Connie Alford

When I. Actually met with Dr Alford I trusted her and liked her a lot. But my treatment mostly was done via the other staff. There was no real follow up from the Dr directly, a lot of it seemed delegated off and I felt like I should be dealing with the Dr. when dealing with the Dr she does seem knowledgeable and she was very nice. I would have loved if she was more proactive and involved in patient care and treatment.

Push her to give you several options. Ask clearly how involved she will be with your treatment.

I have a blocked tube but otherwise I’m healthy. My husband has no issues. So she started with just timed intercourses paired with ovidrel. She estimated I would be pregnant in 12 months because we knew some months I would ovulate from the blocked side as month 12 approached, I (not the Dr) pushed the conversation as to what is next. IUU was the next step and she said 3-4 was ok. Those all failed. We had met and discussed after the iui, if they didn’t work, we would need to do a consultation for ivf. After my last iui, I basically got the neg test and that’s the last I heard from them. When I called to schedule the ivf consultation they never returned my call. I called a 2nd time and did set an appointment (earliest was like 3 weeks later). I ultimately cancelled it because I no longer felt I wanted to do business with them. Which was a shame because I loved the nursing staff.

Each timed cycle cost about $800. Each iui cycle was closer to $1200.

We never discussed this.

Dr. Alford is fantastic. She is sweet and explains everything in complete detail. She also works to be as accommodating as possible for me. My drive to her clinic is an hour and my work schedule does not afford me much time off. Her staff has done their best to work around my schedule and she has been very sensitive of my feelings while I navigate my second miscarriage.

Please give all IVF patients the rules as early as possible, especially if there is some line they aren't meeting, like blood pressure or BMI. This will give patients the most time to get to where the need to be to move forward and reduce stress in the overall process.

We did a standard IVF cycle starting with birth control. From there, we did Gonal-F and Menopur, both of which had to be increased multiple times. My eggs mature late, so my retrieval was pushed back to the very last day they could do it before moving me to a different office. We did a freeze-all cycle. At retrieval, we got 25 eggs, but only 6 were mature. Of those six, only 3 made it to blastocyst.

$20,000 - $22,000 for IVF, medications, and associated ultrasounds and procedures.

She was very informative about the risks of transferring multiple embryos, but told us that in the end, the choice was up to us. We elected to do a single transfer after learning all the risks about twin pregnancies.

Dr. Alford is a very intelligent woman and she knows exactly what she is doing. Which eases the stress that comes with this situation. She has an educated and caring answer for any and all questions. We did have a hard time socially with her as my wife and I are very outgoing and social. She knows her stuff and cares but there isn’t much time for jokes and chit chat, which is understandable. Her heart is in the right place and that means the world to us.

Be ready financially. Most insurances do not cover her services and it is costly. Be ready for fees that you didn’t expect. Such as lab work and a few procedures. Be sure to ask as we were surprised a few times .

To date we have had our consult, my wife started with an SIS, this is a saline ultrasound used to look at the uterus and cervix. Now we are starting with the meds and have weekly blood tests and ultrasounds to check hormone levels and monitor the uterine lining. We will be doing the IVF transfer in the next coming weeks.

The clinic offers packages that relate to your specific needs. They are costly and not everything is included.

Dr. Alford suggested that if we had strong embryos to only do a single transfer but if they are weak to do a multiple embryo transfer.

Dr. Alford seems to know exactly what she is doing. She doesn’t mind our tedious questions and always has an answer for us. She is very busy but we always get just what we need at every visit. It seems that everyone in our town has gone to her! Every time we mention her, someone will say they know someone who has been to her and has had a great experience. This gives us great confidence in her and her staff.

Be ready to move at a slower pace than you think. This is not exactly a bad thing but it is nice to know ahead of time. Dr. Alford is wonderful but don’t expect too many warm and fuzzies! She means well and cares but is not overally warm and fuzzy.

Right now we are only taking the preliminary medications before ivf that will happen in March.

About 10,000.

She suggest single but will do multiple if you would like it.

I thought seeing Dr. Alford was a good experience as a patient and I have referred her to a couple other friends as well. In general, other than the major procedures, I didn't see her as much, but I saw the nurses almost every other day during treatments/blood work. I think that Dr. Alford was very professional throughout the process and explained things to me in a way that I was able to understand.

Don't expect things to happen over night ... going through fertility treatments is a crazy roller coaster of emotions and a BIG waiting game. When we first saw Dr. Alford, we had already accepted the fact that we would need to do IVF and wanted to start the process right away. Of course, you still have to go through lots of testing, and waiting for your cycle, and other things that impact timing of everything so it is important to be patient. I know, much easier said than done!

Our one IVF fresh cycle cost close to $12,000 before medications. I believe we paid almost $3,000 total in medications.

At first, Dr. Alford highly recommended only transferring one embryo. However, my husband and I were set on transferring two. When it came down to it, we ended up only having 2 embryos to transfer, none to freeze, and she agreed that we should transfer both. I am currently pregnant with twins and my husband and I are thrilled!

When we had our first consultation, we were scared. My husband felt like there was a little bit of a sales pitch going on. However, in hindsight, he has completely re-evaluated and now understands exactly why Dr. Alford told us everything she told us. She was honest about the testing we needed to have done. Even though it was unlikely to uncover a problem, it did uncover a problem - a fixable one. Dr. Alford truly cared about solving the mystery of our infertility. She was very present - in other words, if I had questions/concerns, she was there to answer them in a clear, concise, and honest way. There was no beating around the bush or false hope. In fact, she set our expectations low. She told us to hope for 3 viable embryos. We got 7. Even when we got a positive pregnancy test, we were cautioned about getting through the first trimester. Dr. Alford was usually there when I had weekend appointments. She was excited and happy when we got pregnant. I think she really cared about us as people, not just patients.

Don't be alarmed by the plethora of tests she wants to run, or the list of things that could be wrong with you. Dr. Alford knows what she is doing and I promise it will make sense when all is said and done. If she is recommending that you do IVF, it isn't to make money. It is because it is the best decision for you medically. TRUST HER.

When we went to Dr. Alford, we had no reason to suspect anything would be wrong with me. I was a perfectly healthy 30 year old, non-smoker, non-drug user, no prior miscarriages, appropriate weight, etc. Turns out I had a VERY low AMH (low ovarian reserve). My husband also had some male-factor infertility but he was overall not the concern. Thus, we were advised to try IUI 2-3 times. HOWEVER, we were advised that with such a low AMH, if the IUI works, it might be our only child because i might have no eggs left by the time we can have a 2nd. My first cycle of IUI, I took clomid (150 was the dosage, whether mg or however it is measured). I had 3 eggs mature (2 in one ovary, 1 in the other). Negative pregnancy test (HCG indicative of no fertilization). We did the exact same thing for round 2, except this time I had 4 eggs. I cannot recall if there were 2 and 2 or 3 and 1 (in each ovary). Again, negative test. By the way, my periods each time were horrifically bloody and painful. Fair warning. Additionally, each cycle of IUI was coupled with blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor and measure the follicle growth. We did NOT use an OPK. The method used by Dr. Alford is way more accurate. We used a TRIGGER SHOT each time. I do not know the name of the drug.We also did a "double" each time, which means we did insemination at 24 hours and again at 36 hours. After that, we decided that it was not worth it to try a 3rd time. So we decided to try IVF (which, by the way, was the hardest decision we've ever made). For IVF, we started with birth control for about 2 weeks. Then kind of a "fake" period, followed by injections. We started with 2 daily injections: "5 menopur" which was 2 vials of powder, and gonal-F. I think the Gonal F was 225 IU, but i am not sure. After bloodwork and ultrasounds every 48 hours for about 5-6 days, we added a 3rd injection: Cetrotide. These were individual, disposable needles so i do not know the dosage. We continued these 3 injections every night until I think day 8 or 9. Then we increased the dosage of the Menopur and Gonal-F. I think we did 3 menopur and increased the gonal-F to about 300 (not positive), and did that for 1 or 2 nights. Then we did the trigger shot. I do not know the name of the trigger, but it was a different trigger than the IUI, and a much bigger needle (plus, it went in my upper butt muscle - it doesn't hurt NEARLY as bad as they say!!!). By day 7 or 8 i was going in every day for ultrasounds and blood. When we did the IVF retrieval, 36 hours after the trigger, I took a valium 5mg, then they gave me something that made me feel awesome (maybe hydrocodone?), and anesthesia. I fell asleep with pants on and woke up with no pants on and a bloated stomach. NOT FUN! But we got 12 eggs. 11 fertilized. 7 made it. We had hoped for 2-3. Once we did the transfer, i began vaginal progesterone (1 mg or g, not sure - 2x per day) and estraidol (not sure of spelling). The progesterone was a gel, estradol was a pill. It was gross and i had to wear pads. Because the pregnancy was successful, I continued these two drugs through 12 weeks of pregnancy. I am currently 14.5 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby.

I had nothing against her being young but when we had setbacks she didn't really know what to do. It wasn't until we left and went on the national level to A Class level doctors we really understood how little she knew. After I prematurely ovulated, but didn't, she should have offered to extract the eggs anyways. She didn't tell us until it was too late. Instead she pushed us into another expensive cycle which ended in similar results-again from her inexperience. IVF seems pretty straight forward until it's not. Then you want your time, money, and hope in a doctor who knows what she's doing. It's not her.

Time is not something you can get back. If you have no choice, allow them to do your monitoring but go to a nationally top doctor at SDFC in San Diego, CCRM in Denver, or ORM in Oregon. IVFMD only looks good in numbers because of sheer volume not successes. Do your homework but don't go here. Trust me.

They use a very straightforward protocol which seems nice at first but they just push you into another and another cycle, not changing the protocol enough to make a difference. If nothing else, you owe it to yourself to at least do a phone consult with national A Class docs to see what they would do. IVF is not all created equal. Doctors make a huge difference! It wasn't until we went to SDFC , our fifth doctor that we had succcess!

We had to pay upfront all at once. In the documents we signed I specify remember reading that we waived our right to legal action. Honestly that should have been our first red flag.

Dr. Alford would put information into terms you could understand, including drawing visuals during consultations and appointments. She was always very thorough and extreamly knowledgeable. I did have two negative pregnancy tests and she called me directly after both to extend her condolences. We went back after our first negative test to do a second cycle. Dr. Alford felt she wanted to change things up this time around based on how my body stemmed from the first retrieval and transfer. Thanks to her and her staff we conceived on our second attempt. In April of 2016, I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl. She has made our family complete. I can't thank Dr. Alford and IVMD for making our dream to become parents come true! I would highly recommend this doctor and staff to anyone. She has the best bedside manner and ultimately cares about each and every patient.

Go in with an open mind and know that nothing is guarenteed.

She is very thorough in her explanation of risks but I wanted her to make recommendations more based on my specific case. All "what-ifs" needed to be decided and were very overwhelming without clear direction from her about what choice would be the best course of action. I did get her to help by asking what she would do if it were her.

Take notes.

I believe I was on a typical protocol. The next cycle she will up my dosage from the beginning.

They seem high but we have a more complicated case because of my husband's side as well.

She recommends single embryo transfer rather then multiple in most cases for health reasons.

Dr.Alford understands what it is you are going through as she has been through it herself. Her hopes are to safely give you the best chances to get pregnant. She will not do anything to compromise your health or the embryo. Her beliefs are very conservative but she is willing to try new regimens when textbook approaches fail. I always felt as if I could trust her judgment implicitly and was able to communicate to her my concerns as they arose.

Ask as many questions as you have. Do not be afraid to ask why she feels a certain way or what she would do if in your shoes.

-IUI worth clomid -hysterscopy -fresh cycle retrieval to freeze embryos - FET

Insurance covered a good portion. My guess is I spent roughly $5,000 over a year but that is inclusive of all medications for cycles.

Dr. Alfred understood my concerns and took the time to listen and allow me to decide what was best for my growing family. She went over my results in detail and gave me options as to next steps. She allowed me to decide which route I wanted to take and supported either. She was patient and understanding.

Be truthful about concerns and expectations.

IVF with frozen eggs and sperm.

Resonable. Got an estimate of about 16,000 for IVF not including an additional 4,000-6,000 for medications needed during procedure.

Dr. Alford is very professional and knowledgeable. I felt confortable discussing with her all my concerns. She gave great explanation of the situation, treatment plan and advise about any question. We love doctor Alford. She helped us to concieve our first baby and we returned back when ready for the second one. Now we are successfully expecting our second child thanks to her and her stuff.

She is the best doctor to choose for any infertility concerns. Very professional with personal approach.

The clinic accepted my insurance, so the cost were bearable.

There was not enough explanation for each part of the process. She did not really evaluate my husband and myself until after the procedure failed.

Hope for the best but be extremely proactive.

Not sure, but we had IVF with ICSI and expected to retrieve 13 eggs.

$11,664

I truly can't say enough wonderful things about her. She was a breath of fresh air, especially since we were coming from a different doctor who wasn't so wonderful. We have two amazing beautiful children thanks to her, her staff, her knowledge and positivity. We're so blessed because of her.

Always stay positive. It's a trying process, but positivity goes a long way.

Very kind and compassionate

Office is getting busy so make appointments ahead of time if your schedule is tight

antagonist protocol, all went very well

Dr. Alford is very thorough, warm, and respectful. She provides tons of information in a clear way and sets expectations reasonably. I felt that all of my meetings with her were helpful and clear. Her staff, however, I had very poor experiences with

No one, not Dr. Alford nor the nurses at IVFMD Naples, is going to be your case manager. You must be prepared to be your own advocate and further your treatment plan

I never saw the doctor except at the beginning. Notes were written on my account that were inaccurate. They just kept upping my meds. She never spoke to me about my treatment plan and there was constant confusion. They never charged the correct amount.

Don't expect to see her

She told me to only try two IUI's after that move into IVF because IUI'S would become ineffective. Since I was on so many meds during the IUI. I took time off before the IVF.

Was told 400 for an IUI. cost over 2000 will all the medical tests. Those were not included in initial price

The only thing I wish I knew ahead of time was the length of time I could expect beforehand and during treatment. It seemed that I was left feeling unsure of some of the steps or timeline during and between certain aspects of testing and monitoring.

Ask detailed questions. Educate yourself.

I was surprised to find that medications would continue after I became pregnant but am confident that all precautions are being taken to meet any obstacles that may arise

We are still in process and have not added everything up yet

I was not given a choice in number of embryos transferred at a time have not been given information on gender. I understand that the genetic testing we did beforehand and trust the team has made the best selections for us.