Anitha Nair

When Dr. Nair first introduced herself to my husband and I she approached us with a welcoming voice and a kind smile. She made us feel comfortable and patiently listened to everything we had to say. Dr Nair showed empathy and compassion when I opened up to her about our previous miscarriages. She was honest and thorough when explaining our options and let us feel in control of our treatment plan. Dr Nair worked together with us as a team and assured we were comfortable in our decision making process. Overall Dr. Nair has many strengths and as far as I have seen she has not shown any weaknesses.

I highly recommend seeing Dr. Nair. She is everything we have been looking for in a doctor. There aren’t many like her.

I know what it’s like to feel like a number, I was treated as such by previous doctors who refused to provide further treatment for me... but when I met Dr. Nair she showed me true kindness and compassion. She is honest, knowledgeable, and most importantly she gave me hope.

Dr Nair suggested that while taking clomid if I produced too many mature eggs that cycle I should not go through with IUI and take the chance conceiving multiples of 3 or more due to the increased risks of preterm labor and low birthweight.

Our nurse was very organized and informative. She made sure we were satisfied and understood our treatment plan.

The clinic has more strengths than weaknesses for sure. Most weaknesses are just small inconveniences such as location and parking situation. In my opinion their main weakness is that the receptionist fails to answer and return phone calls. In person she is very unfriendly. The clinical staff at Shady Grove is absolutely wonderful. They go above and beyond to satisfy patient needs. They even provide visuals to help further understand procedures. The financial counselor is thorough in explaining what is covered by insurance and what is owed. They offer a generous 25% off discount for military families, and a 5%-25% off discount for qualifying patients who make under 95k per year. Overall i’m high Satisfied.

Initial consultation along with diagnostics was covered by Tricare. (No copay or deductible) otherwise consultation is $175. IUI costs $1,800. Clomid $100-$500. 25% off Military discount. IVF $10-$15k.

Dr Nair suggested transferring no more than 2 embryos.

I was extremely satisfied with the care we received at Shady Grove Fertility and Dr. Nair. Dr. Nair had actually come recommended from a friend of mine who had been her patient and is now the mother of beautiful twins. Dr. Nair sat down with us and walked us through their predictive model and what to expect. I felt she always had our best interest and safety in mind. For example, we were highly encouraged to only transfer one embryo. While we only ended up with two embryos at the end of the process, instead of the four that the model predicted, both were A++ embryos and the one transferred resulted in our beautiful baby boy. I felt jilted by the fertility experience after a year of failed treatments abroad resulting in no pregnancies. Dr. Nair's kind and compassionate demeanor immediately allowed me trust her and trust the IVF process with Shady Grove Fertility.

Don't ignore their pre-IVF checklist. I had been undergoing fertility treatments for a year abroad (in Hong Kong) resulting in no pregnancies. While my husband's sperm analysis results showed issues, our doctor in Hong Kong did not look into why. I happen to see that an appointment with a urologist was recommended so I scheduled one with Dr. Shin. Dr. Shin identified the issue - my husband had a varicocele. We decided to move forward with IVF while at the same time my husband had the surgery to correct it. We are hoping this will help with conceiving children naturally in the future. Also, ask as many questions as you need to until you feel comfortable moving forward with the IVF process. The stakes are high, both personally and financially, and Dr. Nair understands that.

Dr. Nair was extremely compassionate and kind throughout the entire IVF process. She acknowledged the difficulties and discomforts. I felt that we were in great hands and I didn't have to micro manage the process. Though the personal and financial stakes where high, I fully and completely trusted her. When the outcome wasn't quite what was predicted (for example, the predictive model showed we would have four embryos at the end instead of two) she took my concerns into consideration and explained the results. Her gentle, kind, and compassionate demeanor really helped put me at ease and have full confidence in her and the team. She also knew I'd gone through a year of failed infertility treatments with a doctor (abroad) that I felt took our money knowing the treatments would fail. Knowing my sensitivities and distrust she paired me with Debbie Rice as my nurse, someone who was equality dependable, compassionate, and kind which really made it a smooth process.

I took 17 days of birth control pills and then started taking the IVF medications. I started with Gonal F 150 IU and Menopur 75 IU and went in for monitoring daily. Each day they would call me with the results and let me know how to proceed with my medication. Adjustments were made to the dosages. For example, at on monitoring session the blood tests showed a spike in my progesterone which caused them to adjust the medication down, until the levels went down, and then they adjusted the medication up again. I also had a cyst in one of my ovaries which impacted the growth of follicles on that side. I felt bloated as the follicles matured but otherwise ok. Once they were close to reaching maturity, I was given very specific instructions on how and when to take Cetrotide - the trigger shot. Egg retrieval was the only time I felt I had not been prepared as I was in a lot of pain following the procedure. Fortunately, I filled the pain medication prescription they gave me and that helped alleviate the pain. Throughout the whole treatment, I was in daily contact with my nurse, Debbie Rice, or a backup if she was out of the office. My questions and concerns were promptly responded to. I felt very well informed and always knew exactly what I needed to do.

Debbie Rice was absolutely wonderful! She was kind and compassionate and I really connected with her. I emailed and spoke to her by phone almost daily throughout the IVF process. She would give me very clear instructions and would explain if adjustments to my protocol were made and why. She also relayed questions I had to Dr. Nair or answered them when she could and even made me laugh, despite the insurmountable amount of stress I felt. She was gentle when she delivered the news about the final embryo count and allowed me to cry and process the news. I actually did not take a home pregnancy test in advance of the blood test following the transfer. When she delivered the news that I was pregnant it was a true surprise and I could tell she was reveling in our joy. She is amazing!

Something to strongly consider when selecting a clinic is the quality of the embryologist and labs. Before I went through this process, I focused a lot on the doctor but having been through the process I now truly understand and appreciate the vital role the embryologist play in your IVF success. Once egg retrieval happens, they take over, carefully caring for each of the embryos and ensuring they develop properly. Also, I did acupuncture with Autumn at SGF throughout the cycle. She was so kind and knowledgeable. Each treatment I felt really helped me physically and emotionally and I would highly recommend it. On a personal note, I really appreciated that several members of my IVF team had been patients themselves. This allowed me to feel supported and understood during each phase. The only department at SGF I was not impressed with was the financial department. They were extremely disorganized and created a lot of unnecessary confusions in terms of treatments, cost, payments, etc. They tried to get me to pay for things that I didn't have to or had already paid for. Also, our insurance covered none of the treatment so we paid a lump sum for one IVF cycle. Despite the fact that all care was included, they billed my insurance for some of the appointments and procedures. I caught the claims and it was a headache to reverse but I felt it was so wrong for them to do that.

We have Aetna insurance and they have negotiated rates with Shady Grove Fertility. Therefore, we paid $7,500 for the IVF cycle and about $3,000 for medication. I have to admit that one of the big draws to Shady Grove Fertility was the Shaded Risk Plan. After doing a lot of research and crunching numbers, we realized that it was not the right fit for us. One of the big reasons is because medication is not included. On top of the lump sum, you are paying $3-5k in medication for each cycle. Additionally, research indicated that they lean towards selecting couples for the program that have a higher chance of succeeding in the first cycle. Therefore, when they told us we were approved for the program I was hoping it was because they thought we'd be successful on the first cycle. It's a high stakes financial gamble where you have to hedge your bets. For some the program is worth it, for others it's not so do your research.

We were highly encouraged to transfer one embryo. I have to admit that before starting IVF the thought of twins for the price of one cycle was extremely appealing. Though, after a lot of research I realized the risks. In the end, I agreed with Dr. Nair's advice of having one healthy baby at a time.

Dr. Nair is knowledgeable, thoughtful, and takes time to listen to your thoughts. She understands the patient has authority over her own body. She was not as well located as I wished. Often I needed to visit the office where she wasn't practicing, but she just can't be at every location.

Explain your concerns. She will listen and try to work with you. She donor have the highest knowledge of holistic alternatives, but she won't shun that conversation. Most important, trust that wants you have a successful conception. Know yourself, educate yourself, and talk to her.

Dr. Nair always made herself available to my questions and concerns. She battled me on issues she felt would optimize my chances at conception but often deferred to my decisions about my own health.

The only pharmaceutical intervention I allowed was Levothyroxine to lower my thyroid levels. I am otherwise in very good health. I am not sure the intervention was necessary but I was persuaded to try. The doctors group would not allow my IUI attempt without that intervention although my thyroid levels were normal for a woman not attempting to conceive.

Morgan was the third nurse assigned me. The first quit the group abruptly. The second was rude and pushy and exhibited bullying behavior. I immediately requested a change from the nursing supervisor and Dr. Nair. I was then assigned Morgan. She was far more even keeled and respectful and more than willing to assist.

Shady Grove has good equipment and many locations but there are some staffing challenges that likely relate it's set up as a baby making factory rather than a caring physician's office. In the Shady Grove location, one front staff member is regularly rude to patients, expressing how clearly she did not want to be there or she did not want you there. That said, the blood draw staff, run by an excellent head nurse, were professional while also friendly. The nursing staff who performed my sedated HCG were disengaged with me as a human being. They tried to rush me out of the center, and I was not yet then able to stand without help. Again, the facility is run like a baby-making machine and with machines this large, a few bad pieces will likely get in. I did officially complain about the staff's conduct for the HCG procedure. I was not told what resulting follow up there was but I hope some retraining was done.

I paid approximately $150 for all services including my sedated HCG. Please note I have one of the best insurance plans out there.

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She was extremely honest and candid. We appreciated that she didn't "water down" the explanations of treatment. When things did not work out with our first transfer she was quick to recommend a more aggressive protocol that resulted in a pregnancy and live birth. Once we were pregnant she was very kind, keeping us as a patient as long as she was allowed and having us come in for several early scans to reassure us the pregnancy was progressing well.

Make sure you like working with your assigned nurse, or request a transfer.

She went above and beyond to call me and answer questions even outside of office hours.

We were dealing with a specific issue-a balanced translocation-so the protocol was more straight forward then in cases where you don't know why you aren't getting pregnant. For our embryo transfers, after the first one didn't work Dr Nair recommended an endometrial biopsy which helped us diagnose a mild infection that could be treated and led to a more favorable environment for our second (successful) transfer.

Our primary nurse was extremely positive and good with answering followup questions via email. The nurses that administered our clinical care (blood tests primarily) were wonderful. They made a real effort to get to know us and we're kind and positive throughout the long months we spent visiting them nearly daily.

Shady Grove is what I assume all clinics are like when you are undergoing elective and extremely profitable medical procedures-cold and focused on payment. Their financial services staff was extremely frustrating. They were unable to answer basic questions and would often tell us contridictorary things. It's the doctors and nurses that make the treatment process survivable.

Most of our procedures were covered by insurance. Genetic testing was around $8000 out of pocket and embryo freezing and storage was $3000 plus $500/year.

I'm glad that Dr. Nair recommended a single transfer. She clearly explained that especially since we were using genetically tested and therefore competent embryos, the research has shown that either both embryos or neither embryos will stick. We did not want to risk the complications of twins.

She was very helpful in helping us decide how to move forward. We only spoke with her during the planning stages, however. Not during the treatments or between IUIs. But, the staff was so responsive, there wasn't really a need to reach out to her.

Do your own homework and ask all the questions you need.

Dr. Nair was very thorough with her explanations and allowed me to ask as many questions as possible. She was warm and easy to talk to, but also made sure I understood the reality of the situation, as I was not getting younger, and we had been trying for several years.

For my first IUI, we did 50mg Clomid days 3-7, then a blue pill to help with thickening the lining that we started on day 13 and continued until a negative pregnancy test. I also too progesterone the day after the IUI until a negative pregnancy test. For the first IUI, I also did a trigger shot. The second IUI we upped it to 100mg Clomid, no blue pill needed, no trigger needed (surged on my own), and am taking progesterone.

Although I was assigned a nurse, she left the clinic and I wasn't told right away. I was assigned another nurse, and the same thing happened. My current nurse has been helpful, but sometimes take a little too long to answer emails. And I have not met her in person.

The clinic has the process down pat. It is extremely efficient and that is great when you still have a full time job. They are timely with getting your results, and overall very friendly. I honestly cannot think of any weaknesses at this time.

My insurance did not cover anything, except some of the medications. Each IUI cost $1600 and medication cost somewhere between $140 and $200

I was fortunate enough to have quick (3 cycles) success so I didn't have a ton of interaction with Dr. Nair. That being said, she personally came down to the clinic and did my ultrasound (without my asking) and answered my questions when one of my cycles wasn't going according to plan. I was impressed with her knowledge and compassion.

The process feels like it takes forever, regardless of how quickly you achieve pregnancy, but trust your doctors and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Dr. Nair, and the nurse that works with her, was always so encouraging and kind. I had a cycle end in a chemical pregnancy during a snow storm and Dr. Nair made a point of calling even though she couldn't make it into the office to see how I was doing and answer my questions.

Because I wasn't ovulating, at least with any regularity, Dr. Nair started me on 50mg of Clomid with an Ovidrel trigger. Follicle growth was monitored by ultrasound. I stopped responding to 50mg after my first cycle so, after a failed round of 50mg, the dosage was increased to 10mg for the second half of my second cycle and for my third (successful) cycle.

Laura was an excellent nurse and answered all of my (many) questions throughout the process. She delivered bad news delicately and good news with excitement. She was very encouraging even when a cycle seemed to be going poorly.

Shady Grove is a big practice but the staff tries to get to know everyone and there tends to be some consistency in who you see for your ultrasounds. The wait times are sometimes long but I always felt I was getting first-rate care and attention.

I was very fortunate to have insurance coverage for my treatment, lab work, and medications.

I loved working with Dr. Nair - she is kind, thoughtful, confident in her recommendations and shows that she takes an individual patient's circumstances into account when recommending treatment.

Don't be afraid to ask questions - Dr. Nair is wonderful at answering them and explaining her treatment plan.

Dr. Nair was clearly invested in my care, as were all of the staff, nurses, and lab technicians. I always felt supported and well cared for. Dr. Nair was so warm and thoughtful in treating me, and her joy at my (eventual!) pregnancy was genuine and quite touching.

Without past fertility issues, Dr. Nair recommended starting with natural cycle IUIs. She was very willing to let me determine how aggressive I wanted to be, and when to decide to ratchet it up. She gave me the option to reassess the treatment plan after either 3 or 6 cycles. I originally said 6 cycles but after 5 IUIs I was frustrated and asked to add medication. Dr. Nair was supportive, and recommended a Clomid cycle. When that failed, Dr. Nair suggested an injectable cycle with Clomid, While I was willing to throw in the kitchen sink at that point, Dr. Nair was careful to balance my frustration with a careful consideration of avoiding multiples. I really respected that she wasn't just focused on a positive outcome - she was truly committed to the best outcome *for me* and my situation.

Nursing staff is wonderful. Their communication by email and phone was very dependable and quick, and weekend nursing support was always available. When there was one clerical mix-up about what blood test I was to have (it wasn't clear whether it was a nursing error or lab error), the nurses took responsibility and figured out a plan to move forward.

This clinic is the largest one in the DC area. I was a bit wary that it would feel like a factory given its size, but I found the clinic to be very well run, efficient, and caring. The front desk staff and lab technicians quickly came to know me by name, and I always felt like I was in good hands. Although I never made it to IVF, I was impressed by the size and quality of the embryology lab compared to others in the area, and their cutting edge research and adapting protocols.

My insurance covered the fertility treatments, although my insurance plan changed throughout the treatment. On average, my IUI costs ranged from $200 to $400 per cycle, not including drugs or donor sperm.

Dr. Nair was compassionate and patient with me and my husband. She also made exceptional medical diagnoses, and whenever our path changed, she fully explained her reasoning to me. I felt like she was our partner in this journey, and she truly wanted us to achieve a healthy pregnancy.

Be open to things changing as you progress. Trust Dr. Nair and SGF, but ask lots of questions so you still feel like you understand what is going on and why.

She and all the other doctors at SGF took plenty of time to educate me and my husband and were open and warm at each appointment. I rarely felt rushed, I was always able to ask my questions, and I was always given an honest response with realistic expectations.

Menupur (started at 75, ended at 225) Gonal F (started at 150, ended at 225) 6 mornings of Cetrotide .25 HCG trigger 10,000 after 13 days of stimulation Then endometrin and estrogen after transfer. 11 mature eggs (mostly from lef tovary because right was damaged following previous ectopic surgery). 8 eggs fertilized 2 morula embryos transferred on day 5 -- neither had made it to blastocyst 1 blastocyst to freeze on Day 6

I had two separate nurses (was transferred halfway through), and both were great, although they seemed very busy. It was wonderful to communicate via email and phone, and they were both very clear with what, if any, changes needed to be made each day. I asked a lot of questions, and sometimes I felt like I was annoying them, but I always got the info I needed in the end.

Strengths - Best front desk staff, great monitoring hours, very organized, very compassionate. Mostly kept appointments on time. Good success statistics, and an ideal result for me. Weaknesses - sometimes ran very late for morning monitoring. So many women doing IVF at the same time! Always saw a different doctor for monitoring appointments -- somewhat stressful, but you get used to it.

Insurance covered a nice portion of the cycle and injections for me. My total came out to about $7,500 (including egg freezing).

I didn't find anything at fault with Nair. She always made sure we had appropriate information and we never left the office without either speaking with a financial person or nurse to answer any additional questions.

None.

When I met with Nair, she always spoke honestly but kindly. She clearly had reviewed my records before our meetings so we didn't need to explain things again. She always called after a failed cycle and was incredibly kind after a chemical pregnancy/missed carriage. She also left surgery to come down for our first ultrasound after our positive pregnancy test.

We did 3 IUI's even though they didn't work. It was frustrating but our insurance required it. The clinic was participating in a medical study that required less injections but we did not participate, though the early results seemed promising.

I had several primary nurses during my tenure at Shady Grove; some were better than others. I had one, who is no longer there, who did not like to communicate over email. Giving my busy schedule, email was much better than phone. My suggestion would be to establish which method you prefered communication when first meeting with your nurse coordinator.

Shady Grove has multiple clinics in the DC metro area. Testing is very process driven, which I appreciated. I knew exactly what and when things were going to happen and I simply followed that process. Some folks might not appreciate being another cog in the fertility factory but I found it comforting; this is all very normal, well managed, and well understood.

My IUI and egg retrieval were covered by insurance. My FET's were not. Shady Grove has self-pay costs. Each FET was approximately $4000 plus cost of medications.

She never rushed us through explanations and treated us with compassion. She scheduled an extra ultrasound at 9-10 weeks during her limited free time, even though "officially" I was ready to be passed off to my normal OBGYN at that point. That assuaged many of my fears at the time.

We were prepared to begin IVF with PGD but became pregnant (again) -- naturally -- just before that cycle would have started. We did one last round of testing based on some new information I had researched relating to the MTHFR genetic mutation. Turned out I had such a mutation and I was put on a prescription folate ASAP (worrisome, because I was already a tiny bit pregnant when I started the folate and didn't know if we had discovered the problem fast enough). I also used progesterone suppositories (as I had under my OBGYN for my prior two miscarriages) during the first trimester. I had weekly ultrasounds and blood work to confirm the advancing pregnancy.

Other people seemed to have a much stronger personal relationship communicating daily/directly with their nurses. Mine was more neutral/less responsive.

People complained to me that the Office felt like a cattle call during the morning blood draws, but whenever I would go (including first thing in a.m.), I was usually the only one there, or one of maybe 2-3 patients. So I always zipped in and out and had personal attention.

She indifferent about my options. She present the risk of each procedure but didn't' seem to have a strong opinion on what option would get me my baby. She would do whatever I wanted which is great to a point.

Just proceed with caution. She is nice and all but she doesn't seem to out of the box to try something new or give you an example of what worked for her other patients that might work for your situation. Do your homework and come with questions..

She was indifferent. She seems compassionate but I didn't believe it.

After my IVF fail, I realized I wasn't on the most aggressive protocol which I thought she would put me on after my failed medicated IUI. Again, you are your own advocated.

Overall the nurses were attentive and nice.

The clinic is nice, clean, and equipment is new. The facility is nice, I don't have any issues with scheduling an appointment. I like how the clinic is near a metro which was great because it was on my way to work.

Everything had a cost to it... so expect at that.

My main doctor only wanted to transfer 2 but the actually doctor doing the transfer did 3 which I agreed to since they quality fo the embryos weren't great If I didn't transfer the third one , it would most likely died.

She was amazingly compassionate and thorough. She explained everything to us in a respectful manner and remained kind and realistic while explaining procedures and risks. We never needed to see her between appointments so I can’t speak to how responsive she is but she was always a delight to work with and her attitude and outlook was contagious.

Ask questions and trust her.

She was warm and understanding and she spoke to us frankly with respect.

Started with clomid to induce ovulation with timed intercourse, that lasted for one cycle before we decided to move on to IUI with clomid. She gave us the option of starting with IUI or IVF and we chose IUI. Ultimately the decision was up to us and she adjusted based on our preferences.

The nursing staff is organized, efficient, and compassionate.

The weaknesses are how busy it can be in the mornings for blood draws and exams but they are quick and understand everyone is busy. Bring something to do and be patient. Be kind to the staff because you will see them every morning for a long time and you get to know them.

Copays mostly with $100 bill overall. My treatment was covered by my employer’s insurance.

Shady Grove only does single embryo transfer and after hearing about the new research from Dr. Nair we agreed that single transfer was safer.

She is sweet and honest. She was pregnant/on leave when I had issues with fibroids and so it was very hard: I had to deal with other docs and they did not seem to be on th same page. I had just spent thousands on IVF and THEN they discovered a Fibroid and said "nothing would implant with that in there." After 3 failed cycles.....apparently no one realized my uterine tests were not up to date. Anyway once dr Nair was back from leave - she handled it well with me and we went on to have a good relationship.

Make sure all your tests are up to date. Advocate for yourself, same as with any doctor.

When I dealt with her , a human. The clinic, a number

Hi dose protocol

They kept switching - but timely results .

Strength- the LAB weakness- it can feel like a factory at times or a Big Business. You really have to keep track of your own care, or no one else will.

More than 60k

Excellent advice