in the office.... Andrea was always available. She was prompt in returning my calls and when I was confused or scared she was kind and understanding. She always explained things well and went over the treatment plans on several occasions to confirm my understanding.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at University of Chicago Medicine?
It’s a sensitive, emotional decision to see a fertility doctor. The reason you’re going there are because you’re struggling to do what comes so easily to many couples. Dr. Cooper immediately is a warm, loving, compassionate and kind presence. She is thourough and informative without being aggressive and harsh. I never once felt like I was being rushed through my many questions. I always felt like the most important patient she had at that moment. Our experience couldn’t have been more pleasant. She’s an amazing person and doctor. I wish all physicians were as wonderful as Dr. Cooper.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at University of Chicago Medicine?
Ask all your questions. Nothing is insignificant or silly to ask and you will never be felt as though they are.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at University of Chicago Medicine?
Dr. Cooper became like a family member almost immediately. Her compassion was so warm and her optimism was contagious. This is an emotional, exhausting and painful process and she always made my feelings feel validated.
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at University of Chicago Medicine and their degree of success.
I did a single round of IVF, the drugs were draining on my energy level and emotional state.
Describe your experience with your nurse at University of Chicago Medicine. (Assigned nurse: Andrea)
Andrea was always available. She was prompt in returning my calls and when I was confused or scared she was kind and understanding. She always explained things well and went over the treatment plans on several occasions to confirm my understanding.
Describe your experience with University of Chicago Medicine.
The office is comfortable. They always offered a beverage upon arrival. The front desk staff is organized and kind. Even when there was confusion with insurance or my payment plan they were patient and did ALL the work to resolve. Theres a really wonderful energy in the office.
I contacted Dr cooper to have InvoCell done because we couldnt afford traditional IVF. She was very compassionate and thorough in going over the treatment plan. Her monitoring was very good but something was missed at the end. On wednesday i had 8 follicles i took my trigger shot that night and she brought me in 36 hours later for egg retrieval. I came out of surgery with 4 follicles that ovulated already so she only was able to get 2 eggs, one which was immature. The other 2 follicles didnt have eggs im assuming. So because i had premature ovulation she forfeited the Invocell and did an IUI to try and catch them. She ICSI the one "good" egg and she called the next day to report it was a 3PN. So i got no embryos and one egg that the embryo was no good. I got charged full price for the cycle $4200 plus medications. She offered me to help with medications for IVF as sone kind of compensation for not getting a "fair chance" this go around.
Monitoring [at Vios Fertility Institute] was very frequent but it was at the convenience of my work schedule...$4200 for the InvoCell cycle $1800 for medications...The office staff is wonderful, everyone was so nice and caring and very accomodating. There would be times i would call Mariah and have to change an appoiuntment 2 or 3 times and she was very sweet never heard annoyance in her voice
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
I contacted Dr cooper to have InvoCell done because we couldnt afford traditional IVF. She was very compassionate and thorough in going over the treatment plan. Her monitoring was very good but something was missed at the end. On wednesday i had 8 follicles i took my trigger shot that night and she brought me in 36 hours later for egg retrieval. I came out of surgery with 4 follicles that ovulated already so she only was able to get 2 eggs, one which was immature. The other 2 follicles didnt have eggs im assuming. So because i had premature ovulation she forfeited the Invocell and did an IUI to try and catch them. She ICSI the one "good" egg and she called the next day to report it was a 3PN. So i got no embryos and one egg that the embryo was no good. I got charged full price for the cycle $4200 plus medications. She offered me to help with medications for IVF as sone kind of compensation for not getting a "fair chance" this go around.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
The only advice i can guve is just really know your cycle and if you suspect you may ovulate early tell her so she can adjust your supression meds
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr cooper was very compassionate in the way she treated me
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Everyone was very nice and knowledgable
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The office staff is wonderful, everyone was so nice and caring and very accomodating. There would be times i would call Mariah and have to change an appoiuntment 2 or 3 times and she was very sweet never heard annoyance in her voice
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Monitoring was very frequent but it was at the convenience of my work schedule
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
$4200 for the InvoCell cycle
$1800 for medications mostly were covered by my insurance
All monitoring appointments (US/bloodwork/saline US) covered by insurance.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
She recommended for my age to transfer 2 but no more. Transferring 2 could still run the risk of them splitting resulting in 3 or more
Dr Cooper is the most compassionate and empathetic physician I have ever had. Her knowledge and expertise on infertility related disease states are well shown through the research and studies she partakes in within the reproductive/endocrinology field. She treats each patient like a person and not as a statistic that will increase/decrease her facilities success rates. She never rushes you and thoroughly answers all questions during all phone and in person interactions.
I love the feel of this clinic [Centers for Reproductive Medicine and Wellness], it is very small and you get to know all the staff very well. All the staff do an excellent job at their positions. Since it is a new facility, I have had issues with billing, but have never been pressured to pay anything before seen or a next appointment. The hold up was just due to the Doctor getting credentialed with each insurance company taking some time.
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
Dr Cooper is the most compassionate and empathetic physician I have ever had. Her knowledge and expertise on infertility related disease states are well shown through the research and studies she partakes in within the reproductive/endocrinology field. She treats each patient like a person and not as a statistic that will increase/decrease her facilities success rates. She never rushes you and thoroughly answers all questions during all phone and in person interactions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
Make an in person consultation ASAP to see for yourself what a wonderful physician she is. You will leave feeling loved, cared about, and that your best interest is her number one priority.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine?
She made me feel like she truest wanted the best outcomes for me and despite my hormone levels was still willing to work with me if treatment is what I wanted to persue
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Washington University School of Medicine and their degree of success.
After being diagnosed with premature ovarian insiffiency, I wanted to know that I tried everything I could before opting for donor eggs. I tried high doses of gonadotropins such as follistim and menopur, but still did not produce follicles of sufficient size to proceed to a trigger and a retrieval. I tried this 2 different times, both times with the same results. I am currently in the process of persueing donor eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Washington University School of Medicine. (Assigned nurse: Andrea Brantley )
Andrea was great in communicating with me the plan Dr. Copper wanted me to take or to provide me lab/ultrasound results. She was just as compassionate and empathetic as Dr. Cooper.
Describe your experience with Washington University School of Medicine.
I love the feel of this clinic, it is very small and you get to know all the staff very well. All the staff do an excellent job at their positions. Since it is a new facility, I have had issues with billing, but have never been pressured to pay anything before seen or a next appointment. The hold up was just due to the Doctor getting credentialed with each insurance company taking some time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Washington University School of Medicine.
After my deductible is met, insurance picks up a majority of my visit cost. Prior to my deductible being met, a consultation was around $250, all of which was being applied to my deductible.
Dr. Cooper is amazing. From the moment we first sat down with her, we felt like we had known her for years and that genuinely cared about us. She is very thorough and is great at taking the time to answer our questions in a way that is very comprehensible. She designs every patient’s treatment plan to meet the needs and nuisances of that patient, rather than using a “one-size-fits-all” approach. I have a very odd case when it comes to fertility and needed some non-routine protocol—all eggs had to be in separate dishes, for example. Due to issues with egg quality in our first couple of cycles, she recommended a double dose of HCG trigger.
The clinic [Vios Fertility] is new, so it’s very clean and inviting. The staff have all been very friendly and thorough! We appreciate that there is an office in Swansea, IL to save us the drive into St.Louis.... The nursing staff (Andrea and Karen) was AWESOME. They were so very compassionate and really made us feel comfortable every step of the way. They answered questions well and went FAR above and beyond to get test results to us in a timely manner
How was your experience with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is amazing. From the moment we first sat down with her, we felt like we had known her for years and that genuinely cared about us. She is very thorough and is great at taking the time to answer our questions in a way that is very comprehensible. She designs every patient’s treatment plan to meet the needs and nuisances of that patient, rather than using a “one-size-fits-all” approach. I have a very odd case when it comes to fertility and needed some non-routine protocol—all eggs had to be in separate dishes, for example. Due to issues with egg quality in our first couple of cycles, she recommended a double dose of HCG trigger. Every cycle was a learning experience and she took the time to look for protocol changes that might address my issues. No cycle was ever just like the one before—we saw better results with ever single cycle, which was very encouraging.
Never have we ever felt rushed with her. Every time we meet with her, I feel like I am the most important patient on her caseload! She just really takes the time to connect with her patients on a personal level before, during, and after treatment. She laughed with us, cried with us, and never one gave up on us even we were ready to give up ourselves. Dr. Cooper is truly second to none and I will forever refer friends and family to her!!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Get in to see her ASAP!! Make sure you allow lots of time for that first appointment because she will learn as much as she can about your needs, desires, medical history, etc. It will be time we’ll-spent!!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Dr. Cooper is amazing. From the moment we first sat down with her, we felt like we had known her for years and that genuinely cared about us. She is very thorough and is great at taking the time to answer our questions in a way that is very comprehensible. She designs every patient’s treatment plan to meet the needs and nuisances of that patient, rather than using a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Never have we ever felt rushed with her. Every time we meet with her, I feel like I am the most important patient on her caseload! She just really takes the time to connect with her patients on a personal level before, during, and after treatment. She laughed with us, cried with us, and never one gave up on us even we were ready to give up ourselves. Dr. Cooper is truly second to none and I will forever refer friends and family to her!!
Describe the protocols Amber Cooper used in your cycles at Kindbody - St. Louis and their degree of success.
I have answered this question on previous pages and I have 2 children to care for, so this will be brief. Your “this only takes 10 minutes” line could not be more untrue, but I will continue because I feel so very strongly that Dr. Cooper is the absolute best in reproductive medicine.
We used IVF with ICSI with Lupron protocol because I ovulate through the antagonist drugs. The only thing we did special was to separate all eggs into individual dishes due to an issue in 2011 where my eggs all coagulated together. Also due to the egg quality issue, we used a double trigger shot.
We have 18 embryos frozen at the “2PN” stage from our 3rd cycle because my progesterone level was too high to do a fresh transfer. They are frozen at that early stage because from previous cycles, we learned that several of my embryos tend to arrest between days 3 and 5. Therefore, freezing early leaves us the option to do a Day 3 transfer if we feel it would be best.
In our 4th cycle, we had 10 embryos at Day 5, 1 was a nice blastocyst, 2 were morulas that looked fairly decent, and the others were just “okay” as far as quality. We chose to transfer 3 (the blast and morulas). 1 of those took and our son was born in August 2017.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Kindbody - St. Louis. (Assigned nurse: Andrea)
The nursing staff (Andrea and Karen) was AWESOME. They were so very compassionate and really made us feel comfortable every step of the way. They answered questions well and went FAR above and beyond to get test results to us in a timely manner.
Describe your experience with Kindbody - St. Louis.
The clinic is new, so it’s very clean and inviting. The staff have all been very friendly and thorough! We appreciate that there is an office in Swansea, IL to save us the drive into St.Louis.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Amber Cooper at Kindbody - St. Louis.
My insurance covered our treatments like any other medical treatment. We did 4 cycles and paid less than $5000 out of pocket.
Describe Amber Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kindbody - St. Louis.
We really only had 1 cycle where there were multiple embryos to transfer. Dr.Cooper was very informative about our options. Since we had failed cycles previously and knew embryo quality was an issue, we opted to transfer 3. (None of the other 7 made it past day 5 to be frozen, so it was a great decision!). We were not at all scared at the prospect of multiples. I had been pregnant with twins before, actually—we lost one at 13 weeks and went on to have the other.
What specific things went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Kindbody - St. Louis.
Not a big deal—I had to call twice to get records sent to my regular OB.