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
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.
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. 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.
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 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.
Dr Brian Cooper has excellent bedside manner. He will sit down with you and tell you all your options and approximate cost from the beginning so you know the path you are going down from the beginning. He even takes notes for you when you meet with him for any consults and gives you those to take with you. He very much let me direct the path I wanted to go down...He is very honest and makes you feel very comfortable no matter the situation...He made you feel like a human being and let you control the timing and course you took within reason. I highly recommend him!
They [nurses at Mid-Iowa Fertility] were awesome! Very kind, caring and compassionate...It is a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere. It is an excellent clinic. They think of everything. I really can not come up with any weaknesses.... They always had clients there but it was never crazy busy and you always felt like you were very important to them. They always remembered you and your situation. The staff was excellent!...Somehow that clinic has had to take care of a lot of people as I keep hearing of people who have gone there and there isn't another one in the area, but you would never know it by the care you received or the waiting room....
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Brian Cooper is excellent at what he does. He is very honest and makes you feel very comfortable no matter the situation. I had a brief experience with another fertility specialist that was cold and made you feel like you were a number and the experience with Dr Brian Cooper was just the opposite of that. He made you feel like a human being and let you control the timing and course you took within reason. I highly recommend him!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Trust him. He knows what he is doing and will take excellent care of you!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Brian Cooper has excellent bedside manner. He will sit down with you and tell you all your options and approximate cost from the beginning so you know the path you are going down from the beginning. He even takes notes for you when you meet with him for any consults and gives you those to take with you. He very much let me direct the path I wanted to go down.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
It has been too long to remember what all the different strategies were. But basically I went through testing to make sure I had no issues, I did several rounds of donor insemination, when things weren't working out I would consult with Brian Cooper and he would maybe change a med or we would discuss other alternatives. This went on until I had several donor inseminations that didn't take or didn't make it past the very early stages and one miscarriage and then I decided to use donor embryos. But because of how he handled my consultations I knew all my options so I could review those as everything else was going on and not working. Then my one and only donor embryo produced a live birth.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
They were awesome! Very kind, caring and compassionate. Somehow that clinic has had to take care of a lot of people as I keep hearing of people who have gone there and there isn't another one in the area, but you would never know it by the care you received or the waiting room. They always had clients there but it was never crazy busy and you always felt like you were very important to them. They always remembered you and your situation. The staff was excellent!
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
It is a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere. It is an excellent clinic. They think of everything. I really can not come up with any weaknesses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
For the time I believe they seemed reasonable to me.
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I don't recall for sure if he transferred one or two, but I am almost certain he didn't transfer any more than that.
Dr. Cooper was amazing! He sat with us, answered all of our questions no matter how silly they sounded. He was so optimistic and so positive! Graduating into prenatal care was so bittersweet...sent us through all the testing we needed. When our first IUI failed, we were crushed. He made the necessary adjustments and lifted us up that we could and would do this. He treated me like I wanted to be treated. He understood how I felt.
[The nurses at Mid-Iowa Fertility were] Very compassionate to what we were going through, very understanding. They were great and offering advice and keeping us encouraged...The Office was good with explaining benefits...Scheduling was pretty easy, there wasn't a long wait period like I would have expected. It's very intimidating to go to an office like this but everyone is so welcoming and understanding. They were also very good with discussing payment as well as what insurance will cover.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper was so optimistic and sent us through all the testing we needed. When our first IUI failed, we were crushed. He made the necessary adjustments and lifted us up that we could and would do this. He treated me like I wanted to be treated. He understood how I felt.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Trust the process, trust him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper was amazing! He sat with us, answered all of our questions no matter how silly they sounded. He was so optimistic and so positive! Graduating into prenatal care was so bittersweet. I can not say enough about how amazing he is.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We did a battery of blood work, HSG (?), semen analysis as well as 2 rounds of femara . The HSG I believe was to check the uterus to make sure everything looked normal and ok. The femara he prescribed because the sode effects were meant to be a little better than Clomid. We also had to track ovulation dates!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Very compassionate to what we were going through, very understanding. They were great and offering advice and keeping us encouraged.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Scheduling was pretty easy, there wasn't a long wait period like I would have expected. It's very intimidating to go to an office like this but everyone is so welcoming and understanding. They were also very good with discussing payment as well as what insurance will cover.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Our insurance at the time had a lifetime fertility maximum of 25k. So we were responsible for our $15 co pays and that was it. The Office was good with explaining benefits
He [Dr. Cooper] always seems knowledgeable on current treatments and what’s going on in this field and new advancements. When I was told of my miscarriage he came in with the nurse and couldn’t have been more sympathetic and kind. He told me what to expect and to call anytime.... I did 2 rounds IUI on femara which produced my son. 18 months later we did same but 4 rounds that resulted in miscarriage. After taking a break for 6 months, went back and did 6 more rounds of same with no positive tests
I had a good experience here [Mid-Iowa Fertility], I can’t say anything bad. Only tough side of things is that our insurance really didn’t cover anything past an ART.... We had to pay for IUI and ultrasounds out of pocket. Femara was covered by insurnace... Kind. I never had any problems. Very happy with them... He [Dr. Cooper] always seems knowledgeable on current treatments and what’s going on in this field and new advancements.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He always seems knowledgeable on current treatments and what’s going on in this field and new advancements. When I was told of my miscarriage he came in with the nurse and couldn’t have been more sympathetic and kind. He told me what to expect and to call anytime.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
To write down questions before you go in, because you might not think of everything while you are there :)
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Always professional and caring
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
I did 2 rounds IUI on femara which produced my son. 18 months later we did same but 4 rounds that resulted in miscarriage. After taking a break for 6 months, went back and did 6 more rounds of same with no positive tests
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Kind. I never had any problems. Very happy with them
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I had a good experience here, I can’t say anything bad. Only tough side of things is that our insurance really didn’t cover anything past an ART. Also, I never met Dr. Young, the other dr at this clinic, so I don’t know anything about him.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We had to pay for IUI and ultrasounds out of pocket. Femara was covered by insurnace
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
He [Dr. Brian Cooper] spoke quickly when laying out plan options at each step of our journey. That was fine for me as I am a nurse and knew exactly what he was saying. Often my husband would feel clueless about what we were talking about but he would always answer the questions we had...You definitely have to be an advocate for yourself, no one is going to call chasing you down. When you do call they treat you well and with respect.
They [nurses at Mid-Iowa Fertility] were very knowledgeable and prompt with call backs and answering questions...IUI was $475 a cycle...They all seem to function well together. Everyone is friendly. We had some billing issues a few times but we were there during the weekend and she did not seem like the usual front desk person. It was easily straightened out...We used letrazole with each IUI cycle, same dose for all as my first month's progesterone check showed it was effective for me.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He spoke quickly when laying out plan options at each step of our journey. That was fine for me as I am a nurse and knew exactly what he was saying. Often my husband would feel clueless about what we were talking about but he would always answer the questions we had.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Do research yourself before going in. Mentally prepare for what you think you want to do but keep an open mind. Listen to his suggestions and work together to make the best plan for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
You definitely have to be an advocate for yourself, no one is going to call chasing you down. When you do call they treat you well and with respect.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
We used letrazole with each IUI cycle, same dose for all as my first month's progesterone check showed it was effective for me.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
They were very knowledgeable and prompt with call backs and answering questions.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
They all seem to function well together. Everyone is friendly. We had some billing issues a few times but we were there during the weekend and she did not seem like the usual front desk person. It was easily straightened out.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
He [Dr. Cooper] went above and beyond for us. Very early in a pregnancy following a fresh IVF cycle (6 weeks) I had bleeding and was very concerned so I called their on-call. Dr Cooper answered and gave me the option of doing an ultrasound that day (Sunday evening) or the next morning. We went in that evening and he was very caring and answered all of our questions...extremely smart but still explains things so that you can understand and feel comfortable with your treatment plan. My only slight concern with my treatment was that I do not have a diagnosis and it would be nice to have a reason for our infertility
Ladies at the front desk [at Mid-Iowa Fertility Center] are friendly, office is nice, clean. Location is Easy to get to, they are typically very prompt and even early sometimes which was nice when you are leaving work often for appointments...IUIs were $475/cycle...He [Dr. Cooper] went above and beyond for us. Very early in a pregnancy following a fresh IVF cycle (6 weeks) I had bleeding and was very concerned so I called their on-call. Dr Cooper answered and gave me the option of doing an ultrasound that day (Sunday evening) or the next morning. We went in that evening and he was very caring and answered all of our questions...extremely smart but still explains things so that you can understand and feel comfortable with your treatment plan. My only slight concern with my treatment was that I do not have a diagnosis and it would be nice to have a reason for our infertility
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr cooper is extremely smart but still explains things so that you can understand and feel comfortable with your treatment plan. My only slight concern with my treatment was that I do not have a diagnosis and it would be nice to have a reason for our infertility
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Ask questions, do your research. Advocate for yourself and dr cooper will listen
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He went above and beyond for us. Very early in a pregnancy following a fresh IVF cycle (6 weeks) I had bleeding and was very concerned so I called their on-call. Dr Cooper answered and gave me the option of doing an ultrasound that day (Sunday evening) or the next morning. We went in that evening and he was very caring and answered all of our questions
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Ladies at the front desk are friendly, office is nice, clean. Location is Easy to get to, they are typically very prompt and even early sometimes which was nice when you are leaving work often for appointments
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
IUIs were $475/cycle
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
We honestly didn’t discuss whether we were transferring one or multiple until I was doing the transfer
Dr Cooper's strengths are definitely communication & knowledge. From the first appt we had with him he was very thorough & knowledgable about our situation. Even though he had probably had the same conversation 5000 times, he took his time & made sure we felt comfortable leaving his office with our questions answered & knew what was going to happen next.
My insurance covers a lifetime of $25,000 for fertility treatments, I think this first round we have spent about $15-20K including PGD/PGS testing...Dr Cooper was always thorough, took his time explaining each situation to me & answered every question my husband & I had...Two nurses really stand out, Senta & Shiela. They both were always upbeat, happy to answer my (many) questions as they came up. Each & every nurse I've been seen by, talked to, or emailed with was very prompt & informative. During a hard process like IVF, the nurses definitely made the process go a lot easier! I cannot say enough about them!!
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Cooper's strengths are definitely communication & knowledge. From the first appt we had with him he was very thorough & knowledgable about our situation. Even though he had probably had the same conversation 5000 times, he took his time & made sure we felt comfortable leaving his office with our questions answered & knew what was going to happen next.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr Cooper was always thorough, took his time explaining each situation to me & answered every question my husband & I had. The nurses also were as amazing as Dr Cooper. I have called & emailed the nurses several times and always get a prompt response.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Two nurses really stand out, Senta & Shiela. They both were always upbeat, happy to answer my (many) questions as they came up. Each & every nurse I've been seen by, talked to, or emailed with was very prompt & informative. During a hard process like IVF, the nurses definitely made the process go a lot easier! I cannot say enough about them!!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
My insurance covers a lifetime of $25,000 for fertility treatments, I think this first round we have spent about $15-20K including PGD/PGS testing
The very first appointment, Dr Cooper went through the different steps he could do in office. He suggested I get tested for hypothyroidism and do other tests. I turned out to by hypothyroid so he started me on synthroid. Within a couple months, I was pregnant. I also was started on Femara 2.5mg. After 3 months of just Femara, we did Femara and IUI for a successful pregnancy and now my 10 month old son. Dr. Copper was willing to let us choose our treatment and what we thought was best for us.
Clinic [Mid-Iowa Fertility] was very clean and inviting. The staff are exceptional.... Nursing staff was always upbeat and referred to me by name.... I was only attending the clinic for three months but felt like the staff knew who I was. Very welcoming and called me by name. Dr. Cooper personally called my cell phone to talk results as well as how I was feeling.... Dr. Cooper is very personable and knew exactly what plan of course we needed to get pregnant. Was very realistic in expectations and gave us all our options at the very first appointment and we were to choose what we felt comfortable with.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper is very personable and knew exactly what plan of course we needed to get pregnant. Was very realistic in expectations and gave us all our options at the very first appointment and we were to choose what we felt comfortable with.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Very knowledgeable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I was only attending the clinic for three months but felt like the staff knew who I was. Very welcoming and called me by name. Dr. Cooper personally called my cell phone to talk results as well as how I was feeling.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
The very first appointment, Dr Cooper went through the different steps he could do in office. He suggested I get tested for hypothyroidism and do other tests. I turned out to by hypothyroid so he started me on synthroid. Within a couple months, I was pregnant. I also was started on Femara 2.5mg. After 3 months of just Femara, we did Femara and IUI for a successful pregnancy and now my 10 month old son. Dr. Copper was willing to let us choose our treatment and what we thought was best for us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Nursing staff was always upbeat and referred to me by name.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Clinic was very clean and inviting. The staff are exceptional.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
IUI was under $500
Insurance paid for my clinic visits since he was in-network
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
I feel he’s [dr. Brian Cooper] a compassionate doctor that cares about his patients and truly wants to help them. He went through all the options and altered them he best he could with each visit or failed treatment.... About $500 with each insemination... Staff is always friendly and I usually had pretty short wait times too. Only complaint is they offer no financial help. Most other clinics in other states I’ve read into offer help of some kind so that would be nice. The next closest clinic for us is about 3 hours away.
Staff [at Mid-Iowa Fertility] is always friendly and I usually had pretty short wait times too. Only complaint is they offer no financial help. Most other clinics in other states I’ve read into offer help of some kind so that would be nice. The next closest clinic for us is about 3 hours away.... I feel he’s a compassionate doctor that cares about his patients and truly wants to help them. He went through all the options and altered them he best he could with each visit or failed treatment.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
I feel he’s a compassionate doctor that cares about his patients and truly wants to help them. He went through all the options and altered them he best he could with each visit or failed treatment. Our only next option is now IVF which we are trying to figure out how to afford
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Feel comfortable with him, he is very understanding and knowledgeable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He’s very personable, we felt like a number with Dr Young so we switched.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Only next step for us now is IVF, we tried everything else we could.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Friendly, I never had any issues
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
0 financial assistance for those of us with no insurance coverage. Staff is always friendly and I usually had pretty short wait times too. Only complaint is they offer no financial help. Most other clinics in other states I’ve read into offer help of some kind so that would be nice. The next closest clinic for us is about 3 hours away.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
About $500 with each insemination
What specific things went wrong at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper took the time to answer all my questions and never made me feel like I was asking dumb questions. He explained everything very thoroughly and with a lot of research to back up his opinions.... Dr. Cooper has been so knowledgeable. I am looking forward to seeing how our IVF cycle with him goes. I have never gotten calls from a doctor themselves with my test results. He did this from the very first labs we had done. I am very impressed.
The front desk [Mid-Iowa Fertility] is friendly but could have more knowledge. When answering calls to make appointments, they are not too friendly. The nurses are great tho! Definitely know they care.... Dr. Cooper took the time to answer all my questions and never made me feel like I was asking dumb questions. He explained everything very thoroughly and with a lot of research to back up his opinions.... He has so much knowledge and it will put you at ease.
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper has been so knowledgeable. I am looking forward to seeing how our IVF cycle with him goes. I have never gotten calls from a doctor themselves with my test results. He did this from the very first labs we had done. I am very impressed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Ask him questions. He has so much knowledge and it will put you at ease.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Dr. Cooper took the time to answer all my questions and never made me feel like I was asking dumb questions. He explained everything very thoroughly and with a lot of research to back up his opinions.
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
My husband had his semen analysis and blood work done for STDs. I had my day 3 labs, sonohysterogram, and Amtrak follicle count done. Just waiting to start birth control to begin our IVF protocol.
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Being a new patient I’m not sure yet. The front desk is friendly but could have more knowledge. When answering calls to make appointments, they are not too friendly. The nurses are great tho! Definitely know they care.
He [Dr. Brian Cooper] is easy to talk to, actively listens, goes over information throughly, tries to make you feel relaxed, joked around when appropriate, good sense of humor, had health journals to relate stats to, wish he was the one doing the UIUs... Explained we could do 6 rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF. He stated I could be on femara if we felt it would help
[at Mid-Iowa Fertility it is] Hard to get through calling in the morning with a positive ovulation test and scheduling appointments are hard since they are so busy, took an extra month to get into see them for our consult appointment... [the nursing staff was] Very accommodating to me when I requested an ultrasound before an IUI because I hadn’t got a positive ovulation test
How was your experience with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He is easy to talk to, actively listens, goes over information throughly, tries to make you feel relaxed, joked around when appropriate, good sense of humor, had health journals to relate stats to, wish he was the one doing the UIUs
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
He’s laid back, has a positive attitude
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility?
Answered lots of questions
Describe the protocols Brian Cooper used in your cycles at Mid-Iowa Fertility and their degree of success.
Explained we could do 6 rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF. He stated I could be on femara if we felt it would help
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Very accommodating to me when I requested an ultrasound before an IUI because I hadn’t got a positive ovulation test
Describe your experience with Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Hard to get through calling in the morning with a positive ovulation test and scheduling appointments are hard since they are so busy, took an extra month to get into see them for our consult appointment
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Cooper at Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Consult, sperm analyst, IUIs, ultrasounds
Describe Brian Cooper's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Mid-Iowa Fertility.