Valerie Shavell

As a patient, I would highly recommend her. She is well educated and compassionate. She has an awesome bed sideanner and you truly feel like she is listening. She also has so e a great job of trying to figure our case out by tapping into the knowledge of her partners and other fertility clinic.

When you do get time with her, ensure you write down all of your questions before hand so you don't forget anything. She is great but you don't get a ton of one on one time with her.

Dr. Shavelle is super compassionate. You can also tell that she wants to hear from you, how you are feeling and what your concerns are. She will take what you are saying and will fully consider how it could potentially be affecting your treatment. I also feel as if she has never given up on us, even though we have not yet been able to concieve. She continues to sign to try to figure it out.

Round 1 -Egg retrieval and fresh transfer using Gonal F, Menpur, and Cetrotide. - chemical pregnancy Round 2 Frozen embryo transfer using Lupron, Estrace, Progesterone. - negative Round 3 - Frozen embryo transfer using Lupron, Estrace, and resistant uterine protocol of ibuprofen, Xanax, prednisone. - negative Round 4 - Frozen embryo transfer, stimulation cycle using gonal. Thought was that I responded better to stimulation rather than suppression - negative Round 5 - Did an Endometrial Receptivity test prior to frozen embryo transfer. Showed I needed 12 less hours of prednisone if following previously used stimulation protocol. Negative Round 6 - Full retrieval with PGS testing of embryos followed by a frozen embryo transfer with previously suggested protocol from ERA. Negative Round 7 - yet to transfer. We are on our second round of testing through Yale doing the Endometrial Function Test. First round showed potential endometriosis and that I was taking too much progesterone. With this second round of testing we are treating the endometriosis by doing 2 months of Lupron prior to testing month. We are also adjusting estrogen and progesterone doses.

For the most part the nurses in the office are nothing but excellent. There have been times however where I have felt as if they were not familiar with my case or where I was with my protocol. When I would ask questions I felt as if rather than reviewing my filing and getting be solid information, I would receive some guess work. This has only happened a couple of times. For the most part they are on the ball.

When I first started going to the clinic it felt unorganized. Since then, I have noticed that they have done a good job about putting out surveys and I feel as if they have really taken the information and made changes. The last couple of years have been much better.

For all treatment thus far, we have spent almost $80,000.

Dr. Shavelle has always been very honest about how many embryos are recommended. It seems that the office has protocols as to how many they are willing to transfer in which situations.

When we met with her the first time, we were impressed by her professional manner and knowledge of the process. She was very good at answering the questions that we both had, as well as making questions of us. She made us feel hopeful about our ability to be able to eventually conceive and made us feel like we had many options and possibilities yet to pursue. She has a very calming demeanor, which for me was maybe a little too clam. Where I definitely appreciate that you need to exude peace in what can be a stressful situation in people's lives, I personally love when doctors can make you feel like they understand the particular situation that you're in and still express an upbeat fun attitude. That being said, she was very nice and gentle with the way she talked and discussed different treatment options with us.

Be prepared to feel like you have a wealth of possibilities that you gain from her knowledge. You'll definitely feel like your being cared for and helped, but don't expect an excess of laughter or jokes. She seems to be very calm, steady and even keeled.

She took the time to both ask and answer questions about my husband and I. We both felt valued and hopeful after having our consultation visit. She knew exactly which steps we should take next and we both felt confident in her knowledge, abilities and understanding of where we were currently at in our infertility journey.

After our consultation visit, she decided to do some more lab work that we hadn't previously had yet...testing the ovarian reserve, my thyroid levels and a couple other things that I can't remember. She also decide to increase the dose of Clomid that I had previously been taking from my OB/GYN. (Which is where we started out in this process.) We went from 50 to 100. She also had me schedule a mid cycle ultrasound to measure the developing follicles and thickness of the uterine lining. By upping the dose, she was hoping to stimulate a better response from my follicles than what I had been getting on just the 50. I was also told about the trigger shot ovidrel, and used that to push ovulation. The first Cycle like that we did with just timed intercourse. The next cycle she bumped my clomid dose up to 150 because it still wasn't helping the follicles to develop any sooner or bigger than it had at the 100. That definitely worked. At the next middle ultrasound, I had three good sized follicles instead of only one small one. We moved on to an IUI that cycle...still with the Ovidrel. A nurse in the office actually performed the IUI, not the doctor herself. That both of those cycles ended with a negative pregnancy test. We are currently coming to the end of our third cycle with this Doctor and office. This cycle we did all the same things, 150 cComid, Ovidrel, IUI. (Just one follicle this time, but still on the bigger side.) The only thing that changed this time is that during the mid cycle ultrasound it was noticed that my lining was on the thinner side, so I was prescribe esterase tablets to take vaginally to help thicken the lining. I started taking them cycle day 12 and am still taking them now on cycle day 19. I was advised to take them until I take a pregnancy test..which will be soon. That being said, we don't know the results yet of this current treatment cycle.

The nursing staff at the fertility center are incredible. They are overflowing with compassion. I was almost shocked by the amount of care and concern they showed the first time I had to call in because I had started my period after our first treatment cycle. I felt very cared for and even comforted. For the most part, all of the nurses are warm, compassionate and fun. They are also very knowledgeable and confident in helping you or answering any questions that arise. The nurse I had for my first IUI was so great and talking me through the process and calming any nerves that I had. Great nursing staff!

This Clinic knows their stuff! They are also just incredibly personable, friendly, compassionate, upbeat people. I definitely felt well guided and cared for during any treatment that I've received there. They help cultivate hope for your situation. I feel very relaxed at this clinic.

My insurance only covered half the cost of ultrasounds and lab work only if it was done somewhere else and then sent to the Fertility center. The fertility center has been super helpful in letting me get lab work done at a place covered by my insurance, so that im not incurring unnecessary costs. They also recommended a cheaper pharmacy that I could get the Ovidrel shot from.(It wasn't covered by my insurance.) I went from paying $170 for the shot to $90. The ultrasounds cost me about $100 after the insurance and the IUIs that I've done were each $600 out of pocket.

Dr. Shavell was very thorough from the very first consultation. There was a lot of information to take in but it provided me with everything I needed to know and to further research myself. Any questions resulting from my research and conversations with others in similar situations were always received positively and answered appropriately no matter how silly some questions may have sounded. She was more available to the nurses than me, however. She did not conduct the 7 IUIs but still communicated with the nurses before starting the next round. Although she was not available to conduct my laparoscopy, she did my pre-op and post-op and made sure I was very comfortable and doing well. Most recently she did my sonohysterogram and mock embryo transfer and was very gentle and calming through the discomfort. She ensured all parts were in working fashion to proceed with IVF in the coming month.

If you feel like you need a face to face meeting, do not be scared to call and make the appointment. It can be difficult playing phone tag with the nurses who have to communicate with the doctors and then back to you. It can be time consuming, especially if you miss phone calls due to work or other daily activities.

Dr. Shavell was always kind and sensitive to the nature of our conversations. When it was time to delve into the more difficult news, the information was provided in an informing and caring manner. Our meetings weren't rushed. After providing a certain amount of information she always asked if I had any questions instead of dumping a ton of information at once and waiting until the end to ask if I had questions. It is always difficult to remember so much, but with the breaks for questioning between information, it made it feel more human and personable.

The first test I had completed was an HSG. Everything looked perfect with no signs of obstructions. Dr. Shavell mentioned there is some research showing women getting pregnant in the following three months. Unfortunately that was not the case for me. We started a cycle of clomid in December 2017 with a trigger shot of Ovidrel followed with an IUI. A negative pregnancy was the result. We continued with the same protocol for 3 more IUIs. Dr. Shavell provided statistics that show IUIs increasing positive outcomes after 3 IUIs, again they all resulted in negative pregnancy tests. We had a meeting with Dr. Shavell to discuss the next steps. She stated she would like to see my egg quantity and quality response with a protocol of pills and injectables with IUI. We switched to letrozole pills as I started having very bad headaches and long lasting nausea with clomid, and added Gonal F 75 IU daily, triggered with ovidrel followed with IUI. We did this for 2 rounds and both resulted in negative pregnancy tests. However, there was an increase in the number of follicles and size. At this point I could not continue to see negative tests and chose to take a month off. We met again and discussed having a laparoscopy to inspect the outside of my anatomy. We had a good pre-op conversation consisting of laparoscopy information and IVF information. The laparoscopy resulted in finding and removing stage 2 endometriosis. Dr. Shavell wanted to try IUI again now that we found a potential cause. We did IUI with letrozole, gonal f, and ovidrel. Another negative pregnancy test. That was the final IUI. Being that I was provided with IVF information a few months prior, I decided to schedule an IVF consultation in January 2019. The meeting was with an IVF nurse and she provided all the procedures,medication, and protocol information Dr. Shavell wants me to do. I was scheduled for a Sonohysterogram and mock embryo transfer with Dr. Shavell February 7, 2019. Here she wanted to get a better view of inside the uterus to ensure there weren't fibroids, polyps, scar tissue or other abnormalities that would prevent implantation. Everything looked just fine for implantation and the mock transfer went smoothly as well. Dr. Shavell will carry out my egg retrieval and embryo transfer in March 2019.

The nursing staff was fairly easy to communicate with. In most cases I left voicemails for them and they would call back. Some of my messages may have been long and it seemed like they may not have listened to all of it at times. Regardless, they still answered my questions after getting them on the phone and mentioning it again. The nurses carried out the IUIs and were as gentle as possible and comforting. They were able to provide information regarding the seman sample prewash and postwash prior to the IUI. The IVF nurse who did my IVF consult was very thorough and informative.

The clinic has a lot of staff so you may not always be familiar with who you are speaking to. The billing department and front desk staff have had billing miscommunications within their computer system. The front desk staff would have us pay off our entire balance and then I'd receive a bill for services we already paid for and they would say what we paid must have been applied to a different procedure balance. No one could actually identify the issue so we just paid what they said we owed and we haven't had a problem since. The clinic is very clean and well organized. Be aware, that some fertility clinics have separate areas for those with no children and not pregnant and those who have children or currently pregnant, this is not one of those clinics. You will frequently walk into the waiting room where there are multiple children per family. Anyone of the more sensitive nature may feel uncomfortable.

We do not have infertility insurance, however we do have coverage for monitoring and some procedures such as the HSG and laparoscopy which resulted in significant savings. Ultrasounds performed at one of their smaller locations (Mason) were typically $180 or $75 after insurance. However, if it was one of the Doctors that did the ultrasound as an ultrasound technician wasn't available, an extra $30 was added. If they were done at the Grand Rapids office, regardless of who did it, an extra $30 was tacked on. The bill would show it as a meeting, even though no meeting took place, it was just the ultrasound. IUIs were out of pocket. For the semen wash and the procedure it was $500 per IUI, we did this 4 times. Pricing changed and the IUIs were then $600 per, we did this 3 more times. The laparoscopy was a reasonable and fair price. For IVF, we will be paying $9,867 just for the procedures. This price includes the $1,850 we paid for a case management fee. We have a $8,017 balance due at the end of February 2019.

Dr. Shavell provided statistics on the success rates of single vs. Multiple embryo transfer along with specific criteria as to why a two embryo transfer is ideal for me. As I do not meat criteria for increased high risk pregnancy, we both agreed a two embryo transfer is ideal. She made sure to discuss the possibility of selective aborting if there were more than 2 or 3 developing babies.

Dr. Shavell is to the point, and obviously extremely intelligent and well educated. I'm a person that wants everything explained in detail as I want to absorb all the information I can. I could have asked more questions, but I wish she had approached us without thinking we were as familiar as why she would suggest some of the procedures. I wanted the detailed reasons why. She is very kind, which is very important to me. I have met with her twice, and am scheduled with her in 1.5 weeks.

Ask your questions, she gives you time.

Mostly like a human. It was more the MA's that made me feel like a number, than the doctors. The consultation was less warm than the following procedures.

I'm diagnosed with recurrent pregnancy loss after three miscarriages. Dr. Shavell suggested a saline sonohysterogram and a endometrial biopsy. The SHG was to check for scar tissue after two D&C's 7 days apart. The biopsy was to make sure the infection (endometritis) in my endometrium was resolved. Both came back normal and great, thankfully.

I have not had much interaction with the nurses. I have with multiple MA's and they are not very warm. Clinically they are fine.

It's a nice environment in a great location. The interior is modern, but comfortable and welcoming. They offer beverages and have couches. Front desk staff is kind. It did not take long to get an appointment scheduled after being referred. It is a professional environment.

Cost has been fine as my insurance has covered appointments and procedures. Thanks to the staff that scheduled the two procedures, she made sure they were scheduled on two different days. Otherwise my insurance only would have covered one. That was a great experience. One negative experience was the Counsyl genetic testing they recommended; I had already had karyotype testing; so, I don't know if it was even necessary, but the MA gave me inaccurate information about being able to cancel the testing when I received an email from Counsyl. Thankfully Counsyl worked with me. I am slightly irritated they do not accept Tricare. My husband is a veteran and in the national guard and soon I will be on his insurance.

does not apply

Dr. Shavell was kind and seemed deeply aware of the stress and emotions that go along with infertility. She always made sure I knew what the next step of the process was and that I was comfortable with it. What I like most is she reminds you that you are strong and capable of handling the stress and struggles of IVF.

She is ready to work for you and make sure you are ready for the work!

I feel she is always actively listening to me. She makes eye contact and is reassuring with her body language. She ensures you feel comfortable and your voice is heard at your appointments.

Gonal-F, Follistim, Menopur, hCG

Very kind and welcoming. All my phone calls were pleasant and my interactions at the center were great

The prices seemed reasonable and seemingly followed other average costs. The building was very clean and well designed. It was relaxing atmosphere and the waiting room was calming and inviting. While walking through the halls other staff members greeted you. The only weakness for me was that I lived far away from the clinic.

ART case management $1850 (deposit to schedule) Follicle Puncture/ Oocyte Retrieval $1795 Culture and Fertilization of Oocytes/Embryos $1570 Embryo Transfer $1060 Abdominal Ultrasound $225 ICSI $1850 Assisted hatching $630 Blastocyst Culture $620 Cryopreservation of Embryo $910 Cryopreservation of Oocytes $910 Time Lapse Photography $805 Embryogen $465 Thawing of cryopreserved embryos $1075 This is the cost breakdown provided to me. Obviously I did not require everything here. My total from this list was $10,065

I was education on risks and likelihood of successful implantation.

Dr. Shavell is very nice. She's a little too soft spoken at times; meaning her demeanor is almost too sympathetic. I want answers, I want to take comfort knowing you (the person I am trusting) has a plan of action specifically designed for me and that we aren't just going through the motions. There were times where I felt she was more focused on me thinking she cared than her actually trying to fix any issues. I also feel she is not very available when needed.

Ask her to give it to you straight. Also, request a full description of treatments with all the why's explained.

I don't think, in the beginning, the treatment was custom to my issues. I think they take standard protocol and go through the motions. I had to start fighting for what I wanted. They also are not exactly forthcoming on information. I had to ask a lot of questions I learned through podcasts and others who have gone through it all before.

After my HSG, I had to have a polyp removed. Then we started on 50 mg clomid because that's the starting point, which I responded well to but nothing came of it. We did four cycles on this with the HCG (Ovidrel) shot. Then we moved onto letrozole and Gonal-F. I can't remember the specific dose of letrozole but the injections were 300. I did not respond as well to the letrozole as we had hoped. I am currently going to do one timed cylce of 100 mg of clomid (back to clomid after under-performance of letrozole) while we wait for insurance pre-authorization. If that is approved (different insurance company than the last round) I will have one last IUI cycle of 100 mg Clomid and Gonal-F 450 injections. IF this does not work, we will immediately be moving on to IVF.

They are all very friendly! I cannot stress that enough. I love them personality wise, especially the front desk and the ultrasound technician. They are amazing. However, there were times when I called (almost always have to leave a message and a call was returned) where I felt hurried on the phone. I also felt like the communication between the team wasn't all that great, where one would tell me one thing about my treatment but the next person I talk with didn't have that same information. That was a little frustrating. I also had to make sure I had all my questions ready to ask, otherwise I wasn't informed of any "extra" information. Honestly, I love the staff, I just worry a little about their efficiency/organization.

My number one strength is location. It's perfectly located not too far out of town but far enough where they have they're own parking, which can be key for comfort! It is also a very clean facility with, what seems like, new equipment. Weaknesses, wait times can be excessive; in the waiting room or in the patient rooms. Also, when my husband goes to drop off his specimen, I wish it was a little quicker for him. He has a very time structured job and gets frustrated that he has to sit there for 15 minutes before the lab calls him back. I think that should be explained better, the whole home to lab process. I would tell a new patient to ask all the questions, nothing is too much when it comes to treatment. Do not expect them to go over every detail with you. If you Type A like me, you'll leave frustrated and feeling like nothing was accomplished.

Each IUI is $500 (sperm wash and procedure) plus the ultrasound and office visit. Each visit was a co-pay amount. Hybrid cycle had an extra ultrasound (echogram) which was more than the ultrasound. Medications were all based on what insurance would cover; most of it out of pocket.

I enjoyed having Valerie as my doctor. There was one negative experience when the dosage listed on my prescription was different than what was on their plan. She handled the situation ok by calling me to reassure me the dosage would not affect the results but didn't take the ownership of her (or the nurses) mistake.

Ask lots of questions because she will answer it thoroughly but doesn't necessarily go over everything if not asked. Be proactive of your care because she will be willing to take the next steps if you want.

Valerie would call me personally if I asked which I was pleasantly pleased with. She let me be the deciding factor on all the decisions. She never pushed her opinions on me or forced me into a decision. She was always completely unbiased. (Unlike Dr. Young who I saw once for an ultrasound who was very judgemental).

I don't remember all of it but for the IVF procedure I was put on Lupron to start, then took estrace pills, after the transfer I began IM progesterone.

Overall the nursing staff was very competent. They are dealing with a lot of patients so sometimes they had to clarify some things in order to get an accurate response.

Scheduling is a pain! Sometimes it is easy to get in and other times it is difficult. Since I was working at the time I had to take time off for appointments frequently since they had limited appointments. For IVF you had to schedule 2 or 3 months in advance so be aware of that.

Embryo retrieval/1 fresh transfer was $10,000. Frozen embryo transfer $2500 IUI was $400

She left this decision up to use. The first time we chose for 2, which she recommended. The second time we chose 1 which she supported. We were given the information that with a transfer of 2 embryos it was a 45-50% chance of pregnancy but they didn't have any statistics for an embryo transfer of 1.

Time with Dr. Shavell is great. I only wish there were more appointments with her(that you were not charged extra for) and not support staff so it would be easier to ask questions directly to her. She definitely listens and addresses all concerns when you are with her. And she is also good at explaining anything you don't understand.

Come prepared with your questions because direct one on one time with her is valuable time.

Dr. Shavell is very kind and sweet manored so she makes you feel as though you really matter and she wants to help figure out what's best for you.

After failed clomid cycles with obgyn, dr. Shavell ran testing that included HSG, blood tests, ultrasound and SA for my spouse. Determined that IUI was the best next step. IUI #1 was 2.5mg Femara on CD 3-7, ovidrel trigger on CD17 with 2 mature follicles and IUI on CD19, cycle ended on 12dpIUI. IUI #2 was 5mg Femara on CD 3-7, ovidrel trigger on CD17 with 1 mature follicle and IUI on CD19, cycle ended on 12dpIUI. Our next plan of action is a more agressive IUI with either metformin, Femara and ovidrel or injectable meds like menopur, gonal f or follistim and then ovidrel and IUI; since the femara and ovidrel are working but not good enough. My spouse is also on clomid for his male infertility issues.

Nursing staff has been great and I have no complaints.

Beautiful facilities (Mason and Grand Rapids locations). All very minimal wait times.

We have approximately 50% fertility related coverage however 0% of IUI and IVF are covered. So those additionally out of pocket costs were reasonable. $500 for IUI with SA/Wash.

Open and honest in communication. Very informative about treatment plans and adjusting them. Nothing but positive interactions even when the outcome was not what we wanted. Very calming demeanor and bedside manner. Always makes sure to explain every detail in length.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Dr Shavell is always willing to listen and do what's best for you as her patient.

Very empathetic with failed transfer. Eager to help us try again. Open and honest about treatment plans

For our two IUIs we only needed 50mg of clomid taken days 3-7. IVF procedure was BCP, then menopur and certotide. Added IM progesterone and retrace. Egg retrieval and ICSI done. 2 embryos transferred on day 3 and two frozen. FET utilized Lupron to suppress and then added Estrace and IM Progesterone. Transferred two embryos. Plan for flare protocol due to now having DOR along with MFI.

The nurses were all very well-informed and knowledgeable about the processes. They answered the IVF line every single time. I never had to leave a message. Caring and extremely compassionate. Took the time out to explain everything and answer every question no matter how small.

Strengths-provider and staff experience. Caring and compassionate. Dedicated to their patients. Weaknesses-only thing I wish is that they took more payment options like Care Credit etc.

IUI was covered by insurance up to 2k. No IVF procedures or drugs were covered under insurance. The total cost for IVF was close to 15k. The FET was under a different insurance and medications were covered. We only paid $60. The FET itself cost around $2500 which was not covered by insurance.

Due to age, 2 embryos were advised to be transferred. The decision was left up to us with all risks explained.

Dr. Shavell’s compassion went above and beyond. Our first transfer was successful. Our FET we lost all of our embryos before transfer and she personally called to break the news. We really appreciated that touch during a devastating time. She made sure we knew what was going on at all times. She was not hesitant to call, for the good and the bad, herself.

Ask questions and don’t be afraid to share your concerns.

Dr. Shavell was compassionate and took all of our moral concerns into consideration when deciding on a treatment plan.

Our case was pretty straightforward. My husband had a vasectomy 20 years prior and we wanted more. We originally approached Dr. Shavell about embryo adoption thinking this was our only option. She told us about sperm retrieval and the likelihood of success and we decided to go for it. My husband had a TESE and the sperm was frozen. Then we did what I believe was a standard protocol, with the addition of lovenox because I had some clotting issues in He last. We did a retrieval and a two day transfer, which made me a little nervous as I hadn’t heard of many of them. But it worked first time and we have twins.

She was available to call and was prompt at returning calls. She was also good and walking me through all the parts that made me especially nervous.

The clinic is excellent and successful, but they are expensive and there are a lot charges outside of the standard ones. We would like to go back but simply can not afford it. The clinics atmosphere is welcoming. There is water and coffee in the lounge.

She was fine with transferring two, as this was our first time. When we went back to do an FET, she recommended one based on previous results. But she was open to two if hats what we wanted.

My experiences with her were great. You don’t see your main doctor at every visit. A lot of your visitors are just check ups or ultrasounds. Whenever I did meet with her it was always reassuring. I never had to guess what we would do next or worry that there wasn’t a plan in place. If something wasn’t working she made sure to make the changes that were necessary in your care plan. She has a very sweet demeanor and she is very easy to talk to.

Their office is very busy, make your appointment now. I was so nervous to start our journey with their office and I almost cancelled a handful of times. Take the plunge because she is a great doctor!

When I first met with Dr. Shavell I could tell she actually cared about the work that she was doing. She was super sweet, when over all of my testing and made sure I understood the plan she had set out for us. I went in there feeling so discouraged and left feeling much more hopeful we would be able to start a family.

When I first started going to the office I was started on Femara with an Ovidrel injection to force ovulation. I have a lot of eggs but they do not mature on their own. We tried a few cycles this way but my body was not responding to the treatment. I met with Dr. Shavell again in which she said we should start injectables. I started the highest dose of Femara, Metformin, Gonal - F, Ovidrel and Progesterone. The round that worked started out very slowly because we started at the lowest dose of Gonal - F. I have PCOS and because of that I could hyperstimulate very easily. Through my second vial of Gonal - F I had three viable eggs. We ended up pregnant with twin boys and we couldn’t be more thankful.

The nursing staff was great. They were always there for you and communicated what was going on. One day after my ultrasound I started crying and the nurse gave me a hug and stayed there with me until I felt better.

The clinic is awesome. Everyone there is super sweet and welcoming. It’s a very cozy environment. They work with you to make sure all of your questions and concerns are being answered. The only weakness is as a new patient it can take about a month to make an appointment with a doctor. But I think that shows you how great the office is that they are always that busy!

I do not remember exact numbers but our insurance did not cover anything fertility rated. All of the appointments and medication cost us in the ball park of 3 to 4 thousand.

Really great. She did some of my IUIs, and my transfer, and I was grateful to have her do so. She explained things well and I had a list of about 100 questions, I kid you not, every time we met with her, and she let me go through every single question.

She's soft spoken at first, but don't let that fool you. She knows her stuff and is very compassionate.

Dr. Shavell is soft-spoken, but has a really wonderful bedside manner. She knows what she's talking about and will tell you in a way that makes you feel confident, but also comfortable. They believe I have poor egg quality, and when we had 28 eggs collected and 15 fertilize, by day 2 on transfer day, only 2 had survived. She told me when I was in the transfer room, right before and was so sweet when I started crying. Handed me tissues and let me have time. She also called twice, once a week after the egg collection and during the TWW to check on us.

IUIs we did Femara with a trigger shot. IVF I did 75iu of Menopur, 75iu of Gonal F, Cetrotide and a Lupron/HCG trigger. Prepped with birth control. They were worried about overstimming as it's easy for PCOS patients to do so, but they kept a very good eye on it and managed it well. Didn't end up with it.

I spoke with Michelle a lot at the Eagle Park office. She's so sweet. Remembers you when you call on the phone and lets you call to ask absolutely any question. You know she also genuinely feels for you when something goes wrong.

Eagle Park has early office hours for ultrasounds starting at 7 and earlier for sperm samples, which is great if you work an 8-5 job. The longest I have waited is 30 minutes, but usually I'm in and out. At some point you end up seeing all the doctors which I view as a strength. It's nice to get all the opinions.

Great! I was always able to get in by 7. They do them from 7-10 and the early appointments are great.

IUIs were 395 I believe. IVF cycle is just under 10 grand, without medicine.

Dr. Shavell was soft-spoken and kind, which was not what I expected of someone with her level of training and expertise. She earned my trust right away because she was sensitive to our unusual situation, but also spoke with confidence about a course of treatment.

Dr. Shavell may be young and soft-spoken, but she is definitely competent.

Everyone in the office, including nurses and office staff, were kind to me. I did sometimes get the impression that they do this so often that they don't give as many details as they could have, but overall I was impressed with Dr. Shavell and the rest of the staff.

My first cycle was an antagonist cycle with very low doses of stimulating hormones. They expected me to respond very well to stimulating hormones and I did. I ended up with 26 eggs during that first cycle, but only 3 of those eggs became viable embryos. They ended up transferring all 3 of those embryos and I became pregnant, but ended up with a chemical pregnancy at 5 weeks. The second cycle was a long Lupron cycle. They expected this cycle to produce less eggs, but were hoping they would be higher quality. Once again, they used low doses of stimulating hormones. I ended up producing 29 eggs, but I ended up with 6 viable embryos this time. They transferred 2 of those embryos and I ended up pregnant with a singleton and had a live birth in 2015. I have 4 embryos that are still frozen and in storage.

I was overall impressed with the team of nurses. All of them displayed compassion and understanding. I would have given them an excellent in all areas, but I did have an issue getting information on when to take the trigger shot during one of my cycles so they weren't quite as organized as they could have been.

Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the Fertility Center. I felt like the staff actually cared about me and that the doctors and nurses were aware of the latest and greatest medical advancements. In fact, they changed protocol from one cycle to the next (with only a couple months between cycles) because they had found studies that indicate a different approach would produce better results. I do think that the one area that was a bit lacking was communication. I would have loved to have the option to email the nurses and have online access to some of my medical records. I also thought it would have been helpful if their website included more detailed information about what to expect during an IVF cycle or even individual stories of patients.

I think it was approximately $10,000 per cycle for all the medications, monitoring appointments, egg retrievals, and embryo transfers. My insurance partially covered monitoring appointments and medications, but the rest was out of pocket. I did get a small discount during my second cycle because of the failure of the first cycle.

I was encouraged to transfer multiple embryos during both cycles. In fact, during my first cycle I actually transferred 3 embryos because they didn't think the 3rd embryo would survive the freezing process.

She is very kind but a little passive. I would have prefered a more aggressive treatment early on. I also wish I had seen her more frequently during my recently cancelled cycle. She is a good communicator and when I dis meet with her she explained everything thoroughly.

In the end you will meet with all the doctors when it matters, so don't wait for her. Just get in there and get the process started.

It has been hard at times to reach her and during my recently cancelled cycle I only met with other doctors at the clinic.

We tried 2 IUI's which were unsuccessful. Our recent IvF was cancelled after 10 days due to low follicle production. My injections have been adjusted for next time but I wonder if something could have been done earlier to get better results.

Overall, they have been fine. It can be difficult to get them on the phone at times and when I asked for the new protocol for meds to be described they said it wasn't necessary at that time which I found frustrating.

The first was very casual with rock star pictures all over his office. There was also lots of toys and stuffed animals. It was weird. The second just didn't seem very compassionate. We only saw them both once and decided to wait.

So far we have spent 13,000 which included a prepayment for our upcoming IVF

She prefers single but with our chances so slim I think she should be more aggressive if the patient is willing.

She is a little soft spoken but not in a bad way. I think she fully knows how emotional the whole the process is and that is why she like that. She does explain realistic odds and expectations and will listen to all your questions. I felt like she guided our care but still made us feel like we had a say in it all.

She will answer every question you ask but may not give every single detail unless you ask.

She was very compassionate when we miscarried. Answered all our questions every time we saw her. Never felt rushed.

I used gonal f. They adjusted my dose part way through stims to develop eggs a bit more. They retrieved about as many as they predicted by ultrasound. We did a fresh transfer that resulted in miscarriage. And two frozen transfers that each resulted in a baby.

They were all phenomenal. Super compassionate. Shared in our sadness and joy.

Wait times were good. Billing office is good. Expect a couple month wait to get on the ivf list. Our whole experience there was great. They really lead you through the process. Even the dr Shavell was our dr, we did see each dr at some point. One of them did our retrieval, another did one transfer, Shavell did a transfer. But I always felt like they were in the loop and Shavell was available when I needed her to be.

Roughly $600 per iui including meds Roughly 11,000$ per ivf fresh cycle and transfer including meds. Roughly $5000 per frozen transfer including meds.

She explained the odds of multiples and the risks that could come with multiples. She seemed to lean toward two and we weren’t opposed to twins, so we transferred two each time.

Dr. Shavell is very knowledgeable and kind. There are times when she seems almost too professional, but she is always straightforward and has a good bedside manner. Even with setbacks, she has been realistic, but reassuring.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be your own advocate.

Dr. Shavell has always been friendly, courteous, and genuinely seems to want us to become pregnant.

We tried several times with clomid and ovidrel to ensure I was producing healthy eggs and to be able to control the timing of ovulation. When that still did. It result in a pregnancy, Dr. Shavell recommended FSH therapy using Gonal F, Progesterone, and Ovidrel to increase the amount of follicles produced.

The nursing staff were all knowledgeable and friendly. I did find, though, that since I did not see the same nurses each visit, that we had to be our own advocates sometimes and ask questions.

The clinic has a warm and inviting atmosphere. It is clean and also cozy. The waiting room is comfortable and the treatment rooms are all modern with newer equipment. The staff are all friendly and always greet me by name.

Our insurance covered most of our treatment and medications. IVF and prep and storage for sperm were not covered.

She is very compassionate, answers all questions, and made sure we were comfortable with the plan. She ordered tests to try to find a cause for my recurrent miscarriage, but we didn’t find anything. I do wish she would’ve done further testing.

Don’t be scared to ask questions. She is very compassionate and willing to answer.

She took the time to empathize with my situation and ask how I would like to proceed.

Femara followed by an ultrasound to monitor follicles and Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. She added Estradiol due to thin lining and Crinone after ovulation. I did get pregnant that cycle but unfortunately miscarried.

They were very helpful and called promptly with results.

I did not find Dr. Dodds to be at all compassionate or professional. We had a very poor experience with him following our fourth loss. It also seems there is a lack of communication among nursing staff regarding change of plans.

We used oral medications with timed intercourse and insurance covered most of the cost but do not cover IVF.

I do not have experience.

She's very warm and seems to treat her patients well as people. However, she really needs to be more assertive and guide the conversation as the physician. My wife and I felt like she wasn't forthcoming with information and basically waited for us to lead the conversation rather than sharing info upfront and using that to guide the conversation and treatment plan. She's too soft-spoken and needs to be able to tell it like it is, good or bad.

Do your research so that you know what questions to ask to get the information you need. If you rely on her to lead the conversation, you will likely not walk away with a good understanding of what's happening.

She has a very warm personality, makes good eye contact, and seems to care about her patients.

We're still early in the process, but at this point it's been mostly treating both my wife and myself with prescriptions for various things that seem to be contributing to our infertility (irregular cycles and hypothyroidism for her, prostatitis and low sperm count for me).

No complaints so far about the clinic as a whole - they've been great to work with. We've felt very supported through this whole process by the office overall, including the front office staff and the nurses.

Dr. Shavell is very honest and gives me the facts - which I love. She is willing to try different things to get us where we need to be to have children. She is very intelligent and understands the fertility field. My only complaint is with the amount of testing she wanted done, we had to pay everything completely out of pocket, which got frustrating. But I was honest with her and told her we needed to save money, so she adjusted her plan.

Be honest about your financial needs up front.

She is very open to my suggestions and listens to everything I've gone through.

So far we have done clomid cycles at 50mg per month days 5-9 with no luck.

Everyone is very nice at the Fertility Center. They know the patients by name and understand it's a hard reason patients are there, so they are very sensitive and kind.

Strengths - the clinic has been around since the 90s and is very successful in what they do. They are willing to try new things to get patients where they'd like to be. Weakness - it's very pricey and the tests cost a lot of money out of pocket. They don't take many insurance plans.

$100 deposit for initial appointment which costs over $300. After that, we paid different amounts each appointment.

No strong opinion, it is up to us.

Dr. Shavell always explained things in as much detail as I needed to understand what the whole IVF process entailed. She was very supportive of our unique situation. I felt comfortable trusting her with our infertility journey .

Be your own advocate. While Dr. Shavell is very knowledgeable, you know your body best. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion.

Dr. Shavell was always available to us and very caring.

All of the nurses have been caring and compassionate in regards to my treatment. If I have to leave a phone message, I always receive a prompt response.

The Fertility Center is a wonderful place. They work with you to find the right course of treatment for your situation. Costs are outlined early on in the process, so there are no surprises. They also offer “scholarships “ in the form of their Family Building Fund.

ART case management: $1545 Egg retrieval: $1740 Fertilization: $1520 ICSI: $1740 Cryopreservation of embryos: $845 Thawing of cryopreserved embryos: $1000 Embryo transfer: $1025

Dr Shavell is very nice but I feel that i am treated as a number. I only see or hear from her when I specifically request an appointment and I find myself having to remind her of things that she should already know.

Ask a lot of questions and stand up for yourself

I have to re explain my situation every time I am at the fertility center. There is no consistent treatment.

12 rounds of Femara, 4 iui. Got pregnant on the 2nd iui but miscarried. Taking a break of the next round doesn’t work and then switching to injectables when we save up money.

A complete lack of communication and they clearly don’t look at files before talking to you. I’ve have had to re explain my miscarriage what feels like 1000 times. I get different answers depending on the nurse I’m talking to.

Strengths are that it’s clean, the staff are nice and wait times are minimal. Weakness is that they treat you like a number and try to push IVF when it’s not necessary yet. You have to advocate for and guide your own treatment.

were about 7000 in for iui, ultra sounds and medications

Dr. Shavell had very good bedside manner, and always made me feel that she really cared. She's very compassionate and understanding. She's also very flexible with my needs. when I asked if we could do an endometriosis laparoscopy instead of trying another cycle she allowed it. She really let me feel that I was in control of my own treatment and that she was there to help.

Know that it's going to take awhile to get in to see her for the first time at least.

She has very good bedside manner. The clinic always answers my questions in a timely manner, and they're all so sweet.

I didn't ovulate on my own, and Clomid did not work for me, so she tried femara and the ovidrel injection, when I could no longer come down for ultrasounds due to lack of time, she allowed me to just try femara alone which is what ended up working.

the nursing staff was great! They always were great about answering my questions when I called and getting any problem that I had solved.

It is a great Clinic with great staff. It is in a very nice location. The clinic is very clean and welcoming. All the staff are very friendly and compassionate. They even offer you drinks when you are in the waiting room.

Nice and kind. She gave me my treatment plan for the next month in ways I understood. I wish I could see her over Dr. Thakur. I hope they can get down to the bottom of why I can’t conceive. This is probably one of the most frustrating journeys of my life and I hope they can fix it

You won’t see the actual doctor much so make sure when you do you ask all the questions you can.

Femara 2.5 days 3-7 first month, then 5mg second month, and 7.5mg third month. IUI at any time. CD 12 ultrasounds every month

Overall good. I sometimes felt they weren’t listening to my concerns. I had to make an appointment with my doctor to talk about what’s next because they didn’t seem to know what to do.

I really feel like the doctor should be more present in the patient’s care. I have only seen or talked to the doctor 2 times in several months. Maybe that’s how they keeps costs down I don’t know. I feel the nurses pretty much run the show and give out all the advice. It’s hard when you don’t feel listened to and have to make an actual appointment to get answers from the doctor.

No

Dr. Shavell seems very nice and soft spoken. Although I have only seen her a few short times. She gave us as much information as we'd like on all of the different types of procedures that might be right for us.

Do not have super high expectations for treatment working on the first try.

She is very soft spoken and looks you right In the eye when talking to you.

I did 3 months of clomid 50 mgdays 3-7 and ovidrel injection before iui with donor sperm. My first 2 iui's didn't work. My 3rd month was cancelled due to not good enough follicles. Now I am on my 4th month with clomid 100mg with ovidrel and iui with donor sperm again.

I see the nurses often, mainly for everything. They do my ultrasounds and iui's. I have seen Erica a lot and I love her. She is so sweet, down to earth, and so compassionate.

The clinic is super nice and I hardly ever have to wait. I've maybe waited 15 min before.

The cost is expensive but all healthcare is. So far since january we have probably spent $4000 and have not gotten pregnant yet.