Thomas Burwinkel

I have seen every doctor at IRH over the last two years and over that time, I have become the most comfortable with Dr. B and as a result, switched over to him as my primary physician in early 2019. I am someone who needs my doctor to explain the details of my diagnosis and treatment in order to feel confident in our plan of action. If the details are not explained to me, I get very anxious. Dr. B learned this about me very quickly and takes the time to explain everything to us as well as answer all of my questions. When we ask for additional consult appointments just to talk about next steps, he is always accommodating and takes the time to ensure all of our questions are answered. I am also a very direct person who wants an honest assessment of the situation, even if it's tough to hear. When I'm told overly positive things repeatedly and then experience disappointment, that makes me distrustful. I realize that this helps some patients, but it is not something that works for me. This is why Dr. B is a perfect fit for me. We have had to have quite a few tough discussions over the course of my treatment (he diagnosed 2 of my 3 miscarriages, had a discussion about donor eggs, as well as discussed use of a gestational carrier) and he has been fantastic. He has a way of being direct about the tough things, but is compassionate and helps you understand the full picture. Dr. B opened my mind to the possibility of egg donation after a couple of egg retrievals with less than desirable results but let me know that they would continue to try with my eggs as long as I was willing. He also was honest with us when we asked about a Gestational Carrier, stating that it was our best shot for the one genetically normal embryo we have frozen. Because of Dr. B, we hope to transfer to a gestational carrier in November with our own embryo and hope to transfer to me in December with a donor embryo. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. B. I truly believe we are on our current course because of him and I have 100% faith that he is leading us in the right direction.

If you are somebody who wants all the details of your diagnosis and treatment plan, likes to ask questions, and wants someone who will give you honesty, ask for Dr. B to be your primary doctor (or Dr. S). If you get overwhelmed by the details and want a doctor that will give you more general encouragement, ask for Dr. A to be your primary doctor.

Egg Retrieval 1 with Dr. B (3 Overall): 225 Gonal F, 150 Menopur, Cetrotide = 7 Eggs Retrieved, 2 Blastocysts, 1 PGS Normal Embryo. With this cycle, he added an extra vial of Menopur to attempt to get a 4:1 Ratio of FSH to LH in hopes of retrieving more eggs. The strategy worked as I had only ever had 3 eggs retrieved previously. Egg Retrieval 2 with Dr B (4th Retrieval Overall): Femara 5MG Per Day Cycle Days 3-7, 225 Gonal F & 150 Menopur Starting Day 3, Cetrotide (NOTE: Dr. S recommended this cycle) = 9 Eggs Retrieved, 3 Blastocysts, 0 PGS Normal Embryos. With this cycle, Femara was added in hopes of getting more quality eggs. Egg Retrieval 3 with Dr B (5th Retrieval Overall): F 225 Gonal F & 150 Menopur Starting Day 3, Cetrotide: 4 Eggs Retrieved, 1 Blastocyst, 0 PGS Normal Embryos. With this cycle, we started out with less than an ideal follicle pattern, so our expectations weren't as high out of the gate. The thought was to go back to the retrieval where we got a good embryo and I 100% agreed with this strategy. If I had to go back and do it again, I would do the same protocol. Dr. B also ordered all of my recurrent loss testing after my 3rd miscarriage (which was with a PGS Normal Embryo). He tested for Thyroid Levels, Blood Clotting Disorders, and Auto Immune Disorders. He also recommended a uterine biopsy for an ERA Test for Embryo Transfer Timing & Receptiva Test for Endometriosis. Blood Tests came back with slightly elevated Prolactin & TSH. While he did not believe this is my primary issue, he started me on Levothyroxine. The ERA test came back normal. The Receptiva Test came back positive for inflammation associated with endometriosis. The strategy here was to test me for everything under the sun since I had been pregnant 3 times and all 3 resulted in miscarriage, with the last one being a PGS Normal embryo. Even if we hadn't diagnosed anything, at least we could have eliminated them as possibilities. This was a strategy that I was 100% on board with and would do over again. Treatment for endometriosis consisted of 2 months of Lupron Depot Injections, which put your ovaries into a temporary state of menopause in an effort to get rid of the inflammation associated with endometriosis. We have decided to repeat the biopsy after treatment is completed before attempting an embryo transfer with donor eggs. This repeat test was particularly important to me because I don't want to do an embryo transfer without knowing that the Receptiva Test is negative and I was thrilled that Dr. B was supportive of repeating the test. Our Egg Donor Cycle is currently in process. Our Egg Donor (a known donor) is doing Gonal F and Cetrotide with doses to be determined. Dr. B recommended considering an egg donor after our 1st egg retrieval (2nd cycle as 1st was cancelled) yielded only 3 eggs and no PGS Normal Embryos. We did 4 more egg retrievals after that resulting in only 2 PGS Normal Embryos. So, after 5 egg retrievals and only 1 Frozen PGS Normal Embryo left, we decided it was time to move onto the egg donor waiting in the wings. His suggestion earlier on in the process allowed us to get our egg donor lined up but to continue with our own retrievals until we were ready to move onto the egg donor. We elected to do PGS Testing on our Donor Embryos, which is unusual, but given my history with loss, we were only interested in proceeding with embryos confirmed to be genetically normal. Again, Dr. B was supportive of our wishes and helped us formulate the plan. Finally, we are doing a frozen embryo transfer cycle with our 1 remaining PGS Normal Embryo and a Gestational Carrier (known carrier/friend). Our Carrier took several weeks of Lupron Injections to down regulate her ovaries and will take normal estrace/progersterone protocol for a frozen embryo transfer. When we brought up our concerns about how few of our own embryos we had, Dr. B was in agreement that a Gestational Carrier was our best chance of success. He recognized our priorities and we appreciated his candor and honesty in his recommendation.

This really depends on whether you are out of pocket or insured. IVF with PGS Testing Out of Pocket (all in for meds etc): $24,000 Embryo Transfer: $4500 Screening for Gestational Carrier and Husband: $2700 Screening for Me (to use Gestational Carrier): $1700 Multi Cycle Package for PGS Testing: $2150 With insurance it is significantly cheaper. Once we hit our deductible, IVF without an embryo transfer was about $600. The PGS Testing is $2150 in addition to the $600 but we should potentially get reimbursed for that from insurance. These costs are really going to vary depending on your insurance coverage.

All of the doctors at our clinic typically prefer single embryo transfers. We have always used PGS tested embryos, and in those cases, they will only transfer 1 embryo.

Dr. Burwinkel is very kind and caring. His bedside manner was great and he always ensured I understood the treatment process. When I had questions, he took time to listen. He took the time to answer each of my questions and never acted rushed. For my egg retrieval, he came to see me before and after the procedure. He always made sure I was comfortable throughout the process.

I would definitely recommend him and never be afraid to ask questions.

Dr. Burwinkel used femera and ovidrel with my IUIs. I always responded positively but never got pregnant. He used menopur, gonal f, cetrotide and ovidrel for my IVF. I also responded well and had 25 mature eggs. I was given dostinex after my retrieval to help against hyperstimulation. I did not end up with hyperstimulation and was able to have a fresh transfer.

$15000 for 3 IUIs and 1 IVF

I was not happy with the thought of an eset at first but Dr. Burwinkel explained the risk of embryos splitting and multiples with more than one embryo being transferred. I am now grateful because I got pregnant with a healthy single baby from my first IVF.

I was at another clinic and the dr never came in to speak with me or complete my ultrasounds or testings. I decided to change to this clinic and saw one other dr in the practice but voices that is rather keep all appointments with Dr B and he’s been great at making sure he keeps up with our treatment. He takes his time and I’ve never one time felt rushed. He chit chats with my husband which makes my husband feel more comfortable coming to my appointments with me. He always acknowledges my feelings and sets me up for how things can or may go. I love that he’s very blunt and to the point. I don’t want a dr to sugar coat anything with how much we are investing into our journey. I don’t want false hope! I always look forward to seeing Dr B and hearing what plans he has for our treatment. After every IUI he days he prays this is our time and I really feel he means it!

Don’t expect him to beat around the bush. Very forthcoming

Before we started IUI, he ordered a test to look at my uterus and ovaries to make sure they were clear and looked good. During this he found polyps in my uterus and he removed them successfully during surgery. He then scheduled my first IUI using letrozole and then did an ultrasound to check my follicles and gave me the date for my trigger shot. This was the same approach on each IUI. Ultimately my IUIs weren’t successful but endometriosis has a role in that outcome. He also did a progesterone check 1 week after my last IUI per my request to help ease my mind.

So far my insurance has covered everything for my IUIs and most of my meds. I’m not sure what the out of pocket costs are.

We have only had an IVF consult so far, but he likes to do a single transfer starting out. He is open to multiple transfers if at least two IVF transfers were unsuccessful.

Dr Burwinkel is more dry and matter of fact, but seems to be very caring. He is very open to answering all of your questions and talking through steps. We are just now starting the IVF process, but I have heard nothing but good things about him as a doctor from others who have successfully gone through IVF.

Know that he is very dry and matter of fact, but does seem to care for his patients and their success!

I have lean PCOS and am very healthy and active. I had previously taken five rounds of unmonitored clomid with my gynecologist, and they did not show ovulation when looking at my basal body temperature. Dr. Burwinkel suggested trying Letrozole and then Ovidrel to trigger ovulation along with timed intercourse for three months before moving on to IUI or IVF. During this first cycle with these drugs, he performed an emergency laparoscopy on me due to an ovarian torsion. He believes it was caused from the combination of infertility meds. He managed to save the ovary (it was twisted three times). He has me waiting two full cycles and then we are looking at IVF to hopefully be able to retrieve eggs from the ovary that was twisted and then remove it if it causes another torsion.

Each ultrasound cost me $50 due to being coded as PCOS. Lab work for one cycle was $255 (not covered). My genetic test was covered due to meeting my deductible, but it would have cost me several hundred dollars. My emergency surgery is costing me around 2000.

Dr. Burwinkel is one of the best doctors that I have ever had. He actually listens to what you have to say, and he doesn’t belittle or make you feel you’re questions or feelings are silly, stupid, or unimportant. He’s optimistic and has a great bedside manner and attitude. I was diagnosed with PCOS (before Dr. Burwinkel) and my weight is a problem resulting from my diagnosis. I know a lot of clinics want you at a specific BMI or weight before they even consider tresteing you, and I was worried about that the most before meeting Dr. Burwinkel but that definitely wasn’t the case! He had a game plan and we started treatment right away! I have nothing bad to say about Dr. Burwinkel! Every meeting I’ve had with him has been as perfect as I could imagine.

Don’t be afraid to ask your questions, no matter how silly or stupid you may think it is! He knows this is hard, he gets it and he understands. He will hear you out and give you the answers you need!

With Dr. Burwinkle I was prescribed 1400mg of metformin daily. He then prescribed me to take 5mg (two pills) of letrozole on days 3-7 of my cycle. We then would schedule a scan to check follicle progress on day 11-13 of my cycle. Depending on the progress and maturation of the follicles, I was told when to take my ovidrel trigger shot to induce ovulation. 36 hours after the trigger shot we had our IUI. The first cycle I had one mature follicle and I took my trigger shot approx day 16-18 of my cycle. The second cycle I had to be prescribed more letrozole in the middle of my cycle due to my follicles not being as mature when the doctor wanted. I had to come back for a second scan and was given my trigger shot around day 18-19. The third cycle I had one good mature follicle, and a second one that may or may not have been mature by ovulation day. None of my cycles resulted in any type of pregnancy or success.

Copay for appointments: $35 Sperm wash: $225 IUI procedure: $250 Ovidrel trigger shot: $95 Letrozole: $15

Dr. Burwinkel is definitely a straight shooter. He's not one for false promises of success or sugar coating a point. However, this doesn't mean he's without empathy. He's provided wonderful care through my unsuccessful pregnancies and has always given me clear next steps for things we'll try next time. In 2018, we had success with his treatment and welcomed our daughter into the world.

Be completely honest about your history and situation in your consultation. He can't help to the best of his abilities without full and complete information.

Metformin for PCOS, folic acid/COQ-10 supplements for healthy eggs, Letrozole to boost egg health at time of ovulation, Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. (RPL, basic therapy only)

Do not remember all costs.

Dr. Burwinkel is friendly, but not as attentive as I would like. Dr. Burwinkel did my first DE transfer and explained what he was doing as he did it, but then I had some questions (as I was laying on the table) and he seemed in a hurry to get out of there. Just not as warm bedside manner as I experienced in the past at my previous clinic.

Make sure you ask lots of questions, because you may not see him every visit. Make sure you have a clear understanding of where you are in your cycle and what comes next.

My first DE cycle (negative, currently on FET cycle). E2 3x a day and Prometrium 3x a day plus a low dose aspirin 1x a day. Dr. Burwinkel never explained to me the rationale. It was the nurses who gave me my treatment plan.

My insurance covers some of the cost, and all of my claims are still currently pending, so I am not sure what I will need to pay out of pocket. One donor egg cycle is 16K, but I will be billed a reduced amount.

We only had two blasts from our first cohort of eggs, so we implanted one and froze the other. I recall telling the nurse that I only wanted one implanted, and she said that she will note that on my chart. So, I'm not sure how they feel about implanting two.

Dr. Burwinkel's strengths are he is very kind, his bedside manner is great. His cons are not taking time to explain why decisions would change so quickly. He did well in explaining the course of treatment, but when the course of treatment didn't work, we felt as if the course of treatment was never changed. MFI wasn't deeply explored or even suggested we should see a reproductive urologist, we took that initiative on our own. After the chemical pregnancy, we went back to our obgyn and she found that I had FVL and MTHFR as reasons why we could be miscarrying.

Ask lots of questions. Be educated on what options are available to you with all scenarios.

IUIs- Femara with Ovidrel trigger shot Retrieval #1- BCPs, Gonal F, cetrotide, ovidrel trigger Retrieval #1- Gonal F, Cetrotide, Menopur, Ovidrel trigger FET- Estradiol orally, prometrium vaginally

Our first two cycles we were blessed with insurance coverage, however our copay on each cycle was 1,000. Medications for the two cycles ran us 7,000. FET cost us 4,500, medications were covered under insurance.

IVF #1- single embryo transfer at age 29 IVF #2- double embryo transfer at age 30 FET- single embryo transfer, only had one embryo left

I owe my chance at becoming a mother to Dr. Burwinkel. From our first visit he treated myself and my husband with respect and always gave us the most honest information. He never promised that he would make me a mother, but told me that he would do anything to help me become one. He answered every question that I had, and I had a lot of them. Every treatment was fully explained. I never felt as if I was unaware of what was happening to my body. He was compassionate with each loss that we experienced and gave us the facts each time there was a setback. When we were finally able to have a full term pregnancy and I gave birth to my little boy in April 2018.

Do your own research and never be afraid to ask questions.

I took Letrozole (similar to Clomid), we did the injection to release my eggs and then did IUI. I had four rounds of IUI. Two resulted in miscarriages and one was a viable pregnancy.

Fertility treatment is not cheap. Each round of IUI cost about $900 including pills, shots, doctor appointments, and procedures. In addition to the IUIs, I had to have laparoscopic surgery for the chemical pregnancy and a D&C for the miscarriages. Each of these procedures was an additional cost.

Although he is surely a well educated and competent RE, he lacks a degree of compassion or at least how to convey this. It is very busy clinic, and I felt like I was lost in the shuffle, when I did not have favorable results.

You’d have to be your own advocate and know your own process. I’m sure he can construct a protocol and execute it.

I cannot recall exact dosages, but I believe pretty standard protocol for egg retrieval.

For preretrieval ultrasound and retrieval it was roughly $8k.

I did not make it to a transfer.

I am sure Dr. Burwinkel is a find physician but I wouldn't know too much since I saw him only twice during my care. I did not feel as though he was treating me but rather the entire staff at IRH. Had we had a consistent set of information and communication we would have made different choices. I feel I wasted time and money going there.

Know what you need and expect in your fertility treatment before you go.

The costs were pretty straight forward. They provided a pricing sheet up front for all of the procedures but there was no coordination with my insurance company beyond the pre authorization paperwork. I had to contact the insurance company in order to determine what would be covered. I was never able to get a straight answer from either party. It was unclear to me how much I would owe. In total with my company's coverage ($5,000) and I paid $6K out of pocket for a round of IVF and single transfer. We had no embryos left to freeze and did not do ICSI.

It would have been nice to discuss this strategy and options before the transfer. We had no idea we would be faced with the choices while i was in the transfer procedure. These important details of how many and odds should be discussed in advance.

Dr. Burwinkel has 2 partners that cover him when he is off which is really nice. However, after my first IVF cycle did not result in pregnancy and few eggs/embryos with nothing to freeze, the protocol was not really changed. I don’t know if this was because his partner was covering but I never understood why a similar protocol would have different results. When I had even fewer eggs retrieved and only 1 embryo, I started to wonder if something else was wrong with me as I knew I had a high AMH and should have a lot of eggs. That transfer did result in pregnancy but ended in a second trimester miscarriage due to Down’s syndrome. When I saw Dr. Burwinkel following my miscarriage, he was very compassionate but was unable to come up with a plan for me to get more, better quality embryos in a future cycle. I think I lost all confidence at that time.

Provide details and keep patients informed.

My first IVF cycle was done with Follistim which was initially started at a moderate dose. When my estrogen jumped up, the dose was greatly reduced which later caused my estrogen to drop and I was offered to the chance to cancel the cycle. Since I had insurance coverage, I decided to proceed. I had 5 eggs retrieved. On day 1, none had fertilized so we did rescue ICSI that resulted in 2 embryos which were both transferred on day 3. This resulted in no pregnancy. For my second cycle, the Follistim was pretty much the same. I did take letrozole in the beginning with this cycle. Again my estrogen quickly increased so my Follistim was decreased and again my estrogen dropped and resulted in fewer eggs. I did have one 3 day embryo with ICSI which resulted in pregnancy, but later a miscarriage.

I had insurance coverage so I can only guess for the cab pay price. I believe IVF with ICSI and hatching is around $12,000 a cycle. A transfer is about $1000.

Dr. Burwinkel is such an amazing doctor. He has gone above and beyond to help get my pregnant, and always listens to me. I had a miscarriage after an IUI in the summer of 2016. During my D&C, right before I was put under, I started crying. Dr. B. came to my side and held my hand as I was put to sleep for the procedure. I will never, ever forget the compassion he showed during that difficult time. Dr. B is always honest with me and does what is right for me and my situation. I could not ever imagine seeing another doctor or going ot another practice.

Be open and honest with Dr. B about your thoughts on your protocol. He WILL listen! Advocate for yourself, too.

IUIs 1-4: 5mg Femara and Ovidrel IUI 1 resulted in miscarriage with a D&C at 9 weeks. IUIs 2-4 were negative. IVF 1: 175 Follistim, then increased to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel--rationale, I have PCOS and did not want my to hyper stimulate. Prometrium after retrieval and through transfer. 2 Blasts, 1 transferred and did not result in pregnancy. FET 1: Estrace 2mg a day, then PIO. Frozen embryo transferred and did not result in pregnancy. IVF 2: 150 Follistim and 75 Menopur. The last twp days of stims, we upped the Follistim to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel. Added in medrol and baby asprin after the retrieval. Added PIO after retrieval. 7 total blasts. 2 transferred. Currently pregnant and waiting for my first ultrasound to determine if it's a singleton or twin pregnancy.

We used insurance for the IUIs, so the cost to us was around $100 per IUI. For IVF, we did the money back guarantee program with ICSI and that was around 22k (or 70% back if no live birth).

With my first IVF cycle, we did one embryo. Same with the FET because we only had 1 embryo left. After those two cycles failed, Dr. B decided to transfer two embryos moving forward. I trusted his judgement with the single and multiple embryo transfers.

The experience with doctor Burwinkle was very good. He explained everything thoroughly and was very realistic on each outcome. He answered all of our questions and concerns during each cycle and was empathetic to our situation. There were no real weaknesses with his treatments.

He is a great doctor and very realistic in treatment options and outcomes.

He was the one who diagnosed me with PCOS he was very familiar with how that would affect my fertility. He also was the one who treated me/us for all of our attempts to conceive via timed intercourse, IUIs, And IVF. He was very considerate of the way patients with PCOS would react to certain medications and dosages. He only used medications shown to work in women with PCOS and was able to find the balance to get the best results to not overwhelm my hormones but also get the ideal response.

They gave us a break down sheet of all the costs for treatment.

Since I was still considered young and my egg quality was good he didn’t want to transfer more than just one embryo.

Dr Burwinkel is super informed and knowledgeable. He is very caring and definitely wants to see success in treatment for his patients. He performed a polyp removal surgery and we continued on to medicated IUI. I have been extremely happy with his care and attentiveness.

Do your research and ask lots of questions.

Originally I went to see Dr Burwinkel for tests and an hsg procedure. During my hsg procedure a uterine polyp was found and it needed to be surgically removed. We scheduled the surgery for 3 months later. My surgery went perfectly and we continued on to medicated IUI. I took clomid 100mg during days 3-7 and then I went in for an ultrasound, after that I did the ovidrel trigger shot and scheduled my IUI for the next day. For my second IUI we followed the same procedure, 100mg clomid on days 3-7 and then ultrasound to check follicles then trigger shot and IUI about 36 hours later.

Our insurance covers infertility, however all costs are spelled out up front and nurses have up to date cost information on procedures and drugs. Very helpful.

Again he was really compassionate and he also was very truthful from the start and took his time with us and answered all of our questions. He's awesome! He was the doctor that I saw every visit during my first IVF round, only one time during that 1st round I had to see one of his partners (it was a holiday weekend), but he told me that I was going to have to see one of his partners, so I was prepared and I was ok with that.

Come prepared to answer some questions from him and know that he is ok with you having a voice in your treatment!

I was on birth control for 22 days, started a period and the started follistim, then added menopure, and ganarellix. Then eventually a Hcg shot and progesterone vaginal suppositories. I can't exactly remember how many days of the follistim, I think it was 12, I remember I had to increase 1 time and then had to order more of it and the menopure. My egg retrevial was intense, I was hyperstimed and he retrieved 21 eggs and I was put on some medication to help with my HSS. Out of the 21 eggs we had 5, 5 day embryos. We transferred 1 and froze the other 4. BFN on day 14, post transfer, I also started my period that day. I'm currently waiting to test, I will on Thursday, we used 2 frozen embryos on Friday March 24th. I don't think I am pregnant though.

IRH has the best price for IVF in the area.

I told him whatever he thought was best I trust him and that's why I travel over an hour to see him.

Dr Burwinkel is amazing. Caring, compassionate, yet knows when to give you the hard truths. Plus, he looks at you as individuals and as a couple, not as a "diagnosis box". Each month the treatment is personalized.

Ask all the questions you want! Don't be scared that he needs to be in charge. He listens and respects all of your questions and knows when it's best to push back with his own experience and knowledge.

- 2.5mg Femara due to high AMH with timed intercourse, no luck (x3) - 2.5mg Femara with IUI, no luck (x1) - No injectible IUIs due to high AMH and significant chance of high multiples - IVF with low-dose gonal-f, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel for trigger... Nervous about OHSS so set the expectation to only retrieve first cycle, then FET next cycle. Didn't end up needing to because the dosage was perfect and no OHSS!

IVF standard - $8,200 IVF Money-back Guarantee - $18,000 (3 cycles) ICSI - $1,100 Embryo Cropreservation Initial - $200 Embryo Cryostorage Quarterly - $400

Just felt very comfortable even in the most uncomfortable situations. Dr Burwinkle, and his associates were able to get us through a very trying time. Infertility is stressful. We had male factor infertility which was doubly hard on my husbands psyche. The fact we had trouble conceiving was devastating to him after he found out. They made the process bareable, and helped us overcome all of our hurdles.

Expect to cultivate patients...the ivf journey imparticular is long and tedious. The exact combination of medicines may take more than one cycle. We were lucky, but i read the book the clinic put out by Dr Awadalla to help prepare. Started a vitamin regimen to increase egg health and went on a diabetic diet to help control my pcos before we started.

I dont remember

Meds were the most expensive, i think they were about 6 thousand. Our total cost was around 13 thousand. With hotel stays and time off work the process cost close to 18 thousand. All out of pocket. Our insurance does not cover treatment and due to advanced age we didnt qualify for most programs.

They do, but due to my advanced maternal age it was decided one embryo tranfer might not be in our best interest. We opted for 2, Five day blastocyst transfers and placed the others on ice for future...we were blessed with a healthy baby boy after the first fresh transfer. And still have 2 frozen embys.

He was my primary dr saw I saw him a lot and was never unhappy with any interaction with him. He's a very kind man and even printed me ultrasound pictures of my follicles when I asked him to. He always gave me a great hug the day I graduated at 8 weeks pregnant and posed for a picture with my husband and I.

Be a partner in the process. Do research and ask questions so you can make decisions with your dr.

We started with IUI with clomid since I'd had ovulation success with that drug with my ob. When that didn't work we moved to femara with IUI. That also failed so he added gonal-F. I agreed to try that twice before moving to IVF. Both those cycles failed and we got started with IVF. Since I have pcos and high AMH he didn't use a high does and monitored me closely.

We spent about $8K on IUI procedures. We we in the money back program and paid about $20K for that including ICSI and then $500 for freezing our embryos.

Dr. B is very "dry" meaning, he doesn't show much emotion and is very monotone. Which might be just what some people need. My very first experience with an RE, I was obviously very nervous and had no idea what to even think. I did not feel much compassion/care from him. More as if he was like, ok the goal is to get you pregnant, so let's do this and we'll start tomorrow. Didn't give us much time to think or breathe or process what was being said.

Just be prepared to advocate for yourself. Dr. B will listen to you and even if it seems like he's not, he is. He is a good person and a good doctor, just not the right fit for us. Be prepared to not be coddled with him. He'll tell you what needs done and move on. Which may be ok for some, it was not a good fit for me. I needed more compassion and bedside manner.

We did 3 IUIs. Started on Femara and then had an Ovidrel trigger shot and that was it.

Around $300 per IUI + $100 for Ovidrel, so around $400 each time. I was on a payment plan and did not know that each procedure was meant to be paid for up front, until we started talking about IVF and they said it had to all be paid in full. I asked why I was able to pay by month and they said that mine was a "unique situation", which I'm unsure of why since I never discussed my finances with them.

N/A Did not do IVF with this doctor.

Dr. Burwinkel was the Perfect doctor for us. He shares both the risks and probabilities of success for pregnancy for my husband and I. He offered hope, but no false encouragement. We wanted a doctor who shared both the up and downside of the process honestly with us, and Dr. Burwinkel did exactly that.

If you want a doctor to treat you with compassion and honesty Dr. Burwinkel is the doctor for you! He was kind and compassionate- but shared our chances of success and our options with complete honesty- which was very important to us.

We were at a more advanced age than typical patients- so Dr. Burwinkel advanced our treatment to IVF faster than he did with other patients. We appreciated his understanding to this part of our journey.

We did not have insurance coverage and I seem to remember our out of pocket costs totaling around $20,000 for all of our procedures and care.

We transferred multiple embryos and had one successful transfer and this was exactly the approach we had discussed and planned on, so I felt well prepared for this decision.

Dr. Burwinkel has been very helpful and informative during our fertility treatments. He has always answered all of the questions we’ve had with honesty and compassion. While our 3 iui procedures did not result in pregnancy, Dr. Burwinkel has been very encouraging and we are confident and hopeful that IVF will help us become parents.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. He is so knowledgeable.

We did 3 rounds of iui with letrozole and trigger shot. I did produce the desired follicles, but was not successful with conception.

For iui, we paid about $500 each cycle plus $110 for medications. My insurance covers anything diagnostic, not does not cover the actual procedures.

He recommended single transfer when we do IVF as he didn’t believe I would carry multiples as well as some other women.

Strengths- making patients feel comfortable. Talking about life, not just the procedure. Efficient but not rushed. Opportunities- no complaints. My IUI’s did not result in pregnancy but I don’t relate that to his competency.

Ask questions. He explains things very well and never seemed bothered while responding and answering my questions.

I completed 3 rounds of IUI with the assistance of Femara. Trigger shot was used in tandem with the IUI to try to increase pregnancy odds. Ultrasound was used each round to check and measure follicles to determine the date of IUI. I did not end up with a pregnancy after 3 rounds.

I paid out of pocket for all IUI. Ultrasounds were about $250 each. The trigger shots were around $100- the staff did give me info for a pharmacy in Miami which helped me save over $100 instead of ordering at a local Kroger! I believe my total spend after 3 rounds of IUI, initial visit, saline HSG, ovarian reserve testing was around $3000.