Grace Couchman

Dr. Couchman was very nice and easy to talk to. As I mentioned before, she didn’t always answer all of our questions and I was sometimes confused about what was happening next. She was also very difficult to get on the phone or via email on the weekends. A couple of times we reached out with an issue that needed immediate assistance and we were always contacted back by another doctor at the practice.

To make sure you push to get all of your questions answered in the detail you need as a patient. Do not let her make you feel rushed or that your list of questions isn’t important.

We did a full round of IVF with Dr. Couchman. We had 5 embryos develop after the retrieval. We had them PGS tested due to a prior chromosome abnormality miscarriage. We had only 1 genetically normal embryo. Dr. Couchman suggested we do the ERA test to make sure of the optimal time for transfer. During the ERA test, I also had a hysteroscopy due to titled cervix. These are all the procedures they were done during our IVF cycle.

Our single IVF cycle was just under $15,000 and that does not include the meds, PGS testing, and other out patient procedures.

We were told if we had our embryos genetically tested, that we were only able to transfer one at a time.

I thought Dr. Couchman was a great provider overall. With a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, I found myself wanting more diagnostic tests completed or further work up to determine was was causing our infertility. We completed an HSG and AMH/progesterone/thyroid labs but that was it. The fact that these were not offered was a little frustrating, but I assumed that the point was our treatment plan would not change no matter the diagnosis so it would have been a waste of time/resources. There were a couple of times I was told I would receive a call with lab results and did not. They were normal in the end but I didn't find this out until the next in person appointment. I wasn't too concerned since I had assumed no news was good news, but still if it had been off I would have been frustrated at the lost time. In the end, we ended up pregnant after our first cycle of medicated timed intercourse (even though Dr. Couchman had warned us this was very unlikely to succeed) so with positive results its hard to have much negative to say.

Don't be afraid to "pester" with questions or to pursue more information.

1 round of letrozole taken cycle days 3-5 followed by a trigger shot on day 12 with timed intercourse on day 12 & 13. Confirmed pregnancy 2 weeks after trigger shot. This was confirmed by "beta HCG" lab draws and an ultrasound at 6.5 weeks pregnant.

With the NC state 80/20 health plan: I paid $80 for visits/counsel sessions with Dr. Couchman. I paid $31.20 for ultrasound with an RN and $55.85 for ultrasound with a provider (they said you can specify which you want depending if you want to spend the extra money), $53.50 for Ovidrel at self-pay pharmacy,

I feel like she was very experienced in what she was doing. She explained all of the risks and possible bumps down the road. She prepared us for the worst but hoped for the best along side of us. She was always very honest with us. Her bedside manner was great as well.

Pregnancy is not a guarantee, no matter who you see.

We did one round of IUI with Dr. Couchman, the medications weren’t working. She opted to stop before the insemination and move ahead with the egg retrieval. After our first negative test with one embryo transferred she adjusted and transferred two embryos, we got pregnant and lost it. After losing that we were going back for our third transfer and found out we were pregnant on our own. When telling her that we were pregnant she told us that if we lost that pregnancy she wanted to do a procedure to look at my uterus due to the multiple losses. We lost that baby as well and have yet to make an appointment with her.

There were appointments made for the hours in the morning. There was never a long line or seemed like excessive amount of people waiting for the same things.

Medications were expensive but that’s what I expected. My insurance covered a certain portion and after that we paid it. I was prepared for the cost and appreciated the breakdown and financial planning ahead of time.

We cautiously started with one embryo, she asked our opinion and was on board with us moving to two embryos.

Dr. Couchman can be a bit cold, but I also feel like she doesn't just waste your time doing things that likely won't work. She is a good balance of reality and hope. I have been working with Dr Couchman since conceiving my son, and we've had a lot of insurance-related hurdles, and because we've worked closely together, I feel she has more of an understanding of my case. But before that, I did feel a bit like she was just putting me through a standard protocol, and I was just another patient. However, with my relationship change with Dr. Couchman, the clinic's staff and other doctors also have been friendlier, so I feel like it's a clinic effort as well.

ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF! Read up on what may be causing your infertility, ask lots of questions, and if something doesn't feel right, bring it up. The tendency with Dr Couchman is to do what works for most, but you know what works for you. Ask for it. Dr Couchman is very reasonable and will listen, but you have to ask to get a different result.

I did an IVF cycle with menopur, testosterone, gonal-f, and something else, and I got very few follicles. I've done many IUIs with different doses of Gonal-F

$15,125 for one IVF cycle, just clinic services, nothing additional

Carolina Conceptions has guidelines for this, but we didn't have multiple to transfer, so wasn't an issue for us. In general, I felt their guidelines were very responsible and reasonable.

I would definitely recommend Dr. Couchman because I feel confident that she is an expert in her field and I trust that she did everything in her power to help me become pregnant. She's not always warm and fuzzy but she tells you like it is and I respect that.

When you have appointments with her, have your questions ready! You mostly see nurses during office visits (they are great with questions too!). You can email Dr. Couchman, but I feel like I'm being annoying if I do this often or if I have long emails because her answers are short and sweet. She probably means nothing negative by this. She seems like she is super busy!

I did 1 round of medicated timed intercourse and 1 IUI each with Letrozole, Gonal-F 150 (I did not need Cetrotide but had it in case), and Ovidrel. With IVF, I was on birth control for a month then did Gonal-F 225 with 2 vials Menopur, added Cetrotide and ended up reducing Gonal-F and Menopur doses, then triggered with Lupron and a low dose of HCG. I have high AMH and am over 35. I had 39 eggs retrieved and 16 embryos made it to freeze. We did PGS testing and ended up with 5 normal embryos. We transferred one and we are pregnant!

Well-organized and I was able to ask the nurse questions

The clinic has been open about how they prefer single embryo transfer. I agree that this is safest for mom and baby.

Dr. Couchman is a phenomenal doctor. She is attentive, compassionate, confident in the work she does, and has instilled confidence and reassurance in me and my husband every step of the way. She has never once been pushy about a treatment and has been patient with us as we have arrived at IVF in our own time. It is clear that it is important that her patients understand all procedures and options. She has also taught me the best diet and exercise program given that I have PCOS. I don't think I have anything negative to say about Dr. Couchman; I would recommend anyone in my situation to go to her.

Even with an amazing doctor, it is a tough journey to go through. Trust Dr. Couchman, she will steer you down the right path.

My OBGYN recommended me to Grace Couchman after a few rounds of treatment that were unsuccessful. When I met with Dr. Couchman she went through all of my records and immediately asked me to do a lifestyle change of eating low carb and no sugar because of my PCOS. She then went through all the possible treatments we could try and what will work best for our situation. We tried a combination of oral meds and injections with intercourse. Our next option was IUI, but Dr. Couchman recommended we do IVF because the chances of pregnancy would be much better. We waited until we were ready and discussed it several times with Dr. Couchman until we were ready. It took my husband and me a while to get there. We just finished our retrieval and everything is going extremely well. We are looking forward to the next two months as we move into our preparation for our frozen transfer. I also want to point out that Carolina Conceptions offers education classes on the science behind the treatment. I feel extremely informed and know exactly what is happening with my body.

15,000 for IVF, 4,000 for meds, 1,050 for genetic testing, 475 annually to keep frozen embryos

Carolina Conceptions has a strict approach on eSET. There are several criteria that are required in order to qualify for a 2 embryo transfer. Again, they are very thorough in explaining why they do this.

Dr. Couchman is to the point and somewhat blunt. Dr.Couchman isn’t the most warm and welcoming however her experience and education are outstanding. Dr.Couchman seems to stay on top of modern treatments and seems to have high success rates.

I would like future patients to go into the appointment with the understudy Dr.Couchman is a professional at this and though her bedside manner isn’t as warm and fuzzy as you may desire, she is telling you truthful facts and giving you top of the line care.

Letroze 2.5 mg days 3-7 Follistim Aq 900 days 8-12 Ovidrel 250 for trigger Ganitelix as instructed Progesterone suppositories 4 days following Ovidrel for 16 days.

I wish I could remember the costs better. I feel that we paid around $250.00 for monitoring transvaginal ultrasounds. A consultation appointment may be around that as well. My husband is a State Trooper and the clinic does offer a great IVF discount for Law Enforcement officers, military, nurses and others I do believe.

Based on articles provided by Dr.Couchmans clinic I feel they lean towards single embryo transfer as they see it has no significant difference in success rates, they feel it’s equally effective as multiple.

My experience as a patient is a little different. I am an obstetrics nurse, so I am pretty familiar with infertility treatments, and what that entails. My husband is not medical. Dr. Couchman was great with us! She spoke to me as a nurse, but also explained everything out to my husband. When we left, all of our questions were answered, both of us. Dr. Couchman has been honest, a straight shooter, with us about our particular case, and has been very honest about steps we need to take to make that happen.

Trust her! She truly wants to give you a child, and weighs what she says. Her words are honest, wise and full of knowledge.

We were referred to UNC Infertility first after a year of trying to get pregnant. It was going to take months to get into UNC. My friends had success with Dr. Couchman, and we called and were able to get into them right away. Dr. Couchman looked at my HSG, looked at the SA results, and came up with a plan. We discussed IUI and IVF, and waited to do anything until we had a confirmation SA. We then did another SA, which was also low, and due to my health and age, we attempted IUI. IUI was unsuccessful, and the SA was lower. Dr. Couchman was very real with us about our odds and options. We then opted to pursue IVF, which we are currently getting ready to start. She was wonderful with explaining the process, and simply stated facts. She never tried to advise us one way or another, and happily supported our decisions.

So far, we have spent approximately $2,000 and are about to begin IVF, which will be around $15-20,000.

At CC, as of 2017, they will only transfer one embryo. Multiples was not listed as an offer.

Dr. Couchman does a good job at communicating my courses of treatment. She is very responsive to email messages and is open to consulation appts. The practice is very focused on pregnancy success rates, which is good, but I would also like to know more about my individual diagnosis.

carolina conceptions is very motivated to get you pregnant. They dont tend to run extensive testing, but will start you on treatment right away. Make sure that you ask plenty of questions (around treatment, finances, etc) so you know what to expect

1st Ivf was traditional with gonal f, cetrotide, and hcg trigger. It was cancelled b/c I ovulated early 2nd cycle was lupron down-reg. retrieved 8 eggs, which fertilized, 3 made it to blastocyst and were sent for PGS. 2 were normal and frozen.

$20,000 for ivf

Due to my age, dr couchman will not transfer more than 1 egg at a time. Carolina conceptions has policies in place to prevent pregnancy with multiples.

I wanted a doctor who would be exhaustive in her assessments, honest, knowledgeable, balanced with enough compassion to make me feel hopeful and comfortable. I felt like Dr Couchman covered all the bases with my assessments during both courses of treatment, and she was matter-of-fact without being discouraging or rude. I also genuinely felt that she wanted us to conceive and wanted to do everything she could to help. That's exactly what I needed.

Dr Couchman is compassionate without being warm and fuzzy. She wants you to ask questions, as many and whatever you need. Also, during your treatment, utilize email if you need. There is no way that any single doctor can do all of your monitoring appointments and such; they may not be working that day or weekend, they may be doing surgery or egg procedures that day, etc., but definitely either ask while you're there or use email. Dr Couchman is very responsive.

The first time, we started with some letrozole, Ovidrel, and timed intercourse. We moved on to IUI and got pregnant on the second IUI cycle. The second time (about 4.5 years later), we used the same drug protocol with one additional pill of letrozole per day, and went straight to IUI. Both times I was encouraged to lose some weight; the second time, she referred me to a newer clinic to expedite that process . They were fantastic, and I was grateful for the referral. In fact, I plan on going back to a less intense version of that plan once I'm done breastfeeding to take a little of that weight back off.

I don't remember the specifics as we had some insurance coverage as well. Importantly, they did everything possible to get as much covered by our insurance as possible, and even refiled some things after the year had turned and our insurance coverage had changed.

We did not do IVF, but I definitely wanted to be at a place that would focus on eSET because if we did pursue IVF, I wanted to balance the potentials for success and risk.

Dr. Couchman had great bedside manner. We were very happy with the results of the treatment we received. I am sure there was a time or two we were less than happy, but the end result was 2 beautiful baby boys...at the ages of 44 and 45. I have found myself questioning whether or not an egg donor was the way to go, or if we should have tried a few more times with my own eggs, but the cost benefit of using an egg donor was so much lower than repeated failed cycles given my age...and my eggs were only getting older every try. I did wish the amount of time between attempts could be shortened. I sometimes wonder if the extra month between cycles is really warranted.

I don't think she is in the clinic full time at this point, so that may be a reason to choose someone else on the team. I met with Dr. Park and Dr. Meyer. While Dr. Meyer was very nice, I felt like he was just "being nice" instead of really listening to me...sort of like he had things he said to everyone, and didn't really treat me like a person. Dr. Park, on the other hand, seemed a little more honest.

I think it was ~$25k for transfer of my own embryos. If using donor eggs, they offer a refund program. For ~$25k + "pass through" charges, you get as many transfers as you want from up to 3 egg donors, or until you bring a baby home from the hospital. So, we were on our 4th IVF, having used 2 egg donors, when I became pregnant and delivered healthy twins. So, we fortunately did not receive a refund. The pass through charges were about $6k every IVF cycle.

We transferred 2 embryos 4 times. The fifth time, we transferred 3 embryos. Dr. Couchman encouraged us to only transfer 2 embryos each time. I chose to do 3 embryos the fifth time. We ended up with twins. We were very happy with our choice.

I did not feel that Dr. Couchman was compassionate, and did not feel that she was interested in or had time to answer my questions, or consider any alternatives other than the course she thought was best for us. I was very disappointed that I only saw Dr. Couchman twice during our entire course of treatments at the clinic. The first was during our initial consultation and the other was when my body was not responding to the medications, and she just happened to be in the office and the nurse called her into my room to discuss.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, and demand that you be heard. Don't settle for only one option.

I used Follistim, Menopur, and a growth harmone for my first IVF cycle. My body did not respond to the medication well. Dr. Couchman readjusted the dosages of the same medication for my second IVF cycle. The outcome was a bit better, and I had 3 mature eggs at retrieval. Of the three, none made it to day 5.

$15,125 IVF package with PSG testing $480 IUI procedure

N/A

We were just another number and when things didn’t work out with our first IVf cycle she just gave up on us and said we needed to do egg donor. She didn’t adjust treatment protocol to try something else the second round. It was like she just gave up and pushed us to the side.

Be your own advocate.

We did birth control pills for 2 weeks. Then we began Follistim injections along with Menopur. When we had a good number of mature follicles, we started Ganirelix injections until our Ovidrel trigger shot. They retrieved 10 eggs, 8 were mature, all 8 fertilized (4 normal fertilization and 4 abnormal fertilization), no embryos made it to day 5 transfer, so our cycle was canceled.

Our entire IVF cycle cost around $20,000.

No comments because we had zero embryos to transfer.

My wife and I feel that Dr. Couchman is very knowledgeable and compassionate. We have tried to get pregnant several times over 2 years under the direction of a previous doctor. When he transferred us to Dr. Couchman's care, she suggested that we try a very regimented timed intercourse treatment. Unfortunately, our attempt was unsuccessful yet again. We had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Couchman to discuss next steps. She suggested trying IUI at least once or twice, but we feel like so much time has been lost and want to go straight for the IVF since the odds of success are much higher. Additionally, we can't really afford to keep trying different techniques with the odds of success being so low and that's why we want to pursue IVF. She was completely understanding of our needs and frustrations and gave us all the information we needed. We are hoping to schedule it for sometime this summer.

Listen carefully and don't be afraid to ask questions until you fully understand everything you need to know. There will be a lot of information and different factors to consider.

My wife and I underwent a timed intercourse treatment in which she had to take prenatal vitamins. We then had to go in for an ultrasound followed by Letrozole tablets for several days. After that I had to administer Follistim injections for 3 consecutive days. Then, we had to go back in for another ultrasound. We were then instructed to begin taking Ganirelix. Lastly we had to begin the progesterone suppositories nightly until we became pregnant.

If I remember correctly, the total cost of the timed intercourse treatment package was around $500.

When we first met with Dr. Couchman, we immediately knew that she had a lot of experience and knowledge. This was great as we had very little knowledge. She was very direct and to the point with all of her answers, she wanted to make sure we received accurate information when we asked questions. My husband and I like to understand the full scope of what to expect for the full process, but Dr. Couchman was more inclined to go step by step and explain things as we got to the next step. This made it difficult to know what to expect as we moved through the process for the first time. During the second IUI, Dr. Couchman was great at keeping the room friendly and upbeat. It made for a big difference from the first time.

Know that she is going to tell it as it is, in no uncertain terms. If you want someone to sugar coat the truth, she is maybe not the best fit, but if you want someone to get straight to the point, she is great!

The first consultation was to meet with the doctor and decide if we were a good fit. Next, we scheduled an HSG. The HSG showed that I had a uterine septum. We scheduled surgery to correct the uterine setpum and we were able to start the IUI process right away. The treatment had me go in on cycle days 1-3 for an ultrasound. If the ultrasound looked good, then I would start taking Femara for 5 days. Then I went in for a second ultrasound. If that ultrasound looked good, then on cycle day 12, I would inject myself with 1 pre-filled syringe of Ovidrel 250MCG/.5ML syringe. then two lays later, I would go in for the IUI. Then 2 weeks after the IUI, I would take a pregnancy test. The first IUI resulted in a negative pregnancy test. I wanted to wait for one cycle before trying again, but Dr. Couchman advised against that, saying that it was best to do it right away. We tried a second time, and this time along with the Femara pills, I used a Progesterone 50MG suppository. The rest of the treatment was the same. The second IUI resulted in a negative pregnancy test.

The initial consultation was $250.00. HSG was $538.00. Ultrasounds were $250.00 per ultrasound (This included $70.00 office visit and $180.00 for Ultrasound). IUI day of procedure was $430.00 (This included Office visit of $90.00, IUI $260.00, Thawing of sperm, $55.00, Semen Analysis $75.00).

N/A. We did not do an embryo transfer.

She has one f the best patient handling approach I have experienced. Not only she is an expert with specific solid recommendations, she provides a fair explanation on why she recommends something. She listens to what you have to say and never neglects or discards our comments and/or concerns.

Be open and honest...she will listen. Dedicate time to explain your personal situation, she will take all this into consideration for a best treatment for you.

We followed the clinic protocol, she recommended a few adjustments along the way as my wife has a Thyroid affection and she was allergic to some presentations of the hormones needed. she always had a precise adjustment to dosage and/or particular situation.

overall good service, could be more proactive on better explaining Insurance coverage as we are not always very familiar on terminology.

We did a multiple embryo transfer based on her recommendation. which resulted in a successful pregnancy and a healthy little boy. her recommendation was based on the quality and condition of the few embryos we had.

She always seems very knowledgeable and gets to the point, but she also will take the time to explain and go over things if needed. She's compassionate and will change treatment if needed, and is not afraid to say what she thinks or recommends. She doesn't do a lot of small talk, which was totally fine with me.

She is not going to waste any time, so go to her when you're ready to start discussing treatment.

She started me out on Letrozole, and when I didn't respond as expected (follicles didn't mature on schedule), we moved on to Clomid and Ovidrel. After three unsuccessful IUIs (one resulted in a chemical pregnancy), I did a round with Gonal-F, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel. When that round resulted in a negative pregnancy test (despite several mature follicles prior to trigger), she suggested that we move on to IVF.

Some of my rounds were partially covered by insurance, thanks to a strange loophole. IUI rounds cost a total of around $1000 if paying out of pocket, plus the additional cost for sperm and medications (medicine was usually around $80 for a clomid round, $1600 for a Gonal-F round).

Dr. Couchman STRONGLY recommends only transferring one embryo, citing the higher risks of twins.

We met with Dr. Couchman for an initial consultation, and she was very prepared. She had reviewed our records and made some additional testing recommendations, including some additional blood work and an HSG (we had already had some of the routine testing done - semen analysis, day 21 blood work). Since everything looked good, she recommended a couple trials of IUI. My insurance covered TIC, but not IUI, so we agreed to start with a few rounds of TIC. Those were not successful, so we're now trying IUI with Dr. Meyer. What I most appreciated was, she looked at both of us and assured us that we WOULD get pregnant. She couldn't promise when or how much money it would cost, but she was very confident that it would happen for us. We found this incredibly reassuring. A note: when you go for your baseline ultrasounds for TIC or IUI, and sometimes for your day 12 ultrasound, you will likely see a nurse. If a doctor is available, they may do it, but it can be tough to get your doctor. Truth be told, I have seen Dr. Meyer a lot more than I've seen Dr. Couchman. I think she is probably the more popular doctor, perhaps because women prefer women.

She can be hard to get into, but the other doctors are great as well.

We are dealing with unexplained infertility. She recommended a couple rounds of IUI, but since my insurance covered TIC, we agreed to try that first.

TIC was covered by my insurance, so just had to pay copays for appointments and ultrasounds. Switched to an HSA, so everything is out of pocket now. A visit with a doctor cost me $175. Ultrasounds are about $250, IUI is $500 day of. Total cost for IUI with oral meds is about $1000-$1500. Next month we're going to try IUI with injection medications, and I've been advised that the costs will be $2000-3000.

Dr. Couchman is earnest and honest, without coming across as cold or overly clinical. I always felt comfortable in her office. Her warmth and confidence helped to dispel my anxieties (as much as they could be dispelled). She communicated with my partner and I well and I felt good about each decision I made under her care.

Be patient.

With Dr. Couchman, I initially started with timed intercourse coupled with injections (Follistim and Ovidrel? I think). This didn't work, we proceeded to IUI, with injections that were similar to the timed intercourse. We did 2 rounds of IUI (I had already had one unsuccessful IUI with a previous doctor). My partner and I had initially indicated to Dr. Couchman that we didn't want to do IVF, but I changed my mind after the last IUI. She was supportive of both decisions and did not pressure us toward any additional procedures. She gave us ALL the data we could need and helped us make a truly informed decision to proceed. Day after tomorrow I will go do my first implantation. I feel good about it.

It was definitely a well-oiled machine. I never waited long, and they were always aware that I had a classroom waiting for me!

My copay was $70 when I saw a doctor, and $55 for monitoring with a nurse (I think! It's been a while.) The IVF was a package deal, which was great.

She prefers eSET, which I agree with and understand. I would rather have more than one transfer than risk a pregnancy with multiples.

Dr. Couchman was extremely confident in our treatment plan and explained every step to us. I felt like we were all part of a team, not like there was some doctor-patient hierarchy and we just did whatever the doctor told us. There was always a clear explanation and we were given time to consider our next step. We never felt pressured or belittled- just part of a team!

Don't be afraid to ask questions- lots of them! Dr. Couchman is so willing to answer anything and help put you at ease!

After a failed IUI cycle due to OHSS, as a team, we decided IVF would be our only option. We closely monitored my injections, beginning slowly so as not to overstimulate. I was seen my Dr. Couchman or one of her colleagues each time I visited the office for monitoring, at Dr. Couchman's request. This was so we could be hyper-vigilant for OHSS. After the retrieval, 48 eggs were collected, 35 were inseminated, and we ended up with 17 embryos at 5 days. Needless to say, I had OHSS. Prior to the retrieval, I was given a Lupron injection to help with the OHSS. After the retrieval, Dr. Couchman required that I be out of work for at LEAST 2 weeks because I was so ill. My husband called almost everyday to check in with her and the nurses, and we were seen immediately several days for IV fluids. Prior to the retrieval, Dr. Couchman and her team strongly recommended that we do a freeze-all to make sure that my body recovered from the retrieval. We felt that we were given the best treatment plan, tailored to us.

In total, including medication, we spent roughly $17,000.

Dr. Couchman recommended that we transfer one embryo but was not opposed to us doing two.

Dr. Couchman is extremely qualified in her domain. She was always straight forward and to the point. She always prescribed the appropriate course of action based on our particular situation. She clearly explained the pros and cons and elicited our input into the course of treatment.

She is very supportive and has the appropriate level of bed side manners while being very straight forward in her assessment and plan.

$30K over the course of 2 years with several cycles. However, The clinic decided to charge us at in-network even though our provider insurance coverage changed and they were really out-of-network. This was unexpected and very much appreciated. It showed they were there for the long term care and not just the revenue.

Dr. Couchman is very blunt. If you're sensitive and your feelings are easily hurt, you may not appreciate this and should consider seeing a different doctor. Personally, this is one of the things I like about Dr. Couchman. She explained my fertility issues and ALL treatment options in great detail. She gave her opinion about which option would work best for us, and she encouraged us to go home and take our time discussing these options. My husband and I never felt like we were being rushed or pressured into choosing one treatment over another.

She is very straightforward. If you have any questions, make a list and come prepared. She's great at reading body language and will be able to pick up on any reluctance or hesitation that you may have. She won't move forward with treatment until she's 100% sure that your ready and that she has your trust.

We tried 3 cycles with Clomid while waiting for test results. None of these cycles were successful. I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, poor egg quality, endometriosis, and a blocked fallopian tube, which had to be removed. My husband has low sperm count and varicocele. We were told that our best chance of conceiving would be through IVF. Dr. Couchman said that we could try using my eggs, but she felt that we'd have a better chance of conceiving if we used donor eggs. We were told that if we chose to use my eggs that we should be prepared to spend a lot of time and money on the process. My husband and I decided that we had spent more than enough time trying to get pregnant, and we didn't have an unlimited amount of money to spend on something that would more than likely fail. We decided to try IVF using donor eggs. This wasn't an easy decision, but we felt it was the best option for us. I have 3 children from a previous marriage, but my husband has none that are biologically his. I know what it's like to have children that are genetically mine, and I wanted him to experience that same joy. Due to our financial situation, we decided to share a donor with another couple. We selected a donor using the clinic's database, but we waited for another couple for several months with no luck. After growing impatient, we found a donor using a frozen egg bank that we found online. Once we notified the clinic that we had found a donor, things moved very quickly. I found my donor in February, and I started taking birth control pills in March to prepare my body for a transfer in April. I can't remeber the exact timing and details, but I also had to take estrogen pills and progesterone injections at some point. I also had to go in several times for bloodwork and for an ultrasound to check my uterine lining before the transfer. We started with 8 eggs, and 3 of them made it to day 5. We decided to transfer 2 embryos and freeze 1 embryo. Dr. Couchman was not present for the transfer, but Dr. Bowling was. I had to continue the progesterone injections after the transfer, but I can't remember the exact timing. It may have been for about 10 weeks, but I can't remember. I went to the clinic 8 days after the transfer for bloodwork, which revealed that our 1st attempt was successful! We started our journey at Carolina Conceptions in May 2016, and we now have 5 month old twins.

I can't remember the exact costs. I know that I had to pay for a hsg, office visits, an ultrasound, and lab work that wasn't covered by my insurance. I was given a discount for having no insurance. I'm sure that I easily spent a couple thousand dollars on all of that. We found our donor at an online site for a frozen egg bank, and we used a single cycle guarantee that they were offering. Therefore, we didn't directly pay Carolina Conceptions for our IVF cycle.

We were allowed to choose wether or not we wanted to transfer 1 embryo or 2 embryos. Our doctor seemed confident that the transfer would be successful either way. She also made sure that we were well aware of the possible complications associated with carrying and delivering multiples.

don't feel strongly one way or the other. clinically seemed ok, could be more specific. Ex told me at the beginning we could do one or 2 embryo transfers, but then when go to plan the transfer, told could only do one despite knowing upfront that I'd do PGS testing

All up ~$25k