Monica Best

Just from meeting Dr. Best, you can tell not only that her bedside manner is wonderful, but also that she is extremely knowledgeable in her field. We were successful in our second round of IUI, and 4 years later we just had another IUI in hopes of conceiving a second child. We appreciated that even though IVF was the recommended medical treatment for our particular situation, Dr. Best respected and supported our wishes to stick with a treatment plan we felt more financially comfortable with.

Don’t be afraid to share your questions or concerns. She will take the time to explain things thoroughly to you to make sure you feel knowledgeable and comfortable with your treatment plan.

I have mild endometriosis that had been removed via laparoscopy a month prior to meeting Dr. Best. Dr. Best dicovered Diminished Ovarian Reserve when I was 28 years old. My husband had two varicoceles that were later repaired. IVF was recommended given our situation and the fact that we knew we would like to have more than on child. Financially we were prelared to try IUI twice and then move on to IVF. 2014: IUI #1: Femara 2.5mg, Ovidrel, IUI, Endometrin- Not successful IUI #2: Femara 5mg, Bravelle, IUI, Endometrin- Successful singleton birth 2019: IUI #3 Femara 5mg (no response), Femara 7.5mg, Gonal-F, Estrace (thinned lining), Ovidrel, IUI, Prometrium- currently waiting for results.

My most recent IUI cycle was about $2000 including consult, sonohistogram, all medications (including injectables), multiple monitoring appointments, and IUI.

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Dr. Best made me feel like a had a say in my treatment plan. She counseled me on options but was candid about what she thought the best choice was in her medical opinion. She also kept me up to date with next steps.

Infertility is a rough road no matter what, but Dr. Best does what she can to make the process smoother.

I had already done countless rounds of Letrozole, but Dr. Best added monitoring and a trigger shot to better pinpoint ovulation. When one cycle of that didn't work, she added an injection of Gonal-f as well, which is the cycle I got pregnant. She did not want to do a full injections cycle due to my PCOS, and since I got pregnant she was clearly right!

I had no insurance coverage for infertility, so Dr. Best and her team did what they could to minimize costs. I paid out of pocket for everything, including diagnostic tests and medications. Shady Grove did transfer discounts to their preferred pharmacy, which was a huge help. Dr. Best was also selective about which diagnostic tests she repeated to reduce costs.

We were planning to move on to IVF the next cycle if we did not have success. She let me know that because I was planning on doing pgs testing on the embryos it was in my best interest to only transfer one.

My husband and I opted for assisted reproduction after an unexplained miscarriage and inability to get pregnant again. Dr. Best listened to our story with compassion and took copious notes on our issues. She ordered every test in her "arsenal" to try and help us figure out what was going on. She explained the results of the tests and then explained our options (IVF v IUI, etc). I can honestly say that I enjoyed every appointment with her and actually looked forward to seeing her (something I can't say about most doctor visits). She kept my hopes up and was there for me during the difficult moments as well. She is a model doctor.

To be completely open and honest with Dr. Best about your fears and expectations and concerns. I had concerns about having a trisomy baby due to my age and Dr. Best reviewed with me how we could handle such a situation if it arose. She also had referrals to other doctors I could speak with (MFM's). If money is an issue, let her know and she will try to work out a treatment plan within your budget.

I can't remember the exact protocol used, but the first egg retrieval produced a disappointing three eggs so we banked those and did another retrieval that resulted in 12 more eggs! Using ICSI, we then created 12 embryos which we froze until I was ready for a transfer.

We spent about $40,000 for two egg retrievals, three embryo transfers and this includes medicine.

This was something I agonized over quite a bit. Dr. Best was good at showing me the ASRM standard for number of embryos transferred due to age, but she listened to my concern about multiples and helped me reach an informed decision each time on how many embryos to transfer.

I saw Monica Best beginning of January 2018 after switching clinics. We had a wonderful first consultation where we went over everything that took place during my previous cycles as well as what she would suggest we do moving forward. Before being able to start treatment I ended up pregnant with what ended up being a molar pregnancy. Dr. Best handled this horrible situation with care and compassion but always made sure to tell me the risks involved and 6 month monitoring during this process. After my HCG hit negative we were able to begin preliminary testing for an egg retrieval cycle with protocol suggested. This was as far we got before she left the practice.

She is no longer practicing at this clinic but if you find her at another clinic she is amazing! The best choice of doctor in the Atlanta area.

For treatment of Molar pregnancy I had a next day D&C followed by weekly blood draws until my HCG hit negative followed by monthly negatives for six months to ensure HCG did not rise again. We also performed an SHG and routine genetic testing as well as infectious disease screening before starting an IVF cycle.

I’ve never felt more comfortable with a dr. She told me at my first visit with her to put all the stress on her and for me to relax and I’ve honestly done that for once. I trust Dr. Best because she knows what it’s like to have infertility problems and I know she’s going to help us start a family! She’s very patient and answers all questions and I always leave understanding what our next step is.

Make sure you have your past history all printed out, it helps to have it there to look at when you’re going over what’s next.

I did two IUI prior to Dr. Best so when we went to her I wanted to try timed intercourse to see if my eggs would even respond and they finally did. We did clomid 100 and a trigger shot and both cycles I had 4 and 6 follicles!! We didn’t get pregnant unfortunately because we later found out my husband has a morphology issue so we are seeing the male specialist now and hoping to improve sperm quality and then go back to iui or ivf!

Consult is $250, hsg was around $700 I think, sperm freeze was $650, ultrasounds around $200, husbands ultrasound was $510, IUI is around $1700, IVF starts at $14,500

I haven’t gotten this far yet.

Dr. Best was always very thorough and friendly. She had excellent bedside manner and seemed to want the best. My only negative was sometimes the plan was not communicated effectively and I was unsure exactly what was happening with my eggs after retrieval. There was a necessary change in our plan, but I wasnt informed of the plan until I was in pre-op for egg removal which made it very stressful.

Be upfront with your concerns and needs and she will try her best to accommodate you.

We did egg retrieval with a frozen day 5 transfer. 10 eggs were fertilized, 5 frozen at day 1 and 5 grown to day 5. Only one embryo survived. I was unable to do a fresh transfer due to hyperstimulation. The embryo transfer resulted in a live birth.

The ivf was around 5000, medications about 6000, and sperm donation was about 1000. Office visits were about 1000 out of pocket.

She encouraged a transfer of 1. There wasnt an option for 2 due to only one embryo surviving but i was educated on why they prefer only 1 at a time.

Dr.Best has been a God sent! This is not easy to go through at all! This is such an emotional journey for my husband and I. She has a heart of gold and is always there to answer any questions we have. I feel like she's my cheerleader that's right by my side.

Make sure your paperwork is completed. Make sure your knowledgeable in what your insurance covers for fertility. Go in to the office with written questions. Have an idea of what you're willing to spend. Discuss all questions and be open and honest with your doctor.

I went for ultrasounds and labs. I took Letrozole. I injected hormones for a few days. Once my follicles were of normal size I had the IUI done.

I pay out of pocket. Insurance does NOT cover this. That's ok. We feel that Dr.Best wouldn't have us try anything that wouldn't work. I don't feel like they want my money. I feel like they want to help bless us with our miracle.

Dr. Best makes sure she takes time with each patient. She even has a sketch pad that she illustrates exactly what the fertility issues are. It was nice for my husband and I to see from her perspective why we were experiencing infertility and would need IVF.

I would have to say that it is difficult to get an initial appointment. We had to wait 3 months for the schedule to open up; however, we are so glad we were patient and waited. She was exactly what we needed in a doctor for our infertility journey.

Dr. Best first listened to everything we had already tried with other doctors. She explained that she wanted to complete some diagnostics of her own to see what was going on. She asked that we both get physicals, and she performed an HSG and an SHG on me. She was able to see that not only do I have uterine fibroids, but I also have hydrosalpinx on my fallopian tubes. She then explained that the fallopian tubes should be removed. We shared our concern to ever conceive on our own, and she listened to us. She shared her medical opinion, and ultimately let us decide our course of treatment. For now, we are going to have the right tube removed and attempt to conceive on our left side with some more fertility drugs, while we attempt to save up for IVF. She was very real about percentages and results experienced in the office with this treatment plan.

I was not covered for any treatment under my insurance. I paid: $250 at inital appointment $98 for second appointment $196 for SHG $1,000 for HSG $121 for consultation meeting Quoted: $14,500 for 1 cycle of IVF and $5,000 for medications.

Dr. Best explained that she would allow us to decide to transfer one or two embryos based on what we were comfortable with. She said she would not transfer more than two at a time, since there are risks with multiples.

Dr. Best had to remove my Fallopian tubes. It was one of the most difficult periods in my life. She was very kind and compassionate about the situation. I had to trust that she knew best. Fast forward to one beautiful toddler and current pregnancy with TWINS! I guess she knew what she was doing! We are forever grateful for her. Not only would we recommend her to others, WE HAVE. We are donating our remaining embryos, and Dr Best will be the doctor.

Enjoy the journey, and learn more than your friends know about reproductive health.

For retrieval, Gonal-F, Ganirelix and luepron (for trigger). For both transfers estradiol patches, progesterone oil and low-dose aspirin.

It was great! 50% discount for vets

Dr. Best is a warm and welcoming doctor. She is very insightful and wants to go over her action plan in detail. Once she has her plan she is on a mission. My low ovarian reserve count and my husband's klinefelter syndrome didn't stop her as it would most doctors I believe.

Do your research and know your options. Dr. Best will let you know but it is better to go in there with the knowledge already so you aren't lost when she is talking terms and procedures.

Dr. Best wants to do two cycles of Egg retrievals then for my husband to have a sperm extraction procedure. After this, we will then fertilize then send off for genetic testing.

Estimated total costs: $52,000

Dr. Best does have a strong preference to only selecting one embryo to transfer compared to multiple. We have expressed wanting to place two embryos in our first trial and she expressed that it does not raise our chances of pregnancy.

Dr. Best was the first doctor I saw regarding infertility. I went to my initial consult alone. I felt like a deer in an open field on the first day of hunting season at that appointment. I also felt very dumb. Something is wrong, but I have no idea what and I am sitting on the other side of a desk with a woman in a white coat, who is looking at me with the most gentle eyes and kind smile, and I just want to crawl in a hole and hide. The things that we talked about and the ways Dr. Best educated me are things that I still remember, fondly. I was hellbent on freezing my husband's sperm, he has a chronic disease that is half of why we needed IVF, and she was very nicely explaining that, yes, that's fine, but we really want embryos. Embryos equal babies. She was very knowledgeable and well read on current literature/studies/research, which is very important to me.

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We only met with Dr. Best maybe three times total, and did not pursue treatment with her/RBA. We learned that the work up/diagnostic testing was covered under my husband's insurance at Emory. After further research, we also learned that the cost of a fresh IVF cycle with ICSI was dramatically less expensive at Emory. Dr. Best/RBA wanted my husband to see a urologist for his junky sperm. This would not be covered by insurance. When we discussed this at Emory, they said, (paraphrasing), "who cares, we know it's bad, let's make you a baby."

When we got pricing sheet for RBA, everything was listed "a la carte". It was nearly impossible to follow, a lot of it because we were still (blissfully) unaware of all the medical terms and meanings and also because it was so extensive. Because our insurance offered ZERO coverage for anything done, we got bills immediately, had to pay a lot of money up front for things, and just were not prepared. My husband was the cooler head, for sure. I was very much, "just take my money and make me a baby, I will pay anything". It was insane how much money we paid, and we hadn't even gotten to the actual baby making part yet! This is the biggest reason we did not pursue treatment with RBA.

I came in as a PCOS patient not knowing if I would ever be able to conceive and came from a clinic where I felt as if I my opinion did not count. Dr. Best was very easy to communicate with and listened from the consult moving forward. During our first cycle she made very clear to us the risks and possibilities that could arise which made us feel both hopeful and allowed us to keep realistic goals in mind. We did manage to get a BFP on our first letrozole/trigger shot/IUI cycle, unfortunately this ending in early miscarriage. This has no bearing on Dr. Best, it was just nature doing what it had to do. But just knowing we got our BFP first try, let's us know she has us in the right direction. Thank you Dr. Best.

The wait time for an initial consult may take longer than you like, but with a bit of patience I promise it is worth the wait. She is very patient, kind and sensitive to your situation and you will not regret your decision to be treated by her.

I had originally done an HSG with a previous provider, so Dr. Best wanted to do an SHG just to make sure all was well with my uterus itself and we also cofirmed my AMH levels. After clearing the HSG AND SHG she decided to treat me with a combination of dexamethasone, Letrozole days 5-9, trigger shot and baby aspirin. I came in for 2 ultrasounds about a week after my last letrozole pill to confirm follicle size. We did IUI 36 hrs after trigger shot.

My insurance covered most of my expenses. Without insurance I believe a letrozole/IUI is aprox 1000.00 per cycle.

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I saw Monica at most of my appointments. However, she did not perform my insemination. Maybe it’s because it was held on a weekend. She was present for all of the informative appointments and I knew exactly what the treatment process would be like and what to expect next. She always makes sure all of my questions are answered and it’s almost like talking to a life-long friend.

She is amazing and very caring. She will answer your questions and make sure you are knowledgeable about the entire process.

She suggested we start with IUI and if we don’t have a successful pregnancy after 3 treatments to then consider IVF.

Cost for meds were about $100 - $200 and the insemination was $480.

Dr. Best is a deeply compassionate and skilled physician. She was familiar with my treatment history before our first visit and had immediate recommendations to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy for our next cycle. I work in healthcare, she is by far one of the best physicians I have worked with and she made me want to do a better job with my own patients.

Trust her. She is spectacular. If you have questions Dr. Best or her staff will make sure you are taken care of -ask them anything.

Lupron down regulation before frozen embryo transfer, Progesterone in oil supplementation during luteal phase versus vaginal progesterone. Successful pregnancy was the result.

Travel, Medications, Cycle fee

I loved working either Dr. Best because she listened to my concerns and was willing to try some things I suggested before we went straight to iui or ivf. She did recommend those as treatment since our infertility was initially “unexplained”. But, we weren’t ready for those more invasive treatments. Dr. Best helped us come up with a plan, and we actually found that one of our biggest problems was that I had polyps in my uterus that weren’t obvious in my previous testing.

Do advocate for yourself, but trust that Dr. Best will do everything she can to help you reach your goals.

After going through a hysteroscopy and polypectomy, I was pregnant on my very next medicated cycle.