Geraldine Ekpo

Dr. Ekpo always went over my options with me. She answered all my questions and went over my concerns. I never had to wait long to see her. Dr. Ekpo spent an appropriate amount of time with me at each appointment.

Nothing- she is a great Doctor. Although I did not get pregnant with my IUI or my 3 rounds of transfer I would still recommend her. I would not have left Laurel, but United Healthcare ended the contract with Laurel. I think best thing to do for choosing any clinic, is get referrals AND check SART reports. Ask the Doctors at the clinics to go over theirs with you.

Dr. Ekpo was a straight shooter, but kind and warm. She was very knowledgeable and always took time to talk to me at every appointment. I never felt like I was not heard.

We did 1 IUI just to see. We went more aggressive afterwards. Secondary infertility is quite challenging. I had 1 egg retrieval and got 9 eggs. 6 became 5 day blastocysts. I had 3 failed embryo transfers. Our last talk, Dr. Ekpo said she would change the medications and protocol. All 3 were antagonist protocols.Dr. Ekpo highly recommend PGS. I was not told the correct billing information on that, so we decided against it. The embryologists said it was okay. Who knows.... I say to also ask for embryo grades. I never go them, wish I had.

Natalie was wonderful. Natalie always responded to my emails in a timely manner. She was beyond helpful and patient. I truly trusted her.

The only problem I had with Laurel, was the billing. I would get bills 3 months later, which was frustrating. I was told it was because of my insurance company. That was not the case. I would call United Healthcare, and they would have already received the bills and paid Laurel. I just don't think Laurel Billing Department was organized and on top of their work. It was so frustrating to get bills after a failed embryo transfer 1-3 months later. I also caught a few mistakes. Just got to be onto of them.

Paid 20% of all appointments and procedures. Paid $100.00 a month for storing frozen embryos. We paid about $6,000 in total. Our insurance covers up to $10k for fertility treatments

None.

Dr. Ekpo was very thoughtful, considerate and supportive through my IVF procedures. She was very hands on with me. I would encourage others to work with her even though my two egg retrievals were unsuccessful.

Ask as many questions as possible, to ensure you are comfortable with everything.

Despite the unfavorable results of my egg retrievals, she really tried to be accessible for any questions or concerns I had. She really does care about her patients despite the outcome.

I don’t remember the exact dosages I took but I I remember using injectable hormones - Menopur, Pregnyl, Gonal F and Ganirelix.

The nursing staff was excellent. They answered any questions I had and made sure I knew how to use the injectables and was comfortable administering them on myself.

Laurel Fertility is a warm practice and everyone was very nice and welcoming. I think if there was something I’d change in my experience, is to set realistic expectations. In my situation, I was given much more positive information and feedback in the beginning because I had gotten pregnant naturally without medical intervention and based off of my initial blood work, I can understand why Dr. Ekpo felt more positively about my potential to have a successful IVF procedure. I just wish that someone told me that if might not work the first or second time around, that IVF sometimes take more than once or twice until it works.

It was an efficient, well-oiled operation.

I was lucky that majority of the cost was covered by my insurance.

Dr. Ekpo was comfortable with transferring up to 2 to 3 embryos because of my age.

At first I really liked Dr. Ekpo. She was blunt but kind, and seemed knowledgeable about the the entire fertility field. My ultimate dislike and distrust came after my 2nd and 3rd IUI with Laurel Fertility. One thing off the bat, the online calendar and app is just terrible. Very difficult to access and with all the medications and timing needs, this was frustrating. My first cycle they measured my lining at around 3.5 mm, but still went forward with the IUI. At the time, I just put my blind trust in the doctors and figured they would do what they thought would be most successful-NOT TRUE. Any other Dr. will tell you that you want your lining to get to 8mm to have a decent shot at pregnancy, and I wasn't even halfway there. I feel it was morally irresponsible for them to perform 3 IUI's on me when my lining was less than 5 each time. Also, my cycles required LOTS of monitoring ultrasound appts, and at $490 per appt, this became ridiculously expensive. These utlrasound appts were 5-10 minutes, for $490!!! insane. They didn't make any attempts to get my insurance to cover it as a diagnostic tool, so I had to pay out of pocket for everything. Dr. Ekpo also straight up lied to me about a certain procedure which is what ultimately makes me feel I would NEVER recommend anyone go there. She told me there was no way to do a HSG dye test in the same cycle as an IUI, and it just isn't true. Many other doctors do this and I believe the only reason she told me I couldn't was to get more money and more visits out of me.

Do your research and don't go with a private clinic because you think you'll receive better care, it just isn't true.

Dr Ekpo was kind and I didn't have an issue with her personality or her demeanor during our visits. I do feel that she mismanaged my expectations and given what I know now, there is no way she was ever going to get me pregnant so it really feels like it was more of a cash grab, preying on my desire to have a child, while not addressing the reality that my lining was not even close to thick enough to move forward with the IUI's she performed on me. It gave me a lot of false hope without addressing diagnostic issues that they completely skipped over.

Each IUI cycle I was on Letrazole, with lots of monitoring ultrasounds to see how my follicles and uterine lining were developing. The first two were about the same-letrazole, trigger shot, IUI. The third one they added estrogen injections mid cycle to try and boost my lining since I never got past 4mm with previous two cycles, then another trigger shot and another failed IUI. I wasn't given any other alternatives except for IVF which they began pushing on me after the first failed IUI.

Nurses were lovely and kind people. I had a couple issues with them not updating my calendar in a way that worked for me, but otherwise they returned calls, answered questions, and were very pleasant to be around.

The office is small and outdated, the exam rooms could barely fit me and my husband in it together making us feel cramped and uncomfortable. And while this isn't the clinics fault, the building was under massive construction which made parking impossible and getting into the building a real pain.

$490 PER ULTRASOUND! And during all my cycles with Dr. Ekpo, I needed 4-6 ultrasounds before the IUI. It was absurdly expensive. Around 2k for the actual IUI, and several hundred dollars for medications. My bloodwork was covered by insurance.

She was great and very patient. The one thing I was very pleased with her was on the medications. She explained to me that they will make me a little bit emotional. She was so correct, I came into the office a few times crying She comfort me told me not to worry it was just the medication. She also talk to my husband and explain to him the whole process for more understanding which was great I really appreciated that

You always wanna Doctor Who is willing to explain the process , this process can be very emotional and she’s the type of doctor that shows true compassion in her job.

She was very Patient with me Through the whole process. She explained everything that was going to happen and also she listened. Being on the meds made me very emotional.

Pregnyl 10,000 IU Follistim AD 600 IU- Leuprolide Progesterone in sesame oil 50 mg

My nurse was the perfect fit for me going through this whole process. She was my go to person. My nurse is the person who help and walk me through make sure all your blood test and ultrasound appointments were done. She work around my schedule to make thing convenient for me. A few time I came in before the clinic open. She was my first port of call if anything when wrong while I was undergoing treatment as far as like breaking a vial of medicine, or having unusual pain when I shouldn’t. She offer solace and advice when unusual things happen during the treatment process.

As a new patient I was very comfortable they made me feel like things will be okay and they understood my issues and concerns. The one thing that i feel was a strengths that I saw was that the staff in the office was understandable 99.9 women who came in the office was either on hormone shots which lead to moodiness, bloatedness and, quite honestly either you was upset or crying and the staff handle everyone with great care. .

around 9,000.00

Pros: Very thorough, knowledgeable, articulate, and has a good bedside manner. Explains concepts very well. I never feel rushed ever. She makes sure all of my questions are answered. Cons: In the very beginning, we felt a little in the dark about all of the steps in the process and the time everything would take, before we proactively asked.

There's a LOT of information when it comes to IVF. Do your research and ask lots of questions. Make sure to double check all matters pertaining to insurance yourself.

The very first thing she asked me was "How are you feeling?" I have never had a doctor ask me that before. She also asks me things outside of my treatment questions. I like that.

I have only positive things to say about Natalie. She's extremely knowledgeable, likeable, thorough, understandable, and organized. I really cannot imagine anyone better at this job than Natalie.

Strengths: Everything runs on time and smoothly. Everyone is extremely friendly. Weaknesses: We think their patient info sheets outlining all of the steps of IVF, etc., and insurance/payment info could be improved to make things more clear. The eIVF app is absolutely terrible to use. Communication is very inefficient through the app because you can't keep a single conversation chain going. I'm constantly having to re-download the app because it is very buggy.

We paid $2k for PGS through a 3rd party provider and just a few hundred dollars for medications not covered fully by insurance. Other than this, all costs were covered by insurance.

Dr Ekpo is so smart and gracious and beautiful, I can't recommend her enough. I never felt bullied or uncomfortable (which is how I felt with my first fertility doctor). Dr. Ekpo always went over my options with me and we made decisions together, she always made me feel comfortable/reassured. I never had to wait long to see her, she wouldn't rush me out and always spent an appropriate amount of time with me. She would see me on the weekend when necessary and give me a heads up on who would be her coverage if she was going to be away.

Go see her.

Dr. Ekpo and all the nurses/staff who work there make you feel like you are their only patient.

I have PCOS - irregular/no periods - I went through several unsuccessful cycles of IUI using Letrozole and Ovidrel. Then we added Gonal-F in with an increased dosage of Letrozole but it made too many follicles so we switched mid-cycle to IVF and I had to add more Gonal F and Ganirelix and HCG. Then I had my egg retrieval. Then I was on Estrace and Endometrin before my transfer through 8 weeks into my pregnancy then kept taking the Endometrin up until 10 weeks pregnant.

Donna and Natalie were the nurses who had to deal w/me the most. They are WONDERFUL. I cannot praise them enough. Natalie was there during my egg retrieval which was suddenly unnecessarily scary for me, I was crying and she was so darn nice and cute and sweet and made me feel better.

I love all the doctors, nurses and front desk staff and lab people and everyone who works at Laurel Fertility Care. Laurel Fertility is SO organized, they never make me wait long, everyone there is friendly and wonderful. They call in prescriptions for you to your preferred pharmacy. I never had an issue with payment/insurance not going through.

I only paid co-pays for my visits, everything else went through insurance.

I chose to transfer 1 embryo and she did not advise differently.

Dr. Ekpo performed all of my procedures, and we went through the process slow and steady, step-by-step together. She recommended a holistic and comprehensive treatment that involved supplements, dietary adjustments and acupuncture. Throughout the process, I felt like I was getting the best care possible.

She knows the science and latest research and you will be in good hands. She is straightforward, thorough, and comprehensive.

Dr. Ekpo handled all of my ultrasounds and follicle counts in-person at each session. She conducted all of my procedures, ran my analysis and kept me up-to-date with everything on a daily basis. We were in constant contact and I felt like an individual patient.

We went directly to IVF, due to my diagnosis and hormone levels. I was on a cocktail of Gonal F, Menopur and Lupron. I was also on a number of supplements plus estrogen followed by progesterone. And, there were some dietary restrictions and acupuncture recommendations.

I had a primary care nurse that took care of my medication and any questions. There were also nurses to support the blood draws and a specialized nurse for the retrieval and transfer. I only interacted with the embryologists after the retrieval and before the transfer. Laurel also has an EXCELLENT support staff of administrators that handle the billing and insurance issues.

The clinic is small but provides wonderful personalized care. I honestly can't think of any weaknesses; our experience was about as great as you can hope for during infertility treatments and the IVF process. We experienced several problems with the insurance company and received several rejections of legitimate claims. Dr. Ekpo worked with us to escalate the claim process and drafted a personal letter to the insurance company describing my diagnosis and the details of the treatment.

I went in for monitoring according to my schedule and the process was quick and efficient. Dr. Ekpo handled all of my monitoring and ultrasounds, and we debriefed after each appointment. My meetings with Dr. Ekpo were followed with check-ins with the nurses about the protocol/medicines/etc. and then someone would call me with the blood test results. Everything was very well-organized.

I think the all-inclusive number was around 15K - but insurance ended up covering the majority of the cost.

Yes - Dr. Ekpo strongly recommended a single embryo transfer approach for my first transfer.

Dr. Ekpo is incredibly knowledgeable. She went through what my partner and I were dealing with, and was very thorough. She answered each message and call directly, and never hesitated to offer more information.

Dr. Ekpo is not going to give you sunshine and roses if it's unrealistic. She's thorough, but she's going to back up her claims with science.

Dr. Ekpo is very caring. She took lots of time personally to explain to my partner and I what we were dealing with and very thorough with each step. She--not her staff members--called with questions and news.

IUI with Letrozole, with an Ovidrel trigger. Negative pregnancy test, but this was to be expected with our diagnosis. IUI was basically a required step for our insurance to cover IVF, so we did not expect a pregnancy.

Very thorough, pleasant, and professional.

Laurel is a small clinic that gives you personal attention. You feel like a human going through a difficult time and not just a number designed to give the doctors more money. Laurel's staff was the only one I've had who provided a detailed printout of what my insurance would cover. As a result, I had no problems with prior authorization. Given that my subsequent clinics have all had hiccups at the prior authorization phases for IVF, this says something about how thorough Laurel's staff is. Since I had to leave for relocation reasons, I hold Laurel's staff in high esteem and have no problem coming back to them with questions or concerns.

Simply the office visit co-pays and prescription co-pays. For an IUI, that was about $80.

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Doctor was very straightforward with your treatment. She won’t sugar coat anything and is very direct with her expectations. Nurses weren’t as knowledgeable as her but if we needed an answer, the doctor always made sure we were taken care of.

Don’t expect the soft and over friendly doctor. Be prepared for straight answers based on your specific situation.

She remembers our names and our situation. We weren’t blank faces to her.

Iui was very basic and had a sperm sample 3 times and had 3 separate iui placements. We used letrozole and the trigger shot to help time the iui transfer. IVF was a common stims injection protocol and egg retrieval was as expected. We had leftover day 5 embryos but didn’t succeed with 2 first two. Next protocol will include 2 day 5 embryos transfer.

Nicest and easiest to talk to nurse. However sometimes information was mixed up and we had to check with the doctor. Overall, very knowledge on teaching us medications.

A smaller boutique clinic so you always see the same staff and doctor. Very clean and swanky waiting room and enjoyable to visit. Parking and the area can be tough to navigate so best if you use rideshare.

$800 per iui cycle. $10,000 for ivf and egg retrieval and around $3000 for each transfer.

We were given the option each time 1 vs 2 but they gave us their recommendations off the bat. After failing 2 single transfers, we are planning a double embryo transfer next.

Dr. Ekpo. She and their nurse Donna are the ones who took care of me. They are attentive and always listened to any of my concern/ questions. Mostly they get back at my phone calls and emails on the same day. They also have an online patient portal where you can communicate to them, see all your lab test results, instructions, documents, and messages from the staff. During our first consultation Dr. Ekpo took her time listening to my situation, laid out a plan and suggested HSG procedure, lab tests, and semen analysis. Luckily after HSG procedure I finally conceive . I Highly recommend them to anyone who wants to be treated with care and professionalism. THANK YOU DR. EKPO, nurse Donna, and to LAUREL FERTILITY CLINIC modesto/ san francisco for all your help. Me and my husband appreciates everything you guys did for us

You will be treated with care

Dr. Ekpo took her time listening to my concerns and questions with care and professionalism.

She recommended Hsg procedure, lab tests, semen analysis, the results were successful

Nurse Donna treated me with care and professionalism, she get back at my phone calls and email the same they, she is attentive and listens to any if my questions and concern.

Wait time is minimal, clean environment, and professional staff. All of them are nice and treats you with care. Quiet and calm environment. They listen to your concerns/ questions and responds to you as soon as possible.

My husband and I are so incredibly grateful we found Dr. Geraldine Ekpo and her team. Dr. Ekpo was extremely understanding, patient and up beat throughout a process that otherwise would have been very unpleasant. She always clearly explained every single procedure, listed to our concerns and questions as well as took our input and always made us feel as if we were part of the decision making process. Dr. Ekpo is very knowledgeable about IVF and genetic testing.

No advice, you will love her.

We were always treated with kindness and respect.

I did an IVF procedure with mine and my husbands day 5 embryos, we transferred 2 and now I am 10 weeks pregnant with 1 baby girl. I will continue to take endometrium and estradiol until the end of my 1st trimester.

Francesca Perrone was very kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable. She very patient and reassuring when teaching us how to do injections.

Laurel is great, we never had to wait in the lobby, the team is very prompt and very respectful of appointment times. The billing is great since everything is electronic which makes it easy to submit to FSA, no scanning of receipts.

I have medical insurance, that cover fertility treatment and drugs, however I believe I spent ~$6,500 out of pocket, which includes copays, vitamins, blood tests, fertility drugs, embryo freezing and a service to administer shots.

Doctor had a preference to transfer 1 embryo due to my age and family history of twins but allowed me to make the final decision. I transferred 2 embryos.

She was very warm from the first visit she was optimistic. She explained everything she always made herself available via phone or email. I cannot express enough how amazing she is. She felt more like a friend of the family then my doctor. Amazing bedside manner. If we have to go this route for the next baby I hope to use her again.

she took the time to speak with us at every appointment. I was not passed off to a nurse. She remembered my partners name even though he wasn't at many of the early appointments. She was very kind and sincere about everything.

For the most part the main nurse was on top of things. She was able to explain the meds and coach us on the injections. She is typically very responsive via email. At times I think she can be a little curt in emails which is frustrating during a process like this. There were a few times she was not 100 percent clear about medication changes which was upsetting as well.

It is very small which allows them to treat each patient as such rather than a number in a huge hospital. The staff remember you they are warm and compassionate which make the entire experience less stressful.

Dr. Ekpo is compassionate, direct, caring, and understanding. I saw her every visit and she was usually on time. She gave her professional and personal opinion. She was helpful with decision-making. I would have liked more communication on why certain issues came up and how best to maneuver them for next time.

Gonal F, Menopur, Metformin for egg retrieval. Stims protocol for FET after estrogen priming did not work (2 cancelled transfers).

The billing department is very unorganized - make sure you keep records. They just hired a new COO who is supposed to be helping clean it up. Dr. Ekpo is on maternity leave so scheduling is a bit tough and delayed right now. Nurses are kind and compassionate. It's a small clinic, so there's a lot of personalization.

$18,000 for IVF, PGS, ICSI, FET

Originally she agreed that a single would be best, but after 2 cancelled transfers when we mentioned transferring 2, she said that makes the most sense with 3 day embryos.

It was overall quite positive - though I've only seen her once so far, I would prefer to see her than another doctor I went to because she was more compassionate and caring about my circumstances. She took the time to answer the questions and was thorough in my review.

Be prepared to ask all the questions you have and have a good understanding of procedures you've already done.

She was personable, and took time to understand the number of tests/procedures I've already taken. She was patient with my concerns and addressed questions I had with sincerity.

So far, we're just getting a HSG test to make sure the tubes are open. Then, potential clomid rounds to make sure ovulation is happening.

They were efficient and seemed like they care, but it just felt a little too methodical.

Be sure to fill out all paperwork heading into the first meeting. And arrive at least 10 min as there will be additional paperwork once you get there. The clinic was efficient in checking insurance coverage, transfering medical records and there wasn't too long of a wait for appointments so that was nice. Other clinics took about 3-4 wk for appointment availability.

Only $35 copay so far

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