Valerie Shavell

Dr. Shavell is so empathetic she almost comes off as meek in the consult room, which might be good for some people, but I prefer a doctor to be blunt and tell me like it is. She did perform surgery when I had an ectopic pregnancy and she's much more to the point in the operating room so I was happy with that and she did a great job.

I would suggest going into an appointment prepared with lots of questions to ask. I've done a lot of my own research and make lists of things I want to ask her about.

I've done 4 IUI's under Dr. Shavell's primary care. At the Fertility Center you basically see whichever doctor or nurse is available during your procedures though so a lot of these protocols were assigned by other providers. Each IUI cycle started with Clomid cycle days 3-5, midcycle ultrasound ~day 10-12, IUI ~day 13-15. The first two were negative. The third IUI was positive, but resulted in an ectopic pregnancy found at the 6 week ultrasound. Dr. Shavell recommended methotrexate to terminate the pregnancy. That was followed by two weeks of Beta HCG blood tests every few days and my numbers weren't going down. She recommended a second dose of methotrexate over surgery and that was also ineffective. Two weeks later I finally had surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy and my fallopian tube. After methotrexate you have to wait 3 months to conceive so we did a 4th and final IUI that was negative. At that point we jumped into IVF and prepping for egg retrieval. I can't remember the protocol, but it involved Menopur and Ganirelix, etc. The ER was very successful with 18 eggs retrieved, 17 mature and fertilized, 14 made it to day 3. We did a 3 day fresh transfer with 2 embryos and froze the remaining 12. The result was negative. We waited a month or so and then began to prep for frozen embryo transfer. It was a long lupron protocol. We transferred 2 embryos, which resulted in miscarriage at ~5.5 weeks. We waited another month and began the same long lupron protocol again. We decided to thaw all frozen 10 embryos to grow them out to blastocyst with the goal of weeding out some that may be weaker. They all survived thaw and made it to blast. We transferred 2 and refroze the remaining 8. This cycle ended in a chemical pregnancy. We were getting ready to do some additional testing (hysteroscopy to check for fibroids, etc. and chromosome mapping) before moving forward with the next cycle, but everything is now on hold due to Covid-19. We will also do an ERA cycle prior to the next FET.

I would estimate that each IUI costs around $1500 including drugs, ultrasounds, and procedure. They don't bill insurance for the male portion, but they've billed my insurance for everything else and majority of it has been covered by Blue Care Network. We've paid 100% out of pocket for IVF as our insurance does not cover. We paid around $35K in 2019 for 1 IUI, 1 egg retrieval + fresh transfer, 2 FET's, meds, labs, etc., etc.

Dr. Shavell has had no problem transferring two embryos each time, but has made sure to ask that we are ok with the higher chance of having multiples.

Dr. Shavell is very nice and soft spoken, easy to talk to. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility though and given a packet of pre-determined steps with none ever working for us. Our care is really left in the hands of nurses, we never hear from the doctor or see her during/after procedures and ultrasounds unless we want to pay out of pocket for another consult.

You're just one of many. She is kind and knowledgeable but don't plan for her to actually be involved in your care unless you're doing IVF.

HSG that came back normal, 3 rounds of clomid, 4 rounds of Femara in attempt to see if any of these things would produce more follicles to increase chances of pregnancy. I was already ovulating on my own and ended up with multiple follicles twice. Also went on estrogen and progesterone to thicken lining when Femara thinned it. No success from any treatments.

Expensive, my insurance doesn't cover most of it. Ultrasounds are frequent and usually cost $175-250 depending on limited or complete (although even when charging for complete ultrasound the cervix isn't evaluated and a VERY fast sweep of the uterus is performed that's not very diagnostic). IUIs were around 700 each time, the HSG was probably closer to 1000 but I can't remember the exact numbers for sure. Consults are over 100, and then another 50 every time I talk to a nurse in the clinic after ultrasounds.

Not to that point yet

Dr. Shavell was fantastic from the very beginning. I've done three IUIs, one egg retrieval, and three transfers that have resulted in my two children. We are currently under her care for another transfer for hopefully baby #3. She doesn't rush to the next treatment unless she feels it's the right move, included us in the decisions as well. She's performed two laparoscopy surgeries on me and has been very attentive to an issues or questions.

She is a bit softer spoken. But she answers all questions thoroughly and is extremely empathetic.

We did three IUIs while knowing that one tube was blocked and the other was damaged. It felt okay trying this before going to IVF. Before IVF, she removed the blocked tub because it had hydro in it. We did an egg retrieval and fresh transfer of two embryos that resulted in a singleton pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage at 11 weeks. We did a fresh transfer of two embryos that resulted in a twin pregnancy, but we lost one baby at 9 weeks, but it resulted in my healthy first born daughter. We returned two years later and did another frozen transfer of two embryos that resulted in my second healthy daughter. We are currently under care for another transfer. One week before the transfer, we discovered my remaining tube now was blocked and had hydro. She did another laparoscopy to remove it. And we are waiting for Covid to be stable before doing the transfer our last two remaining embryos.

IUIs - a couple hundred each IVF retrieval with fresh - $8000 plus meds frozen transfer - $4500 plus meds

She seems to prefer two embryos while giving the risks of multiple pregnancies but letting us know that the success rates are higher with transferring two vs one.

I think she is compassionate and caring, but until you are a committed patient and on the schedule I did not feel taken seriously. Now that I’ve gone through a few cycles I feel that we have a doctor patient relationship built.

Ask questions.

I feel the protocols for cycles are explained but not alternatives or other options. It’s more of a this is it unless I were to press. I also have yet to hear risks associated except regarding OHSS and multiples.

They seem competitive, although I wish the ‘case management’ fee was explained more because it seems quite steep without explanation. They do give a discount on FET’s following a failed cycle.

Simply told me that I could have no more than 2 transferred but I was given many many handouts on single embryo transfer.

We had to cancel an egg retrieval which was so disheartening after finishing half of our shots/medications. She personally took time out of her day to call me and apologize for the situation even though it was not any fault of her own.

Be open minded through the process as things change often. Be more prepared to talk to all of the staff and nurses and ask many questions. You truly don't talk to the Dr often.

We decided to do a full IVF cycle. My body decided to produce one very large egg (many other small eggs that just would not be able to catch up) which resulted in having to postpone our IVF. After 3 failed IUI attempts and 2 additional rounds of femara that also failed, it was so heartbreaking! We just started our 2nd round of IVF. We will be doubling all of our dosages for injections and taking a stronger approach. Nothing like watching your dreams being crushed 6 different times. Still we remain positive and continue on. We are definitely praying for a healthy miracle.

We have personally spent over $25,000 and counting for fertility treatments. It is extremely overwhelming financially when you're constantly getting a bill for treatment plans and services. It hits harder after a failed attempt where you have to pay for more injections or medications. IVF and fertility are extremely expensive at this center. It is our closest option for being able to make appointments on a regular routine basis.

We thought it best to do a multiple embryo transfer after much discussion with our Dr. This next month feels like a standstill for time.

Dr. Shavell has always honestly and thoroughly discussed my treatment options with me while demonstrating kindness and compassion. I was impressed by how thoroughly she reviewed and understood my particular infertility history prior to my initial consultation. She keeps in close communication with me and has always made me feel I could speak openly with her about my treatment plan.

Dr. Shavell has a very gentle and patient bedside manner. She has a way of putting the anxious mind at ease and is very accommodating to any special needs.

Overall we had a great experience with Dr. Shavell. She has a very calming personality which is a huge positive for those undergoing something that is already anxiety-provoking, such as fertility treatments. She is thorough, knowledgeable, and always took the time to speak with us. She answered all questions no matter how big or small. We left every appointment feeling like we knew what was happening. Anytime we didn't get the result we wanted, she immediately came up with a plan of action which left us feeling confident, and in the end, got the result we wanted.

If you are looking for a doctor who is calm, warm, sympathetic, and attentive, Dr. Shavell would be a great fit for you. Her quiet nature is immediately calming and reassuring. If you prefer a doctor who is a little more firm or hard-lined, she would not be a good fit.

We tried a natural cycle for our first IUI. Actually, I miscalculated my ovulation and when we went in for our mid-cycle ultrasound, we learned that I had already ovulated and it was too late. Dr. Shavell reassured us that we could try again the following cycle, which we did. She had me come in earlier, and quite often throughout the week, to track follicle growth to ensure we didn't miss the window of opportunity this time. I was prescribed the trigger shot (Ovidrell) to administer at midnight on a Saturday so that we could do the IUI on a Monday. Dr. Shavell was the one to perform the IUI. It was a simple and quick procedure. Unfortunately we did not get pregnant from that try. A few months later we tried for the 2nd time with similar protocol - ovulation tracking through an OPK in the mornings and then tracking follicle growth via ultrasound as the time grew closer. There was no need for a trigger shot this time; I ovulated on a Thursday morning and went in right away for the IUI (which was performed by a nurse, not Dr. Shavell). The nurse inserted a mesh plug after the procedure. Two weeks later we got our positive result!

We used all of the money from our wedding to cover our costs, so we did not have to pay out of pocket. If I had to do an overall estimate of the total cost, it would be about $10,000.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

I had no idea what to expect at my first appt for a consult. My husband's urologist said nothing was wrong with his sperm so I wasn't sure why we weren't getting pregnant. I also had a very short leutal phase and my own OB said it was only because my TSH levels were off. Dr. Shavell listened to our stories and looked closely at everything we had presented her with. She fixed my leutal phase with progesterone and had given us the blunt info that we needed to see that my husband's sperm was fine but definitely needs some help. She performed my first IUI and she was calm and explained everything. She is great

Make sure you listen, she's soft spoken and calm so you could miss something :)

I take Femara to help with producing more mature follicles I take progesterone 3 days after IUI to lengthen my leutal phase I was just prescribed a trigger shot this cycle in which I'll use in the next few days to make sure I ovulate all mature follicles She has me doing IUI once I get a positive OPK (when I wasn't using a trigger shot) So far IUI's #1 and #2 did not work. I am hopeful for #3, it's all a waiting game.

I guessed that our costs would be a lot higher than they ended up being. I wish they mapped out procedure costs a little better. I have pretty good insurance so that definitely helps with my journey

N/A

Valerie has always been very warm anf compassionate. In the beginning we did state we wanted to do embryo adoption right off the bat and were told to do 3 iuis first, which all failed which was discouraging. We wasted a lot of money and time for it not to work. But shavell has always been reassuring and positive!

She is almost overly kind sometimes, but thats important when dealing with such sensitive topics.

First IUI was a natural cycle and it failed. Second cycle we used clomid and trigger shot, it was very hard to get through my uterus and ended up having to do an ultrasound, that cycle failed. Third cycle was clomid, estrace, and trigger shot with ultrasound guidance, that failed as well. All 3 cycles were with donor sperm. I just started week 2 of lupron shots as we start our frozen embryo adoption cycle.

Expensive! But in Michigan most insurance doesn't over anything for infertility. Ive had 4 or 5 ultrasounds each being between $275-$350. 3 iuis each $550, multiple appointments ranging from $200-500 each time. Medications have been about $900 so far, male factor testing has been almost $2,000, my testing has been about the same at $2,000. We just paid almost $10,000 for embryo adoption.

Valerie recommended a single transfer due to my age but was VERY receptive that we wanted to transfer 2, and we will be transfering 2 hopefully in May

She gave sympathetic gestures and comments when appropriate, but they did not seem genuine. We were very upset when we asked questions even concerning but husband on cycle 5 (looking to start cycle 6 with more injections and visits) we asked about checking him and why we haven’t after doing so much with me. We were brushed off and my husband wasn’t ever checked by them. Took my PCP/obgyn to actually order the test for us. Very very disappointed after spending so much time and money there

Be firm on what you feel you need as a patient. If you ever feel dissatisfied, get another drs opinion before continuing your journey.

It has been a few years, but she tested my blood and put me on thyroid meds. Then I would be on femara and go in often for ultrasounds to see my cycle progress and timing for ovidril shots. Then we wait 16 days and take a pregnancy test. 2nd cycle we conceived but then had a very early misscarriage. There was so much going on in each treatment that it is hard to remmeber

My insurance covered some of the cost. I think it was between $100-$200 per visit after insurance.

We never explored either option

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.

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.

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!

Gonal-F, Follistim, Menopur, hCG

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Shavell is super nice and well educated. Our personalities are just very different. She is very, very soft spoken and serious. My husband and I appreciate a more laid back approach. I honestly preferred speaking with the nurses instead of her directly. There was nothing wrong with the way she treated me or anything, our personalities just did not click.

If you don't mind soft spoken, cut and dry, then you will like her.

An IUI procedure was $268 (my insurance would cover in full but I had to submit for reimbursement). My insurance covered all office visits after meeting my $125 deductible. The IVF procedure cost around $8000 in just the center costs - not including medications.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

I felt like the clinic had too much going on to focus on the individuals. I frequently saw different providers and got mixed messages about my treatment and next steps. I later went onto another clinic and found out that this clinic missed my diagnosis of PCOS.

Do your research. Make sure you know what you are willing to do and your expected timeline for results. Be meticulous with your budget. Things get very expensive very quickly.

We did cycles with progesterone. Cycles with progesterone and femara, had an ectopic pregnancy that took weeks to make a decision on. Doctors couldn’t agree on the treatment they wanted to do.

My insurance did cover most of my procedures but that was because the clinic kept me at a minimal level of care that did not result in pregnancy. I ended up paying about $1000 for a few failed cycles and no resulting pregnancy.

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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.

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.

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