April Batcheller

Dr. Batcheller saved my life. I was referred to Dr. Batcheller by a colleague. I originally started seeing her to freeze my eggs. I was 34 and newly single and wanted to give myself the option of biological children in the future. She explained the entire process very thoroughly and answered every single one of my questions. She was very optimistic and always had an upbeat and positive attitude. After my egg retrieval, she told me she suspected I had endometriosis. Apparently, my anatomy made it very difficult for her to reach my ovaries. Now, I know I was there to preserve my fertility, but little did she know, I had suffered with deliberately painful periods for the past 20 years! I sought help from countless doctors and tried every single type of birth control available to try to control my symptoms. Every test was normal. Every symptom was brushed off or explained away. I was sent to multiple specialists and was always told "it's normal". After awhile, I simply stopped complaining about my symptoms because no one seemed to care and I didn't want to be viewed as the "crazy" or drug-seeking patient. After Dr. Batcheller referred me to an endometriosis specialist, I wad able to have expert excision surgery and was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis. My uterus was adhered to my colon and my bladder. My ovaries were completely encased in scar tissue. Which explains why I never got pregnant when I tried with my partner years previous! After my excision surgery, my period pain improved by about 95%! I was basically bedridden during my periods before I met Dr. Batcheller. It was absolutely horrendous and I would often miss work and activities with friends and family because of it. Because of Dr. Batcheller, I have my life back. My periods are so much easier now. I don't have to plan things around my period because I know I won't be able to do anything but lay in bed. I am almost completely pain free 2 years out from surgery. I will never have the words to express how grateful I am to work with Dr. Batcheller! After all of that, my first IUI, with donor sperm, at age 38, was successful! I was pregnant on the first try after having tried to get pregnant for over a year before that. Unfortunately, that ended in a miscarriage but I am still working with Dr. Batcheller and will be doing IUI #2 I'm a few weeks. Even if I never end up with a baby or not, she saved my life.

Schedule! She is amazing. You will not regret it.

For my egg retrieval to preserve fertility, I was on Menopur, Gonal-F, prednisone, ganirelix, and did an hcg and lupron trigger. I don't remember the dosages. I primed with estrogen. Retrieval was done 36 hrs after trigger. I got 16 eggs, 10 were mature and frozen. For my IUI, I took clomid x 5 days and triggered with hcg. IUI was done 36 hrs after trigger. I was also on vaginal estrogen 2 mg twice daily and progesterone suppositories 200 mg twice daily. This resulted in a positive pregnant. First four betas were 35, 68, 181, and 1032. Unfortunately, there was no heartbeat seen at my 6 or 7 week ultrasound.

Unfortunately, my insurance covered $0 for my egg retrieval. I paid approximately $15,000 between labs, ultrasounds, office visits, procedure, and medications. My IUI was covered under my insurance amd cost me $35 out of pocket. I purchased two vials of donor sperm at approximately $850 per vial.

Dr. Batcheller has a record of success, and we are hopeful this round will be successful. She is always friendly and appears knowledgeable. Our last RE indicated, after one failed round of IVF, that our chances of a successful round of IVF would be low. April reviewed our records from that round and made significant adjustments to our protocol.

Be persistent. We had to persist to convince Dr. Batcheller to test us for infertility issues. She recommended we try for a year, though after persisting, testing showed severe male factor infertility that requires IVF.

We are coming to April's clinic with a history of one failed round of IVF. She's recommended a number of changes, and we're happy with her ability to adjust course from our last failed round. Priming: Estrogen and progesterone Stimming: Menopur, steroid, human growth hormone; cetrotide; lupron and novarel We'll be doing a frozen transfer after all embryos are genetically tested.

We haven't completed the process yet. We are 100% out-of-pocket for clinic services.

April recommends one embryo transfers due to my age and the high risk of multiples.

The patient has to be comfortable dealing mostly with staff at this clinic. For me that wasn't a problem, and Dr. Batcheller was clearly monitoring my progress behind the scenes, as she is clearly very busy. I felt my care was well handled and had a very good cycle to begin with seeing as I have low ovarian reserve. The protocol seemed very fitting for a first round based on my situation, and I will only be requesting small adjustments for round two.

If you want a very personalized plan this is the place to go, but you should be prepared to have somewhat limited interactions with the doctor herself.

I did a high dosage protocol for my low ovarian reserve. I was on both Clomid and Dexamethasone, alongside 300 units Follistim, two vials of Menopur, and about halfway through I started one prefilled syringe of Ganirelix. I triggered with both HCG and Lupron. Toward the end of my cycle my estrogen was very high, so there was some concern for overstimming. They had me trigger according to our original plan, even though I was hoping to let a few more follicles catch up. They focused on my body and safety when I didn't, which I think is very important. They put me on Cabergoline to help this as well. I am currently one day past retrieval and have had no weight gain, no trouble urinating, and otherwise no signs of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Being below age 35 and having been on such high doses of hormones this was definitely a concern, and I'm glad that my doctor took this into account.

Initial Consultation: $200 One Day Workup (Hormone Testing, Hysteroscopy, Sperm Analysis, Disease Testing, Other Blood Tests): ~$2,100 in house, ~$2,000 to Quest Diagnostics (disease testing) Round One (Monitoring, Surgery): ~9,400 Anesthesia: $475 (Check Only)

Because I am doing PGS testing and am under age 30 I believe that when we get to the transfer I will only be allowed to do one. The risk of multiples is too high, and the success rate should be around 70%. For me this is a non-issue as I would like to avoid multiples if possible, as the risk to myself and the babies increases significantly in this case.

Dr. Bacheller is incredibly knowledgeable. I have no doubt that we are in the care of one of the best fertility specialists. She is very straightforward, and does not waiver on her diagnosis, which is very appreciated when we have been searching for answers for 3 years. She does however know when she needs to adjust her plan, and does a good job of explaining the best she can why changes need to be made, the benefits and the risks. When we first met Dr. Bacheller, we were both a little hesitant--her visits felt rushed, and we felt we were at times driving the appointment, when we didn't know what we should or shouldn't be asking. However, I think Dr. Bacheller's specialty is IVF and this is where she excels in her field. We have felt her support and care during our first egg retrieval, which was more complicated than we were expecting and did not yield the results we were hoping for. She took extra time to meet with us, and explain what she thinks went well and what went wrong. While we are still on our journey, I do feel like we are in the best care with Dr. Bacheller.

Come to your appointment with good questions. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself or ask a "dumb" question. The appointments will go fast because she is busy--and there were times where we felt like we could have talked to her for hours to pick her brain. Again, being that she is so knowledgeable, you want to use the time you have with her to get all your questions answered, so do your research ahead of time, and come prepared with good, concrete questions for her.

For our IUI's, we used Letrozole. In previous IUI's through our other Doctor we used Clomid. Dr. Bacheller felt with my PCO diagnosis, Letrozole may be more effective. For our egg retrieval, we stimmed for 8 days--Menopur, Follistim and dexamethasone with used. We decreased Follistim towards the end of stimulation and started Ganirelix for the last 3 days. Lupron was used to trigger. I produced 38 eggs, 16 mature, 8 fertilized, 1 embryo. (prior to CCS testing, still waiting for results).

IUI costs--$3200 per medicated cycle IVF-meds and retrieval--$20,000 (give or take) not including embryo transfer

We have not undergone an embryo transfer yet.

She is a very nice person, caring and seems to connect with you as a patient. You only really see Dr. B when you do your initial consult, and for specific procedures the rest of the time your communication is with your nurse. This felt a bit off-putting but again, we know she is busy. If I asked questions to my nurse she would get back to you with details from Dr. B. I felt like Dr. B is the best provider in the office, but with that she is very busy and very sought after. What i learned was to have questions ready and rapid fire ask when I saw her. She seemed distracted during re-groups and they felt rushed. Throughout the process i didn't always feel confident in her ability to help our family grow. She is smart, personable, and made eye-contact.

Be prepared. If you have questions be ready with them, don't be afraid to push back, you really have to be your own advocate throughout the process. Double-Check everything because Dr. B rarely takes the time to get down to the nitty gritty details.

I feel like they used and re-used the same calendars based on initial screenings. I did not feel like my FET was personal or personalized to me, they would adjust things based on labs, but nothing seemed like it was just for me... After completing an ERA my FET was adjusted slightly but again it was a calendar for "pre-receptive" ERA results, nothing geared toward me or my specifics.

I was adamant about transferring 2 embryos. This resulted in a positive pregnancy test.

I went to see Dr. Batcheller right after I was diagnosed with cancer. She and everyone at the clinic, got me in urgently, helped me understand my options, moved quickly and treated me with compassion. I tried to get two retrievals in, but my cancer grew too quickly so I had to cancel the second one. Dr. Batcheller gives all of the pertinent information and allows the patient to make the decisions that are best for them. I could not recommend her and her clinic more highly. While she was on maternity leave, I also saw Dr. Salem at the same clinic, and he was amazing too! I highly highly recommend this clinic and these doctors!

Choose Dr. Batcheller and CCRM for your fertility needs.

It cost about $15,000 for the egg retrieval, fertilization process, and genetic testing. That also included all appointments, ultrasounds, blood draws, and the actual retrieval procedure. That did not include medication.

I was sufficiently educated about about the number of embryos that should be transferred. Since I have a limited number, transferring them one at a time will give me a better chance of success.

Dr. Batcheller has slowly gotten much busier over the last 3 years. It is definitely more challenging now to get in touch with her directly than it was back in 2016. She still performs all of her own procedures but often the diagnostic testing is now done by nurses or the other physician on staff. I also often wonder why the nursing staff has as much control over patient calendars. The nursing staff says that they review all calendars with Dr. Batcheller on a weekly basis but if that is true I question some of the decisions that have been made on some of my calendars and would expect Dr. Batcheller to know based on previous cycles what works and what does not work for me.

Be very clear what type of communication you expect from her so that she can meet your expectations or so that you know what you can expect from her.

1 IVF cycle with 4 successful embryos and a fresh transfer leading to a successful birth (September 2016) 1 frozen transfer cycle with a negative pregnancy test (January 2019) 1 frozen transfer cycle canceled due to illness (September 2019) 1 frozen transfer cycle pending (October 2019) All frozen transfers included lupron with two weeks of estrogen

Frozen transfer cost approximately $5,000 plus medications, IVF cycle with fresh transfer cost $12,000 plus medications

No concerns, we wanted to transfer only one embryo

Dr. Batcheller always made us feel like we were making progress, even when things didn’t go our way. She was always up on the latest research and was very forthcoming with us when things she recommended were experimental vs. proven. She is compassionate, yet still candid, which I appreciate.

Be your own advocate and ask for tests you want right away vs. waiting until you have a failed transfer.

I don’t have the details.

$14k for Stim/Retrieval (~$10k for meds) $4k for Transfer ($5k for meds)

She had a strong recommendation for a SET given our “unexplained” diagnosis and the risks that come along with a multiple pregnancy.

Dr. Batcheller, when I saw her which was not often, was kind and patient. She fully explained the procedure and risks and answered all of my questions. My interactions with her have always been pleasant.

More time with each patient and more availability for patients. I was not able to talk to Dr. Batcheller directly at all over the phone and when I asked for an email address to send her an email, I was given a non-functioning email address. When I tried, via the portal, to obtain a working email, I received no response.

$3500 for transfer plus the cost of medications

Dr. Batcheller prefers a single embryo transfer for good candidates due to the likelihood of twins.

Dr. Batcheller was always pleasant when I met with her. She explained step by step what was going to happen when she was doing procedures or if we needed to change treatment course (which happened multiple times). I do wish I would have had more face time with her vs. the nurses but if I ever needed to get a hold of her for questions - she was available. I loved her and will continue to go back to her for all my fertility treatments!

Ask lots of questions and tell her how you would like to communicate. I preferred a more direct approach and she respected that.

Egg Retrieval: Normal protocol using Gonal-F, Menopur, Cetrotride. We STIM'd for 10 days and retrieved 24 eggs on the 11th day. Embryo Transfer: We attempted 3 times for a transfer but due to having a thin lining we had to cancel 2 times (was successful on the 3rd). After the first transfer attempted was cancelled, I was worried and unsure about the future and if we would be able to transfer. She calmed my worries and looked at my medicine and changed course accordingly, always trying to find the right mix of medication. I was so discouraged when we cancelled but she was always positive and assured me that sometimes when bodies have a hard time getting a thicker lining they just have to change the medicine protocol. I have been on Estrogren (oral and patches), Vaginal Viagra, Progesterone, Baby Aspirin, Endometrin, etc.

Medicine (Egg Retrieval + 3 Transfers attempts + 1 successful Transfer) = $15,000+ Care: Unsure - at least $7,500. My insurance coveres a specific amount (which has now been used up). Our costs will be different when we do this another time.

I trusted Dr. Batcheller's approach to transferring just the 1 embryo.We only had 2 good embryo's and we did discuss transferring both but she wanted to make sure that we had the best chances for success - which meant transferring only the 1, which was successful.

As a patient I feel like Dr. Batcheller did really took the time and effort to review my history and go over our treatment plan. Dr. Batcheller also very details in her explanations. Love her energetic approach and how knowledgeable she is.

Don't loose HOPE until you see Dr. Batcheller.

Too early. We just finished our consultation, done labs and ultrasound. Still need a hysteroscopy and regroup before we can start IVF treatments

Consultation $205 Labs $1083 Ultrasound $397 Hysteroscopy $970 Regroup $224 IVF Pack $15104 Anesthesia $475 Annual Storage $408 PICSI $408 FET package $4208

No comments. Didn't get that far yet.

The doctor is great. She's kind, understanding, and works with you on a plan. Her availability isn't great, but that's the only downside, she's very very busy, and it takes 3 weeks to get seen even if you're already a patient.

Start early!

My IUIs were simple, honestly. 100mg of Clomid for 5 days, testing on day 10, after which it was decided how to proceed. Low dose of Ovidrel trigger, IUI 36 hours later. Still going through IVF, though, so can't say, but she put me on an antagonist protocol bc of suspected PCOS.

I had insurance, so they were modest, but I did not like the mandatory "donor therapy" that couldn't use any insurances, snd cost me $800 out of freaking pocket. All so the therapist could scare my donor and I on shit we already discussed.

My doctor is convinced I will have a highly successful egg retrieval based on my previous responses to lighter medication. Based on my lining, she suggested no more than 1 embryo transferred at a time unless I specifically wanted twins. Furthermore, the clinic seems against transferring mosaic aneuploid embryos.

Dr Batcheller made is feel comfortable and confident throughout the process. She was blunt when we had to be and gentle when we needed it. We recruited our own egg donor which is something I don't think they'd gone through very often which made our journey a little bumpy. We asked a lot of questions I don't think she was used to answering and could tell that she wished we had been less complicated. But it ultimately worked out and we trusted her. She did not offer embryo testing at the time of creation and I wish that she had.

Ask as many questions as you have. She'll answer them all. But doesn't necessarily bring things up if you don't ask. She brings up the things that are medically important. But maybe not extra things that might be important to crazy infertiles lIke us!

My AMH was .05 and AFC around 4 when I first saw Dr B. She suggested we start with a medicated IUI. I did triple Menopur for 14 days and had 1-2 follicles. It was not successful. Given my poor response and low AMH/AFC she suggested we either do multiple rounds of IVF with high doses of stims and CCS testing bto hopefully get 1-2 normal embryos if we wanted to it my own eggs or move on to donor eggs. We opted for donor eggs. Knowing we wanted more than one child. The cost of using my own eggs would be too high.

Our Dr strongly encouraged eSET and we agreed.

I’ve met Dr. Batcheller once or twice, but she’s always been super helpful and friendly. In our initial consult with her, we talked about our plan being 3 months of IUI and then evaluate from there. At that point, she was so optimistic for us that we never spoke of what would come next and that was comforting. Unfortunately IUI has not worked for ya yet. We’re trying a 4th round with some new meds and if that doesn’t work, we’ll have our regroup appointment next month. Honestly, we see more of the other staff and they’ve all been great.

Stop in and say hi during appointments every now and again if you’re available!

IUI with Clomid (1pill x 5days), Ovidrel and Progesterone. Our second cycle, I ovulated on my own, so Ovidrel wasn’t needed. In our upcoming 4th round, we’re adding in 3 injections of Gonal-F. So far, no positive tests, but we’re optimistic about this round.

Our insurance is taking a while to process things, so I know we’re not up to date. So far we’ve spent around $2000. I anticipate it will be more though.

Although I saw a lot more of the nurses at the clinic than Dr. Batcheller, when I did see or speak to her she was always very clear and thorough in her explanations, very up-to-date on the science (the one exception being that she ordered bed rest for 24 hours after embryo transfer and gave me a 10 lb lifting restriction), and very kind.

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions

I honestly don't remember a lot of the specifics three years later, sorry.

The cost for IVF was about $14,600 (including anaesthesia) plus the cost of medication (which I think was around $5000). IUIs were around $2500-$3000 each, plus the cost of medication. Preliminary testing and diagnostic work cost around $2500.

She advised me to only transfer one embryo, due to the high chance of multiple pregnancy if multiple embryos were transferred.

If you can get in-person or phone contact with Dr. Batcheller, she is knowledgeable, willing to discuss and answer questions, and provides a sense of understanding. She is kind and approachable. She emphathetically discussed our situation and offered counsel. She is great... when you can see her. For me, during our IVF process we didn’t see her enough and ultimately wonder if we would have had a different outcome if we had.

She is the only doc at her practice currently so you won’t have to confirm if she will be doing your retrieval. My recommendation would be to have Dr. Batcheller/the staff outline the access/contact you will have with Dr. Batcheller during the process you are completing and adjust as you see fit. Either request additional consults or schedule and pay for them.

To my understanding, she has protocols based on intial testing that she will recommend. I didn’t come in armed with knowledge about the many and varied protocols that are out there so I took her recommendation at face value. I responded well to treatment and follicle maturation looked great trending on the 9-10 we anticipated. At our follow-up after our failed transfer Dr. Batcheller confirmed that on examination the 3 eggs retrieved were likely the 3 least mature further indicating that I ovulated early and the retrieval missed the best quality eggs. So... it’s hard to say but considering we had 1 normal embryo from 3 lower quality eggs... I would trust Dr. Batcheller to select my protocol again.

$25k+

She makes a suggestion, but will support a decision of 1 or 2 embryos transferred.

Dr. Batcheller is very arrogant and it’s her way or the high way. Dr.Batcheller is not open to using generic medications in her practice or other courses of treatment. She is so very busy that she does not have the time to review her patients records and this sometimes leads to botched transfer attempts.

Skip CCRM Minneapolis and spend your money elsewhere.

I was on protocol five with human growth hormone for my retrieval cycle. We ended up with 3 embryos. She did not include birth control in any of my cycles due to my past history of blood clots while on birth control

I have insurance. If you do not have insurance a cycle is about $20K with meds

I highly recommend Dr Batcheller. She has a great bed side manner, explains everything in a straight forward way that is easily understood. I felt confident that we were at the right place and getting the best treatment available.

If you are struggling with infertility, CCRM-Minneapolis is the place to go in the Twin Cities metro area.

We went with my natural cycle for IVF instead of picking a date on the calendar that fit the schedule (like the other clinic I went to was going to do). She said I was an excellent candidate for IVF, and had a successful cycle with the medication and protocol she used.

We have always put in 1 embryo. I was able to freeze 5 embryos.

She’s very well versed in different options. She is also thoroughly prepared to speak on your specific issues even before you even meet her, just based on your records. She presents options and plans, strategizes with you on timing and always makes you feel comfortable speaking to her throughout the process.

Have your questions ready because she will be ready to answer all of them

Dr. Batcheller was the first doctor to find my uterine polyps. Based on our previous meetings with other doctors for ivf consults we asked Dr. Batcheller if she would put me on birth control, which was suggested by other drs to boost egg production and she said no, because of my low AMH, it wouldn’t be helpful. I throughly enjoy that she doesn’t treat us as if we are just another couple with the same issue as everyone else. Our plan is unique to us.

The costs seem normal compared to other ivf locations in MN

Dr. Batcheller is not opposed to multiple embryo transfers but did suggest not transferring more than 2. She thoroughly explained why this is safer for me and the embryos as the risk of multiples increases.

Dr. Batcheller sits down with each patient and really gets to know them. She meticulously plans out every aspect of your treatments, what you are going to need for meds when, do on. If you have questions she will answer them and explain to you in terms you will understand. She cares about your well being during the whole process.

I had to start with egg retrieval. I had to start taking Doxycycline for 10days. Cycle day 10 start an ovulation kit testing. 10days after surge I started my Vivelle 0.1mg patches switching them every other day. The next day I started taking Cetrotide 0.25mg for 3 days. I continued with the Vivelle patches for that week and wore the last patch for 7 days or until it fell off. 3 days after I started with my Stim meds, 2 vials of Menopur in the morning and 300 units of Gonal-F and Dexamethasone in the evening for 10days. After 6 days of starting Stim meds I started taking Cetrotide again. 2 nights before the retrieval I had to start my trigger meds, Pregnl and then again 12 hours after the first does then I had retrieval.

Everyone’s IVF story is different therefore everyone’s cost will be different. But I strongly believe that the cost was comparable to other clinics.

Dr. Batcheller is such a blessing. She is intelligent, warm, and honest, a combination that is so hard to find. Dr. Batcheller has always given us the impression that she is fully invested in seeing us succeed in this process and doesn't shy away from trying new things or tweaking things as needed. I have worked with another RE in the past and while the outcomes of my cycles have been similar the experience of working with Dr. Batcheller far exceeded my previous experience. Can't recommend her highly enough!

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

To date I have done one egg retrieval with Dr. Batcheller. I did androgen and estrogen priming followed by an antagonist protocol (ganirelix + 300IU Follistim + 150IU Menopur) and simultaneous Clomid (100mg), Saizen (8.8mg total), and dexamethasone (0.5mg). Trigger was Lupron + Novarel (5,000IU). This protocol was chosen due to my history of being a poor responder to IVF medications, and having poor quality eggs.

At the end of the day after diagnostic assessment and egg retrieval (+ CCS testing) including medications the cost was approximately $25,000.

Prefers eSET for CCS tested embryos but open to multiple embryo transfer in my case. Can't comment on her approach when genetic testing is not used.

Dr. B is very kind and caring about her patients. She is knowledgeable about the various developments and innovations in IVF treatment, and I felt like she allowed us to be part of the decision-making process. When our first FET resulted in chemical pregnancy, we reviewed some unique symptoms I presented with and she listened to my ideas on how to adjust treatment, gave us the scientific reality of those ideas, and we made a joint decision to try an anti-histamine approach. Dr. B also is understanding that since we were paying for everything out-of-pocket, we should skip some tests for the immune theories, and just treat me as though I had tested positive. Overall, even though we still haven't had a successful pregnancy, I feel Dr. B cares for and is passionate about her patients. My only concern now, is with two failed transfers, she had initially told us she expected a 60% chance of success. My only criticism is that her optimism can be a bit misleading or insensitive. It's nice to have that hope when you first meet and are nervous, anxious, or uneasy about the whole process. But I think I would have rather she not so confidently given us a percentage of success when I asked for it, or tempered her optimism when she said, "Let's talk about your options!" after our first FET resulted in chemical pregnancy. I'm sure in this line of work, you have to be a positive person to stay in it, but a touch more compassion isn't a bad thing either.

Just know that Dr. B is super positive and optimistic. I think she presented the risks of anti-histamine protocol well, but also dismissed the one birth defect she's seen with the protocol she's done it to something else... so, again, she's very optimistic about what she does. If you are in in a bad place, and need that boost to come back to, she's great. But if you prefer a very realistic and honest assessment, I felt like things were maybe presented a little more positive and confident than I would have liked in hindsight.

Our stim phase was "Luteal Patch (Protocol 3 with Patches)" in CCRM categories. We worked with my natural cycle at my request due to some bad experiences with BCPs. I was instructed to use ovulation kits to catch an LH surge, and then begin cetrotide and patches post-surge. The next cycle, we started stim with Menopur and Follistim on CD2. We upped the Follistim from 150 to 225 on the 4th day of stim since my eggs were going a little slow, and after that, things progressed nicely. After 10 days of stimming, Dr. B cancelled our fresh transfer because my progesterone levels were higher than they wanted. We triggered after 10 days of stimming as well. My US on that day showed at least 8 eggs on each ovary between 17.5 and 20 mm in additional to many smaller eggs. Retrieval was two days after trigger shot. They retrieved 25 eggs, 15 were mature and had ICSI, 11 successfully fertilized, and 7 were frozen for transfer. For our first FET we used my natural cycle again. Used Lupron to suppress cycle before using patches and endometrium vaginal inserts to build up lining. Had to add 1mL of PIO every other day 4 days before transfer due to low P4 levels. After transferring they upped PIO to 1mL every day due to low P4 levels. My lining grew perfectly, and once it reached 8 mm, they scheduled a transfer for 8 days later. (It’s my understanding CCRM will not transfer if the lining is not at least 8 mm.) Our transfers went perfectly, although, we requested last minute to thaw two embryos for transfer, and one did not survive. They thawed a third one in order to still transfer two. (When I asked at our pre-transfer nurse meeting about embyos not surviving the thaw, a nurse told us she had never heard of that happening at CCRM. If they would have asked us what to do when the first embryo did not survive, I would have told them not to thaw a third one. That was frustrating and I expressed that to Dr. B at our regroup. She said CCRM only has 2% of embryos that fail to survive the thaw.) 9 days after transfer, Beta #1 was over 180 and the nurse indicated a number that high (they like it to be over 50) could mean both embryos implanted. Beta #2 did not double, it was just over 200. No changes in protocol. Beta #3 was in the low 30's, and the cycle was deemed a chemical pregnancy. One frustrating part was that Dr. B insisted I get a fourth HCG test 4 days after the Beta #3 to confirm the pregnancy was over, even though I had started a heavy period three days after Beta #3. That was both a hassle and frankly, somewhat traumatizing to experience in the aftermath of things. I didn't see any reason I couldn't have waited out the period and tested afterwards to give me time and space to grieve. After discussing some symptoms I had in FET #1 (two instances of severe nausea, cramping and sweats/fever for 20-30 minutes several days after transfer) we decided to try an anti-histamine protocol in case I was having immunological issues. We also did a long-Lupron cycle due to a previous diagnosis of endometriosis in case that left me with a specific type of cell that can affect implantation. Our initial attempt at a second FET was cancelled when my lining failed to thicken, even after adding estradiol tabs, and eventually developed fluid in the lining. We induced a period with 2mL of PIO in each hip. I never really got a clear reason why might have caused the fluid, but the nurse said unless it happens again, they sort of chalk it up to a fluke and try again. FET #2- Natural cycle again, this time with low-dose meds. Instead of steadily increasing from 1 to 4 patches every other day to help grow the lining, we let it grow on its own. My lining grew a little more slowly than they like, but no fluid and it had the trilaminar layers they want to see. Once my lining was an 8 on it’s own, we added 2 patches every other day for the entire transfer, along with endometrium vaginal inserts three times a day. Anti-histamine protocol was Claritin and Prednisone once a day and Pepcid AC twice a day, beginning 2 days before transfer. Again, transfer went perfectly, we only did one embryo this time. I also didn't need PIO shots every day and could stick with every other day. However, when I presented the same symptoms of nausea, cramping, and fever/sweats, Dr. B didn't have anything specific to change initially. She did suggest we could up the PIO to every day after the second instance occurred in case the fluctuation of Progesterone was causing the symptoms. I declined since we had been doing PIO every day in our first transfer and I still had the same symptoms. Beta #1 was less than 1 and the cycle failed.

Specifically: Initial consult: $205 Communicable/Vitamin D, TSH: $300 LH Check: $115 Progesterone Check: $115 IVF Costs (Stim appointments and clinic surgery) $13,510.00 BETA: $70 Baseline ultrasound and Hysteroscopy: $1,795.00 Regroup (phone) $112.00 FET transfer is in the range of $7,000 Overall, we've spent $24,702 at CCRM with both the consult, stim, retrieval, two transfers, and two re-groups, one in person and one on the phone.

I specifically asked Dr. B about the risks of double embryo transfer a few days before our first transfer. I had to ask, because it was never offered to me. I think CCRM assumes eSET unless they are told otherwise. Dr. B said for our situation, if we transferred two, we had a 65% chance of twins. She explained there is a slight increase in HBP and Diabetes risks, but those exist anyway. The bigger risk is a 25% chance of pre-term labor and bed rest for some portion of pregnancy. However, Dr. B was comfortable with doing 2 for us.

Strengths that I see in Dr. B are communication, empathy, hard work and doesn’t tell you what you want to here, tells you what you need to hear in a kind and caring way. Both my husband and I were immediately impressed and when our cycle did not go as planned she delivered the news to us and made time to see us right away. She never gave up and came up with a great option. She also explains things in a way that we could understand. I have yet to find something I don’t like. She’s trustworthy, dependable and willing to think outside the box.

Tell her exactly what you didn’t like about your RE before. She listens!

We started with protocol 3 and that didn’t work for us. All of our eggs were immature and she sat down with us going through every stim day step by step and came to a conclusion of what went wrong. I didnt respond to one medication and the next cycle we used a different medication to trigger with, but she was very careful as I had previously had OHSS and she was trying to make sure it didn’t get worse. We ended up stimming one day less, but getting 7 mature eggs.

Total cost so far about $25,000.

Dr. B prefers one healthy mom and one healthy baby, but if we have more than 2 to transfer she is open to twins.

At first, we were really pleased with our interactions with Dr. Batcheller and felt more optimistic and positive than we had with our previous clinic. We felt like she had the expertise and experience to help us, and she has a warm and empathetic personality, which really helped. However, I feel like she was not completely realistic regarding our chances. She was always more optimistic than I felt. We know that IVF is unpredictable and there are no guarantees. We just wish she had been more realistic with us, as ultimately our cycle was a total fail.

4-week priming cycle with estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and Lupron, followed by 10 days of stims with Follistim (300 IU), Menopur (4 vials per day), Lupron, growth hormone, and dexamethasone. I had great lab results with this protocol and had eggs retrieved. We had a low fertilization rate (60% fertilized with ICSI) and none made it to blastocyst.

Approximately $16,000 (maybe more?) for workup, egg retrieval, anesthesia, embryology fees, and CCS.

Dr. Batcheller was 100% in favor of eSET with a PGS-tested euploid embryo, and we were very much in agreement with her. Unfortunately, we did not have any blastocysts to transfer.

April Batcheller is a great doctor who is passionate about what she does. She was always thoroughly prepared and has options for us. She always had an answer for my questions. She isn't afraid to change a protocol or think outside the box to get you the results you want. I don't feel like i am a number or a statistic in the column with her, she has your families interest at heart, and that shows with alot of the cases she takes on, that others will not. I felt very well cared for and trusted her judgment.

Come with all your questions and don't be afraid to ask them. She is a wealth of information and you should understand your situation and treatment completely. (this is not saying she didn't do a good job laying out the treatment, I just had pages full of questions and she was more then happy to answer and explain)

My protocol was considered "the kitchen sink" protocol :) Menopur 150, clomid, dex, gonal f 300, saizen the first five days of Stims and triggered with 5,000 novarel and a double Lupron trigger. This resulted in 5 eggs retreived/5mature/5fertilized, three made it to blast with one normal ccs tested embryo. Second cycle was same protocol, 15 eggs retreived/10 mature/7 fertilized, two made it to blast and now waiting on ccs testing to come back currently. (this egg retreival was actually done by Dr. Salem, Dr B was unavailable) I will very shortly be starting my FET Blast BCPs/Lupron/suppository/P4 in oil QOD protocol for our first transfer with Dr B. I am extremely happy with the outcome of our two retreivals since our last doc wouldn't try anything but DE after a failed cycle with him.

We needed to schedule our monitoring appointments before 1130 I think it was. I had an hour and a half trip to the clinic so that was inconvenient for me on work days, but couldn't do anything about it. I was always called in an appropriate time and the ultrasound techs were great. One thing I do wish is that CCRM would have a payment option to not include the monitoring, so that you could do it at your local clinics when available. If I would have chose to monitor at my local clinic they would not have taken out the price of labs and ultrasounds from our package price. And we would have been paying for the labs and ultrasounds twice if we decided to monitor at our local clinic.

First cycle of IVF with CCS testing was $14,884. Second cycle was $13,419 due to a discount for banking cycles. With around $5,000 in medication cost each round. Labs that were not included in package were expensive, Vit D was $225, I elected to do that at my local clinic, along with my initial labs since that was where they were drawn for the past two years and I wanted the consistency. The price per item or procedure was more than at my previous clinics and I had no insurance coverage for any of it at CCRM

We don't have the opportunity yet to have to worry or think about how many to transfer, we only have one ccs tested embryo currently but waiting on two more to result. Hopefully those can change our thought process. But I agree with her idea of only putting one in at a time, if you only have two, because you can make changes if the first FET was unsuccessful and still have something to work with. And she is not opposed to transferring two embroys but you case will be evaluated and pros and cons will be weighed. I would love the ability to put two in at a time, but I do not think that will be our course of action.