Rene Allen

Dr. Allen is incredible . He manages to always be accessible and answer ANY question we have . He is always thorough when explaining treatments and following procedures . He has always been attentive with us and has made us feel important . Never has he rushed us . He is very compassionate and is able to be honest without adding more to the already stressful and painful situation we have been experiencing . He always has a solution and is quick to act on anything to get the process moving along . He is also a great surgeon , my recovery was quick and not as painful as I imagined . Overall, Dr. Allen is just an amazing person , you can tell he loves what he does and treats everyone like family.

Trust the process , you are in GREAT hands .

Since day one Dr. Allen turned a scary experience into something we can be hopeful about. He always called us by our name and knew exactly what we were there for , never did he really have to look at a chart , he just knew us . He was very good at giving us real life results and possibilities in a way that kept us calm and hopeful for the future . He is an amazing doctor .

The nursing staff has remained the same since I started with Dr. Allen . It is always a warm welcoming when walking into the office . I have communicated with different nurses and all of them are up to date with our status and know exactly how to direct us when needed. I have never had to explain myself twice to anyone as they are all always on the same page and know exactly how to answer any question . They have been there through the good and the bad and showed compassion as well as excitement when needed .

This clinic is VERY organized , they are always updated with every step of your process and get things done flawlessly . The clinic is located in beautiful Santa Barbara and is very welcoming . It’s a very clean clinic with all the essentials. It has expanded and allows for in house procedures which makes the whole process a little more intimate . You never feel rushed .

12k egg retrieval 3-4K transfer Other Additional costs

Dr. Allen discussed different outcomes and risks when transferring embryos . He was very thurough and was able to share his knowledge and opinion with us prior to our transfer .

Dr Allen strives for success, like most people. For that reason, I understand why his practice revolves around statistics. He knows what families need in order to achieve pregnancy. But I think he sometimes fails to understand that every family is different. Even if we struggle to get pregnant, we do not walk in the clinic door ready to donate our bodies to science for the sake of a successful pregnancy (even though it would definitely seem that way). I am glad I was able to have children, but I often wonder had I not used such aggressive methods to achieve pregnancy if I would have ended up with a twin pregnancy. In my specific case, too, we had no obvious explanation for our infertility, so we weren’t aggressively overcoming any one specific physical obstacle except that we weren’t getting pregnant.

Trust that he wants you to achieve pregnancy, and for that he is amazing. Just do your own homework, decide what will work best for you, and don’t be pressured by all the statistics. PS: You sign a waiver stating that you understand the treatments may result in pregnancy with multiple babies. This is VERY true and multiples are a doozy (for lack of a better/different word *wink*).

In the beginning I was not happy with how I was treated because it was a very sensitive time for me as a woman and I felt like I was being treated as a child. Dr Allen would explain things to me that I fully understood (for example, how a menstrual cycle works) and I also felt pressure to start treatments more aggressively than I wanted. In the end, we did two treatments the way I wanted (just Clomid w/o IUI) without success and then had success with what Dr Allen had recommended (Clomid w IUI). We did the latter treatment again several years later with immediate success (twins even). So I suppose he was right to start more aggressively because of statistics but emotionally I just wasn’t there.

In a nutshell (and what I remember) we did 2 cycles w Clomid without success, then 2 cycles w Clomid and IUI (plus trigger shot), the last resulting in a successful, singleton pregnancy. Years later we did just one cycle w Clomid and IUI (plus trigger shot), resulting in a successful, twin pregnancy.

I honestly don’t remember the staff very well. Didn’t make an impression either way, I guess.

It is well organized, we waited very little, and I felt well respected. It’s conveniently located downtown Santa Barbara, offered off-street parking. It’s clean and doesn’t necessarily feel like a doctor’s office, comfortable.

Consultation $200+ IUI $1000? Trigger shots $50 for 2 (can’t get just one) Clomid $30?

Dr. Allen was very polite and knowledgeable. He did a great job explaining what to expect for each treatment/procedure. I felt comfortable asking questions regarding any concerns I had. I felt supported after the loss of my first pregnancy. He was very patient and understanding of the whole process. I returned for another attempt and was able to get pregnant right away and gave birth to my first child.

Showed interest in personal life, had a sense of human, responded positively when asked any questions (both regarding treatment and personal questions).

I seeker out fertility treatment not knowing that I had a condition. Dr. Allen was very patient and we went through my medical history. After a few tests, I was diagnosed with pcos. I was prescribed clomid at the lowest dosage and slowly we moved up.

Very compassionate and personable. Always available for personal questions and supportive advice.

With our previous insurance (before my husband change jobs), fertility costs were covered. However, with our next attempt with our (hopefully soon to be) second child, my husband's new insurance covers 0% of fertility coverage. We've paid around $6,000-$7,000 so far.