How was your experience with Christine Mansfield at Arizona Reproductive Institute?
Dr Mansfield is incredibly warm and welcoming. I believe she is very knowledgeable and uses research to guide her practice, rather than old or unproven theories. I feel confident in her treatment recommendations.
As many of us are when facing problems with reproduction and infertility, I felt I was relatively well educated and well read when I first met Dr Mansfield. She showed me kindness and patience while I asked her numerous questions related to various things I had come across. She never made me feel silly for asking her about something (hello, pineapple core!). She refers to research when appropriate, tells you when she doesn't think something is useful but also doesn't find it harmful to try, and encourages you to not do things that she believes will be detrimental to your journey.
When I specifically questioned Dr Mansfield about a line of treatment I felt sure I needed, she held true to her belief that our primary issue was one of egg quality. She didn't discount my feelings, but after more than a year of being under her care, it turns out she was absolutely correct about egg quality (and chromosomal errors) being a primary problem for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christine Mansfield at Arizona Reproductive Institute?
Go see her! It will be worth it!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christine Mansfield at Arizona Reproductive Institute?
Dr Mansfield is very compassionate and reassuring, while being completely honest in explaining what she believes our issues are and the hurdles we may be facing. She is straightforward and open to questions. She does an excellent job of remembering one's history. She never made me feel like she had somewhere else to be and was very patient with me when I hammered her on what I believed were immunologic components of our recurrent pregnancy loss.
Describe the protocols Christine Mansfield used in your cycles at Arizona Reproductive Institute and their degree of success.
Clomid 100 mg/Timed Intercourse (2 follicles, no pregnancy)
Clomid 100 mg/IUI (4 follicles, no pregnancy)
Clomid 100 mg/IUI (2 follicles, no pregnancy)
Decision made to move to IVF to allow PGS testing:
IVF #1- Antagonist (225-300 FSH daily), Lupron trigger (high risk for OHSS)
We got 18 eggs, but only 6 were mature. Three embryos cleaved and all 3 made it to blastocyst and were biopsied for PGS testing. All 3 were abnormal.
IVF #2- Lupron Down Reg (450 FSH daily)- protocol was changed due to abnormally high number of immature eggs on Antagonist cycle. We got 31 eggs, 19 mature, 18 embryos, 13 blastocysts. Nine of them were biopsied for PGS and 5 of them came back normal!
All embryos are frozen, and we have not attempted a transfer yet.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Arizona Reproductive Institute. (Assigned nurse: Brooke)
The nursing staff members are all very kind and friendly. They always take the time to answer my questions and guide me through the process. They are reassuring and supportive when required and equally excited when something good happens.
Describe your experience with Arizona Reproductive Institute.
The clinic is beautiful, inviting, modern, and spacious. They are able to do HSG, SIS, and HSC procedures, along with egg retrievals and D&Cs in the office (they have an OR). Also, they run some of the lab work in house, so you can get results within a few hours.
I was typically greeted by name and always with a smile. Many times, I barely sat down before they called me back. On the occasions when there was a wait, it was short. The lobby has bottled water and a coffee/tea maker you can help yourself to, along with a nice restroom and pretty views out the windows.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christine Mansfield at Arizona Reproductive Institute.
Dr Mansfield's costs for care were on the lower end of the ranges I found for my area and significantly less than many clinics (such as those in Colorado, California, and on the East Coast).