Jeffrey Nelson

We didn't know much about fertility treatment when we began our fertility journey. Upon consultation, we were told that we should have started our treatment years ago, which was discouraging considering we had just gotten married and there was nothing we could do about that. We began with all diagnostics to make sure that everything in my body was working as it should, which was Dr. Nelson's suggestion. We were never told that anything wasn't "good." HRC Pasadena in general had many miscommunications and directions given to us that were not clear, from both the medical assistant assigned to our case to the financial coordinator. As we began our treatments with Dr. Nelson, which was close to our home and convenient, he began conservatively. We appreciated this because I came in believing, and was under the impression even after all the labs, that I was fertile Myrtle. We were NEVER told that my AMH was under 1 when we began trying to get pregnant. It wasn't until we were out of funds in 2017 where we were just paying our OBGYN to do IUIs that we consulted with another fertility doctor who went over our labs from 2015 and said that she would have started with IVF immediately back in 2015 to retrieve the eggs I had! I have been so so so so so disappointed in the fact that 2 years and over $50,000 have been spent without us knowing the proper information. We have taken time off to build up our financials so we can try retrievals once again AND here we are in 2019 now with nothing. I'm SO angry, upset, resentful and frustrated that my bloodwork and personal lab results were withheld and not given to me clearly in 2015 when I was 34 as they would have changed our plan and how we proceed. I also know now that if someone says something to you like, "you should have started your fertility journey years ago," they are NOT the person you should trust to guide you on your way to making a baby.

Don't expect a physician to objectively explain your lab work or the process. Get educated and ask for all of your information and labs to be printed for you so you can get educated on your own.

We felt like a number because we had very little knowledge of the process in the beginning and we trusted Dr. Nelson. During the first minute of our consult he said we were already behind because of our age. If he thought that we were so far behind, why did he start so conservatively? When you've experienced your 4th failed attempt at IUI and the nurse practitioner, who you've only met for 5 seconds blurts out, you should just go to IVF, it dehumanizes you and makes you feel like a failure and you are out of options.

Dr. Nelson wanted to start with bloodwork and diagnostics to make sure that my body was functioning properly. He suggested we start with an ICI, which was very conservative and in hindsight, we have no idea why he would start there if he knew that my AMH was below 1. We asked about using Clomid, which he didn't offer immediately. Going into our first insemination, we did use Clomid, per our own request, and we did request an IUI. After the first insemination, he thought the Clomid was pointless and he didn't suggest any other meds except the HCG trigger shot. We continued with 3 more IUIs using HCG trigger shots, none of them resulting in pregnancy. It was after our 4th insemination that the nurse practitioner, who we'd just met, said, "you should just do IVF." At that point we were done with this office and never received a call or follow up from Dr. Nelson.

Justina had a heavy accent, which made communicating about things which require so much detail, like giving yourself injections on specific days very challenging. We had NEVER gone through any form of fertility treatment before and this information was not given to us like we should know the process and what to do.

It a pretty clinic, which was very misleading because the facade of looking good didn't match the behind the scenes medical experience. Strengths: the office is beautiful, the parking is free and it is convenient for people living in Pasadena. Weakness: there is awful communication and you are expected to know about fertility treatments at your consultation as a new patient.

Each time we did a round of IUI, it was $2000 for the procedure + the cost of meds + the cost of sperm = $3500-$4000 each round of IUI.

We never go to this point with Dr. Nelson.

Dr. Nelson comes across as genuine and kind. He has wonderful bedside manner and has always answered my questions with compassion and care. He seems very confident in what he does yet he has a calming presence at the same time (doesn't seem arrogant or stuck-up). Only downside is that I haven't gotten to see him as often as I would have liked as he has been traveling. IUI #1 was done by him, but baseline and followup ultrasounds have been done by nurses in his absence. Same thing has been happening with round #2. He also doesn't answer emails personally, you have to wait for the nurse or someone else from the team to talk to him, and then they relay the message. I would prefer if it was actually a bit more of a doctor/patient direct exchange.

Make sure you write down questions and bring to consults where he will be so that you can ask the doctor directly when he is in the room rather than have to wait for others to relay messages back and forth.

The Nurses and staff at the clinic are amazing. Nurse Connie has been wonderful throughout the process. We are undergoing our second round of IUI and she has supported us through and has answered every question we've had. Other staff have not been so quick to respond which was difficult at times but once Connie became my contact person everything has been smooth sailing. Doctor's schedule tend to get a bit crammed/limited, especially if he is planning to be out of town. The pharmacy they use is incredible and the office is beautiful.

Connie has been absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. She is very responsive and one of the kindest people I have met and love that she got assigned to us. She always makes me smile and helps easy the anxiety when my husband and I are there for procedures. She is so compassionate and knows exactly what to say. She has actually been the highlight of my experience at this clinic.

The clinic is gorgeous! one of the reasons I picked it was that I wanted to to be in a beautiful environment while undergoing this difficult process and HRC-Pasadena is stunning. The staff is very friendly and usually respond quickly. The waiting room is nice and cozy. Some hours it is packed and others not so much so you have to learn the flow if you'd rather avoid people. They are usually on-time, we have only had to wait around extensibly once out of the 20+ times we have been there. The pharmacy they work with is exceptional as well. Some of the weaknesses are that at times it has taken a certain staff member over three days to respond to important messages with time-sensitive questions. They resolved that by assigning someone else to our care but it was a bit frustrating at the time. Another one would be that there are signs that ask people to try not to bring children in the clinic as it can be difficult for some people, but there are days where there's lots of kids. Sometimes families with 4+ children which definitely deflates the spirit. I think staying open a bit later would be helpful as well.

It is $2100 for IUI (includes ultrasounds, sperm washing, blood work if/when needed). It was about $450 for initial blood-work for STI and genetic testing which was sent to outside lab.

I really like Dr. Nelson and would go back to him again. He’s warm and engaging and I felt very secure in going through this process with him. He explained things well and gave me a good idea of what to expect.

Start ASAP because some months are busier than others. I was lucky and got in right away when I called to make a consultation, but I think I just had lucky timing.

Dr. Nelson is very personable and I enjoyed working with him. He explained things clearly, let me know what to expect, and I feel like he really cares about his patients. He was understanding and accommodating to my hectic work schedule and made sure to amp things up so that I got enough eggs during my second retrieval.

Because my hormone levels were good and I initially had a good number of follicles (I’m 41), I think we just did a more standard plan for egg harvesting. But then I only got 4 eggs, so he changes the regimen a bit and then I got 7 the next time.

Elizabeth was very personable, responsive, and helpful. You actually email the nurse and another email address so someone else can also help you if your nurse isn’t available, which happened once.

The facility is nice and clean and everyone is friendly. I usually didn’t have to wait very long to be seen, but it does get busier later in the morning. Some places have you pay for each exam, blood draw, etc, but this one has kind of a package deal, which I liked. But maybe they average out to be similar in price, I don’t know.

It’s a package that includes visits, ultrasounds, and blood draws. And the retrieval costs.

N/a

I think the biggest weakness is the number of patients Dr. Neslon treats now. When we first started seeing him it seemed it was easier to make appointments and their was more flexibility and availability. 2 years ago it seemed as if it was harder to book an appointment. That being said, he will go out of his way to book Saturday appointments if needed for the best treatment plan for your body.

He his knowledgable about infertility and comes with years of experience.

He always makes me feel like a person with valid feelings and concerns. I like his personality. He always seems to remember details about our everyday life not related to infertility. He connects with his patients and spouses.

We had male infertility. We used ICSI with IVF with a fresh transfer the first time. With the second transfer we did a frozen transfer. We used typical IVF treatment and adjusted medicines based upon my levels since infertility was not female related. We have used 2 eggs every time because of my age and the high number of embryos created.

A few years ago when we first started treatment they had a strict policy about not allowing children especially babies to the clinic. That was great while I was childless at the time and going through so many different feelings related to infertility. I was disheartened to see that this changed during my last cycle. The lobby room is huge and has space for all of their patients.

All of the cycle treatment appointments were under the IVF or embryo transfer bills. There was no seperate bills if needing extra appointment.

Yes, we were educated about the number used and the reasoning. We also, were informed that if something happened to one of the 2 embryos during unfreezing they would unfreeze another 2 and transfer 3 in that case or however many survived. That they would rather transfer 2 then just one. Again, BC i have a high number of embryos.

My doctor is very knowledgeable and I trusted that he knew the best course of action. He explains things thoroughly and in a way to help me understand. This might be my issue more than his but during ultrasounds I tend to not ask questions and I think later I should have asked. He doesn't necessarily give you more information than you need to know. Ask questions and he will explain what he sees and what is going on very clearly. He makes me feel comfortable and I feel he is capable.

Ask questions and gather as much information as you can. Getting a hold of him to talk to him directly is hard. All communication is done through his support staff.

His office support staff make you feel like a number but him as a doctor makes you feel like a human. The front desk and ladies that take you to the room make it seem like you are putting them out. His nurse who was on my case is delightful as well as Dr. Nelson.

My husband and I have unexplained infertility and sometimes anovulation. Because we are both on the younger side he elected to have us try IUI with Clomid. I started clomid on about day 3 of my cycle and then I took OPK and if I saw a kit change I came in for them to asses. If I didn't see a change then they would trigger shot me. They gave me the shot even with the kit change to ensure that I would ovulate. Then I came in within the next day or two and had one IUI done (sperm wash included). We used my husband's fresh sperm. The following day I would have a second IUI and sperm wash. From there they placed me on progesterone for two weeks just as a precaution (I didn't have progesterone level issues). I did 3 rounds of IUI just like this and all 3 times had negative results.

Liz my primary nurse was much better than the others at the office. She was kind and encouraging. The other support staff were quick with me and pretty emotionless. Prior to seeing Liz or Dr. Nelson you very much just feel like a number being pushed through the system. There were also a few times where they didn't either order my medication or some thought they didn't when they did. They don't feel very organized or informed.

It is a very nice facility that has all the bells and whistles. However, I would rather have a less attractive lobby and cheaper pricing. :) The facility is easy to find and parking is relatively easy as well.

Each of my IUI were about $2,500 which included ultrasounds, medications (clomid, trigger shot, progesterone), and back to back IUI sessions with sperm wash. During my last IUI they had me pay per day rather than the package since that was slightly cheaper.

N/A. We haven't done that option yet.

Dr. Nelson has great bed side manners; he is very calm and collective. He likes to take his time to review your case and answer whatever questions you may have. He is compassionate and available to his patient's needs. I felt comfortable being his patient.

Ask questions; do not hesitate to say or voice your opinion/concerns.

At times, I felt like my time with the doctor or his team members were not fully met, yet it was just another appointment. The nurse coordinators were not available to my needs or questions as I predicted or wished for. .

During my first cycle, which was a fresh transfer after a 5-day egg retrieval I resulted in my first pregnancy; however, I felt that my body was too exhausted to take on a pregnancy after being through so much hormones and treatment. It would have progressed to my knowledge if we froze the embryos and did a Frozen Embryo Transfer vs. a fresh one. On my second cycle, we did a FET with injections [estrogen and progesterone injections] along with baby aspirin and levothyroxine. This cycle did result in a pregnancy, however at 6 weeks into the pregnancy resulted in another miscarriage.

Elizabeth is very thorough and detailed when communicating with me. At times, I felt like I had to remind her or the team regarding things that needed during my cycle.

The clinic is very clean and professional. They welcome you openly and allow you to address whatever questions you have prior setting up an appointment with one of their physicians. Weaknesses: I had issues with billing. They seem to not have a good communication with the rest of the team members/nurses. If I did not review my bills carefully I would have overpaid on certain visits.

Combination of both IVF cycles we paid about 25K [$25,000]

My RE transferred 2 embryos per cycle; I asked what his preference was whether 1 or 2 he suggested 2 since I am young and have no fertility issues.

He was well informed about my history and treaded gently, but directly about the sensitive nature of infertility. I liked his individualistic and holistic approach. He explained things thoroughly. I think the o lu weakness was punctuality in making the appointments. My husband and I chalked that up to him trying to be as thorough and present with each patient. He always asked us if we had more questions and was very patient with us. We never felt rushed. I’m assuming he provides the same level of care to all of his patients.

Be flexible with your schedule. He might not always meet you at your appointment time.

Dr Nelson thouroughly reviewed the mounds of medical records I had provided from my primary care provider. His approach is truly holistic, which I appreciate. He has a warm bedside manner

I believe he used the agonist protocol. Higher dosage than typical. 150 Menopur, 375 Gonal F and Cetrotide. Higher dosage because of my age, I believe. I produced 10 eggs among the which 4 matured. Three were fertilized. But none made it past day 7.

Connie is warm and caring. She responds so quickly to emails and correspondences that when emails are responded to a couple days late, you begin to panic a little. I would have liked that she kept track of all of the information better and provided more follow up.

Aesthetically, the clinic has warm and calming appearance. It looks a little like you’re in a sophisticated hotel lobby. The front desk staff and the flebotomíst are cordial. There are a ton of patients who come to this clinic so it get crowded quickly.

About 9000 retrieval and fresh transfer, 550 for analgesia, 1500 for ICSI About 6000 for medication

From the moment my husband and I met Dr. Nelson at the clinic’s open house, we knew that we wanted him to be our Dr. He has been completely honest and forthcoming in all matters, yet is always kind and empathetic. I have never felt that any of my questions or concerns were dismissed. He is very personable and easy-going and during every appt. and procedure I never doubted that I was in good hands. Despite all of our setbacks he always tells us not to give up hope! Even when I’ve been frustrated and felt like I was ready to give up, he remained positive and encouraged me, and my husband, to keep trying.

Remain positive and trust the process. Dr. Nelson will explore all avenues and help you and your partner find the path that is right for you.

Each visit felt very personal, and I never felt like I was rushed through. All of my concerns were acknowledged and my questions answered.

For my IUI’s I took Clomid and then the HCG trigger shot. The Clomid made me very emotional. I cried constantly and at the smallest thing. For my IVF I took Ganirelix, Endometrin, Menopur, Progesterone, Methylprednisolone, Estradiol, Pregnyl HCG and Follistim. I was able to produce a significant number of viable eggs using this protocol. The side effects included severe bloating, pain at injection site, cramping, backache, full and sore breasts, headaches, fatigue, nausea and an uncontrollable roller coaster of emotions.

The entire nursing staff has been patient, empathetic and informative. They are always happy to answer all of my questions and make sure this process goes as smoothly as possible. I’ve been offered tissues, hugs and heating pads when it was a rough visit. Even the ladies who took my blood every visit remember my name and offer encouragement.

HRC Pasadena is overall an amazing community of people. They truly go out of their way to make sure that you, as the patient, are taken care of and supported. The fact that everything is done at one location makes the process a lot easier. Rarely have I had to wait long for an appt. On the occasion that they are very busy, they are apologetic and quick to get you in a room. The level of privacy and discretion is reassuring, and I’ve never felt like just another patient. My husband loves the coffee bar in the waiting room!

My IUI’s were approx. $2500 each, plus medication costs. My IVF was approx. $10,500 plus an additional approx. $6000 for medications.

Given my age and our previous failed IUI cycles, my Dr. was willing to transfer 2 embryos. We talked extensively about the risks of multiples, for both mother and babies. He was very upfront and honest with us regarding our concerns. We all (Dr. Nelson, myself and my husband) agreed that our best chance in conceiving would be to take a more aggressive approach and transfer 2 embryos.

Dr Nelson is a kind man, very positive and warm In his interactions. He decided to go with the same protocol as my previous doctor since that had worked for us. I don't know that he's fully up on what all the newest evidence is but I felt that he was doing everything he could for me.

Be aware you may have to wait for a long time for your appointments.

He was kind and compassionate and spoke to me in a reasonable way. The office was very busy so at times I did have to wait a long time in the doctors office

Same protocol as my previous doctor. Bcps, gonal-f, menopur, cetrotide. I had a poorer response this time wth not as many eggs and so he upped the dosage a ton, which helped somewhat.

Initially I was assigned a different nurse but immediately before retrieval she let me know she was transferring jobs to the neighboring surgical center. Justina is a fine nurse but has some communication issues. I'm not sure if it's a problem due to English not being her first language or simply a communication style but I find some of her email communications vague when I've asked for a very specific response.

The clinic is clean and well appointed. There are magazines and a coffee machine in the lobby. The front desk people are nice but don't always have a smile on their faces. The phlebotomist are good at their jobs. For men, delivering sperm samples is a little weird because they have to walk by people in the lobby once they've produced a sample

Very expensive. They charged 500 per sonogram and do a sonogram at the start of each cycle. There are lots of "extras" at hrc so so far 1 egg retrieval and 2 frozen transfers were around 20000

We wanted eSet. He seemed more inclined to push multiples, even asking one more time immediately before transfer.

He was extremely frank, which I appreciated. At my first appointment we discussed my husband and my medical history and what attempts we had been making to this point to conceive. Dr Nelson listened to us and then very clearly stated how we would proceed. It was kinda like "oh, you want to have a baby, here's how we're going to do it." No bs, no voodoo.

If you want to discuss how your vegan diet or meditation practices are impacting your fertility he's probably not the guy for you.

I was paired with a nurse, Justina Wang, who I could contact at any time via phone or email. This service was extremely comforting. Both Dr. Nelson and Nurse Wang were just generally friendly and approachable.

We started with a series of diagnostic tests. Blood work and sperm samples, etc. Once everything checked out ok the plan was to have an HSG and the following cycle to start with IUI - because of my relative young age and no obvious problems. We agreed that we could afford to do the shots vs. Chlomid, which seemed to have better results as well. I got pregnant naturally after the HSG so I didn't proceed with the original treatment plan.

Justina was easy to contact and had constant updates for me. This was especially appreciated when I was anxious to get test results or schedule appointments.

It's pretty schmancy on the inside. There's parking! The waiting room can be somewhat hectic at times but it's generally a nice atmosphere and the people are perfectly friendly.

Blood work was more expensive there. I think it was $30/ visit. Much cheaper to go to labcorp. Our first visit was a couple hundred bucks.

A bit scatter brained it seemed? During our second appointment, he forgot who I was even though we'd had an hour long initial consultation one month ago. At the very least, please review the chart. However, did come across as a nice guy. The only thing I will fault him for is that my initial ultrasound showed very low potential for egg retrieval. That month was a bit low, maybe because of stress or sickness. Since this is my first time, I didn't know any better and trusted the doctor when he said this was not the best indicator. FALSE!!! It can happen that results are better than expected but I suspect that percentage is exceedingly low. Had I known, I would have put off the egg retrieval to a following cycle where I would have better results. I blame the doctor for suggesting we proceed when initial results showed poor probability, implying that they wanted business more than they cared about me

Very nice guy, very caring in person

The pill initially then menopur and follistim. Follow on doctors were surprised by my dosage implying he knew I was low and was trying to stimulate aggressively. Otherwise, a quite typical 10 day stimulation, 12 day retrieval.

Originally, I would say horrible. Now I realise they are horrible to average. As a highly educated person paying a lot of money for treatment, I expected a more professional and organised staff. Instead, I had to consistently be on top of my own treatment, remind the staff of certain issues they were not aware of or forgot, and in general, they made a stressful process that much worse. I've since come to realise that this is true of most clinics but Dr Nelson's team was particularly bad. In their defence, they had personal issues of which I was made aware later but if that is the situation, please take time off or allow another person to provide primary care. In particular, I was frustrated that when Germaine was away, I was unable to receive information about my treatment. What is the point of going to a clinic with several doctors if the nursing staff can't handle jobs for each other??

Facilities are ok, location is convenient. Perhaps if you have particular issues, one of the doctors may be able to specifically help. Also, Dr Nelson seemed much nicer than my other doctors. However this is outweighed by their unprofessionalism (giving me over optimistic treatment), and general incompetence (mischeduling appointments, not providing timely information). Some may say this is because I had a negative outcome. Well, even if I had a positive outcome, I would not go back.

Egg retrieval was approximately 6000 and drug protocol was approximately another 6000

He is very knowledgable and experienced. My husband and I felt comfortable in his care. He wasn't pushy when we requested to try clomid treatments for almost a year before taking another measures. He also made sure that both my husband and I had all tests done to make sure there wasn't an "obvious" reason for our infertility.

Be prepared to carve out a large chunk of time for your normal schedule once you start treatments... the average wait time in the clinic seems a bit long.

Dr. Nelson had a nice bedside manner and definitely spent time with me to answer all my questions. But- I did feel the wait time was too long even when I arrived to my scheduled appointment early.

Sorry, I cannot remember the exact treatment and strategies.

I LOVED the nurses at HRC. Even the nurse who drew my blood was incredible. The women were so warm and compassionate. On rough days they always gave me a hug. I felt comfortable calling or emailing at anytime and it never took long to hear a reply.

My biggest complaint was the wait time. I get very claustrophobic and it was upsetting to me that I would arrive to my appointment well in advance and then they'd shuttle me into my room where I would wait sometimes 30min +. It was also uncomfortable since I was unclothed from the waist down.

I cannot be certain how much we spent but something I'm unhappy with is they offered an upfront plan where you paid 5K extra to get a second chance at the IVF process if it wasn't successful the first time. We were successful so it was a loss of 5K. Way too much of a gamble.

I was a bit hesitant to transfer 2-embryos but Dr. Nelson said given my age since I had never successfully gotten pregnant the chances for multiples was low. If I had known more about 5-day blasts and how "strong" they were I probably would have only transferred one. I became pregnant with twin boys.

Very respectful & patient. He always treats me like our situation matters & we never feel rushed. He answers questions thoroughly & at a level we can understand. I would definitely recommend him to others.

Write down list of questions so you get everything answered. I would bring a pen & paper with me to jot down notes of things he’d mention, but that’s just the OCD in me.

Even though he has thousands of patients he always treats net like my situation matters & he is extremely patient with me & answers all my questions. I never feel rushed!

I saw him numerous times for different stages so all of my protocols were different. I ended up finding an amazing research center that he referred me to & I also have twins using a surrogate. My surrogate loves him too that she referred other people to him as well

She is very quick to respond to phone calls/emails & is very patient. Always answers all of our questions. She makes me feel like a best friend who really cares.

This office is very clean & organized. They are so very timely. I’d say the only weakness about their office is their parking! They have too many patients for such a small parking lot. The office is very clean & everyone is very friendly. They play nice relaxing music & they offer coffee/tea.

I had different costs for different procedures. That is one negative about the clinic. Sometimes I feel like the costs changed week to week as if it wasn’t set in stone. Sometimes I felt like they were guessing & I over paid once.

N/a

Kind, caring, knowledgeable & really cares about his patients. He has a great bedside manner. He’s been in practice for a long time & has seen countless cases. I could really trust his judgement. He always made himself available for questions.

Ask questions if you are unclear.

Dr nelson is very kind & has a good bedside manner. He is busy, but will always make time to answer questions. When we were experiencing our pregnancy loss, he was very caring & empathetic.

We first tried IUI for 3 cycles, when unsuccessful we migrated to IVF. Our first retrieval yielded only 1 egg, so we underwent another retrieval for higher chances.

You are assigned a primary nurse but are cared for by his team. Chloe is always response and helpful.

The clinic itself is a very modern & clean space. It’s quite busy, so usually a bit of a wait. There is also a blood draw lab in the facility, so blood tests are quite convenient (since they are very frequent this makes in convenient).

Copay at every visit, medications, IVF cycle costs

He transferred 2 fresh embryos.

He was a kind and knowledgable doctor. However, I did feel like the visit was a bit rushed. I would have appreciated learning more about options aside from IVF and IUI. More attention to medical options on trying to conceive naturally by addressing diet and or medications or hormones that would support the effort in trying to conceive naturally.

Be prepared with questions beforehand. Do your research and have them written down before you arrive for the appointment.

I felt like he tried to treat my husband and I with personalized care and advice but there was an air of feeling like my 'age' was going to set a discouraging tone to diagnosis and treatment.

The Clinic was clean and nicely decorated. I would have preferred and environment resembling less like a 5 star hotel and more down to earth. A more modest setting would have lent it self to a feeling of welcome and less intimidating.

Luckily I was given a coupon from my OBGYN to be able to visit HRC for my first consultation for free.