Carolyn Givens

Dr. Givens was the first Reproductive Endocrinologist that we met with nearly 10 years ago. After being told by many doctors that my case was too complicated and highly unlikely that I would ever get pregnant, Dr. Givens was forthcoming and honest, yet hopeful and willing to try to help us. She has never promised the impossible, always staying honest and upfront. Despite our odds, she still offered us hope and optimism, finding a way through where there has been one. Our case has certainly had it's ups and downs, yet Dr. Givens has helped us feel like valuable humans, and not just another patient. We started our journey at PFC with 4 IUI's, prior to moving on to an IVF cycle. She has always presented our options honestly, helping us make the best call, all while being conscious of our financial means. These procedures were very tricky for us, as I only have a tiny piece of one ovary left. Additionally, I have severe endometriosis, one tube left, a history of PCOS, and a complicated multiple abdominal surgical history. Our journey has been an uphill battle. After moving out of the Bay Area, we sought care at a different clinic due to living hours away from PFC. We attempted another IVF, but it was a bust after no eggs were retrieved during that cycle. We were devastated. Though the RE at the other clinic was nice, it was such a different experience. There, we felt like the doctor/patient connection was just lacking. Gratefully, the opportunity to return to Dr. Givens presented itself and we jumped on it! Being back under her care reminds us that we don't have to feel like we are just a number. This time moving on to FET with donor embryos, we now travel 3 hours away to see her, because she is worth it! In an amazing, yet heartbreaking development, she was able to do what felt like the impossible. After 12 years of infertility, she helped us get pregnant through the gift of embryo donation! Unfortunately, we lost our baby girl a day shy of 14 weeks due to a developmental abnormality. This loss was purely a rare phenomenon, having nothing to do with fertility treatments, genetics, etc. Through our heartbreak and pain, Dr. Givens personally called me to check in, and has provided support like we could not have expected. This kindness from her during our time of grief has only grown our appreciation for the amazing woman that she is. She truly has a heart of gold! It feels like Dr. Givens truly wants us to have a baby just as much as we do, and she is alongside us in this complicated journey. Always professional, and still she has come to feel like family, and that is rare in my experience with other doctors. Our journey is yet to be finished, as we are in the process of another FET with our donor embryos. Regardless of where this journey takes us, we wouldn't want any other doctor by our side, directing and advising us. Dr. Givens will always hold a special place in our hearts! Her care is irreplaceable!

Come prepared with questions, and be open and willing to listen. As a patient, I like to be informed and have always been prepared with my list of questions. Dr. Givens is very intelligent and also willing to explain when you need it. If you are a patient that advocates for yourself, Dr. Givens seems to value that.

Our first course of action years ago began with IUI's. At the time, financially, IVF was out of the question, so opted to try IUI's before moving on to the more expensive options. As time went on, I had a few more surgeries for my severe endometriosis. This likely being the reason for the unsuccessful IUI's, we had to move on. Our first IVF cycle, we learned that my body took longer to respond to the medications that the average patient. Knowing that I have DOR with a very small piece of one ovary left, Dr. Givens stayed the course. Despite the odds, 7 eggs were able to be retrieved, which was practically a miracle in my case. This IVF resulted in a chemical pregnancy. Since moving on to FET with donor embryos, Dr. Givens chose to do a controlled cycle, working with the fact that I have not been having regular cycles these days. Our first FET was a success using this controlled cycle. Though we are now on to our second FET due to a second trimester miscarriage (unrelated to this fertility process), Dr. Givens has us sticking with the controlled cycle again since it worked for us the last time.

Dr. Givens has always been very helpful and conscious of our financial means over the years. She lays out all of our options and has been honest when things are necessary and also unnecessary.

Dr Givens was a good communicator, empathetic and professional. She has a conservative approach. She recommended the same protocol 9 times, all which failed, and when I asked multiple times if there was anything experimental I could try she said no, you should think about using a surrogate. Come to find out there are experimental things located within 2 hours of her office. She wrote a paper in 2010 around immunology and IVIG. Her paper was not supporting this treatment, but that's not what I asked. So, if you have a typical case I would recommend her. If you don't and would like to think more outside the box with your treatment, I would recommend you go to another clinic.

If you have a typical case and do not need a touchy feeling Dr, she is a good fit. She is quick, direct and to the point which I actually appreciate. I don't want to hang out at the clinic any more then I have to. If you want a doctor that is going to think outside the box, do research on your behalf and bring you all the latest information available whether she agrees with the treatment or not, she is not the right fit for you.

Round 1: age 36; retrieval using Follistim, Ganarelix, Menapure; great results; recommended against genetic testing as I had never been pregnant before; 29 eggs; 15 embroys (all excellent grade); Fresh transfer of 2 embryos; negative pregnancy test (Dr Given's said it was because I hyper stimulated but I had so many embroys she decided to move forward. Round 2: Frozen natural cycle; cancelled due to lining being too thin Round 3: Frozen cycle using stim drugs to help with lining; cancelled due to me ovulating Round 4: Frozen cycle using progesterone and estrogen injections (Dr Given's called this the gold standard to help with thin lining) Lining only got to a 6. Dr Chenet told me I "needed to buy a uterus" at a lining check but that it was Dr Given's call. I requested NOT to see Dr Chenet at future appointments. Dr Given's decided to give it a shot. Transfered 2 embryos; resulted in birth of 1 baby 9 months later: Rounds 5 & 6: Used same protocol as Round 4 both ending in chemical pregnancies Endometrial biopsy - Dr Given's didn't get enough tissue the first time so I had to do this twice. It's painful and delays the process. Biopsy came back fine meaning we were doing transfers on the correct day Went through the rest of the embroys using the same protocol as round 4 with negative pregnancy tests each time. Now out of of embryos Dr Given's reason was that they were not genetically tested. Retrieval #2: 15 eggs; 6 embryos; 3 genetically normal 2 transfers using the same protocol as round 4. Negative pregnancies both times. Thin lining continued through out each round (between 6 and 7) - reco is a 10 With 1 embro left Dr Given's recommended another retrieval and using a surrogate. I did the research and decided that route was not for me. Moved embryo to a new clinic and started from scratch.

My first cycles were on a special value plan. I can't remember the exact costs but because I was only 36 and using my own eggs I qualified. Everything outside of that was a la carte. My insurance didn't provide coverage so everything was out of pocket. There were no payment plans offered.

Dr Given's and the staff at PFC have a conservative approach. When asked about alternative medicine, experimental treatments, ways of eating, etc. they all seem to blow it off as there is "not sufficient research"

During an egg retrieval cycle, you see one of the doctors that's available when you go into the office. You are going almost daily if not daily for a week when your eggs are growing and I think I saw a different dr each day for the sonogram. I liked all but one. Her bedside manner was nonexistent and I think she laughed at one of my questions in a scoffing manner. I already felt like an alien growing eggs and full of hormone shots so I didn't need this dr I had never met acting that way. I gave that feedback during my "exit interview" after my eggs were frozen. They seemed genuinely interested in knowing how I felt about my interaction with that dr. Everyone else was great. I can't rem if Dr Givens or another dr harvested my eggs. I had such great results and felt so comfortable overall there that it didn't matter. I've met with her twice recently to discuss next steps (turning my frozen eggs into embryos and implantation to become pregnant) and she is open to answering any and all questions I have and new information I may have read up on that she hasn't heard about yet...things are happening quickly in this field.

Ask a lot of questions and do your research. For the egg retrieval portion, it's pretty straightforward and takes up a month of your life. I've found that it's better to talk to as many people as possible when moving forward with the rest of the IVF process. There are many more moving parts and things to know.

The drugs I took were Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelix and HCG. I ended up going for a couple more days to let the eggs get even bigger so I needed more Menopur which I was able to pick up at the office (PFC). They keep drugs on hand for this last minute purpose as the rest comes in the mail ahead of your cycle. I ended up with 28 eggs retrieved and 22 were frozen. Given my age at the time of 39.5, I would have to think her protocol worked well.

I think my total fees for egg retrieval in 2014 was $12,000. That included all of my drugs. I think the finance person grossly underestimated how much my drugs would be. The dr. Also added more at the end to let my eggs "cook" a bit more. On their price sheet in 2014, they list X-Cycle Fee as $8,345. They say this includes 4 of each of the following---office visits, ultrasounds, Estradiol as well as one of each of the following---anesthesia, egg retrieval, facility, lab, cryo preservation & one yr of storage ($600). Blood testing, ultrasound and at least one office visit were covered by my insurance as they will not cover fertility treatments, but do pay for "diagnostic procedures and tests provided in connection with infertility evaluation. Office visits and consultation used to diagnose infertility."

I felt respected. I fellt she had enough time for me. I never felt rushed. She answered all my questions earnestly and revealed when she diden't know something. I the clinic is extremely well organized.

Ask questions

I have low ovarian reserve and she wanted to used the highest dose of medictaion for stimulation because of my age. She felt it was our best shot. My cycle is currently postponed due to COVID.

21,000 for the IVF cycle

She does not typically do multiple embryo transfer due to the risks associated with twins. I support this completely.

She is candid, no-nonsense, not super warm-and-fuzzy but very competent and was genuinely happy with the positive outcome. Some PFC physicians I liked more and some I liked less, but it was the overall competence of the center that was important to me.

I went in with very good numbers and was doing IVF because it was the straightest route to pregnancy as a single woman. My cycle involved Follistim, Menpur, Ganirelix, and a bit of Lupron late in the cycle. It was a straight-forward stimulation and retrieval. Upon embryo transfer I was on progesterone and HCG.

Roughly $22,000

Dr Givens was direct and clear on my prognosis from the beginning. She was on time for my appointments. She answered my many, many questions, and she explained my treatment well. My previous answer covers everything else.

I would give them advice to anyone looking at any RE. Be specific about their success rates for your type of case.

I don't remember.

She strongly preferred transferring 1 embryo. So did I so we didn't discuss it much.

Dr Givens was always patient through all our questions, explained things clearly during uncertain situations and was kind and always professional. She never pressured us into IVF or using donor eggs, even when that was the most logical next steps. She always gave her opinion during appropriate times but really acted almost like a trusted counselor.

To ask as many questions you deem necessary and Dr Givens will gladly answer and help you come to a decision you're comfortable with. Read up, do your research but have realistic expectations based on your age, situation etc.

She was wonderful!! Very knowledgeable. We did IVF 2 times, the first we were pregnant with twins, but there were problems.... the sack never formed correctly and we miscarried around 9 weeks. She was sensitive with the details of the problems, but also direct. she knew we needed to understand the severity of what was happening. when we did miscarry, we were due to leave for Hawaii for vacation in two days. she organized the procedure to be done on the next day (a Sunday!) so we could keep our plans to go. She also kept in touch to make sure there were no complications while we were gone. Our next IVF we had a successful pregnancy, and she was amazing during that one as well.

Ask a lot of questions. She will be honest.