Bruce Bateman (retired)

Dr. Bateman would let me speak as long as I needed in order for me to feel as if I got my point across. We were not pushed to do things we were not comfortable with. He always had a smile on his face. He would explain everything we were going to do and if I had any questions, even if he already explained it, he would explain it again to me. I never felt as if I was being pushed out of his office. Definitely made me feel comfortable with our next step.

As with every doctor, make sure you have some knowledge of what you would like to do. If not, always ask questions. This is your body and speak up for yourself.

First cycle with Bateman was 7.5mg letrozole with an IUI. We had an ultrasound to make sure follicles were growing then once a positive ovulation test occurred we called to schedule the IUI. Second cycle was the same but no ultrasound since he already knew I responded well enough to the meds. I thought I had a positive pregnancy test, super faint, so we went in for blood work. It came back negative and my cycle started. Bateman said it was still possible to get a faint positive so he wanted to switch up the protocol. We did 5mg letrozole with one gonal f injection on cd 9 then ultrasound and trigger shot when positive ovulation test occurred. No pregnancy occurred. After that we wanted to take a financial and emotional break.

Consultation was around 500. First appointment was about 95. Then the IUI was around 445. Medication was about 5 dollars for letrozole (went through insurance) the injections came to a total of about 330.

I really like Dr Bateman although, I wish he were more forthcoming with information. I don't always know what questions to ask and would rather be overwhelmed with information than not having enough. Sometimes I think my doctor holds back information or details because he is being compassionate. Even though this is an emotional roller coaster of a process, I would prefer for my doctor to be open and divulge as much as possible.

Do your research and ask all the questions you possibly can.

We started with IUI and had four failed attempts. The suspected cause was my PCOS and my partners sperm motility. We moved on to start the IVF process middle of this year and currently preparing to transfer one normal PGS tested embryo. We are hoping transfer will be scheduled for early November!

My insurance doesn't cover infertility treatment so everything is an out of pocket expense for us. Each IUI attempt cost around $400 (4 attempts totalled approximately $1,600). We are doing a special "success or refund program" through our clinic. Cost of the program is $26,400, medications so far have been $3,100, pgs testing $3,950, anesthesia $450, and egg storage is $155 quarterly.

My doctor strongly suggested single embryo transfer due to the additional risk of a multiple pregnancy. At first I was really hoping to get pregnant with twins but after talking with my doctor and doing research, I would prefer to have a strong healthy pregnancy with one instead of adding any additional complications.

When I started my infertility journey in 1999, things were very different. The current treatment of that archaic time was to cut out a wedge of my ovary to “kickstart” it. With Dr. Bateman everything he recommended was researched-based and progressive. He never recommended fertility drugs like Clomid, I did 14 cycles of that in 2000. He read my medical history and knew I did not need to go back to that stage. When the IUI did not work, he was the one who said IVF with ICSI was needed due to my husband’s inconsistent sperm counts and motility. When the two fresh embryos did not take when a colleague put them in, he recommended assisted hatching. This cycle, four years later, Now includes assisted hatching in its basic costs. Every “setback” was seen by him as another step. He never once made me feel that a baby was not just around the corner. He kept hope even when we were stressed and losing faith. His calm manner was contagious.

Don’t do a fresh transfer, let your body go back to equilibrium.

Skipped Clomid because of my 2000 records. Started with prelim tests to check for causes of infertility. No blockages in tubes, good egg reserve, high thyroid, PCOS, low sperm count and motility. Did IUI because we requested. Did egg retrieval protocol with Gonal F and frequent ovary checks. Egg retrieval followed by fresh transfer. ICSI and 2 fresh 5 day blasts used. Three additional blasts frozen on day five. Unsuccessful Frozen Embryo Transfer using assisted hatching at age 38. Twins. I think same meds last time as this time. Frozen Embryo Transfer age 42. 16 days pregnant. Medications this time were birth control, estrace, lupron, progesterone in oil and progesterone suppositories. And thyroid meds.

My insurance paid for testing until I got a diagnosis. After that, we paid around 500 plus meds for the IUIs. We were approved for the $20k shared risk program, but at the last minute went with the $12k procedure which included egg retrieval, ICSI, and transfer. The following FET cycles cost $2850. Meds for the egg retrieval ran about $3K and about $700 for the transfers. Costs have changed since I first went; for example, assisted hatching is included in the price now. My first FET was $2500 with $650 added for AH. Now everyone pays the $2850. In reality, the only thing that slowed down our journey to parenthood was money. I took us right at a year to save the money for the four months of treatment (2IUIs, 1 fresh ICSI IVF, 1 frozen ICSI, AH, IVF) we ended up doing.

I was 38 and had been seeking fertility treatments for 14 years. By the time we were recommended to Dr. Bateman, we were serious about having at least one. We were counseled about multiple births and selected 2 for the fresh and 2 more for the frozen. He gave us guidelines, but the final choice within those guidelines was ours.

Dr. Bateman made sure I understood every procedure to the fullest and what was happening at each interval of IVF. He made sure to answer questions and took time and was never rushed. Even during my egg procedure when I was extremely scared and anxious he personally came in to calm me and made sure I knew I was in good hands and he personally checked on me after, not just sending in a nurse. I always felt he cared and wanted his patients to succeed with treatments. I never felt that this was just a job to him but he truly cared about me.

To trust in him and his experience. He is there to answer questions and to help.

Dr. Bateman is an honest doctor who tells you everything without sugar coating. I appreciated that he explained in detail our options, risks and course of treatment. Dr.Bateman is always available to answer questions, and very flexible with your schedule.

Be prepared to hear the truth no matter how upsetting it can be and he is not going to sugar coat it.

We saw Dr. Bateman for recurrent miscarriages. We did numerous tests.

I had to pay $40 specialist copay. Everything else was covered by my insurance

My husband and I were dealing with male infertility primarily and wanted to know and learn absolutely everything we could about our situation. Dr. Bateman was great at explaining things, but doesn't sugarcoat - which we really appreciated. We wanted facts and to know straight up what our various options were. Dr. Bateman doesn't come across as especially warm, but each time I see him he smiles and gives my hand a squeeze. He also has an endearingly dry sense of humor.

Respect and trust his knowledge on the subject. I would often read blog posts of things and think I understood them - but let him explain the entire process and trust him.

Dr Bateman is the best! He cares for every patient and really wants to help. He's candid but in a kind and compassionate way. He makes you feel like you are his only patient. On multiple times he returned my calls after business hours to explain things or just to calm my nerves.

Choose Dr Bateman - he will be honest and a support for you as you go down your path.

We elected and we're accepted to the shared risk program. It's $20,000 and includes freezing embryos, all visits, retrieval, etc. This doesn't cover medication. It's a program where you bring home a baby or you get your money back.

We are going to do single embryo transfer because the odds of success are the same just the odds of twins increases.

I saw all the doctors at the clinic but Dr Bateman did my egg retrieval and implantation and I fully trusted him. He knew what he was doing and he had an excellent bedside manner. He didn't mess around but you could tell he really cares about his patients.

If you have questions, ask them. Fertility dotors sometimes assume that you know what to expect because they do it everyday. At first I thought I wasn't getting enough information but it was just because I wasn't asking questions. Dr Bateman will spend time answering your questions and making you feel better about the process.

I used gonalF, cetrotide, pregnyl during my first IVF cycle. But I had a bad reaction to the cetrotide and we had to stop the cycle because my estrogen dropped significantly. The next cycle I used the same medications except I did Lupron shots twice a day instead of the cetrotide. That ended up working.

Frozen egg retrieval and transfer was around $10,200. Not including medications.

I only had one embryo to transfer so this wasn't a topic of discussion.

I would recommend Dr. Bateman over again. He started the fertility clinic in Charlottesville and has years of experience under his belt. He was always very knowledgable and helpful when I asked questions. I also appreciated his understanding in one of our meetings when discussing all types of interventions during IVF (ICSI, assisted hatching). My husband and I were part of the shared risk program and as a result it required us to comply with clinical recommendations. Dr. Bateman and I had a discussion about assisted hatching, pros/cons. I told Dr. Bateman I wanted minimal intervention and he understood my wishes and allowed me to choose that for our second cycle of IVF despite the recommendation to proceed with assisted hatching. I appreciated him listening to my needs and comfort level. I did proceed to get pregnant, but miscarried in the first trimester. In the end our outcome wasn't ideal, but I was appreciative of Dr. Bateman listening to me as a patient and honoring my request.

Be engaged in the process and take ownership and ask lots of questions until you understand the process, especially the medication! It is a lot to take in and keep straight and you deserve to understand everything along the way.

The monitoring appointments were never an issue for me. They were always very accommodating to meet my needs. I never had a conflict. Any lab work had to be completed by 2pm because of their lab. So I could not come in the afternoon for lab work. However, that wasn't an issue for me but I could see that being a problem for some. Ultrasound appointments they try and schedule first thing at 8am when they open so I could get in and out. If I couldn't come in the morning, they were always able to accommodate me when I could come. I have no complaints with the scheduling here.

Let's be honest, infertility is one of the hardest things a young couple can go through. It can have so many ripple effects. Infertility can make one feel very alone. Dr. Bateman and his staff never let us feel alone. We felt we had someone in our corner the entire way and we were all working toward our goal of having a family. I cannot say enough good things about this state of the art facility and their incredible team members. Dr. Bateman specifically has a heartwarming and endearing quality which only added to our experience and instilled our confidence in him with our most precious gifts.

Listen and trust your doctor. At the end of the day, what will be will be and you cannot change it. This center has your best interests at heart. This condition (infertility) will cause you to question everything but it is relieving to trust in someone who shows as much compassion and care as Dr. Bateman and his staff.

Blood work to check eggs, blood work to check male health as well Check uterus/tube (hysterosalpingogram) Sperm specimen Birth control for 10 days to regulate and "control" the cycle Lupron/FSH/Gonal-F Follistim or Menopur. (injections to belly) for ovary stimulation Daily ultrasounds at clinic around ovulation to localize peak egg period Egg retrieval (21 eggs received) Ferilization (7 embros) Day 5 embro development (2 embryos implanted from fresh cycle) Embryo implantation (first time we did 2 from fresh cycle - 1 implanted resulting in 1 single birth; thereafter only 1 embryo used for vitrified embryos due to a reported higher success of implantation. Each time resulting in successful singl implant) Estrogen supplementation (oral meds) Progesterone shots continued up to 14 weeks gestation (injections to backside) Blood test 2 weeks - Beta levels, Recheck 1 wk for doubling Ultrasound at 7 weeks, and again at 9 weeks Release care to local OBGYN for pregnancy monitoring

$20,000 shared risk program. We would get money back if it did not work after 3 fresh cycles. Approximately $5,000 additional cost of medications.

After first pregnancy and deciding for additional children, single vitrified embryos used for transfer. Only on first fresh cycle were 2 embryos implanted resulting in single implantation.

Dr. Bateman was attentive to my questions, any and all of them. He explained any thing that I needed clarified. Dr. Bateman showed compassion, but also gave me the medical information I needed. The office was welcoming and well organized. My husband was included in conversations as well.

Patience is hard, but a necessary part of the process. Keep moving forward, the clinic is highly successful and gives good information along the way.

Initially, I had surgery due to endometriosis, followed by some attempts with Letrizole. Afterwards trying Letrizole with IUI. This was done twice. Then IUI with injectibles, followed by ivf.

The success or refund program is costly, but an insurance of sorts. The information is available is available from the clinic.

Due to additional risks with multiples, this clinic always recommends a single transfer.

When I was told that I only had two eggs to retrieve, Dr. Bateman was realistic with his expectations but also gave me hope with stories of women who only needed one egg to conceive. His bedside manner and reassurance was very comforting. He held my hand when I was upset and explained everything in detail. He is an older doctor so I think that it is easy to stereotype, but he certainly knows what he is doing.

Ask lots of questions, whatever they may be or how silly they seem.

The 9 IUIs that I tried between 2007-2010 included clomid and injections. These resulted in one chemical pregnancy and one ectopic pregnancy. Unfortunately, the ectopic came after we had our best results with 5 potential eggs.

15,000, but additional 25,000 with IVF after that

We did not get this far.

Dr. Bateman takes a conservative approach. We had to ask for additional interventions in order to have a more aggressive treatment plan.

I did 2 cycles of Letrozole/Femara combined with IUI. I added a trigger shot. RMSCVA doesn't necessarily do ultrasound monitoring during IUI cycle (they ask you to do OPKs at home). I asked RMSCVA to add two things which they didn't recommend for me: 1) mid-cycle monitoring because I didn't want to waste a cycle by missing ovulation, and 2) a trigger shot in order to better time IUI. First cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy and second cycle was a negative.

Kind and caring. He did not sugar coat facts. He told us stuff about our labs that our prior doctor didn’t or missed helping us discover that some of our fertility issues were also related to my husband

Ask questions. No question is stupid and dr Bateman and his staff have the answers.

Prepaid ivf cycle cost about 20k not including anesthesia fees and medication costs but that included 2 egg retrievals, ultrasound, lab work and as many embryo transfer as needed to bring home a live birth

Due to my age he recommended 1 embryo transfer at a time and felt there would be better success

The only downside is he no longer performs endometriosis surgery, therefore I need to see another physician in the office. But I feel quite confident I'm receiving the best care. Whenever I've seen him, he makes sure I know what action we're taking and the next steps. He's very thorough and takes the time to explain everything.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are no wrong questions, and he takes the time to walk you through the process.

I'm currently seeing Dr Bateman. He has adjusted, increased my clomid dose, and we are planning to utilize IUI soon. Before continuing treatment, I will see another physician in the practice to have surgery for endometriosis.

He was very open to answering questions and discussing procedure and medications in detail. He was realistic about the possible outcome of procedure. We were able to get appointments in a reasonable amount of time. He was very thorough while remaining compassionate. We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Bateman.

Come prepared with your questions

Clomid cycle day 5-9 and IUI

$865 IUI procedure plus tests and visits leading up to visit $400 HSG test $319 lab work

He is like a friendly grandpa rooting for you. He has many years of experience. He can be very facts first which can be offputting at times but he is also sentimental and daring. He has been there to whip away my tears and hold my hand. Even though we have had no success yet we are very hopeful!

Be prepared to get a lot of information that you may not understand

Started right away with clomid 50mg, then 100mg, then 150 mg, then 200 mg with trigger shot

The costs have been very reasonable.

No questions were asked that I didn't offer and no suggestions were made besides everything I could look up on Google. He just went through bloodwork, HSG, drugs, sperm sample. Nothing felt specific to me. He would come in and say he read the chart and knows all about everything each visit. I had to call back every month to ask the nurse what the next step was.

Do your own research and bring lots of questions because extra information will not be offered to you.

Dr Bateman is very dry. He doesn't elaborate on much. I did trust his experience. They take a very conservative approach so I wouldn't recommend to anyone who is higher risk.

Make sure to ask what their protocol is and why they only use the same one for different cycles.

When I miscarried he was no help. He didn't tell me that I needed to have blood drawn every week until my levels came down and he had no sympathy. He also never diagnosed me or felt the need to help me understand why I was going through everything I was going through

ask all the questions and do your own research

7.5 mg of Femara days 3-12, followed by a trigger shot around days 16/17, timed intercourse

i just remember them stopping taking anthem

Bruce Nate seems a good man, but we did not get a good result from procedure. Also we did not find him very helpful in terms of planing the next procedure or guidelines. We, I and my husband felt clueless about what is going to be the next. I would rate him the 10 if he had some insight about the next step.

Ask him questions?

I don't have a good memory of the procedure because I didn't get any result

As expensive that I stopped going to see him because I couldn't afford it😢

He explains procedures in a thorough manner and is also personable. He gave me a clear insight from the beginning about my condition and responds in a timely manner. Dr. Bateman has been an RE for many years and has a wealth of knowledge.

Be patient.

Ultrasounds, medication and IUI

Dr. Bateman has a very good bedside manner, he explained everything before the treatment as well as what was going on throughout the transfer(IUI insemination). He listened to my concerns as I was set on only trying 3 rounds of IUI treatments before taking a break from treatments. Therefore the last round he changed the protocol for a higher chance of conceiving. Dr. Bateman understood and didn't try to change my mind to take a break from the next step of treatments (IVF). He was always hopeful and positive coming into the room at every appointment. I am appreciative of him throughout this journey.

Trust him and be open about your concerns.

My insurance paid for my medications/shots resulting in a significant savings- $600 to $61 each the first two rounds. Each ultrasound to check follicles-$179. First two IUI procedures $624. Medications/shots third round $2300 insurance covered all but $61. Ultrasound/bloodwork $243 and last IUI $867 due to new protocol.

Bruce is a sweet, gentle man. He is methodical and explains his treatment plan clearly. He always offered tissues when I cried and showed compassion when treatment was different than expected or we faced hard stuff. He is smart and thoughtful.

Be patient.

My first round of treatment with Dr. Bateman was in 2014. I started with a consult in September. I took Progesterone to get a period and then we did Clomid 100mg in October. I didn’t ovulate. I did Clomid 150mg in November and ovulated on day 17. We did an IUI on day 18 and I got pregnant. I delivered a healthy baby boy in August 2015. We started treatment again to try for another child in February 2018. I had a consult in February. After the bloodwork, I started on Levothyroxine 25mcg for a underactive thyroid. TSH level was 2.5 and they wanted it below for decreased risk of miscarriage. I then started with Letrozole 7.5mg for 5 days (day 5-9). We did this because I had been ovulating on Clomid with my primary OBGYN and had done one IUI in their office. I produced follicles and took a trigger shot and ovulated. We did an IUI. I didn’t get pregnant. In March, we did the same Letrozole treatment on 7.5mg for 5 days (day 5-9) and I triggered and ovulated and did another IUI. I didn’t get pregnant. In April we moved back to Clomid 150mg on days 3-7. I produced follicles, triggered, and did an IUI. I didn’t get pregnant. In May and June we didn’t the same thing with Clomid days 3-7, trigger, and IUI. I didn’t get pregnant. We took off July-September for work trips and a vacation. In October, we resumed Clomid 150mg and I produced too many follicles (6-8) and Dr. Bateman said it was too many to proceed. Too high a risk of multiples. So we shut down treatment and I took Prometrium to bring a period. When I got my period and had my ultrasound, my ovary had a large cyst. I was prescribed Loestrin birth control for two weeks. At my next ultrasound, in November, ovaries looked fine. I got a period, and started 100mg Clomid days 4-8 and then two days of Gonal-F shots. I produced follicles, triggered, ovulated, and did my 6th IUI. I didn’t get pregnant. In December, we did 6 days of Gonal-F shots of 87.5 units each. I produced follicles and triggered and did our 7th IUI. I got pregnant and had good numbers for both of my beta HCG blood tests. I carried to 11.5 weeks and then miscarried in March of 2019. I saw Dr. Bateman in April for a consult and we decided to wait for a period and do another HSG test to check my tubes and uterus. Waiting on my period now.

It’s expensive! IUI cycles with drugs were about $800. Shots for the Nov/Dec. cycles were $500-700. Clomid was about $30. Thyroid meds are $4/month. Ultrasounds were $80-180.

Dr. Bateman was always realistic with my husband and I. He never made any promises he couldn’t keep. When I had bleeding early in my pregnancy he had me come to the office right away to make sure the baby and I were both ok. He even called me a few days later to check on me.

If you ever have any questions along the way, ask them. Dr. Bateman will never get mad or annoyed for asking too many questions. He wants you to feel involved in your own care.

Clomid- no negative results, but no pregnancy. Gonal F- no negative results, pregnancy Lupron- no negative results, pregnancy Estradiol- no negative results, pregnancy HCG- no negative results, pregnancy

For fertility medications, egg retrieval, genetic testing, and embryo transfer we paid at least $26,000.

Dr. Bateman advise my husband and I that because our infertility was due to a sperm based issue we should only implant one embryo at a time.