Craig Sweet

Dr. Sweet can be very candid (almost blunt) when initially meeting with a couple to discuss their fertility health and treatment options. For us, it felt like he wanted us to have a clear and accurate picture rather than sugar coating our options. During treatment, Dr. Sweet has a surprisingly impressive bedside manner. He is gentle, caring and funny at the same time. Dr. Sweet knows when to pause for a joke, when to include an anecdotal story and when to quietly pause to allow you to process the emotional aspect of IVF and infertility. We sadly miscarried after our first IVF cycle. During our first ultrasound to hear the heartbeat, we knew that something was wrong. Dr. Sweet took the time to explain everything that was happening and ensure we understood the gravity of the situation. Dr. Sweet sat with us while we cried and grieved and simply provided emotional support. He was available 24/7 until our next appointment for any concerns, and allowed us the time to process the information and determine how to proceed.

First impressions are not always accurate. He can come off as a bit harsh initially because he does not sugar coat and is very candid when discussing fertility health. It comes from good intentions and he will be a valued part of your team.

During our initial meeting with Dr. Sweet, he was very candid regarding our fertility health and our chances of conceiving a child through various methods. During our treatment phase, Dr. Sweet and his staff were available to us 24/7 for questions/concerns/high emotions, and addressed all of our questions with patience and compassion. Staff was there to literally hold our hands or give us a warm hug when needed. We never felt that Dr. Sweet was rushed when he was with us, and always felt that we had his undivided attention for as long as needed.

Superovulation IUI: Menopur and progesterone supplement after the IUI. (**Negative HPT.) IVF: Long protocol, which is recommended for many younger patients or those with strong ovarian reserve (I was the latter of the two…). I was prescribed Lupron, Follistim and Menopur. Due to Advanced Maternal Age and no prior pregnancies, we transferred 2 Day 5 blastocysts. After transfer I used Crinone (progesterone gel). (**Inevitable miscarriage at 8 weeks (genetic testing after miscarriage revealed Trisomy 18, which is "incompatible with life")) Medicated FET: One of the main reasons we selected a Medicated FET was the ability to control the cycle and predict when the transfer date would occur. Since my job requires 2 months advanced notice for time off requests, and they weren’t as supportive during our first IVF cycle, we hoped that having some idea of when transfer would occur would let me rearrange my schedule without quite as much push back. For our medicated FET, we used estrogen pills, which was a nice change from injections! Our medicated FET protocol included both intramuscular injections and Crinone. I started the progesterone on cycle day 17 in preparation for a cycle day 22 transfer. Due to my dreaded Advanced Maternal Age, we planned to transfer two embryos again this cycle. (**BFN) Natural FET: After our first IVF cycle resulted in an early miscarriage and our first FET cycle did not result in a pregnancy, we had two remaining embryos from our egg retrieval. We previously discussed the benefits of a medicated vs. natural FET cycle, and decided that we wanted to try a Natural FET for our remaining embryos. Although pregnancy rates in natural FET cycles are equivalent to that of medicated cycles, these cycles are much more difficult logistically to perform. We were also a little concerned with monitoring ovulation, since I ovulated prematurely during our initial IUI. In order to monitor for ovulation, we began using home ovulation predictor kits on cycle day 10. Our first ultrasound was on cycle day 12. I actually had two follicles that were developing (16mm and 17mm) and my lining was great, at 7.7mm. My estrogen level was at 219. Since it looked liked I was pretty close to ovulating, our RE opted to have us do an HCG trigger shot the following evening. Our HCG trigger shot was the first medication (other than prenatal vitamins) during this cycle – what a change! Five days after the HCG trigger, I started using progesterone supplements to help thicken my uterine lining further. Unlike our previous embryos, our remaining two had actually started to hatch prior to transfer. (**BFN) We are currently preparing for our 2nd IVF cycle. This cycle, we will be using an antagonist protocol, including HGH to address poor egg quality. The antagonist protocol uses injectibles to prevent premature ovulation

Our IVF nurse, Rebecca was amazing! She made sure to spend as much time as needed explaining how to administer medications and go over any and all questions we had. She is so patient! We truly feel like we are part of a family at SRMS.

There have been some changes with the front end staff over the last year, and it can be difficult at times when dealing with them as far as scheduling initial appointments and general questions. Once you are established, you are able to basically bypass them and go directly to the clinical staff, who are amazing.

Our insurance did not cover fertility treatment (including diagnostic testing). Dr. Sweet does offer a "Dream-a-baby" discount program for people not using insurance, which offered a significant discount on the base price of IVF and FETs.

At the start of our treatment, I was 37 (Advanced Maternal Age) with no prior confirmed pregnancies. Due to this, Dr. Sweet opted to transfer 2 embryos each time. We did not do PGS.

Dr Sweet is a genius at what he does. Very smart and knowledgeable. We have been a patient for 4 years of Dr. Sweets. He diagnosed me with stage 4 Endometriosis and performed surgery before we started IVF. My left ovary was covered with endometriosis and he wanted to ensure we had both ovaries to give me the most amount of eggs. He took 4 hours during my surgery to carefully remove the endometriosis rather then just removing the ovary. We had 7 embryos and each transfer (three) I did get pregnant. Unfortunately, with my last two, we had genetic testing done which showed chromosome abnormalities. Dr. Sweet was very understanding to my concerns when we would have our follow ups. Never made me feel as though it was my fault and never made me feel like he was rushing me. All though I am still not a mom, I know he will make me a mom one day.

Be prepared for him to be blunt as possible. He does not sugar coat

They were very compassionate and understanding with everything that has gone on during our path of having a child. My IVF nurse would always check on me and any questions I had, they were always answered. I never felt like I was a bother. My husband and I have been through so much with our IVF journey and trust that Dr Sweets office is doing everything they can to help us get our beautiful blessing.

At first, Dr Sweet put me on Clomid to see if I would ovulate. Unfortunately, that didn’t work two cycles. So we just went to IVF. I used Gonal F, menapur, progesterone, and some other med that I can not remember. For my two frozen transfers, I did a medical assisted one to make my body act as if I ovulated (progesterone shots and other pills that I can’t remember the name). For my second frozen, I preferred a natural cycle with Letrozal.

She is my rock. Very knowledgeable and understanding. She understands the whole process and explains it very well. I was even impressed when she responded to an email on her day off and weekend. She would always check on me and was a shoulder to cry on. She to this day checks on me (last miscarriage was in March of 2018). She will forever have a special place in my heart.

They are very knowledgeable and up to date with the newest technology. Dr. Sweet is a genius when it comes to infertility. Weakness is they are sometimes very behind with appointments. Also, their billing. The person in charge of billing is no longer there. It would be very frustrating at times, but they would always seem to get it resolved.

The cost for IVF was about 12,500 for the fresh cycle. Then FET were about 4200 each transfer. Meds are pretty standard but all depends on insurance. When we do another cycle, we will receive a percentage off due to this would be our second full round

He is open to what you would like to say, but he is very firm with single transfers, unless you have certain circumstances. He has discussed how multiples can have high risks and such. With me, I transferred two fresh (resulted in chemical) then two frozen (miscarried at 7 weeks w no heart beat) and theee embryos on my second frozen (one attached but miscarried at 10.5 weeks due to Turners Syndrome). He allowed this bc of not PGS testing my embryos. But, we did discuss if we do IVF again, he would suggest PSG testing and would only transfer 1.

Dr. Sweet is not a touchy-feely doctor. His bedside manner is dry and blunt. He is very knowledgeable and up to date on research. He shows compassion and listens very well. While we were undergoing testing to find out what our problems were, I appreciated how he laid out everything he was going to look for and test in the order he would order things. After our first failed IVF cycle, he listened to my concerns about one of the injectible medicines I was on and adjusted my protocol for cycle #2 which had a huge increase in follicles for me and ultimately brought us our take home baby.

Look for emotional support in someone other than Dr. Sweet.

Dr. Sweet made me feel like a human because he really took the time to talk to me. He listened to my questions and remembered me and our case when he saw us.

IVF Cycle #1, we used the long lupron protocol. I had lower than expected developed follicles and we only had 2 embryos survive to day 5. Neither of them made it to the blastocyst stage and my uterine lining was at the very minimum for transfer. We transferred both and it resulted in a chemical pregnancy. IVF Cycle #2 used the antagonist protocol and prepped with CoQ10 and DHEA supplements. Also took baby aspirin to increase blood flow. I had many more follicles and 3 embryos made it to day 5 and one was a blastocyst! My lining was much thicker as well! I got pregnant with one baby from this cycle.

The IVF coordinator was wonderful. She was knowledgeable and personable. She was really rooting for us and gave us her cell phone number to reach out at any time. At times she seemed a bit scatterbrained when it came to our charts. Some of the other nurses seemed like beginners. One nurse in particular repeatedly had trouble drawing my blood and it was quite painful. Everyone on the nursing staff was very nice.

I had many issues with the front desk staff and billing department. To book my initial appointment, I was on hold for over 40 minutes! The billing department repeatedly never called back or responded to emails. Once you can get passed the gatekeepers, I think you will like the nurses and Dr. Sweet.

We trusted his guidance in our situation.

Dr. Sweet is truely amazing. He is compassionate and so good at what he does. He takes time to understand the best options for every diagnosis and he never gives you false hope. He has always been upfront and honest with us about our chances. I can’t say enough great things about Dr. Sweet. We are still in the middle of treatments but we have confidence in him.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and understand all treatments.

Dr. Sweet genuinely cares about all his patients. He never treats you as a number. He takes time with his patients and allows for the best outcome possible.

Agonist Protocol. He used a low dose of stim medications because of my PCOS and decreased the risk of OHSS using a lupron trigger.

Our IVF coordinator Rebecca was so amazing. She answered all of our questions and concerns and was always compassionate, organized and had great communication. We also had Whitley for a period of time and she’s equally as amazing!

The office has great communication, easy scheduling and always calls right away with results. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. They always do their very best to have your questions answered.

Dr. Sweet offers the dream a baby discount for those paying out of pocket which was a life saver.

We were in agreement with Dr. Sweet by only transfer one embryo given the risks and our ages.

During our initial consultation, Dr. Sweet was very warm and humorous. He explained everything in detail and made us feel comfortable. He tells things like they are and seems to be honest about our chances--no sugar coating. He can be a bit abrupt at times.

Don't expect him to tell you what you want to hear. He is realistic about options and chances.

Dr. Sweet takes time with us and makes us feel like more than a number. However, we sometimes feel like a number when dealing with the ever-rotating staff.

Initially, it was believed our only issue was PCOS. Dr. Sweet put me on 4-6 rounds of Letrozole, along with a low dose of Metformin. Two HSGs (both difficult for the radiologists to interpret) have since revealed I may have a blocked tube. I may have surgery on the tube and we expect to undergo IVF in the coming months.

In the year we have been patients, the staff at Dr. Sweet's office has changed quite a bit. I haven't gotten to know any one nurse or assistant. The office staff seems unorganized and lacks compassion.

This clinic and doctor have a great reputation. Dr. Sweet is extremely experienced and knowledgable. I appreciated that he did not push us toward expensive treatments but allowed us to try low-cost medication for several months. I would just like a more personal relationship with someone on the nursing staff. I almost always talk to and see a different nurse or assistant.

I went to Dr. Sweet because he said he wanted to be a miracle blessing to me & my husband and he could provide us Grade A quality embryos very quickly. He insisted that we travel to Ft.Myers to consult with him & have all of my medical testing repeated w him as he did not trust others doctors records & procedures that had verified my general health, uterine health & hormone levels. Even though I had just seen a very well respected doctor in St. Louis 2 months earlier with all of the same tests. He said his clinic needed the same procedures repeated 2 months later as they couldn't put trust in another doctors reports he wanted to be sure of the results to be most accurate. Being positive that this would work I paid the money cash & began treatment. He said it could take 1-2 attempts but not more than that because they had the best embryos of any clinic. I got to choose if I wanted 2 or 3 embryos but on the day of the procedure he & his embryologist said the embryos were sooo good that they couldn't possibly take a chance to put 3 in- they strongly urged me to only take the 2 embryos, they could not in good conscience put 3 in as I would have multiple births & at "my age" I could not afford that to happen for my own health (although women are having babies in their late 40s & early 50s today w healthy twins at that)! The pregnancy did not occur so we spoke on the phone as to what the next step would be. I decided to move forward w another attempt. I paid cash again for the services & he said I could pick 2 or 3 embryos & then again they said these embryos are even stronger than the last ones there is no way they could put 3 inside of me & they did not want to skew their numbers so high that they looked like they were not being honest on their records, as they have such a high taken rate on successful pregnancies. So I opted again against my instinct to only have 2 transferred. They were rated grade "A+" embryos. I was going to take a 3rd round & pay cash again but when on the phone again w Dr. Sweet said, "Jeanine I have a responsibility to these embryos to provide them the best chance at survival & to put them where they can have a chance to live. It's like real estate. you buy a piece of property & you have been sinking money into it & you come to realize that this property no longer is worth putting anymore money into. The property is not going to give you the return you are wanting. It is better to just cut your losses." I was so caught off guard & completely devastated by his comments I couldn't even respond. He said it was up to me if I wanted to move forward to another transfer but he could not in good conscience do more than 3 rounds w me because he wanted to put these babies in a place where they had a chance at life. I decided not to take a third round as I was really battling with emotional rebound about my own self. I sent the embryo pictures to 2 different embryologist, both clinics said AT BEST they might be a grade B. Six months after I decided not to come to the clinic for the 3rd time I received a bill for over $200 for that 20 minute devastating & degrading phone call. I called & emailed to Karina the accounting lady & she only responded with it is a phone consultation fee. My husband called & left a message and we did not hear back from them for another several months when they sent a bill & said it was going to collections- they would not talk to us until this time & she said he is not budging on the fee. You have a right to know. I was not told that he was charging me for a phone call to decide what the next step would be, as we did this on the last treatment and there was no charge, maybe because I decided to move forward w another treatment. We did receive a call from his AMAZING nurse that said she would have him waive the fee. Beware~

I understand that there are no guarantees in this field. We have been on this journey for almost 15 years and spent over $200,000 cash out of pocket. There are NO reviews good or bad of any of the doctors or clinics in 15 years from us. This was a very emotionally devastating experience to recover from. If you have been through this journey you hear all kinds of negative news, your eggs are too old, you're too old, you have less than a 15% chance to have a live birth etc. But to have a doctor make comments like he did not only affected my emotions, it had a major impact on our business with regard to performance. I have been very diligent on reading positive books, doing yoga, meditation healing and acupuncture and I am back on track. I would have never written this review if they had not sent a consultation fee 6 months after the treatment, then never returned the calls and then told us last week they were sending us to collections. I was so disappointed and also wanted to warn others. We have enough inner battles to overcome- it shouldn't be with our doctor! Warmest Regards, Jeanine

I went to Dr. Sweet because he said he wanted to be a miracle blessing to me & my husband and he could provide us Grade A quality embryos very quickly. He insisted that we travel to Ft. Myers to consult with him & have all of my medical testing repeated w him as he did not trust others doctors records & procedures that had verified my general health, uterine health & hormone levels. Even though I had just seen a well respected docotr in St. Louis. He said his clinic need the same procedures repeated 2 months later. Keeping with having a positive attitude that this would work I paid the money cash & began treatment. He said it could take 1-2 attempts but not more than that because they had the best embryos of any clinic. I got to choose if I wanted 2 or 3 embryos but on the day of the procedure he & his embryologist said the embryos were sooo good that they couldn't possibly take a chance to put 3 in- they strongly urged me to only take the 2 embryos, they could not in good conscience put 3 in as I would have multiple births & at "my age" I could not afford that to happen for my own health (although women are having babies in their late 40s & early 50s today w healthy twins at that)! The pregnancy did not occur so we spoke on the phone as to what the next step would be. I decided to move forward w another attempt. I paid cash again for the services & he said I could pick 2 or 3 embryos & then again they said these embryos are even stronger than the last ones there is no way they could put 3 inside of me & they did not want to skew their numbers so high that they looked like they were not being honest on their records, as they have such a high taken rate on successful pregnancies. So I opted again against my instinct to only have 2 transferred. They were rated grade "A+" embryos. I was going to take a 3rd round & pay cash again but when on the phone again w Dr. Sweet said, "Jeanine I have a responsibility to these embryos to provide them the best chance at survival & to put them where they can have a chance to live. It's like real estate. you buy a piece of property & you have been sinking money into it & you come to realize that this property no longer is worth putting anymore money into. The property is not going to give you the return you are wanting. It is better to just cut your losses." I was so caught off guard & completely devastated by his comments I couldn't even respond. He said it was up to me if I wanted to move forward to another transfer but he could not in good conscience do more than 3 rounds w me because he wanted to put these babies in a place where they had a chance at life. I decided not to take a third round as I was really battling with emotional rebound about my own self. I sent the embryo pictures to 2 different embryologist, both clinics said AT BEST they might be a grade B. Six months after I decided not to come to the clinic for the 3rd time I received a bill for over $200 for that 20 minute devastating & degrading phone call. I called & emailed to Karina the accounting lady & she only responded with it is a phone consultation fee. My husband called & left a message and we did not hear back from them for another several months when they sent a bill & said it was going to collections- they would not talk to us until this time & she said he is not budging on the fee. I did receive a call from his AMAZING nurse who said she would get him to drop the fee. She is really is the only saving grace for his practice (she even gave us her cell if we needed to talk over the weekends!) You have a right to know. I was not told that he was charging me for a phone call to decide what the next step would be, as we did this on the last treatment and there was no charge, maybe because I decided to move forward w another treatment. Beware~

donor embryos

Whitley is the only reason I was not going to write a bad review- she is amazing and compassionate!

Do NOT go! I went because they said they could get me in quick and give me grade A donor embryos. His personal nurse Whitley was absolutely compassionate and top notch. I would never say the things he said to me to another human. He also made degrading comments about another doctor I had worked with in the past. Very unprofessional.

I spent roughly 8-10000 per treatment with all of the extra blood work, tests and meds needed

he said I could pick 2 or 3 and both times he changed his mind when I was on the table waiting for transfer and said only 2- they were "so good" he could not chance it- but 2 other clinics said they would rate them at best a grade b quality

Dr sweet is very blunt and does not sugar coat the situation. He has a unique sense of humor but is extremely knowledgeable in his field. He does not give treatment plans based on the masses but will find numbers and statistics that match your situation.

Do not expect to walk into dr sweets office expecting a warm and fuzzy feeling from him. He is very direct and uses other cases and studies to back up his statement.

Dr sweet did a good job at not making me feel like just another number however it was difficult to get the same treatment from his staff.

When I first began seeing dr sweet for my pcos I was placed on letrezole. I did conceive after two months and sadly miscarried . I was put back on letrezole shortly after and have not conceived since. Although letrezole helped me conceive the cycles were not monitored. I was not getting blood work or scans done to see if it was working or not.

The clinic is very disorganized at times. The staff does not treat patients the way I feel they should be treated. Getting a call back was almost impossible. When I tried to transfer my medical records I was told it would take up to 3 weeks and if I wanted I could stop by and pick up a copy of my medical records but I will be charged $2.00 per sheet . And even doing it that way it would still be about two weeks

Dr. Sweet is a very direct doctor. There was no dancing around the hard truth. I liked that about him. He didn’t give me false hope and he let me know my options and potential outcomes for all procedures. I felt he was very respectful and knowledgeable about all practices that he offered. He was friendly and caring, but also very to the point with you.

Be ready for lots of visits to the clinic (I feel this is normal though).

He always knew exactly who my and my husband were and what we were at the clinic for.

2 IUI rounds with superovulation First round no success Second round successful pregnancy

The clinic answered calls quickly and on the weekends as well. They called back promptly and had results quickly. The clinic had kind staff and office workers that greeted you with a smile. The overall experience was as good as it could have been in the given situation you are in.

I liked his no nonsense approach and honest and very professional demeanor. He always got right down to business and didn't waste time. He knew exactly what needed to be done and did not sugar coat anything as to give me false hope.

Don't be scared off by his sometimes dry bedside manner.

Personal calls from his nurse; many follow up emails; regularly checked in with me to see if I had any questions or concerns.

I did not have any eggs and was single do I needed speed too. I chose embryos I wanted. Continued on birth control pills until 20 days prior to transfer, then started Lupron injections, then closer I started taking Estradial several times a day along with progesterone injections and vaginal suppositories.

What Dr. Sweet may lack in bedside manner at times, his main nurse Whitley makes up for it. She is great!

It was an outpatient clinic. Not too fancy but just right.

7,500

He is very knowledgeable and I like that he doesn't sugar coat details. He isn't warm and fuzzy but he isn't harsh either. He takes the time to explain all the options that are available with realistic expectations.

Write down your questions and take notes

Although Dr. Sweet is great, I feel very rushed when meeting with the Nurses.

Menopur, Follistim, Saizen, Ganirellez, letrozole, HCG, Crinone

Emails were not always timely and I often felt rushed with my questions.

The office has a cycle every 6-8 weeks. I have a very busy work schedule and having to work around their calendar was very difficult.

Cycle #1 $11,000, FET $4000, Cycle #2 $9400

He's very considerate and genuinely seemed like he wanted us to be successful. We had a lot of questions and he spent a lot of time with us answering each of them in depth. He gave us a lot of options and didn't appear to be pushing the most expensive but wanted us to do what was right for us. He gave us a lot of resources to review so we were really educated

Ask a lot of questions, he likes to be an educator, he'll give you all the information you need if you ask for it

He spends a lot of time face to face helping us to understand our situation specifically and wants us to really understand our options. It honestly feels like he cares about us and wants us to be successful. Very human, very genuine

On time, friendly, private

Dr. Sweet is straightforward, thorough and honest. He is very good at what he does and I would recommend him for this purpose. We had success on our first IVF round and appreciated his guidance throughout the process.

I would advise future patients to be realistic about their journey through this process as it is different for all.

We followed the doctors advice to do IVF and were successful after one round.

The nursing staff were mostly organized and thorough.

The office staff sometimes mixed up our paperwork. They sent us someone else's results once. Overall they were good with scheduling appointments in a flexible manner, etc. They were usually very positive and kind-mannered.

$10000 for IVF and $7000 for drugs.

Our doctor recommended what would be most successful for us and it was.

I can't say enough about Dr. Sweet. He is so dedicated and no nonsense. I would highly recommend him and his results are amazing. I would travel across the world to have Dr. Sweet as my Dr. Very kind, compassionate but most importantly skilled!

Do no go elsewhere. He is by far the best!

Dr. Sweet spent a very long time to evaluate and explain everything.

Donor Embryo, frozen transfer, first cycle success!

The office can be a little disjointed and I suspect it's because Dr. Sweet's rates are reasonable therefore he's focused on success and not cushiness.

Dr. Sweet amazing. The staff not as much - don't let that stop you. He's AMAZING!!!!

Less expensive than I had previously paid and very reasonable.