This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
I only met with Dr. Young three times. Once for our initial consultation, second for my HSG and third when I graduated the program. The nurses do 90 percent of the in-person, day-to-day stuff. I really enjoyed them and they were kind and knowledgeable...When everything came out fine, he started me on injections with trigger shots and IUI. He explained that this would give us the best chance at conceiving. He explained the process to me and it was just as he had said.
I paid for a majority out of pocket. I did 2 IUIs, I think each actual IUI was around $500 or so, plus each ultrasound was around $195...They [Mid-Iowa Fertility nurses] were informative, compassionate, friendly, and helpful. Anytime I would call or come in, they would explain things to me completely. They did most of my day to day tasks (blood draws, ultrasounds, communicating results, etc)
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He was brief and to the point. I only interacted with him three times total. They have a lot of people to help at the clinic, so I never assumed I would be his only priority - which is fine.
He did the initial consultation with my husband to figure out the plan of action. He also did my HSG himself, and finally he congratulated me when I graduated the program.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Don’t assume you’re going to see him each and every time you go in. Many times, you’ll just work with the nurses and he oversees the larger picture of your treatment. He can be brief and you’ll get a lot of information all at once. Take notes - seriously.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I only met with Dr. Young three times. Once for our initial consultation, second for my HSG and third when I graduated the program. The nurses do 90 percent of the in-person, day-to-day stuff. I really enjoyed them and they were kind and knowledgeable.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Both my husband and my test results came back “healthy”, so we had “unexplained infertility”. Because clomid and Letrozole didn’t work for me up until this point, he set me up to do an HSG to make sure my “pipes weren’t clogged” - my words, not his. When everything came out fine, he started me on injections with trigger shots and IUI. He explained that this would give us the best chance at conceiving. He explained the process to me and it was just as he had said. I did IUI twice. The first one didn’t work, but the second one is currently successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
If I could rate the nursing staff a 100/10, I would. They were informative, compassionate, friendly, and helpful. Anytime I would call or come in, they would explain things to me completely. They did most of my day to day tasks (blood draws, ultrasounds, communicating results, etc). I was thankful for them the entire process.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
They do a great job getting people in and out. I never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seen (even if I showed up a little early). They were friendly and helpful. The nurses are definitely the backbone of what makes the clinic run so smoothly. I didn’t mind that I spent a majority of time with them or that sometimes I felt like a number. They help a lot of people each day and a majority probably have way more serious issues than me, so I didn’t take it personally. They know what works and they set you up to give you the best chances to make it happen. I was pleased with my results. It’s definitely expensive, but you really have to weigh the pros and cons. You wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t something you were invested in.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
It was pretty pricy for me because my insurance wouldn’t cover a majority of the treatment. I paid for a majority out of pocket. I did 2 IUIs, I think each actual IUI was around $500 or so, plus each ultrasound was around $195, each blood draw was around $200 for all tests each visit, initial consultation was maybe $350 or so, and I can’t remember what my HSG cost. The biggest cost for me was my injections. I did Gonal F with Ovidrel. Through my insurance Gonal F would have been 3x the price as out of pocket - which would have made it impossible for me to justify doing. Thank goodness the nurses helped and told me about another option. It ended up being my injections cost about $2,000 out of pocket. Overall, I spent thousands of dollars at the clinic, but in the end I got what I was looking for.
After being on letrozole, Dr. Cooper (nor his staff) followed-up with me regarding the effects of the pills or if they were working as intended. This caused me to have two delayed cycles with late ovulation...My AMH was checked and my husband had a semen analysis. After being prescribed letrozole, he allowed me to have an ultrasound to check egg growth and a progesterone blood draw, both of which were conducted by other staff, not Dr. Cooper.
Overall, the [Mid-Iowa Fertility] nursing staff was pleasant and knowledgeable...All appointments that Dr. Cooper was not involved with were quick and flexible. All were billed through insurance correctly and payment in office was painless...$795 consult, $200 for action plan. Off-site appointment: HSG (dye test) $643 Nurse appointments: ultrasound $250+50 office visit =$300
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
In the wake of COVID, Cooper threw out some statistics with humor which made the information a little more palatable. I had done all kinds of research myself reading studies, so much of the information I already knew. I wasn't prepared to be prescribed with pharmaceuticals (letrozole) that were created for cancer patients as the treatment plan. I sobbed leaving the office wishing I had put my time and money into a naturopathic doctor who cares about their patients. But here I am still on this train.... wishing I had chosen another one.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Expect to be prescribed with letrozole, which could be done by your local OBGYN. My IUI experiences were done by female nurses and pleasant, so I would recommend that with this provider. Be your own advocate by starting to chart your cycles so that you can recognize any changes immediately.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
The consult appointments were VERY expensive ($800 first consult visit, $200 for "plan") for the little time spent together. After being on letrozole, Dr. Cooper (nor his staff) followed-up with me regarding the effects of the pills or if they were working as intended. This caused me to have two delayed cycles with late ovulation. I ovulated regularly on CD11/12 without assistance. They hand you a blue sheet with instructions to follow and that's your "care sheet". It felt very confusing on if my symptoms/side effects were normal. Since the blue sheet said not to use an OPK until CD 12, I thought the peaks I was getting were false peaks. As it turns out, I was on the wrong dose and shoudl have continued to ovulate around the same time, causing me to lost two-more months. I asked the nurse about severe headaches crazy mood swings. There was no empathy or suggestion for how to better manage the side effects (btw... the way to do it is take the pills before bed thanks to the Kindara app).
I expected to go to a RE with hopes of getting to the bottom of my infertility naturally. The 2nd appointment I was told to take letrozole and that was that. Of course, I'm taking them because every woman there is hoping to experience at least one +, but sadly it's at the expense of my own values and health because he is a one-size fits all doctor.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr. Cooper did not conduct the HSG (dye test) to check if tubes were clear or IUI (insemination). Thankfully, both for me were done by other staff. My AMH was checked and my husband had a semen analysis. After being prescribed letrozole, he allowed me to have an ultrasound to check egg growth and a progesterone blood draw, both of which were conducted by other staff, not Dr. Cooper.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Overall, the nursing staff was pleasant and knowledgeable. When a new receptionist was hired, she did start to ask questions post-appointment that other receptionists hadn't asked and caused confusion for me and my husband. I chalked it up to her being new and confused about what to ask of whom. (shrug)
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
All appointments that Dr. Cooper was not involved with were quick and flexible. All were billed through insurance correctly and payment in office was painless. A friend of mine also started to see Cooper with the same basic recommendations (letrozole and a link to this website www.lifechoicesandfertility.com) though she has entirely different "diagnosis" from her OBGYN . If it weren't for the nursing and support staff, I would consider driving to a different clinic. Because it's in the Des Moines area, I'm sure he has a corner of the market by default and for IVF patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
$795 consult, $200 for action plan.
Off-site appointment: HSG (dye test) $643
Nurse appointments: ultrasound $250+50 office visit =$300; IUI $270 (female) +$255 semen wash (male) =$525; progesterone blood draw $125; Semen analysis = $295; Letrozole = $78 (10 pills/1 month). These were all covered by our insurance, though they did have co-pays, so these are the priced billed to our insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The critical information left out would have been the missed follow-up with me post-prescription. I didn't get the prescription until CD4, so the dosage was which was taken was shortened. Once I started requesting additional appointments (ultrasound and progesterone) my dose was upped, following a nearly 40 day cycle (mine are usually 24/25). The new prescription says to take one pill daily, which is incorrect. Since I am taking this pill for fertility, it should read "take X tablets by mouth every day for 5 days. Take cycle days 3 - 7". It's concerning to me on the negligence of submitting a prescription for patient consumption.
[Dr. Brian Cooper] was really good at explaining things and happily answered any questions we had...wrote everything down for us and gave us notes from what we talked about. I loved that he called us by our names...I also like that he was willing to change things or do additional testing if I asked...joked around and tried to make things as light-hearted as possible...remember important details about us.
[Mid-Iowa Fertility] got us in for our consult within a month of calling them...open on weekends for IUI/IVF...have an amazing financial advisor to help you with costs and insurance questions...also willing to send lab orders out to another clinic if you live far away...Sometimes they can't answer the phone, so you have to leave a voicemail, which can be nervewracking...always called me back as soon as they could and were great about answering all of my questions.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He was really good at explaining things and happily answered any questions we had. He also wrote everything down for us and gave us notes from what we talked about.
I loved that he called us by our names instead of just saying Miss like most doctors. I also like that he was willing to change things or do additional testing if I asked.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Expect to communicate with the front desk/nurses/financial coordinators much more frequently than the doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper was very friendly during appointments. He joked around and tried to make things as light-hearted as possible. He was also really good at remember important details about us.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We did 3 cycles of letrozole and 1 cycle of clomid (i believe 5 mg for both). The cycles of letrozole were paired with IUI; the clomid was with TI. Neither of these were successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I've communicated a lot with them over the phone. They have always called me back as soon as they could and were great about answering all of my questions. They were also willing to change my plan of action if I asked.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Strengths: They got us in for our consult within a month of calling them. They are open on weekends for IUI/IVF. They have an amazing financial advisor to help you with costs and insurance questions. This clinic is also willing to send lab orders out to another clinic if you live far away.
Weaknesses: Sometimes they can't answer the phone, so you have to leave a voicemail, which can be nervewracking.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
All of our diagnostic testing was covered under insurance.
IUI was $525 per cycle.
We have not gone through IVF yet, but it will be $10,995 without meds or genetic testing.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Dr. Cooper had told us a lot of the cons of transferring more than one embryo. We didn't ask him if we could do 2 as we decided we didn't want to deal with those risks.
We first started treatment [with Dr. Cooper] following a miscarriage at 10 weeks, and two chemical pregnancies, over the course of 10 months. I have not had trouble getting pregnant, but have had recurrent losses...We are now mid-cycle fertility treatment to stimulate ovaries for egg retrieval...We really like Dr. Cooper and the skill and expertise he employs, as well as his demeanor. Just, again, be prepared and have a plan for the fact that they have a high volume of patients, so be prepared to be assertive about asking questions and making sure you're doing everything you should be/have all the information you need.
Come with questions, and throughout your care [with Mid-Iowa Fertility], be assertive in calling the nurse's number to seeking the information you need. They will call you back with information and are communicating with the Dr. The clinic could be better about proactively checking to make sure patients understand everything, but if you're willing to be more assertive than you might be comfortable with, it's easy to navigate.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper is extremely knowledgeable and skilled. He also genuinely cares about a successful outcome and the patient's experience. He has a lot of patients and is very busy, and a lot is delegated to nurses, which at first felt too disconnected to us, but over the course of treatment, through follow-up calls, etc. we've realized that actually there is close oversight/supervision and Dr. Cooper is reviewing/seeing everything they're doing and putting in the charts and directing the course of treatment in an individualized way. We really like Dr. Cooper and trust him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Come with questions, and throughout your care, be assertive in calling the nurse's number to seeking the information you need. They will call you back with information and are communicating with the Dr. The clinic could be better about proactively checking to make sure patients understand everything, but if you're willing to be more assertive than you might be comfortable with, it's easy to navigate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
We really like Dr. Cooper. He is very smart. He makes himself available to answer questions. Most of all he clearly is highly competent/stellar as a surgeon and physician.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We first started treatment following a miscarriage at 10 weeks, and two chemical pregnancies, over the course of 10 months. I have not had trouble getting pregnant, but have had recurrent losses. We then got pregnant again after the initial diagnostic labs/procedures, but that was another chemical pregnancy. Labs and everything came back showing everything looked good in terms of sperm, anatomically (me), and biochemically/hormonally, although my blood results showed FSH/AMH (egg reserve) was borderline. I am 38 (37 at the time), so not unexpected results. After that, we took Fremara to ovulate more than one egg to increase conception chance. That was successful on the first cycle, but we miscarried at 7 weeks. We tested the pregnancy and learned that a genetic issue was to blame, which is why we have now moved on to egg stimulation with planned ICSI/PGS testing. We are now mid-cycle fertility treatment to stimulate ovaries for egg retrieval. Given that we seem to be dealing with an egg quality issue, and not an issue with my ability to successfully carry a pregnancy, the hope is that will help us screen for a healthy embryo.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We really like Dr. Cooper and the skill and expertise he employs, as well as his demeanor. Just, again, be prepared and have a plan for the fact that they have a high volume of patients, so be prepared to be assertive about asking questions and making sure you're doing everything you should be/have all the information you need.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I think initial consult and diagnostic stuff (labs and procedure) was probably less than $1000, but I am not sure. Some was covered by insurance and some wasn't.
Fremara: around $8/month without insurance
IVF Cycle: (not covered by my insurance) Diagnostic (Pretesting day 3 labs, sonohysterogram, trial transfer, and IVF lab tests = $2750); ICSI/PGS IVF=$11,205; fertility drugs=$3500
Dr. Young also scheduled an HSG... After the procedure was finished, while I was still laying on the table with my legs up and extremely uncomfortable, he proceeded to tell me that everything looked good with my work-up but that my husband had a "slight" morphology issue with his sperm. He recommended that my husband start taking vitamin C to help with his morphology issue, and acted like it was not a big deal. He didn't give me a breakdown of the percentage of abnormally shaped sperm or anything. Then he proceeded to hand me a generic flyer, and recommended we try medicated IUI with Clomid. He told me to call his office if we w
They [nurses at Mid-Iowa Fertility] were not compassionate, and did not consider any suggestions I had for my treatment plan...I received conflicting information from 2 nurses regarding the need for a possible change to my treatment plan. Specifically which medication I was using for stimulation. One nurse said my endometrial lining was thin, and the other nurse said it was fine...The cost of the semen analysis was around $300.00. The cost of the IUI with sperm wash was $525, not including medication...Shannon in the front office was not friendly, and never smiled. Jessica, the phlebotomist, was always friendly and is great at her job. It was not painful at all when she would do my blood draws. The clinic is clean. They were like a well-oiled machine. They got you in and out very quickly for appointments, even though it seemed like they were plenty busy with patients coming and going every time I was there. If I called with a question, the nurses would always get back to me that same day. They called with lab results the same day. They come in on weekends and holidays if needed for your treatment. I did not like the fact that I would have to see random nurses, and did not have one particular nurse in charge of my care. They had a very cookie-cutter approach to treatment plans. It was not tailored to each individual patient. I felt like a number. I never saw the doctor for any appointments.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He was personable at our initial consult. He and my husband talked candidly about their military experience. Dr. Young talked about his family. He was kind and attentive. After that appointment, I saw him one other time a week later, where he performed an HSG procedure at a different office. He was personable at that time as well, commenting on my nail polish. After that procedure, while I was still laying on the table in my medical gown, he gave me the test results for myself and husband. At that time, he recommended a treatment plan. I would have preferred he set up another appointment in his office to discuss all of that at a later date. It was very unprofessional, and seemed rushed. I did run into him in the hallway after one of my appointments with a nurse at his clinic, and he completely ignored me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Don't even waste your time and money with him. He doesn't give his patients the time of day.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
My husband and I had our initial consult with Dr. Young, which was a nice one-on-one in his office where he got some personal information from us. Then we had a basic fertility work-up that very same day, which included bloodwork and an ultrasound for myself and a semen analysis for my husband. Dr. Young also scheduled an HSG (x-ray of uterus and tubes with dye) for me, which he performed himself about a week later. After the procedure was finished, while I was still laying on the table with my legs up and extremely uncomfortable, he proceeded to tell me that everything looked good with my work-up but that my husband had a "slight" morphology issue with his sperm. He recommended that my husband start taking vitamin C to help with his morphology issue, and acted like it was not a big deal. He didn't give me a breakdown of the percentage of abnormally shaped sperm or anything. Then he proceeded to hand me a generic flyer, and recommended we try medicated IUI with Clomid. He told me to call his office if we would like to proceed. That was the last time I ever talked to Dr. Young. I had many visits to his office, and the nurses handled everything.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr. Young's clinic performed 3 artificial inseminations (IUI) on me. I took Clomid 100 MG, cycle days 3-7. I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. The Clomid was prescribed so that I would release more than one egg, thereby increasing our odds.They recommended using a urine ovulation predictor kit (OPK) starting cycle day 12, and to call once a positive result was received to schedule the IUI for the next morning. There was no monitoring with ultrasound/bloodwork recommended along with it. However, I did request monitoring with ultrasound. I didn't feel comfortable taking Clomid and doing the IUI, without knowing how many follicles could potentially be releasing eggs. That carries way too much risk for higher order multiples in my opinion. I never did get a positive on the ovulation kit by cycle day 15, so they recommended I come to the office for an ultrasound to see where I was that first cycle. The ultrasound showed I had 3-4 follicles ready to ovulate, according to their size. They scheduled the IUI for the next morning, and a nurse performed it in the office. That IUI resulted in a negative urine pregnancy test (UPT). I took Clomid 100 MG cycle days 3-7 again the next cycle, and never received a positive OPK. I had to go to the clinic for another ultrasound on cycle day 15. The nurse performed the ultrasound, and confirmed I had already ovulated and could not do the IUI. The next cycle I did the same protocol, and they had me come in on cycle day 10 for an ultrasound since the OPKs weren't working for me with the Clomid, and I had been ovulating earlier than expected. The ultrasound was performed by a nurse. It showed I had 3 follicles ready to ovulate, according to their size. A nurse performed the IUI the next morning. I was told to take a UPT in 14 days, if I hadn't started my period by then. I got a negative result on the UPT 16 days later. When my period still hadn't started 20 days after the IUI, the clinic performed a beta hcg test. The result was negative for pregnancy. I took a UPT at home 22 days after the IUI, and got a very faint positive result. I went to the clinic 2 days later for an ultrasound. One of the nurses performed the ultrasound, didn't say anything about what she saw or show me the screen, and then left me in the room to go "talk" to Dr. Young. When she came back she told me they didn't know why I wasn't starting my period, especially since ovulation was confirmed with ultrasound and a progesterone blood draw on cycle day 21. They had me take another beta hcg test, and told me that if it was negative again they would have me take some medication to help induce my period. The beta hcg was negative, and the nurse was baffled as to what could be causing my period to be late. She wanted me to take a medication called Provera for 10 days, and said my period should start some time after those 10 days. She even went as far as to say some women take the Provera, and still don't start their periods only to find out later that they were in fact pregnant after all. I told the nurse I would rather just wait for my period to return naturally, and she agreed that would be fine. I had my OB/GYN give me another beta hcg test 2 days later, and the results were higher than they were at Dr. Young's office, but still negative for pregnancy clinically. I finally started my period 28 days after the IUI. I didn't end up taking the Provera, because I wasn't comfortable with that treatment plan. I took the next cycle off, and then started the same Clomid protocol for my 3rd and final IUI with Dr. Young's clinic. I had 2 mature follicles, based on the size with ultrasound on cycle day 12, and a nurse performed the IUI the next day. That resulted in another negative result. I decided at that point to seek a second opinion from another clinic, since I hadn't met with Dr. Young or talked to him a single time through the entire IUI process. I would have liked for him to discuss further treatment options at some point through all of the IUIs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nurses were quite rude and impersonal most of the time. A couple of them called me "girl", instead of using my name. They were dismissive, and treated me like my questions and concerns were ridiculous. I received conflicting information from the nurse that performed the first ultrasound before my final IUI, and the nurse that performed the IUI 2 days later. The first nurse said they might recommend a different treatment my next cycle, because my endometrial lining was thin from the Clomid. The second nurse said it was fine, and would keep growing after I ovulated. They were not compassionate, and did not consider any suggestions I had for my treatment plan.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The only reason I continued with treatment at this clinic as long as I did is because of logistics. The next closest clinic is 2 hours away. Mid Iowa Fertility was only 10 minutes away from my office. Sarah in the front office was wonderful. She knew my name without having to ask when I would come to the clinic for an appointment. She was very pleasant. Shannon in the front office was not friendly, and never smiled. Jessica, the phlebotomist, was always friendly and is great at her job. It was not painful at all when she would do my blood draws. The clinic is clean. They were like a well-oiled machine. They got you in and out very quickly for appointments, even though it seemed like they were plenty busy with patients coming and going every time I was there. If I called with a question, the nurses would always get back to me that same day. They called with lab results the same day. They come in on weekends and holidays if needed for your treatment. I did not like the fact that I would have to see random nurses, and did not have one particular nurse in charge of my care. They had a very cookie-cutter approach to treatment plans. It was not tailored to each individual patient. I felt like a number. I never saw the doctor for any appointments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The cost of the semen analysis was around $300.00. The cost of the IUI with sperm wash was $525, not including medication.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I received conflicting information from 2 nurses regarding the need for a possible change to my treatment plan. Specifically which medication I was using for stimulation. One nurse said my endometrial lining was thin, and the other nurse said it was fine.
My biggest complaint about Dr. Young...is the missed infertility diagnosis. We sought a second opinion to make sure the route we were headed was the best given our situation and the second opinion identified the issue. Had we stuck with Dr. Young, we likely would have never had success with any of the protocols we had been assigned. It didn't feel like they truly evaluated our individual case to determine best course of treatment but instead did the standard "Clomid and IUI for three months, followed be Femara and IUI for three months, then re-evaluate if we pursue IVF."
You deal with the nursing staff here [at Mid-Iowa Fertility] way more than you do with the Doctors. I wasn't expecting or prepared for the considering the financial burden this whole process can be...I'm really disappointed in the missed diagnosis for infertility. Should have been identified day 1 (based on my experience at the clinic we received a second opinion from). Their communication is horrible, they can't answer the phones and they didn't send charts to new clinic at my request. Was told my dosage of Clomid was way too much considering I was already ovulating naturally. Very little information provided on the whole process.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Young doesn't have much for a personality, which was fine, just know not to expect that you'll get someone who shows much emotion. My biggest complaint about Dr. Young and the Mid-Iowa clinic is the missed infertility diagnosis. We sought a second opinion to make sure the route we were headed was the best given our situation and the second opinion identified the issue. Had we stuck with Dr. Young, we likely would have never had success with any of the protocols we had been assigned. It didn't feel like they truly evaluated our individual case to determine best course of treatment but instead did the standard "Clomid and IUI for three months, followed be Femara and IUI for three months, then re-evaluate if we pursue IVF."
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Get a second opinion to make sure you're going the best route. They may appear cheaper on the front side, but you may have success quicker at another clinic!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Mid Iowa seems to apply the same protocol to every patient regardless of a patient's true situation. It is also next to impossible to reach anyone at their clinic on the phone. Sometimes I would receive communication back for a week or more, sometimes not at all.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
I was already ovulating naturally, however I was assigned 50 mg Clomid paired with IUI. Both rounds failed, at which point we had decided to stop treatments with Mid Iowa as we were in the middle of seeking our second opinion.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
You deal with the nursing staff here way more than you do with the Doctors. I wasn't expecting or prepared for the considering the financial burden this whole process can be. I was expecting more communication with the Doctor. The nurses were nice in person, just hard to get in touch with by phone.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
It's a business, so be prepared to be pumped through as fast as they can. No individualized treatment until you get further on into the process and have already spent a significant amount of money. Not all tests that should have been performed upfront were done, thus missing the likely cause of infertility. Only upside is it's close to where I work, so that made it convenient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I am on a high deductible health plan that covers everything up to a transfer procedure, medications are excluded though. Amounts below are the insurance allowables I had to pay.
Initial Consulation - $316
Semen Analysis - $202
HSG - $478.20
Clomid - $51.76 per month (not applied to deductible) x 2
IUI - $525 (not covered by insurance) x 2
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I'm really disappointed in the missed diagnosis for infertility. Should have been identified day 1 (based on my experience at the clinic we received a second opinion from). Their communication is horrible, they can't answer the phones and they didn't send charts to new clinic at my request. Was told my dosage of Clomid was way too much considering I was already ovulating naturally. Very little information provided on the whole process.
We didn’t have any face to face interactions [with Dr. Donald Young] except for initial consult and egg retrieval. Following failed HSG revealing blocked tubes and semen analysis revealing extremely low sperm count we were told IVF was our option. When we inquired about difficulty obtaining sperm, we were assured it only takes a few. Come IVF cycle, no one was proactive about obtaining sperm and we got days from egg retrieval without any. Procedures were attempted and failed. We were told morning of egg retrieval we would have to use donor sperm and my eggs would be frozen. Dr. Young seemed unaware what our situation even was that AM and no conversation was going to be had about it until my husband requested we talk to him.
We were told [by staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility] morning of egg retrieval we would have to use donor sperm and my eggs would be frozen...We went straight to IVF following initial consult where lab work, HSG, and semen analysis was completed. I have blocked tubes and my husband has male factor infertility...The nurses were spectacular. Always a smile on their faces and answered and explained any and all questions in person and via email! Nursing called and checked in on me following my egg retrieval.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
We didn’t have any face to face interactions except for initial consult and egg retrieval. Following failed HSG revealing blocked tubes and semen analysis revealing extremely low sperm count we were told IVF was our option. When we inquired about difficulty obtaining sperm, we were assured it only takes a few. Come IVF cycle, no one was proactive about obtaining sperm and we got days from egg retrieval without any. Procedures were attempted and failed. We were told morning of egg retrieval we would have to use donor sperm and my eggs would be frozen. Dr. Young seemed unaware what our situation even was that AM and no conversation was going to be had about it until my husband requested we talk to him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Think things through and ask all questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
We only interacted and communicated with Dr. Young at our consultation, via phone call to discuss test results, and the morning of the egg retrieval. We were unable to obtain sperm to fertilize eggs following retrieval when that had been the plan and he wasn’t going to discuss our options or next steps with us until we inquired and asked about discussing this.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We went straight to IVF following initial consult where lab work, HSG, and semen analysis was completed. I have blocked tubes and my husband has male factor infertility.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nurses were spectacular. Always a smile on their faces and answered and explained any and all questions in person and via email! Nursing called and checked in on me following my egg retrieval.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Overall, the staff is friendly and all are efficient. When we requested records be sent they weren’t and were then sent to the wrong fax- this may have been an isolated incident but still frustrating.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
No medications were covered by my insurance but up to $25,000 in procedures is.
Describe Donald Young's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We have not gotten to that point in our treatment.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Records were not sent to urology clinic when we were told they would be and we would be called by the clinic to schedule an appointment.
Prior to my laparoscopy, Dr Cooper could tell I was nervous. There in the prep room he looked at me and said, it’s all going to be okay! I’ve got you! That meant the world to me. He is also super kind when we express our concerns. He knows our history, our goals, & he is personable in helping us decide what treatments we need to get to that goal....When we first transferred to him, I was so grateful he didn’t make us start over on just hormones like we’d been doing.
Strengths- knowledge- everyone [at Mid-Iowa Fertility] knows about infertility there including nurses, 2 very strong infertility doctors, they have good organization- in setting timelines, scheduling appointments, & they are in a good location for the metro area. Also, I like that this clinic moves quickly- or as quickly as you want it to. They get to the solution as fast as they can. Weaknesses- very busy!
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He was always willing to answer any questions we had. He’s very knowledgeable & quirky but it actually calms the nerves & sadness around infertility when he cracks a joke. He truly wants what is best for you & is truly passionate about infertility & learning all he can.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Ask as many questions as you can! It’s good to take notes, & to take any of the notes home he writes down for you!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Prior to my laparoscopy, Dr Cooper could tell I was nervous. There in the prep room he looked at me and said, it’s all going to be okay! I’ve got you! That meant the world to me. He is also super kind when we express our concerns. He knows our history, our goals, & he is personable in helping us decide what treatments we need to get to that goal.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
When we first transferred to him, I was so grateful he didn’t make us start over on just hormones like we’d been doing. He looked at my history, and said we could start IUIs straightaway or I could get a laparoscopy based on my symptoms all other doctors had seen but overlooked. I chose the laparoscopy. He performed the surgery and I was diagnosed with Stage 3 endo. After that, I got back on hormones (Femara) for a few months to see if I could get pregnant naturally. It didn’t work. So, we started IUIs 3 months post op by my and my husband’s personal choice. He said we could be as aggressive as we felt comfortable since I was healed by then, so we did 4 rounds of IUI with Femara but no trigger shot. I went in for ultrasounds several days prior to check my lining thickness, the size of the follicles, etc. none of the 4 we tried were successful. Our next step is IVF. Currently I’m still on Femara, but will be switching to birth control 1 month prior to IVF start date.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Strengths - most have been through infertility before so their compassion and knowledge is there. Some were very very smooth at the IUI procedure while others made it hurt more! I wish I remembered names!
Weaknesses: they didn’t always respond to phone calls in a super timely manner- but honestly, no real complaints.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Strengths- knowledge- everyone knows about infertility there including nurses, 2 very strong infertility doctors, they have good organization- in setting timelines, scheduling appointments, & they are in a good location for the metro area. Also, I like that this clinic moves quickly- or as quickly as you want it to. They get to the solution as fast as they can.
Weaknesses- very busy!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
IUIs themselves were about $270 but with sperm collection & ultrasound it was about $550 without trigger shots (I don’t think they use them), consults were about $140 with insurance, ultrasounds alone were about $200, & IVF is about $11,000 up front not including the extra stuff- like medications, etc.
Dr Cooper was very optimistic and open about chances of things working for us. He did well at giving positive news and about trying the next step. He does not deliver negative news well and was not as optimistic about things when the eggs from the egg retrieval did not make it successfully to embryos.... Dr Cooper is willing to let you try what you feel comfortable with and has great knowledge in his field. You need to advocate for what you want when you want changes though.
The nursing staff [Mid-Iowa Fertility] was very compassionate and were very knowledgeable. They were able to answer many of my questions. They were very supportive....I only had one issue. I had a blood test that did not get run even after the Dr had ordered it....This clinic is great to work with. Scheduling is pretty easy to get in to see their doctors and to do procedures.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Cooper was very optimistic and open about chances of things working for us. He did well at giving positive news and about trying the next step. He does not deliver negative news well and was not as optimistic about things when the eggs from the egg retrieval did not make it successfully to embryos.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Cooper is willing to let you try what you feel comfortable with and has great knowledge in his field. You need to advocate for what you want when you want changes though.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He was willing to try a variety of different methods. Until recently he was very optimistic about possible outcomes.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
When we stated we just had to do iuis because of sperm morphology issues. We were successful after four times which resulted in our son. Then we tried again a couple years later. I was put on thyroid meds and Femara to help with timing of ovulation. Again we had did 3 rounds of iui, which resulted in a pregnancy. This pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage due to triplody. Then we stated injectable meds with iui, did this 3 times. Not successful. Moved on to ivf. I was on follistem and menopur for 9 days and did ganirelix. Then did a trigger shot before planning egg retrieval. The egg retrieval was painful because my iv did not work so I did not have meds during this time. They retrieved 9 follicles, 6 were mature eggs, and 2 were fertilized. Neither made it to day 5 blasts so transfer was canceled.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nursing staff was very compassionate and were very knowledgeable. They were able to answer many of my questions. They were very supportive.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
This clinic is great to work with. Scheduling is pretty easy to get in to see their doctors and to do procedures. The nurses and lab people ate great to work with. They are extremely supportive during the whole process. The doctors are knowledgeable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
IUI cost just over $500. IVF is estimated around $10000. I have insurance that covers a lot of the costs.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We never made it to the transfer stage.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I only had one issue. I had a blood test that did not get run even after the Dr had ordered it. There were multiple tests that were to be run and one was missed.
Dr. Young made me feel at ease when he could see how nervous my husband and I were. He explained he had successfully treated patients with Addison's Disease (an autoimmune disease I suffer from) and he made the whole process seem relaxed and easy - like it was nothing to stress about....The treatment strategies we established was to use a donor egg (in this case my sister) and then do an embryo transfer. My sister would complete the IVF, then make the embryo's with my husband's sperm
We were greeted warmly by the front office [Mid-Iowa Fertility] and it was a very relaxed environment. The whole staff was very friendly and caring, from nurses to doctors to the receptionist. I felt as if I could truly call at any time and they would be happy to help me. From start to finish, I felt well cared for at the facility. The only thing I wish we could've done on our first appointment was meet with the financial coordinator, Monica, to discuss our insurance
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
As I said earlier, our experience was great. He sat and talked to us for a while about us - he didn't just jump right into the nitty gritty. Then, when we relaxed, he started in on the process. He eased my mind (and my husband's) when he said he had successfully treated patients with Addison's Disease and seemed very knowledgeable about the disease itself, which is rare. He was relaxed which made us relax. He seemed confident, but not arrogant.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
It takes him a minute to warm up. Once we started talking, it was like we were old friends.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Young made me feel at ease when he could see how nervous my husband and I were. He explained he had successfully treated patients with Addison's Disease (an autoimmune disease I suffer from) and he made the whole process seem relaxed and easy - like it was nothing to stress about. He seemed to know so much information and got me so excited to start the process to have a child!
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
The treatment strategies we established was to use a donor egg (in this case my sister) and then do an embryo transfer. My sister would complete the IVF, then make the embryo's with my husband's sperm and then transfer to myself to carry. He also suggested switching from estradiol to regular birth control to help with my hot flashes and uncomfortable sex. He made the entire process seem so relaxed and like he's done it 1,000 times (which I'm sure he has!:) which in turn made us relax. We're going to start the process soon, so I can't comment on results (yet!).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
She sat with us and explained the entire process again, from start to finish. She told us she'd be with us every step of the way and went in to more detail on the actual process. She was very compassionate and empathetic but also very knowledgeable.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We were greeted warmly by the front office and it was a very relaxed environment. The whole staff was very friendly and caring, from nurses to doctors to the receptionist. I felt as if I could truly call at any time and they would be happy to help me. From start to finish, I felt well cared for at the facility. The only thing I wish we could've done on our first appointment was meet with the financial coordinator, Monica, to discuss our insurance and other payment info. However, we were able to communicate via phone and email which was extremely convenient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We had to pay the $35 co-pay. Out of pocket, with insurance, we will pay around $6000-$6500 total, start to finish.
Describe Donald Young's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Dr. Young's approach for me was to do a single embryo transfer, especially with my Addison's Disease. Although I disagree, he was keeping my health in mind. My body can't handle stress and carrying multiples would be extremely hard on my body. My husband and I appreciated his honesty.
He [Dr. Brian Cooper] has been very upfront about everything but he has shown compassion when we had some tough times that we went through. He explained everything in great detail and then let us decide what would be right for us. We have done IUI with pills, IUI with injectables, and most recently an IVF cycle. He has also performed a small surgery on me when an adhesion was found in my uterus following my miscarriage. If he wouldn’t have been through we might not have found that.
They [staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility] always were willing to answer questions that I had. I didn’t feel rushed through any of the processes...It gets very overwhelming because it’s a lot of information and I always left having more questions...We went through one retrieval and retrieved 11 eggs and 4 made it to day 5...The nursing staff has been nothing short of wonderful...They have been great at responding to phone calls and emails when I think of something and I’m not at an appointment.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper has been there for us throughout our entire journey. He has been very upfront about everything but he has shown compassion when we had some tough times that we went through. He explained everything in great detail and then let us decide what would be right for us. We have done IUI with pills, IUI with injectables, and most recently an IVF cycle. He has also performed a small surgery on me when an adhesion was found in my uterus following my miscarriage. If he wouldn’t have been through we might not have found that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Make sure to have all of you questions written out when you go in for a visit/ consultation. It gets very overwhelming because it’s a lot of information and I always left having more questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
They always were willing to answer questions that I had. I didn’t feel rushed through any of the processes.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We spent the first little bit figuring out what worked for me. I ended up being on 12.5 mg of provera because we found that worked for me. After 5 cycles of that it was showing that I wasn’t reacting to it like I first had so we moved on to injectables. We did 2 rounds of injectables using follisitm and then ovidrel for the trigger. The second cycle worked. I got pregnant with multiples, but sadly miscarried at 18 weeks with them. After that we were hoping my body would reset and I would get my period back naturally but it didn’t. My husband and I were reaching our breaking point so we decided to start IVF. We went through one retrieval and retrieved 11 eggs and 4 made it to day 5. We were planning on doing a fresh transfer but my body was not in good shape. I was very bloated and my chest felt tight and hard to breathe. So we decided to wait and do a frozen transfer. We just had that done and are waiting on the results.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nursing staff has been nothing short of wonderful. They are there to always answer your questions. They have been great at responding to phone calls and emails when I think of something and I’m not at an appointment.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I think Mid-Iowa is a great fertility clinic. It’s not to big so you get to know the staff which I think is a great thing because this is such a tough journey to go through. The front desk and financial department has been just as great as the nursing staff and Dr. Cooper. They introduced me to a pharmacy discount program since my insurance doesn’t cover anything. I wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We didn’t have any insurance coverage so we paid out of pocket. IUIs were $500. When I was doing them with provera that was less than $10. When I did the IUI with injectables we had to do some monitoring ultrasounds which I think ran around $300 each. Then the injectables were around $3,500. I was able to get a discount through a program that the clinic gave me information on so that was very helpful and reduced my injectable medication to around $1,500. For IVF with medication I believe it was around $15,000.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
During one IUI we did have a sample that got mixed up with others so we had to cancel that IUI. It was very disappointing at the time but they did their best to make it up to us. I also heard through the grapevine that the person who was in charge of the samples is no longer working for the clinic.
Dr. Cooper is very smart but for the average non-medical professional I found it very hard to follow and understand him and the lingo he used. I often times had to follow up with one of the nurses or the front desk to understand his notes. I think there are a TON of patients at this facility and it was hard for just two doctors to take them all in. We often times left confused and needing more answers.
It's [Mid-Iowa Fertility-Clive] one of two in the entire state of Iowa which means it's super busy. It's hard to get in for that first appointment and then it's a lot of waiting. They are very busy and the waiting room is always full. I think Iowa could use more infertility clinics. It was very clean though and the exam rooms were nice and heated tools and stirrups.... The nursing staff for the most part was fantastic. I would say that although you're assigned a nurse coordinator, you see all the staff throughout your experience. I would have preferred to see the same nurse each time and communicate with just one nurse the whole time.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper is very smart but for the average non-medical professional I found it very hard to follow and understand him and the lingo he used. I often times had to follow up with one of the nurses or the front desk to understand his notes. I think there are a TON of patients at this facility and it was hard for just two doctors to take them all in. We often times left confused and needing more answers.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I would ask a lot of questions and follow up questions. If you don't understand, don't leave until you do. This may require you following up with another staff member.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I felt that MidIowa Fertility was a good choice and at first we felt good with our choice. However, later through the process we felt like we were just a number and communication was lacking at points.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
I started with IUI's using famara. After those failed I moved onto IVF (full dose goal f (225IU) + menopur (225 IU) My first cycle was canceled the day after I took my two shots of cetrotide. I ovulated early and my cycle was canceled. The clinic did give me some donated medications to start the next round, which was appreciated since I didn't have insurance and was paying out of pocket. The clinic said it could have been a fluke or an allergic reaction that caused me to ovulate early. Next round everything was the same but this time I did micro-lupron the whole time and avoided cetrotide. This resulted in 6 eggs being retrieved and although 5/6 fertilized only 2 made it to day 5. We put in both and no go. Second full IVF round we did same meds for gonal f and menopur but did regular lupron. This resulted in 5 eggs and 4/5 fertilized and 2 made it to day 5. We put in both and it didn't work. We were then told our odds were not good to do another round and are seeking a second opinon.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Karen)
The nursing staff for the most part was fantastic. I would say that although you're assigned a nurse coordinator, you see all the staff throughout your experience. I would have preferred to see the same nurse each time and communicate with just one nurse the whole time.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
It's one of two in the entire state of Iowa which means it's super busy. It's hard to get in for that first appointment and then it's a lot of waiting. They are very busy and the waiting room is always full. I think Iowa could use more infertility clinics. It was very clean though and the exam rooms were nice and heated tools and stirrups.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
These are scheduled and you're given a calendar. You don't have a say on when these appointments are and have to hope your employer understands. Most of the daily monitoring were around the same time each day.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I spent around $35,000 on three IUI's and two IVF's. I think IUI's were around $600-700 each. IVF's were $11,000 plus medication which for us ran around $5,000 plus we were billed for additional testing as needed. Only things covered were consultations and some blood tests.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I know the clinic won't do more than two but were open to doing two for higher odds when you didn't test the embryos.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I was prescribed a medication for a new round of IVF after having an allergic reaction to this drug. When the pharmacy called me to fill the injectables I informed them but it kept popping up on my chart. I think it was more the pharmacy but the clinic did initially call in a medication I wasn't taking.
Dr.Cooper is sometimes a little distant and speaks above patients, but his intentions are good. He means well and wants to see you have a successful pregnancy. He's even gone above and beyond to make things work for us financially.... We've undergone 6 IUIs, nothing out of the normal. 2 IVF cycles. We used regular injections and retrieval procedures. The first round we did 2 fresh transfers at day 5, then attempted a frozen transfer but none survived the thaw. Most recently, none of our embryos made it to day 5 in treatment #2.
They've worked very hard for us at this clinic [Mid-Iowa Fertility] and have offered some financial discounts. They also sent flowers after a natural pregnancy and miscarriage.... Sheila is always going the extra mile for me and my husband. She's so compassionate and caring. She truly is fighting for us.... Strengths: compassionate and caring professionals who are invested and know your name Weaknesses: the phone & answering service are horrible! You almost always have to leave a message and wait for a call back
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr.Cooper is sometimes a little distant and speaks above patients, but his intentions are good. He means well and wants to see you have a successful pregnancy. He's even gone above and beyond to make things work for us financially.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Be patient and understanding that some things are out of his control. He's fighting for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
They've worked very hard for us at this clinic and have offered some financial discounts. They also sent flowers after a natural pregnancy and miscarriage.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We've undergone 6 IUIs, nothing out of the normal. 2 IVF cycles. We used regular injections and retrieval procedures. The first round we did 2 fresh transfers at day 5, then attempted a frozen transfer but none survived the thaw. Most recently, none of our embryos made it to day 5 in treatment #2.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila Rees)
Sheila is always going the extra mile for me and my husband. She's so compassionate and caring. She truly is fighting for us.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Strengths: compassionate and caring professionals who are invested and know your name
Weaknesses: the phone & answering service are horrible! You almost always have to leave a message and wait for a call back
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
All IUI cycles were primarily covered under insurance. The first IVF cycle was primarily covered under insurance, but out of pocket cost in the $15,000-19,000 range. The second IVF treatment he offered us a one time discount I'd rather not disclose. He offered this to us as my insurance had recently dropped fertility coverage.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
He was open to us trying to 2 embryos, but did advise not doing any more than that.
Dr Brian Cooper was always super friendly like he was our best friend and had known him our whole lives. He also always acted like he was super excited to see us like we were long lost friends he hadn’t seen in years. He always made us feel special like a human instead of a number or payday.... The only time that I can say we had any issue with Dr Cooper is my wife had asked multiple times if there was anything else that could be causing the infertility and was always told no.
Mid-Iowa fertility all around is a very good well organized clinic. You never have very long wait times for anything you might be there for the nurses are always ready to get you back and get any process started and over with quickly. Dr Cooper is outstanding and always a friendly smile and handshake when you see him. The only weakness I would say Mid-Iowa fertility has is their billing department. They seem to always be very unorganized and not sure what you had done or what you still owe.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Cooper was always super friendly and made us feel like a human and not a number. He always made my wife and I feel comfortable like we could talk to him about anything going on good or bad and he would have a answer for us. We switched from a dr that we really didn’t like to Dr Cooper years ago and it was a night and day difference on the way he made us feel. The only time that I can say we had any issue with Dr Cooper is my wife had asked multiple times if there was anything else that could be causing the infertility and was always told no. After we decided to move forward with IVF he then said there was some polyps that had to be surgically removed from my wife’s uterus that could cause infertility and cause the IVF to not work. Other than that one issue Dr Cooper has been absolutely fantastic. I would recommend him to anyone having the unfortunate problem of infertility that my wife and I have dealt with for so many years now. Dr Cooper is an excellent fertility dr in my opinion and has a great bedside manner.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
To definitely go see Dr Cooper and be open with everything you have going on wether it be good or bad. Listen to what he has to say. He will not make you feel bad no matter what your situation is.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Brian Cooper was always super friendly like he was our best friend and had known him our whole lives. He also always acted like he was super excited to see us like we were long lost friends he hadn’t seen in years. He always made us feel special like a human instead of a number or payday.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Dr Cooper had us do 8 inseminations with the rational of if you follow up with intercourse there is a good chance of a pregnancy. All 8 Times they produced negative pregnancy tests.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Every nurse we dealt with was friendly and helpful. There was never a very long wait time for anything my wife and I were having done. The only complaint would have to be the billing department which isn’t really part of the nursing team but billing seems to be very unorganized.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Mid-Iowa fertility all around is a very good well organized clinic. You never have very long wait times for anything you might be there for the nurses are always ready to get you back and get any process started and over with quickly. Dr Cooper is outstanding and always a friendly smile and handshake when you see him. The only weakness I would say Mid-Iowa fertility has is their billing department. They seem to always be very unorganized and not sure what you had done or what you still owe. I would recommend this clinic as an all around great clinic just be sure to keep track of your billing the best you can on your own.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The costs under Dr Cooper were pretty on par with other infertility treatment center that we checked into and in some cases a little cheaper.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
There has been a couple times that we have had to call many times and leave voicemails to receive results from testing. Having to call once wouldn’t be a big deal but multiple times is kind of a pain. They have also told us conflicting information with there is nothing else causing infertility until we were ready to move forward with IVF then there was polyps that could cause infertility and the IVF to not work.
The egg retrieval [with Dr. Brian Cooper] went well, we got 15 eggs and 8 fertilized. By day 5, we only had 1 embryo which we transferred...Dr. Cooper is always so kind and gentle. He is extremely knowledgeable. He will give you all the facts, and still gives you the chance to advocate for yourself and guide your treatments. He always remains familiar with my history unlike some doctors that always have to ask questions about what we’ve done in the past.
Our IVF cycle [at Mid-Iowa Fertility] cost $10,900 up front. We also spend around $3,500 for our medications that cycle...I feel that overall the clinic is great at calling you back, setting up appointments, and answering questions. Whitney with billing has been extremely helpful to me. They are also understanding that we drive a far distance and will try to do as much as they can over the phone. Dr. Cooper has personally called me several times and spent time discussing plans with me. We love this clinic!
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He is always upbeat, and even made me feel positive no matter how I went into the clinic feeling. He truly makes you feel like he will do everything he can to help you expand your family. We met with Dr. Cooper after having a not so great consult with our first fertility doctor. After meeting Dr. Cooper for the first time, my husband and I both felt a huge sense of relief! He has always made us feel so comfortable, so much that we drive over 3 hours to his clinc when we could go to closer ones.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Just sit and talk to Dr. Cooper one time! He is so easy to talk to, and you will leave feeling that he will do everything he can to get you to your goal!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper is always so kind and gentle. He is extremely knowledgeable. He will give you all the facts, and still gives you the chance to advocate for yourself and guide your treatments. He always remains familiar with my history unlike some doctors that always have to ask questions about what we’ve done in the past.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Our first time with Dr Cooper was in 2013. We had been trying for 2.5 years and another fertility doctor tried to send us straight to IVF. Dr Cooper gave us different options. We started with 3 IUI’s with femara because we had no known fertility issues (after testing on both my husband and I). When those 3 IUI’s failed, he suggested a laparoscopic surgery to check for endometriosis, sure enough I had it. He removed the endometriosis and felt confident that I would become pregnant, and I did the following cycle.
Now we have been on this journey for 2 years again for our second child. Unfortunately, we removed endometriosis again, but we have not been able to get pregnant again. We tried 5 IUI’s with femara, then moved on to IVF. I responded well to the injections and my estrogen levels were fine. The egg retrieval went well, we got 15 eggs and 8 fertilized. By day 5, we only had 1 embryo which we transferred. This week we confirmed that the transfer failed. We will be following up with Dr Cooper to discuss what may have happened and what are options are for the future. Hopefully we will finally find the real reason for our infertility through this failed IVF
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Senta)
Senta was helpful in doing the class for our IVF cycle, and was quick to respond to emails and phone calls. I was a little sad that I didn’t always have the same nurse doing my ultrasounds. The nurse I had for my retrieval was wonderful, sadly I can’t remember her name because the whole day was a blur! They are all so caring !
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I feel that overall the clinic is great at calling you back, setting up appointments, and answering questions. Whitney with billing has been extremely helpful to me. They are also understanding that we drive a far distance and will try to do as much as they can over the phone. Dr. Cooper has personally called me several times and spent time discussing plans with me. We love this clinic!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
When I received my calendar, all of my monitoring appointments were scheduled for me ahead of time. However I needed to change some times for my own convenience and they were always able to accommodate me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I believe the IUI’s were around $500. Our IVF cycle cost $10,900 up front. We also spend around $3,500 for our medications that cycle. We do not have any insurance coverage for fertility treatments. My laparoscopic surgeries were covered by insurance, and labs can typically be billed to insurance.
Dr. Young is very knowledgeable and to the point. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat what’s happening and gives you options while providing information to make an informed decision...To get pregnant with our first we did 3 cycles of IUI on clomid, followed by 3 on Femara. We were using donor sperm with no known fertility for me. After 6 attempts we did laparoscopic surgery and Dr Young diagnosed endometriosis at that time.
The nursing staff at Mid Iowa is incredible. I have never had a bad experience. They are all very patient and understanding and have always answered my questions... Mid Iowa is a very organized clinic. They respect your privacy and have a policy against bringing young children to the clinic. I’ve been so grateful for that as it was hard to see kids while going through treatments.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Young is very knowledgeable and to the point. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat what’s happening and gives you options while providing information to make an informed decision. I trust him as a doctor and am so grateful for his help in conceiving our first child.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Think of any questions you have before you go and write them down. The information can feel overwhelming and so it’s good to have an idea of what you want to get out of the appointment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I didn’t feel like he was trying trying to get my money. We started simple and worked through options to determine the best course for me.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
To get pregnant with our first we did 3 cycles of IUI on clomid, followed by 3 on Femara. We were using donor sperm with no known fertility for me. After 6 attempts we did laparoscopic surgery and Dr Young diagnosed endometriosis at that time. With my next cycle we tried clomid again and I got pregnant and had our first child. For baby number too we have done 7 IUI’s with clomid of varying doses. After 5 failed attempts we ran bloodwork again and I was diagnosed hypothyroid and started medication. We are now waiting to start IVF.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
The nursing staff at Mid Iowa is incredible. I have never had a bad experience. They are all very patient and understanding and have always answered my questions.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Mid Iowa is a very organized clinic. They respect your privacy and have a policy against bringing young children to the clinic. I’ve been so grateful for that as it was hard to see kids while going through treatments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
IUI’s were around $500 plus the cost of donor sperm. I can’t remember the cost for ultrasounds and consultations but around $100-$200 each. We haven’t started IVF yet so I don’t have those costs.
Dr young is a good doctor but needs to work on individual care plans for each patient based on their diagnosis. My last frozen transfer failed and prior to my next transfer I asked for a trail transfer. It was found that I had an endometrial polyp that wasn’t caught previously. It should have been caught if they did a trial transfer prior to each transfer.... We started with three Iui’s while on clomid. All tests were negative. Our first ivf cycle in 2013 wa successful and we had our twins.
The billing staff [Mid-Iowa Fertility] is hard to get ahold of. Whitney is great but Monica doesn’t return phone calls. Remember to speak up for yourself and do your own research. You have to be your own advocate since there are not individualized care plans.... The nursing staff is great to work with. They all have great communication and never act like you are bothering them with any questions.... Iui’s were around 300 dollars a time. Our first round of ivf was around 8,000 for the procedures and 5,000 for meds. Each frozen transfer is around 3,500 and meds around 1,200. This last round of ivf was closer to 10,000 and meds were 5,000. The genetic testing was around 5,000.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I feel that the nurses are very helpful and caring at this clinic. Dr young is a good doctor but needs to work on individual care plans for each patient based on their diagnosis. My last frozen transfer failed and prior to my next transfer I asked for a trail transfer. It was found that I had an endometrial polyp that wasn’t caught previously. It should have been caught if they did a trial transfer prior to each transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Make sure you speak up for yourself and say what you are wanting for you own care. Be knowledgeable and do your research.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr young does not do individual care plans. He just treats you as a number.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We started with three Iui’s while on clomid. All tests were negative. Our first ivf cycle in 2013 wa successful and we had our twins. Starting in 2017 we did a frozen transfer and got a positive hcg level. Our ultrasound revealed a blighted ovum and I ended with a D&c. In January 2018 we did a fresh transfer and got another positive hcg level. That ultrasound showed a blighted ovum as well and resulted in a D&c. After that dr young did blood tests for recurrent loss and suggested we send the remaining five embryos off for genetic testing. Al blood work came back normal but 3 of the five embryos came back with chromosome issues. In August 2018 we transferred one embryo and it ended in a negative test. We only have one embryo and they left to have another baby. I asked for a trial transfer and they said it wasn’t necessary but would do it. During the trial transfer I was found to have an endometrial Polyp. I had surgery to have it removed at the beginning of this month. Our next transfer is set for October 25th, 2018.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nursing staff is great to work with. They all have great communication and never act like you are bothering them with any questions.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The billing staff is hard to get ahold of. Whitney is great but Monica doesn’t return phone calls. Remember to speak up for yourself and do your own research. You have to be your own advocate since there are not individualized care plans.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Iui’s were around 300 dollars a time. Our first round of ivf was around 8,000 for the procedures and 5,000 for meds. Each frozen transfer is around 3,500 and meds around 1,200. This last round of ivf was closer to 10,000 and meds were 5,000. The genetic testing was around 5,000.
Describe Donald Young's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Dr young prefers to only transfer one embryo at a time
Dr. Cooper spoke too quickly and answered questions in a scientific and round-about way. This often left us wondering what he meant even asking follow up questions. He was not empathic when we experienced our miscarriage and did not offer any changes in our treatment for a successful pregnancy even after month after month of the exact same treatment...I hardly ever saw Dr. Cooper and had to make an appointment a month out to speak with him. Once I actually met with him at that appointment, he was not empathic....
This clinic [Mid-Iowa Fertility] definitely treats patients as numbers. It feels like they are okay with continuing the same treatment and taking your money without even remotely looking at your file...The nursing staff seemed compassionate but they weren't able to provide answers without speaking to Dr. Cooper. This was frustrating for me, who felt like I could never communicate with him....
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper spoke too quickly and answered questions in a scientific and round-about way. This often left us wondering what he meant even asking follow up questions. He was not empathic when we experienced our miscarriage and did not offer any changes in our treatment for a successful pregnancy even after month after month of the exact same treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
A nurse once told me treatment plans depend on how aggressive the patient wants to be. So I suppose any patient under Dr. Cooper would need to be very knowledgeable in what needs to be done and take lead in their own treatment plans.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I hardly ever saw Dr. Cooper and had to make an appointment a month out to speak with him. Once I actually met with him at that appointment, he was not empathic. I called once on the weekend and Dr. Cooper answered what sounded like a cell phone and he answered clearly annoyed.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
I was prescribed medication to induce egg growth and came in to monitor this growth to "catch" ovulation so we could perform an IUI. We did the exact same treatment plan until I became pregnant which ended in an early miscarriage. We were put back on the same treatment plan. Ovarian cysts prevented me from another IUI for two months where I was to wait until they decreased in size and then we did our last IUI with Mid Iowa.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nursing staff seemed compassionate but they weren't able to provide answers without speaking to Dr. Cooper. This was frustrating for me, who felt like I could never communicate with him.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
This clinic definitely treats patients as numbers. It feels like they are okay with continuing the same treatment and taking your money without even remotely looking at your file. The very definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Our insurance covered a large portion of our treatment.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The other doctor at the time, Dr. Young, told me to treat my early miscarriage as a new menstrual cycle and begin taking my medication. This did not feel right to me and when I called back and spoke with a nurse, she told me this was incorrect.
Dr. Cooper was incredibly compassionate. We suffered a miscarriage about a year and half into trying to conceive. This information was passed along from my Gyn to Dr. Cooper and as such he really handled both my husband and I with so much care. He has a wonderful bedside manner and is willing to do anything and everything to help create the family you desire, while maintaining realistic views. I never felt like a number to him. He truly cared about me and I felt it.
The minute we walked in the doors we were shown compassion. ... They have signs posted about not bringing babies or young children into the office as it could negatively impact another patient ... Everyone at the clinic is open, honest and caring. ... The wait times to get into the clinic to initially be seen and the wait times while you're at the clinic are long. But, an average wait time for a first consultation can be anywhere from 6-8 weeks.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
From the get-go Dr. Cooper was extremely open and honest. i always knew what we could expect going into any test or treatment. He explains everything in full detail. The only constructive criticism I would have is that he talks very fast. He is obviously very smart and this shows, but when you're hearing life-altering information for the first time, he may go through it rather quickly. But, we got used to his style quickly and I learned to always ask any and all questions or ask that he repeat something he said. He would answer everything to the absolute best of his ability and never showed any impatient behaviors during conversations. He shows so much compassion for the people he treats, you honestly walk away feeling like family. I felt that I was in great hands with someone who knew what they were doing but was always willing to adjust when necessary. Through each test or treatment, I never felt overwhelmed and I always felt like I was being heard. We would take it one treatment at a time and then convene to discuss next steps.
During the initial testing process, it was determined that I had about 22 resting follicles. At 31, I was very happy with this number as was Dr. Cooper. After going to three unsuccessful IUI's (all of which I had at least 2-4 mature follicles), we moved onto IVF. Both Dr. Cooper and I (including my husband), felt like we had a really great chance to retrieve a high number of eggs that would result in at least a handful of embryos. All the testing we underwent showed that both my husband and I were very healthy and there was no scientific reason as to why we weren't able to get pregnant after four years of trying. All in all, this was great news as our insurance doesn't cover fertility treatments, so all fertility treatments were out of pocket and we felt like we were going to have great results with IVF.
During the IVF process, Dr. Cooper was great. Before egg retrieval it was determined that I had 12 mature follicles with a few smaller ones that might also be candidates for retrieval. I remember sitting in the recovery room after the retrieval anxiously awaiting the good news. I thought for sure we would get at least 12 eggs. Unfortunately, Dr. Cooper had to deliver the news that we only got 5. He wasn't expecting the low number just as much as were weren't expecting the low number. But, he was so kind to me. It was obviously a blow. We had just spent thousands of dollars hoping to create our family with one retrieval. I never expected that, that wouldn't be the case. We suspect that I may have low ovarian reserve. Although my body created a large number of follicles, the majority of my follicles either contained cysts or were empty. Resulting in the 5 eggs. I was devastated. Dr. Cooper remained hopeful though and really gave me the hope that I needed to get through the next five days.
On day 5 we had our transfer. From those 5 eggs, only one great embryo was created. This embryo decided to stick and now we have our beautiful daughter. Although we will have to go through the entire IVF process all over again, which may result in the same number of eggs or less, I wouldn't want to be under anyone else's care except for Dr. Cooper. We was just so incredibly warm and kind throughout all of our treatments, failures and ultimate success.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Be prepared to take notes, write really fast and always stop to ask him questions or have him repeat himself. He does not find this annoying at all and always welcomes an honest and open discussion. It's scary walking into a fertility clinic for the first time, but you'll walk away feeling heard, understood and taken care of.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper was incredibly compassionate. We suffered a miscarriage about a year and half into trying to conceive. This information was passed along from my Gyn to Dr. Cooper and as such he really handled both my husband and I with so much care. He has a wonderful bedside manner and is willing to do anything and everything to help create the family you desire, while maintaining realistic views. I never felt like a number to him. He truly cared about me and I felt it.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
IUI:
Femara days 5-9 with ultrasounds to watch for approaching ovulation starting on day 14.
IVF:
Birth control: 14 days
Flagyl (500mg): Twice per day for 7 days
Augmentin (875mg): Twice per day for 7 days
Baby aspirin (81mg): Daily with the start of birth control to my 6 week ultrasound
Menopur (75IU): Once per day in the evening for 8 days
Follistim (150IU): Once per day in the morning for 8 days
Dexamethasone (1mg): daily for 8 days
GnRH-antagonist: Ganirelix for 2 days
Recombinant hCG: Ovidrel x2 for trigger
The rationale behind the protocol and the amounts I was prescribed were used because as far as we could find there was no reasonable explanation as to why I couldn't get pregnant and stay pregnant. Dr. Cooper wanted to use a soft method as he thought I would respond well. He was right. I responded very well to the treatment, we just didn't know that my follicles weren't actually producing anything. When we go back for round two, there will be discussion about what we can do differently this time around to ensure that we retrieve more eggs that could potentially go to become good quality embryos.
During IVF round one, we had the following results:
Follicles to retrieve: at least 12 (we were hoping that the smaller ones would catch up by retrieval day)
Eggs collected: 5
Eggs mature: 4 (ICSI was used on all four eggs)
Eggs fertilized: 2
Embryos created: 1 day 5 embryo was created
We went ahead with a fresh transfer with no PGS testing. This transfer resulted in a successful pregnancy and live birth of our daughter at 40 weeks + 3 days.
Although we were initially disappointed with our retrieval results, we were obviously thrilled with the ultimate end result of a successful pregnancy and our little girl. We don't have any other embryos frozen, so another round of IVF will be taking place in the near future to hopefully expand our family.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila Rees)
The entire nursing staff, including our care coordinator were simply the best of the best. Every single person that I interacted with showed true compassion and understanding at every stage of the fertility journey. I honestly cannot say enough about the entire staff (including the front desk, billing coordinator, lab staff, etc.) Literally, every single person that we talked to or helped us in any way was truly wonderful. Everyone is hoping for the same end result, a successful and healthy pregnancy. No judgment or negative feelings along the way. It made one of the hardest times in our lives a little easier. They really took care of us.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
All in all the clinic is wonderful. I was very nervous going in as we only have two fertility clinics available to us in the state of Iowa. This sounds crazy, but it is true. The clinic we chose was geographically closest to us (an hour and twenty minute drive), the other clinic was about two and a half hours away. Being that there is little to no competition for Mid-Iowa Fertility, I was afraid that we would just be another number and that we needed them more than they needed us. But, it was the exact opposite. The minute we walked in the doors we were shown compassion. (I keep using the word compassion, but it is the only word to best describe Dr. Cooper, his staff and the clinic as a whole). They have signs posted about not bringing babies or young children into the office as it could negatively impact another patient, and I thought it was so thoughtful. Everyone at the clinic is open, honest and caring. The only weakness I saw was one that couldn't really be helped. The wait times to get into the clinic to initially be seen and the wait times while you're at the clinic are long. I would simply tell others that you need to plan ahead and be prepared to wait, which can be the hardest part of the journey. But, an average wait time for a first consultation can be anywhere from 6-8 weeks. And there were many times that I would need to plan to be at the clinic for a couple of hours at the minimum. But, again, I expected this so it didn't bother me. The strengths of the clinic far outweigh this one slightly negative thing. I think it also says a lot about the quality of the clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Pre-testing: Any testing that was done before treatment could begin, including IUI and IVF cost roughly ~$1500
IUI: ~$1000 per IUI. I don't respond to OPK's, so I needed ultrasounds to determine when an IUI should be performed. This increased the cost to us as we had to pay out of pocket for each ultrasound. An IUI without ultrasound cost ~$500 per IUI.
IVF: ~$14,500 (including medications)
IVF pre-testing: ~$2000
IVF (baseline, stims monitoring, egg retrieval, embryo transfer): ~11000
IVF meds: ~$1500
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We only had one embryo available for transfer, but we did discuss the possibility of transferring one or two embryos during our initial IVF consultation. Dr. Cooper recommends transferring only one embryo at a time, but would follow our lead. If we wanted to transfer two embryos, then he would leave that decision up to us. We really felt like we had a say in all of this and he understands both sides of the argument.
He [Dr. Donald Young] is a very nice guy but sometimes I feel as if he goes through this all the time and doesn't show empathy. I feel as his nurses and the lab techs do more than he does to comfort. He is very too the point and basically is kind of short but always takes the time to explain things...I should have had an ultrasound with my 2nd pregnancy. It was an eptopic and tube erupted. I am high risk for eptopic. They said I didn't need ultrasound for two weeks. I have had a 3rd pregnancy eptopic again this time they made sure to do an ultrasound.
Sheila [nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility] also is a great nurse she sent a card to me after one of the losses and she is there every time trying to calm you if you receive sad news...I should have had an ultrasound with my 2nd pregnancy. It was an eptopic and tube erupted. I am high risk for eptopic. They said I didn't need ultrasound for two weeks. I have had a 3rd pregnancy eptopic again this time they made sure to do an ultrasound...I paid for one of the laproscopy, two dye tests, $10 each time blood drawn to watch hcg levels drop from both eptopic, bills from 2 emergency rooms, ambulance, meds. This was a few thousand dollars.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He is a very nice guy but sometimes I feel as if he goes through this all the time and doesn't show empathy. I feel as his nurses and the lab techs do more than he does to comfort. He is very too the point and basically is kind of short but always takes the time to explain things.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Don't take it personally if he is kind of dry I think he is that way with everyone.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I should have had an ultrasound with my 2nd pregnancy. It was an eptopic and tube erupted. I am high risk for eptopic. They said I didn't need ultrasound for two weeks. I have had a 3rd pregnancy eptopic again this time they made sure to do an ultrasound.
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
When I first saw Doctor Young he had me do a test where they shoot dye in your tubes. My results came back that I had a tub blocked on one end. But he thought it was close enough to one end that putting me on clomid would help. Tried clomid 2 months as I could not handle the side effect. I had every side effect. So I had an opportunity to have surgery, laproscopy. Had laproscopy and there was some scar tissue around left tube and I thought he said that it was so far gone that he had to do something to make that tube not work. Also found out I have 3 ovaries. After the surgery he put me on femera and went through 3 cycles. 3rd cycle was pregnant which ended in miscarriage which I had d&c. Waited a boutique a month started fermera again and took 2 cycles and pregnant again. Did not have early ultrasound and tube erupted had emergency surgery another laproscopy. Stopped trying for near a year and wanted to try acupuncture and had to have dye test again to see if right tube was good which it was. He wanted me to do clomid again but I wanted to try acupuncture. So gave acupuncture a try and 1 month and pregnant but eptopic again. Did early ultrasound. Now waiting for my hcg to go to zero. Then going to talk about in vitro.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The lab techs are excellent. One had me noticing that I was not taking care of myself. She said how important it is to take care of myself. The rest of them are good but the lab tech she is the best one they have there she always tries to lift you up and she cares alot, I think her name is Jennifer. Sheila also is a great nurse she sent a card to me after one of the losses and she is there every time trying to calm you if you receive sad news.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Don't expect that it is going to happen that you will get pregnant and it being ok. And try not to get mad at the staff if something does happen. But I have almost given up hope because my heart has been ripped out 3 times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I paid for one of the laproscopy, two dye tests, $10 each time blood drawn to watch hcg levels drop from both eptopic, bills from 2 emergency rooms, ambulance, meds. This was a few thousand dollars.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
With the 2nd pregnancy when I asked if I had to be in sooner for a ultrasound sound the front desk staff said no 2 weeks. When really I should have been in that same week.
Dr. Cooper talked to us like he was an old friend. He knew who we were without looking at charts. He always listened to what we had to say and would take our input into consideration with every treatment option we went through. He doesn't treat you like every other patient, he tailors each treatment to each individual that comes into his office. ..He even stopped while I was praying before surgery and bowed his head for me to finish. That is respect!
Many of the people [at Mid-Iowa Fertility] there seemed knowledgeable and willing to help. Very friendly staff. One issue I had was there were a couple times you could hear what was being said in the lab, as it was right off the waiting room...[Nurses] They got back to me promptly, except for once (message got lost?), on all questions....He [Dr. Cooper] doesn't treat you like every other patient, he tailors each treatment to each individual that comes into his office.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He talks to you like a friend. He jokes around sometimes, but tells you like it is. We always feel he is on our side cheering us on. I have had many issues and setbacks in my journey so far, and he has taken each issue as it arose and found the best line of treatment for us each time. He even stopped while I was praying before surgery and bowed his head for me to finish. That is respect!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Be open and honest about everything. Don't hide an issue, because he wants to find a way to fix you. Listen to his advice and give him your thoughts as well.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper talked to us like he was an old friend. He knew who we were without looking at charts. He always listened to what we had to say and would take our input into consideration with every treatment option we went through. He doesn't treat you like every other patient, he tailors each treatment to each individual that comes into his office. We chose him because of many good referrals from friends and family we knew of.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Prenatal Vitamins- for prepping body; HSG- found blocked tubes; Provera- made me very anemic first time, had to go on birth control for 2 weeks to stop bleeding, because I almost passed out at work; Metformin 1500mg- for PCOS and weight issues; Vitamin D 2000ui- for deficiency; Hystereoscopy/Laproscopic surgery- found septummed uterus, one tube blocked by polyps, other tube was kinked and attached to uterus from scar tissue (fixed all); Provera (2nd time)- to start period; Femara (letrozole) 7.5 mg- day 3-7 of each cycle for 4 months, resulted in very heavy day 2 and 3; Sonohystegram- to check on the tubes and see what the heavy cycle days were doing; Femara (letrozole) 10 mg- just finished 2nd month
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Lisa)
They got back to me promptly, except for once (message got lost?), on all questions.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Many of the people there seemed knowledgeable and willing to help. Very friendly staff.
One issue I had was there were a couple times you could hear what was being said in the lab, as it was right off the waiting room. Which makes me think that the whole waiting room probably heard me humming Jesus Loves Me as I got poked on my first visit.
He [Dr. Cooper] got to know my husband and I. He would joke around with us and also sense when I was upset and was very caring. ... He was current on research. ... When we had miscarriages he was sensitive to that. ... We went straight to ivf due to severe male factor infertility. We did a fresh transfer of one embryo. I had severe ohss and needed a pigtail catheter for two weeks. ... He was helpful when going through options. He would leave decisions up to me and my husband after going over all options.
They [Mid-Iowa Fertility] are usually booked up and busy so call ahead of time. The early times are reserved for people going through ivf which helped with my schedule at work. Everyone is friendly from the front desk to people who draw blood to embryologists to nurses and doctors. ... The nurses were very caring. They would calm my nerves and let me come in for an early ultrasound or extra beta to calm my nerves.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper was awesome! He was patient when I had a million questions. He was positive and encouraging. He was thorough and explained everything. When we had miscarriages he was sensitive to that. He was helpful when going through options. He would leave decisions up to me and my husband after going over all options. He was current on research.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He will do everything he can to help you create a family. Stay open minded.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He got to know my husband and I. He would joke around with us and also sense when I was upset and was very caring.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We went straight to ivf due to severe male factor infertility. We did a fresh transfer of one embryo. I had severe ohss and needed a pigtail catheter for two weeks. I lost the baby at 10.5 weeks after seeing and hearing heartbeat twice. I then did a frozen transfer of 2 embryos which resulted in a positive beta thT didn’t rise properly. We still had one frozen embryo but decided to do another retrieval with pgs testing. We only had two embryos to send so decided to do another retrieval to get more embryos. We ended up sending four to test and three were normal. We transferred one who is now our daughter. We did a frozen transfer next and miscarried again at 10 weeks. We did another RPL panel and found I had antiphospholipid. We did another retrieval that resulted in one embryo and decided to fresh transfer. That resulted in our son. I was in blood thinners entire pregnancy. We still have two frozen embryos - one tested and one not.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The nurses were very caring. They would calm my nerves and let me come in for an early ultrasound or extra beta to calm my nerves. They understood my fear of miscarriage and ohss. They were quick to return phone calls and emails.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I loved this clinic. They brought me my two babies! They are usually booked up and busy so call ahead of time. The early times are reserved for people going through ivf which helped with my schedule at work. Everyone is friendly from the front desk to people who draw blood to embryologists to nurses and doctors.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
He [Dr. Donald Young] was very straightforward and honest. At times he seemed compassionate...He's understandably very busy, which means I didn't see or speak to him much during our actual treatments...I was thankful when he did have the time to communicate with me personally...When I first met with Dr. Young, he explained to me that my condition is very rare and what he thought would be the best course of treatment. After initial testing and what seems like a long process to even begin the actual protocol, we began double injections daily with labwork and ultrasounds every other day.
I recently received a follow-up email [from Mid-Iowa Fertility] to see where we are with starting our next treatment plan, which I was thankful for them to check back with me to see if we're still interested and if we have any questions!...There were times the clinic was understandably busy. Sometimes I felt a little rushed when speaking to the nurses and there were more days than not that I didn't see or speak to the doctor.
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Young is very professional. He's understandably very busy, which means I didn't see or speak to him much during our actual treatments. He was great at answering all of our questions at our consultation and I felt comfortable. I was thankful when he did have the time to communicate with me personally. He was very straightforward and honest. At times he seemed compassionate. When our current treatment plan was again unsuccessful, he discussed what our options were and suggested what he would recommend next.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
The whole fertility process can be very daunting and emotional, so try not to get too discouraged if it seems that you're not receiving as much communication from the doctor personally as you may have hoped for. Don't be afraid to ask questions. He is professional.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
There were times the clinic was understandably busy. Sometimes I felt a little rushed when speaking to the nurses and there were more days than not that I didn't see or speak to the doctor. I really appreciated when Dr. Young was able to communicate with me personally and I felt he was very hopeful for a better/positive outcome to my treatments and he's encouraging us to move on to the next process. And I recently received a follow-up email to see where we are with starting our next treatment plan, which I was thankful for them to check back with me to see if we're still interested and if we have any questions!
Describe the protocols Donald Young used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
When I first met with Dr. Young, he explained to me that my condition is very rare and what he thought would be the best course of treatment. After initial testing and what seems like a long process to even begin the actual protocol, we began double injections daily with labwork and ultrasounds every other day. After the first few days, he tripled our injections. I had 4 follicles each time and they just wouldn't reach the size needed to be viable before my hormone levels dropped and I'd have to stop. The second time we began, he started with the triple daily injections as well as testosterone priming the month before starting injections. The 3rd attempt, he had me try a hormone patch prior to injections. The 4th attempt, I took birth control pills prior to see if my body would react as hoped for. We began with triple dose of injections again. My follicles just wouldn't grow big enough to continue. We tried different medications throughout, including menopur, Chlomid. His recommendation for our next course of treatment is IVF with egg donation.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: I spoke with Sheila many times )
The nurses were good at returning phone calls as soon as they could, which sometimes seemed to take a while. I felt a bit rushed anytime they'd call, but I understand they're busy. Appointments went very quickly. They would answer my questions as best as they could.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The clinic is very nice. Be prepared to speak to different people for all the different aspects (one person for insurance, one for financial, etc) The receptionists were good at helping with scheduling and compensating for my 2 hour drive. They want you to have as much information from your insurance provider as possible prior to your appointments. We had no coverage, so we were required to pay for everything upfront. While the treatment process, the steps to start, and the waiting to begin can seem to take forever, the flow of the clinic is actually very fast. I never waited long while in the clinic or in my actual appointments. Once you figure out who you need to speak to for which department, it's better. This is the only clinic I have received treatment at, but I would recommend it.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I believe consultations and direct appointments with Dr. Young cost about $250. For our treatment protocol, ultrasounds and lab work cost approximately $2,700 and medications cost approximately $3,000. Ultrasounds approximately $250. Our next course of treatment is IVF with egg donation with a cost of approximately $23,000-$28,000
He took the time to explain everything that was happening and why it was happening. He asked all of our questions and never made us feel dumb for asking them or like we were wasting his time. He always tried to make light of the situation or make us feel like there was still hope. He was very compassionate when we had a miscarriage and didn't make me feel crazy when I mentioned I had been feeling anxiety and depression afterward. He always made me laugh during the embryo transfers...
It is hard to get in to see him because there are only 2 places in the state and it is very busy [at Mid-Iowa Fertility]. The front desk people also leave something to be desired. We had a disagreement with the finance lady at the front desk and had to get the dr. involved. They have a no child policy in the clinic which is nice right after you've had a miscarriage and you can't even look at a child without crying. It is very clean and a little bit homey.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He took the time to explain everything that was happening and why it was happening. He asked all of our questions and never made us feel dumb for asking them or like we were wasting his time. He always tried to make light of the situation or make us feel like there was still hope. He was very compassionate when we had a miscarriage and didn't make me feel crazy when I mentioned I had been feeling anxiety and depression afterward. He always made me laugh during the embryo transfers.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I would say be patient, he is a good doctor and he is hard to get into but he is worth the wait.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He took the time to answer questions and explain everything in a way we could understand. He always came in while I was in the office if I asked for him. When I said I felt like I was going through some anxiety and depression after a miscarriage and several treatments, he didn't make me feel crazy. He told me about support groups and explained to me that this was extremely common. He's funny and lightens up every situation if he can.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
When we first went to see Dr. Cooper, we had been trying for about 2 years. My previous OB had done a few tests including the BRACA gene, but nothing much beyond that. He immediately had me doing several labs, testing my husbands sperm and had me go in for an HSG. We found several things wrong with my right tube from my appendix bursting 5 years previous. He immediately scheduled a laparoscopy for the next month. He suggested we try on our own for a few months after that and see if we corrected the problem and we did get pregnant, but it ended in a tragic miscarriage. He suggested IUI so we did 3 rounds of that and it didn't work. We moved right into IVF right after. There are several appointments they have you do leading up to IVF. Blood work, STD screening, a class that teaches you how to give yourself the shots and what to expect, and lots of ultrasounds. remember the doses of anything but they give you a nice calendar with everything laid out when you need to stop and start medications and when your appointments will be. I cannot We only had to do 1 egg retrieval but 2 transfers. The first transfer was not successful and the second one ended in a beautiful baby girl.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Sheila)
When you start IVF they have specific staff assigned just for IVF patients. You are given emails and phone numbers to reach them at anytime. They are pretty quick to respond and compassionate. They learn your story and follow along with you. Most of them have gone through infertility themselves. The lab nurse cried with me on the day of my beta results, I looked forward to getting my blood drawn because I got to see her. Also, the lab dr. Kepler was really amazing
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
It is hard to get in to see him because there are only 2 places in the state and it is very busy. The front desk people also leave something to be desired. We had a disagreement with the finance lady at the front desk and had to get the dr. involved. They have a no child policy in the clinic which is nice right after you've had a miscarriage and you can't even look at a child without crying. It is very clean and a little bit homey.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I believe gentic testing was $2500 and a transfer was $3000. I can't remember many costs because we had a lifetime maximum policy on our insurance. My husband switched jobs in between but we used his first policy that was $25,000 and have used half of his $15,000. Genetic testing and embryo storage is not included. Embryo storage is $600/year.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
The dr. prefers single transfers. He says there are more complications with 2 ie going early harder on the mom etc. If you are over 35 I think it is they will do 2 unless you ask for 1.
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
When I got pregnant and graduated to a regular OB they didn't transfer my records the first time I requested. It was not that big of a deal, I just had to call to ask again.
My interactions with him [Dr. Young] were extremely limited in general. I wanted him to know my husband and me more as people (this is a big deal, after all!) and there were a lot of things he didn't ask or bother to find out. I guess it makes sense that interactions are superficial. There is so much heartbreak in fertility treatment it makes sense for Drs. to maintain distance from their patients. It just is hard to take as a patient...
[Mid-Iowa Fertility] Strengths: Punctual and organized, clean, easy to work with. It was not difficult to make our initial consultation appointment and, once the necessary diagnostics were done, we moved through our IVF cycle quickly. Nurses are friendly and approachable. Weaknesses: I question how individually-tailored the protocols are for each patient, but I can't conclude this for sure because I have only been through one cycle here so far. Biggest issue is apparent lack of interest in patients as individuals and lack of emotional support...
How was your experience with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Pros: He was polite, professional, and made himself available for questions (I just didn't feel that comfortable asking them because I felt annoying/stupid).
Cons: Didn't get to know us well. Treatment felt very cookie-cutter.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Be an advocate for yourself and ask the questions that you need answered. Don't expect an overly compassionate or warm interaction at any time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I didn't get the impression that Dr. Young ever knew me or cared about me. He politely delivered the information in a no-nonsense way and didn't ever elaborate. My interactions with him were extremely limited in general. I wanted him to know my husband and me more as people (this is a big deal, after all!) and there were a lot of things he didn't ask or bother to find out.
I guess it makes sense that interactions are superficial. There is so much heartbreak in fertility treatment it makes sense for Drs. to maintain distance from their patients. It just is hard to take as a patient.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Mid-Iowa Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Katie)
The nurses are the faces of this clinic. They do most of the day-to-day patient interaction, routine diagnostics, and communication. I ended up not having as much interaction with my assigned nurse but everyone I worked with was nice enough, prompt, and professional.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Strengths: Punctual and organized, clean, easy to work with. It was not difficult to make our initial consultation appointment and, once the necessary diagnostics were done, we moved through our IVF cycle quickly. Nurses are friendly and approachable.
Weaknesses: I question how individually-tailored the protocols are for each patient, but I can't conclude this for sure because I have only been through one cycle here so far. Biggest issue is apparent lack of interest in patients as individuals and lack of emotional support.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Donald Young at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Egg retrieval with PGS testing and a single frozen transfer cost approximately $15,000, excluding initial diagnostics and mediations.