Anne Brawner Namnoum

I've been under Dr. Namnoum's care for 3 years, since before Georgia Reproductive Services became Shady Grove. When it was GRS, I saw Dr. Namnoum significantly more than I do now. She did all of my ultrasounds herself, so I had a lot of opportunities to get to know her. Each time, I would go in with dozens of questions and worries, and she always took the time to listen to them. She never made me feel crazy or irrational, even though fertility treatments can make your head do ridiculous things. Dr. Namnoum is the 3rd RE that I saw, and what really sets her apart from the others is that she does not lead with her ego. When I told her that, based on my ovulation pain, I thought we were timing my IUIs too early, she listened to me. She believed the observations that I made about my body and adjusted my treatment based on that. She allowed me to put more time between the trigger and the procedure, which resulted in a pregnancy. I had mentioned my ovulation pain to a previous doctor, whose response was "there's no way you could feel that." She let her ego lead and would not take my observations seriously. Dr. Namnoum was also an enormous comfort to us after our miscarriage (from a pregnancy achieved with a previous doctor). I was overly worried about every tiny step, and thought for sure she would tell me that I just needed to relax (which is the worst thing to say to someone in this situation, by the way), but she never did. She listened, and she comforted me in a way that was not overly emotional (I had enough of that to go around) but steady and fact-based. She was so compassionate, and even allowed me to have an extra ultrasound just to make sure everything was on track. She asked me at 8 weeks if I was ready to "graduate" from SGF, and I said no! First of all, my prior loss had been at 11 weeks, so I was still a worried mess, and secondly, I really never wanted to leave her care. I asked if I could just stay with her until the end, and she joked that she hadn't delivered a baby since med school, and it probably wasn't the best idea. That pregnancy resulted in our 2 year old, and now we are pregnant again, with hopefully our 2nd baby, thanks to Dr. Namnoum. I don't see her as much this time around, but I know that she knows me and my story well, and I know that if there is ever a concern about something and I really need her eyes or ears, she will make herself available. Most reviews I've read about Dr. Namnoum are very good, but I've read one or two that say she is cold, to which I will say this: she is very mild mannered and doesn't talk a lot, but that is because she is LISTENING, which is a quality I wish every doctor had. When answering questions, she is brief and direct, but also sensitive. I sometimes felt rushed, but that was pressure I put on myself for feeling like I had too many questions. Dr. Namnoum never rushed me, even if I asked her the same question 5 different ways just to make sure. At this point, we have no idea whether our current pregnancy will make it to term, but we are so grateful to have found our way to Dr. Namnoum, and would recommend her without hesitation.

Go in with your information and questions organized. Her consults are 30 minutes, but she will use every last second of them reviewing your documents and answering questions, so make good use of your time. If you're ever in doubt about your treatment or have questions along the way, the nurses are great, but if you want to hear directly from Dr. Namnoum, just ask the nurse for that. She will make the time.

IUI #1 - natural cycle (transferred from other doctor too late for meds) - negative IUI #2 - medicated according to my request (letrozole, trigger, one FSH injection for "boost") - positive, now a healthy 2 year old. IVF #1 - we started with IVF when trying for our second because we were low on donor sperm. No OCP protocol: menopur & Gonal-F, HCG trigger. I did not respond well - lead follicles jumped ahead and others wouldn't catch up, only 3 eggs were retrieved, 2 fertilized, both disintegrated by the next day IVF#2 converted to IUI#3 - luteal lupron to try to get follicles to grow more evenly, more aggressive Menopur & Gonal-F, lead follicles jumped ahead again and cycles was looking essentially the same, so we backed off on stims and converted to IUI. HCG trigger, but I felt IUI was too early. Negative. IUI#4 - small doses of Menopur & Gonal-F (because I had them leftover). Shooting for 3-4 follicles because IVF revealed a likely egg quality problem (I am 39, so no surprise). Achieved 3, possibly 4 mature follicles. I requested 40 hours from trigger to procedure based on ovulation pain. Dr. Namnoum was kind enough to perform an ultrasound at the time of the IUI just so that I could see what was happening, and confirmed that timing was spot-on. Positive, hopefully will result in baby #2.

We switched insurance between our two IVF cycles. Because we use frozen sperm, SGF requires us to use ICSI, but our insurance wouldn't cover it. With our first insurance, it was $1800, with our second, it was $3400. I fought it and appealed, and Dr. Namnoum very generously did a "peer to peer" phone call to tell them why it was required. The rest of the cycles (not including ICSI) were right around $5000 out of pocket, plus meds (which were between $1,000 and $3,000).

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Everything was totally fine. They told us the hours they were able to accept delivery, we informed our clinic when we arranged for shipping, and all went fine. They always have me look at the vial to verify our donor number before the procedure, and they check the counts and motility. They always thaw the sperm slightly earlier than I'm comfortable with (around 2 hours prior to the procedure), but I've gotten pregnant twice, so it must be fine.

We went to three different fertility clinics over a period of seven years to get our miracle. One doctor told us that I am one of the 5% of women who cannot conceive for whatever reason, nobody knows why. He told us to forget about adopting because they don’t want older people to adopt. After the heartbreak and tears because we thought we were done, we found Shady Grove Fertility and more importantly, we found Dr. Namnoum. After reviewing our massive file and meeting with us, we asked her if there was any hope. She said I see no reason that you cannot have a success pregnancy. Then she went to work for us. We selected Shady Grove Fertility because it was the only local clinic that offered a guarantee (shared risk) program. That was the best decision we could have made. Dr. Namnoum was very kind, compassionate and supportive. She is the most hands-on and thorough doctor we encountered. She personally attended almost every ultrasound (and there were countless) and personally called us with test results. She was very encouraging when we encountered mid-cycle delays. It took us 3 IVF attempts with donor eggs before Dr. Namnoum helped us realize our dreams of parenthood. I am now 19 weeks pregnant. When we graduated to our OB, it was obvious she was genuinely happy for us. You are not just a statistic with her. She legitimately cares about her patients and she gets results. If you are battling infertility and want the best care – look no further. Thank you Dr. Namnoum!

She is the best. You are lucky to have her as your doctor.

we did shared risk - guarantee program - $30,500 for live birth or money back.

Dr. Namnoum is kind and has good "bed side manner". She was not as thorough as she could have been in my PCOS diagnosis. She seems a little distant and I would prefer a doctor with more warmth. IVF seems to be the default treatment for most fertility clinics and GRS (Shady Grove) is no different. Maybe the truth is that the doctors don't really know how to fix PCOS.

You have be be your own advocate and also educate yourself. Much of the responsibility is on the patient to be well read on their condition and treatment. It is very difficult to get ahold of the doctor. There is no patient portal or email. The office rarely picks up the phone and you must leave a voicemail. Be prepared for some bad games of phone tag.

With my diagnosis of PCOS, she suggested taking Letrozole, a trigger shot, IUI, then progesterone suppositories. It did not result in pregnancy. I immediate started another IUI cycle until they found a polyp and we cancelled the IUI and just did a medicated cycle instead.

Billing was very confusing. I was told that a surgery to remove a polyp was one and amount and got a much bigger bill. IUI cost around $450 and the meds add another $350 to that.

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She is really knowledgeable of clinical information but not as personal as other clinicians or nursing staff. I think it would have been a better experience if I was able to lose weight in her time frame. I also think she would have been more comfortable if there was an explanation for my infertility; because right now we do not have a diagnosed reason. Dr. Namnoum has a great support staff around that interacts with her patients in a great way. I am always amazed that they remember me and acknowledge where we are in our treatment or journey. I continue to go to Dr. Namnoum because of her clinical knowledge and her supportive staff. I also think it is important to recognize that they often listen to the patient. I never wanted to do an IUI to conceive and Dr. Namnoum works hard to prevent us from having to utilize that option on a regular basis. She also encourages a second opinion at all times which I like. She is not a cocky know it all doctor. She literally will conduct research in your presence to determine the best course of action for you. I also like that I feel like I am included in my care and my voice really matters.

I would say go in with an open mind and provide your input throughout the entire journey.

I was on Letrozole and clomid to produce more eggs and improve my ovulation to increase fertilization. I also had 1 IUI because of the greater chances of conceiving with the procedure.

Dr. Namnoum was compassionate and knowledgeable. However, she does not have strong recommendations for courses of treatment. She provided education and allowed me to make the call about what to do next. I would have prefered more direction from our doctor.

Bring all questions to your appointments. It is difficult to get in touch with her otherwise.

All of my and my husband's tests came back normal, so we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I started seeing Dr. Namnoum after doing 3 cycles of clomid under my primary OB/Gyn practice. We did 2 more cycles with letrozole with Dr. Namnoum. Under my own motivation, I started acupuncture and did the Whole30 diet. Dr. Namnoum was supportive of these lifestyle changes and my desire to see what happened during an unmedicated cycle. This cycle resulted in a pregnancy. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage at 9 weeks. When we were ready to start treatment again, she suggested a medicated IUI. I took Letrozole and a trigger shot prior to the procedure. This cycle resulted in a negative pregnancy test.

I have infertility coverage through my insurance, so most of these visits were covered.

Dr. Namnoum is very knowledgeable and follows the typical protocol when one is labeled as infertile. She has a very sweet bedside manner, as well as, takes time to explain each procedure/process. Dr. Namnoum is very gentle and has a soft spoken voice.

Do your homework.

I did 2 IUI's with Dr. Namnoum so far. She prescribed femara for both rounds taken during days 3-7 of your cycle with a trigger shot of gonadotropin after an ultrasound on day 10 to assess if there are viable follicles to perform the IUI. If ultrasound looks good then trigger shot taken on day 13. IUI performed on day 14.

Most of our cost were copays, medication cost, and paying for the cost of the testing. Many of the genetic screening test cost us over $1,000 each. The most a medication cost us was $250.

Dr Namnoum and Shady Grove Fertility have helped make my husband and my dream of a family a reality. For a little while, I never thought I would be saying those words… but Dr Namnoum truly believed in our ability to have a baby, and she stayed hopeful when we had given up all hope. You never feel like a patient when with Dr Namnoum; she never rushes your meetings, is always on time, and answers all of your questions and concerns.

Be completely honest. Do not hold back. Ask her any crazy question or concern that comes to your mind.

First round of IVF with a fresh embryo transfer, Dr Namnoum encouraged us to get the embryo's PGS tested but we decided against it. The first transfer failed and we had 3 embryos left. Since my insurance only pays for 3 cycles/transfers, Dr Namnoum recommended doing another IVF cycle, getting them tested, and doing a FET. We went through with it and finally are pregnant!

Dr Namnoum is a not a chatty doctor, but she is kind and listens and made me feel like an individual, not a practice statistic. She immediately did tests that the previous doctor didn't even consider and the resut was pregnancy in our first round of IVF.

Dr Namnoum is a kind person and a talented doctor, but she is not chatty so don't expect long conversations.

Dr Namnoum put us on an antagonist protocol. I started with birth control pills and then a combination of Follistim and Cetrotide with an HCG trigger shot and then Progesterone injections once the transfer was done until 11 weeks pregnant. Results were exactly what we wanted - a successful pregnancy!

We transferred 1 embryo as there was no indication that multiple embryo transfer was necessary.

She was very compassionate and personable. She took her time with us at every appointment and made us feel valued and heard. Dr. Namnoum never rushed us through any of our appointments. She was very gentle during exams and testing. She always made sure we felt comfortable with our treatment plan.

Listen carefully and make sure you ask all of your questions. She will answer anything.

We had consultations and some diagnostic testing. We did not have treatment.

Dr. Namnoum is thorough and detailed. She is easy to talk to and explains procedures/options well. I feel like she really cares and I am not just another number There are times when I feel a bit rushed when seeing her but I have learned not to let her leave the room until I have all my questions/concerns answered.

Do not be afraid to ask questions.

IUI (Letrozole, Ovidrel) IUI (Letrozole, Gonal F, Ovidrel)

$40 copay for each visit.

She is amazing! Endometriosis is not understood in modern medicine. So to find a doctor who understands is hard to find. She individualize my treatment plan based upon my needs and my diagnosis. I never felt that she or the clinic was just in for the money. From the beginning she allowed me to have an active voice. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is an amazing doctor

My only advice is if are hesitating to pick a clinic....don’t. She is amazing

Follistim, menopur,and ganirelix. I don’t recall the exact doses but it was increased one time during treatment. The menopur really burns and turned my skin red. I also experienced hot flashes and bloated belly

15K for the procedures. 4K on meds

Dr. Namnoum is very Knowledgeable and quite Kind. I felt that Dr. Namnoum can be A little too frank though. I left each visit a little deflated. I understood the reality of my age but delivery is important. Dr. Namnoum is great though and she knew her stuff. However, I felt that my age was an automatic deterrent and I was pigeon holed.

You will get a very knowledgeable physician

Clomid. It was challenging as my spouse was out of the country. Blocked tubes- did not really understand that whole process and did not get a clear answer on that.

We discussed it and she was certainly receptive

The Dr is okay, I feel left out on my fertility plan. Emotionally not there for me as much as I would like. Always hard to contact and always have to wait away before I can get a call back. It has been really inconvenient for us in the past.

Be patient with the whole process.

I don't recall

I don't remember

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She was very encouraging to my wife and I. She seemed to know what she was talking about and always had an answer to any of our questions. She helped us try to eliminate what the problems were and how to solve them.

Ask questions.

My wife took medication for 5 days. Then went in for an ultrasound to check follicles. A trigger shot was given the day before the IUI was done.

What cost the most were the genetic screenings and medication.

I truly appreciate the excellent IVF work performed by Dr. Anne Namnoum and her staff at GRS. I received professionalism, compassion and top of the line care.

She will look out for your best interest, so that your body is optimal to receive the transfer.

Before IVF began, Dr. Namnoum removed polyps from my service, which was something I truly needed. Genetic testing revealed that I was have a little girl, even before the FET. My Original date for FET got pushed back because a follicle was growing, despite the Lupron. Dr. Namnoun wisely updated my protocol, so that my FET was at the right time.

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Dr. Namnoum was the best doctor choice we could have made. She spoiled us and made us feel like family during treatment. We miss going to her office and seeing everyone there. We are proud to say we are currently 19 weeks pregnant with our bundle of joy. We are also very thankful to Dr. Namnoum for making our dream a reality!

It felt like a very rushed consultation. It was hard to get my questions asked.The general tone felt pretty dismissive of my desire . It was as if the doctor had made a foregone conclusion before we ever spoke at the consultation. This conclusion was probably based on the relatively simple paperwork that I had filled out prior to the consultation. It was a very disappointing experience. I know it probably wasn’t her intention yet I felt a little stigmatized in a way that is hard to describe.

Please be careful and know that you can get a second opinion.

I just remember that the cost of the initial consultation seemed reasonable.

She spent an hour with us on our first visit, and listened to our stories with patience and compassion. She asks good questions, she's direct and clear. She could always answer our questions. I really appreciated her warmth paired with her excellent knowledge of reproductive endocrinology.

She was amazing. Hands down the best. When we lost our first pregnancy due a miscarriage she was so kind hearted. Every time a treatment failed she was so positive that we would still get there. Sure enough she was right. We were blessed with identical twin girls. We named one of our twin girls middle names after her.!

She will treat you as a person and not just a patient. She will always listen and care for you and your journey. She will do everything in her power to help your dreams come true.

Can’t remember exactly. But they gave a protocol calendar for meds and that was helpful!

$6,000

She was for only putting one embryo in in hopes for one healthy pregnancy.

She rode the entire roller coaster with us. I felt tucked in knowing that whatever we encountered, we could have a trusted advisor who had our best interests and our dreams at heart. Dr. Namnoum is personable, kind, thoughtful, and very dedicated. She changed my life more than any other person ever.

Tell her all that you're dealing with - she's a great listener and is truly interested in your unique journey

Over the 6-year journey, we did 4 egg retrievals then 4 transfers. She made careful adjustments as the research changed and as my body changed.

Grateful for insurance!

She made the best choices for us and our situation