Bruce Bateman

When I started my infertility journey in 1999, things were very different. The current treatment of that archaic time was to cut out a wedge of my ovary to “kickstart” it. With Dr. Bateman everything he recommended was researched-based and progressive. He never recommended fertility drugs like Clomid, I did 14 cycles of that in 2000. He read my medical history and knew I did not need to go back to that stage. When the IUI did not work, he was the one who said IVF with ICSI was needed due to my husband’s inconsistent sperm counts and motility. When the two fresh embryos did not take when a colleague put them in, he recommended assisted hatching. This cycle, four years later, Now includes assisted hatching in its basic costs. Every “setback” was seen by him as another step. He never once made me feel that a baby was not just around the corner. He kept hope even when we were stressed and losing faith. His calm manner was contagious.

Don’t do a fresh transfer, let your body go back to equilibrium.

Dr. Bateman put in my twins in 2014. When I went back last month to put in my last remaining frozen embryo, he remembered me. With the numerous people he sees on a daily basis, he took time to talk to me before the FET and hold my hand and wish me luck when it was complete. Both FETs he did resulted in pregnancies. I’m currently 16 days with baby three after starting this process in 1999!

Skipped Clomid because of my 2000 records. Started with prelim tests to check for causes of infertility. No blockages in tubes, good egg reserve, high thyroid, PCOS, low sperm count and motility. Did IUI because we requested. Did egg retrieval protocol with Gonal F and frequent ovary checks. Egg retrieval followed by fresh transfer. ICSI and 2 fresh 5 day blasts used. Three additional blasts frozen on day five. Unsuccessful Frozen Embryo Transfer using assisted hatching at age 38. Twins. I think same meds last time as this time. Frozen Embryo Transfer age 42. 16 days pregnant. Medications this time were birth control, estrace, lupron, progesterone in oil and progesterone suppositories. And thyroid meds.

Stephanie knew me by name and was there the day I found out it was twins. I went in early (5weeks) because I was bleeding. I was so worried. Dr. Bateman was calm and looking at the ultrasound machine. For the first time it was faced away from me. Stephanie was standing right behind him. I knew when I saw her smile from ear to ear that everything was okay. Then they turned around the screen and I saw the two sacs for myself. I was not the only one tearing up. She was also the one to call me the first time with the fresh transfer and break the news that it was not a pregnancy. I would not want that part of her job for all the money in the world. She is a blessing. Finally, at the end of my egg retrieval cycle in 2014, when they kept upping my dose until I was at four vials a day, I ended up running short mere days before the trigger shot. She packed a small bag for me that had the necessary meds so I did not have to pay extra for overnight delivery. (Now they all seem to deliver overnight.)

Overall I would rate this clinic a 10/10. Every step, from diagnosis to treatment, made sense and gave me hope. A friend referred me here. She had her son via an IUI. On my first visit, they did preliminary tests and actually sat and read 12 years of prior records! Dr. Smith sat with me for almost an hour and answered my laundry list of questions. I felt at ease and hopeful for the very first time. Additionally, things moved quickly. After more than a decade of vague answers, I walked out of this clinic in less than a year pregnant with twins. Is it any wonder I went back this year to see if my frozen baby would take?

My insurance paid for testing until I got a diagnosis. After that, we paid around 500 plus meds for the IUIs. We were approved for the $20k shared risk program, but at the last minute went with the $12k procedure which included egg retrieval, ICSI, and transfer. The following FET cycles cost $2850. Meds for the egg retrieval ran about $3K and about $700 for the transfers. Costs have changed since I first went; for example, assisted hatching is included in the price now. My first FET was $2500 with $650 added for AH. Now everyone pays the $2850. In reality, the only thing that slowed down our journey to parenthood was money. I took us right at a year to save the money for the four months of treatment (2IUIs, 1 fresh ICSI IVF, 1 frozen ICSI, AH, IVF) we ended up doing.

I was 38 and had been seeking fertility treatments for 14 years. By the time we were recommended to Dr. Bateman, we were serious about having at least one. We were counseled about multiple births and selected 2 for the fresh and 2 more for the frozen. He gave us guidelines, but the final choice within those guidelines was ours.

My husband and I were dealing with male infertility primarily and wanted to know and learn absolutely everything we could about our situation. Dr. Bateman was great at explaining things, but doesn't sugarcoat - which we really appreciated. We wanted facts and to know straight up what our various options were. Dr. Bateman doesn't come across as especially warm, but each time I see him he smiles and gives my hand a squeeze. He also has an endearingly dry sense of humor.

Respect and trust his knowledge on the subject. I would often read blog posts of things and think I understood them - but let him explain the entire process and trust him.

I have never felt like a number at RMSCVA. The nurses are extremely approachable and friendly. After a few visits, most of them knew my name! There are 3 doctors at the practice, and depending on appointment time and day you may meet with any of them. At first I was concerned about not meeting with the same doctor each time, but I felt at ease with all 3. Plus, they were all very attentive and remembered where I left off with each visit.

Stephanie and Laura (IVF Nurse Coordinators) are wonderful and easy to communicate with. Throughout the IVF process, I've had much more contact with them on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. Stephanie always knows where I left off with treatment and can explain where we're going next

RMSCVA is a small clinic supporting Charlottesville and the Central Va region. There are three doctors (all are wonderful) and the nursing staff is top notch. I feel so lucky to have such a great clinic just miles from my home. Getting in for appointments is typically very easy and seamless. Wait times have never been more than 15 minutes. However, i think it is worth noting that you don't consistently see the same doctor at this clinic. I've had ultrasounds by all three doctors and IUIs by all three. As far as I can tell, it mostly depends on the day and time of your procedure.

Dr Bateman is the best! He cares for every patient and really wants to help. He's candid but in a kind and compassionate way. He makes you feel like you are his only patient. On multiple times he returned my calls after business hours to explain things or just to calm my nerves.

Choose Dr Bateman - he will be honest and a support for you as you go down your path.

Dr Bateman truly cares. He explains everything simply and compassionately.

The nurses are awesome at RMSCV. They don't make any question feel dumb and they are so friendly and understanding. They quickly return calls, know answers to questions sometimes before I can even ask! They know what I need and give comfort and knowledge.

I love the calm atmosphere they create in their exam rooms. There are images on the lights so you have something to look at. All the gowns are cloth and so are the sheets - so much better than the crinkly paper ones. In the bathroom they provide feminine products if you need them after a procedure and there's always nice lotions to make you feel "pretty." These little touches help me be more relaxed. The technology is up to date and they let you see all of your images. Building feels "new" and the decor is tasteful. Being connected to the hospital makes having additional testing easy.

We elected and we're accepted to the shared risk program. It's $20,000 and includes freezing embryos, all visits, retrieval, etc. This doesn't cover medication. It's a program where you bring home a baby or you get your money back.

We are going to do single embryo transfer because the odds of success are the same just the odds of twins increases.

I saw all the doctors at the clinic but Dr Bateman did my egg retrieval and implantation and I fully trusted him. He knew what he was doing and he had an excellent bedside manner. He didn't mess around but you could tell he really cares about his patients.

If you have questions, ask them. Fertility dotors sometimes assume that you know what to expect because they do it everyday. At first I thought I wasn't getting enough information but it was just because I wasn't asking questions. Dr Bateman will spend time answering your questions and making you feel better about the process.

He personally called me a number of times during our IVF cycles. We had to stop our first cycle after I had a bad reaction to cetrotide and he called me and was compassionate. When we started our next cycle and had 1 embryo he called and congratulated me which I thought was really nice.

I used gonalF, cetrotide, pregnyl during my first IVF cycle. But I had a bad reaction to the cetrotide and we had to stop the cycle because my estrogen dropped significantly. The next cycle I used the same medications except I did Lupron shots twice a day instead of the cetrotide. That ended up working.

You get passed around by the nurses because whoever is available at the time sees you or answers your calls. They did a good job throughout the process. I know they are juggling a lot of patients at a time so sometimes I felt like they may have not understood where I was in the process at times but I don't think that was their fault. It was more related to the amount of patients they see. They also knew my name and I developed a relationship with them during my course of treatment which was nice.

Wait times can be long in the office but that's kinda out of their control. The doctors and nurses are compassionate and they communicate well throughout the process. I wasn't a big fan of their financial person but we only had to deal with her a couple times.

Frozen egg retrieval and transfer was around $10,200. Not including medications.

I only had one embryo to transfer so this wasn't a topic of discussion.

I would recommend Dr. Bateman over again. He started the fertility clinic in Charlottesville and has years of experience under his belt. He was always very knowledgable and helpful when I asked questions. I also appreciated his understanding in one of our meetings when discussing all types of interventions during IVF (ICSI, assisted hatching). My husband and I were part of the shared risk program and as a result it required us to comply with clinical recommendations. Dr. Bateman and I had a discussion about assisted hatching, pros/cons. I told Dr. Bateman I wanted minimal intervention and he understood my wishes and allowed me to choose that for our second cycle of IVF despite the recommendation to proceed with assisted hatching. I appreciated him listening to my needs and comfort level. I did proceed to get pregnant, but miscarried in the first trimester. In the end our outcome wasn't ideal, but I was appreciative of Dr. Bateman listening to me as a patient and honoring my request.

Be engaged in the process and take ownership and ask lots of questions until you understand the process, especially the medication! It is a lot to take in and keep straight and you deserve to understand everything along the way.

Dr. Bateman has a kind and gentle bedside manner. In the very beginning, I wasn't necessarily a fan. I felt he was more "old school" in his bedside manner, more hands off. However, the longer I was in the clinic and the more I interacted with him, the more I realized he was genuinely invested and truly hopeful for me as a person and potential mother. I miscarried 3 times and Dr. Bateman delivered that news to me 2 of the 3 times. He was so compassionate, to the point that I felt he was tearing up telling me the news during my last miscarriage. The clinic is very small and no one is made to feel like they are a number. The physicians and the nurses are so nice and really do want the best for you as a patient.

The nursing staff care about you as a person. They are all so kind and compassionate. They are always willing to answer questions and give you a hug when you need it. There were several times I cried in the office and they were so kind and understanding. They were always waiting with a hug. The clinic is small so no one feels like a number. The nurses were joyful when I was pregnant and sad when I miscarried. I truly felt they were engaged in my care and wanted and hoped for the best.

The monitoring appointments were never an issue for me. They were always very accommodating to meet my needs. I never had a conflict. Any lab work had to be completed by 2pm because of their lab. So I could not come in the afternoon for lab work. However, that wasn't an issue for me but I could see that being a problem for some. Ultrasound appointments they try and schedule first thing at 8am when they open so I could get in and out. If I couldn't come in the morning, they were always able to accommodate me when I could come. I have no complaints with the scheduling here.

Dr. Bateman is an honest doctor who tells you everything without sugar coating. I appreciated that he explained in detail our options, risks and course of treatment. Dr.Bateman is always available to answer questions, and very flexible with your schedule.

Be prepared to hear the truth no matter how upsetting it can be and he is not going to sugar coat it.

Dr.Bateman is very straight forward and caring doctor. He is honest on what his practice can do and what they can’t. He takes time to explain everything and making sure his patients understand everything. During my visits my husband and I had numerous questions about our test results and recurrent miscarriages. Dr. Bateman patiently explained everything in details.

We saw Dr. Bateman for recurrent miscarriages. We did numerous tests.

Nurses at the clinic are amazing. They always return phone calls on the same day as long as you call before 4pm. They are great at follow up and getting you scheduled. Very fast and efficient

I feel like clinic is doing a great job. They try to maintain affordable prices for those whose insurance don’t cover ivf. They always try to work with your schedule. I cannot recall any weaknesses in my experience. Our experience with the clinic was great

I had to pay $40 specialist copay. Everything else was covered by my insurance

When I was told that I only had two eggs to retrieve, Dr. Bateman was realistic with his expectations but also gave me hope with stories of women who only needed one egg to conceive. His bedside manner and reassurance was very comforting. He held my hand when I was upset and explained everything in detail. He is an older doctor so I think that it is easy to stereotype, but he certainly knows what he is doing.

Ask lots of questions, whatever they may be or how silly they seem.

He was realistic, down to earth and very sensitive to my needs.

The 9 IUIs that I tried between 2007-2010 included clomid and injections. These resulted in one chemical pregnancy and one ectopic pregnancy. Unfortunately, the ectopic came after we had our best results with 5 potential eggs.

The nursing staff are very kind, however in my most recent IVF attempts it was hard to get hold of them through email. Once Bonnie retired, Stephanie was obviously overwhelmed, but I felt this impacted my care.

The clinic is very clean, neat and cheery. The office manager is a wonderful lady and easy to work with. They are very willing to work with your schedule and make sure appointment times will work for each patient.

15,000, but additional 25,000 with IVF after that

We did not get this far.

Dr. Bateman takes a conservative approach. We had to ask for additional interventions in order to have a more aggressive treatment plan.

I don't feel like Dr. Bateman took the time to diagnose our issues/ review our past medical history. He certainly is an excellent doctor, but it wasn't until after I'd already undergone 2 IUI cycles that we did the testing to determine my AMH (ovarian reserve) is low. That, coupled with my partner's male factor, meant IUIs were likely never going to be effective for us. I felt like if RMSCVA took the time to do additionally tests and fully review my partner's sperm analysis, we would not have wasted time or funds on IUI.

I did 2 cycles of Letrozole/Femara combined with IUI. I added a trigger shot. RMSCVA doesn't necessarily do ultrasound monitoring during IUI cycle (they ask you to do OPKs at home). I asked RMSCVA to add two things which they didn't recommend for me: 1) mid-cycle monitoring because I didn't want to waste a cycle by missing ovulation, and 2) a trigger shot in order to better time IUI. First cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy and second cycle was a negative.

Brittany - my coordinator for IUI -- was excellent!

Small RE in Charlottesville. They do not have a separate waiting room for people who bring children, so please be aware.

The only downside is he no longer performs endometriosis surgery, therefore I need to see another physician in the office. But I feel quite confident I'm receiving the best care. Whenever I've seen him, he makes sure I know what action we're taking and the next steps. He's very thorough and takes the time to explain everything.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are no wrong questions, and he takes the time to walk you through the process.

Dr Bateman is a pleasure to work with, showing a genuine concern for our desire to have a family.

I'm currently seeing Dr Bateman. He has adjusted, increased my clomid dose, and we are planning to utilize IUI soon. Before continuing treatment, I will see another physician in the practice to have surgery for endometriosis.

Thus far I've seen a couple different nurses in office. They are compassionate and caring, easy to reach via phone whenever questions arose.

The office is quiet, and private. It has a cozy feel. The only downside is it can be hard to find as its located in an area with several outpatient offices and buildings. However, there is amble parking due to its location.

He was very open to answering questions and discussing procedure and medications in detail. He was realistic about the possible outcome of procedure. We were able to get appointments in a reasonable amount of time. He was very thorough while remaining compassionate. We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Bateman.

Come prepared with your questions

He was very attentive and available to answer questions

Clomid cycle day 5-9 and IUI

The nurses were very kind and compassionate

Clinic has three doctors so if you want timely appointments you may not see the same doctor each visit. We have seen all three and all have been excellent. The clinic is very clean and comfortable but small enough that you don’t feel like you are just a number

$865 IUI procedure plus tests and visits leading up to visit $400 HSG test $319 lab work

He is like a friendly grandpa rooting for you. He has many years of experience. He can be very facts first which can be offputting at times but he is also sentimental and daring. He has been there to whip away my tears and hold my hand. Even though we have had no success yet we are very hopeful!

Be prepared to get a lot of information that you may not understand

He really cares for his patients even if he is very blunt to the point.

Started right away with clomid 50mg, then 100mg, then 150 mg, then 200 mg with trigger shot

Monica has s the sweetest nurse on the planet. They all take time to call back for follow up questions after hours.

They are very educated in what they do but often you don't get a choice in doctors. This makes you feel like a number at times. They have always cared for mine and my husbands concerns and supported us in the journey.

The costs have been very reasonable.

No questions were asked that I didn't offer and no suggestions were made besides everything I could look up on Google. He just went through bloodwork, HSG, drugs, sperm sample. Nothing felt specific to me. He would come in and say he read the chart and knows all about everything each visit. I had to call back every month to ask the nurse what the next step was.

Do your own research and bring lots of questions because extra information will not be offered to you.

I felt like he just went through a checklist on his way to IVF and learned nothing about me personally (besides bloodwork).

They responded to messages appropriately, answered the questions, and showed compassion with setbacks.

Dr Bateman is very dry. He doesn't elaborate on much. I did trust his experience. They take a very conservative approach so I wouldn't recommend to anyone who is higher risk.

Make sure to ask what their protocol is and why they only use the same one for different cycles.

The Dr's and Nurses are some of the kindest I have come across.

The nurses were all very compassionate, even while I went there as a satellite patient. They really take time to help u understand the medications and how the injections work.