Grace Couchman (retired)

Dr. Couchman was always willing to listen to us first, she heard our story as to why we were seeking out a second opinion without any judgement. She did interject along the way to ask more in depth questions but she showed empathy toward us. She gave us hope even after one miscarriage that we could become pregnant again. Anything we wanted to try she was willing to work with us to come up with the best treatment plan each time. She referred to us by our names and when I would come to the practice for monitoring and was seen by another doctor but saw her in the hallway she would give me a warm friendly smile and say hello!

Don't be afraid to speak out and share what you really feel is best for you. She will respond with empathy.

Based on my history and lab test results she had me start at a mid range level of IU's for the main drug I took during the first 7 days of the cycle but when I came in for my first monitoring appointment she would readjust it if deemed necessary. In my first cycle I had to order another vial of the second drug to give my follicles a little more time to grow and also to make sure I didn't ovulate to early.

I was told insurance would cover up to three cycles of medications, which they were with only co-pays. I also had coverage for monitoring and blood work. The cycle for IUI was out of pocket since this wasn't coverage from the insurance company so we paid for the monitoring and blood work. However we were aware of this thanks to the awesome financial counselors.

No

From the very beginning we have found it easy to talk with Dr Couchman. Going through this process has been mentally exhausting. Dr Couchman has sat and talked with us numerous times and I have never felt rushed or like we were just another patient. I feel like she has a very realistic professional opinion. She doesnt sugarcoat anything but she still has comforting way of talking with you.

You won't always see Dr Couchman at every visit. I wasn't used to this at first. But I do feel comfortable with everyone in the practice.

We first tried medication (I don't remember what we used) and did timed intercourse. After the negative pregnancy test we decided to do an IUI. We did two IUI's that both resulted in a negative pregnancy test. We tried a third IUI but I had no follicles that time. She told us to proceed with timed intercourse. That ended with a negative pregnancy test. We took some time off after that. We came back and decided to try IVF. We had 9 follicles. From there we had 4 embryos. By day 5 we only had 2 embryos and they were not as developed as they hoped, but still growing. So we transferred 2. We got a negative pregnancy test.

Insurance paid for up to three IUI's. We had to pay out of pocket for IVF.

She listened and she explained things clearly. Just wish that consistent in who I saw each check up. During our loss she didn't stress us to decide and when asked that's when she told us what options to take depending on what we wanted, consistent with our beliefs. She also advised us to take time to heal before we inform what next step we wanted, to try again or to stop, was pour choice. She didn't say it out, it was obviously implied. She was sensitive and caring.

She's very experienced, but also very busy. You have to specify that she will do all the follow up check ups unless it's ok to get the other doctors.

Age was a factor for our decision and time. I have a condition that makes me irregular and if we insisted on own eggs out might not have worked out even given time to try to harvest, if any will. Plus the possibility of disorders.

A lot

N/a

We chose Dr. Couchman because of her expertise, not for her bedside manner. She is very blunt, but in our case was exactly what I needed. We suffered from male factor infertility, but Dr. Couchman was quick to tell me that I needed to lose some weight before our transfer to increase our odds of achieving a pregnancy. She was always quick to respond to emails, and was very thorough when explaining our treatment plans.

Menopur, Gonal F, and Cetrotide injections prior to retrieval to stimulate egg production- ovaries were monitored for follicle growth. I was extremely bloated while getting these injections. HCG, Lupron (trigger shot) Began Z-PAC the day before egg retrieval Progesterone injections (10 weeks)- Began the day after egg retrieval and continued after positive pregnancy test Began Estrace after retrieval

Between one round of IVF with ICSY and our medications, our grand total was around $19,000. We also have 3 more frozen embryos at CarolinaConceptions that run around $400 a year.

Dr. Couchman was very clear in Explaining the possibility of multiples with a 2-embryo transfer. We transferred 2 embryos in hopes of a twin pregnancy. We were told that the clinic will only transfer more than 2 embryos in very drastic situations after every other route has been tried. Only one embryo “took”.

Even though I had suffered a set back, Dr. Couchman always listened to my concerns and ideas for a different protocol. She considered them and allowed me to try different protocols to try to get my endometrial lining thicker.

All the Doctors at Carolina Conceptions are update on the newest protocols and off label use for fertility treatments. Don't be afraid to suggest a different protocol to be used because we all don't react the same way to a prescribed protocol. Dr. Couchman will listen and discuss your options with you to determine the best protocol to use.

I was using BCP, progesterone Ethyl Oleate, estrogen pills/patches and I became pregnant with the first transfer; however, had a miscarriage After having a D&C, my lining wasn't the same. It just didn't look as thick as it did before the D&C. I was approximately 6 mm when I got pregnant the first time. We tried doing a cycle with follistim with sildenafil which didn't work in getting my lining thicker. Then we tried trental on my last cycle and even though my lining didn't seem to be more than 6mm, we were successful in getting and maintaining a pregnancy.

I spent approximately $40,000. I decided the best option was the CC Refund Plan ($22, 800). This did not include the egg donor fee of $6,000 and associated drugs approximately $2,000 to $3,000. the first donor there were only 2 viable embryos for transfer and I became pregnant; however, had a miscarriage. I decided to try again and paid another $6,000 plus drugs for a new egg donor. This donor produced 7 viable embryos and had them transferred 2, 2, and 3 for the last transfer. I now have a beautiful baby.

She was very professional and didnt not set unrealistic expectations. But she was never present for procedure, nurses did it and nothing was ever adjusted to meet our needs, medicine then iui and no guidance.

Ask her to perform the procedure herself, if a nurse was supposed to do it then a doctor wouldnt have to "over see" it. Ask alot of questions because she does not give information without specifically being asked.

I cant remember the names of medicines but we used a pill, then a shot, then iui and it did not work either time and we were told not to waste money on more than two iui and then use money for ivf

hsg was $450, iui $1200 not including meds insurance doesnt cover, sperm analysis $150 and past that I cant remember

Dr. Couchman has made time for me on every appointment I've had with her (3 within seven months). She would lay out a course of treatment, make sure I understood the plan, and answered each and every question I had. If I needed her input (I changed medications at the recommendation of my thyroid-endocrinologist) I was able to get her voicemail and she called me back personally. She is knowledgeable and patient, and I have always felt informed, empowered, and validated.

She is willing to sit with you and go through your list of questions--come prepared! She will not dismiss anything as a silly question.

I did three cycles of Timed Intercourse with letrozole (femara). I responded to the medication (one large follicle each cycle), and used ovidrel as the trigger shot. Once it was clear that that was not working, we tried one IUI, with the rationale that this has a higher success rate, and that I was responding well to the letrozole (one appropriately sized follicle each cycle). Once that didn't work, the discussion became about the advantages of multiple IUI's vs. the higher odds of IVF (I am a teacher, and will be taking advantage of the teacher discount offered by Carolina Conceptions). My husband and I tried one round of combination oral and injection medications (follistim) but were unsuccessful, despite producing 2 good sized follicles. We are moving on to IVF this summer.

With insurance, monitoring was between $30 and $40 per visit, but I don't remember what it was without insurance. I know that our IUI was around 700 including monitoring.

I have PCOS and Dr. Couchman and the other physicians at Carolina Conceptions were the first doctors to listen to my concerns and have a collaborative relationship with me and my husband to meet my goals without judgement or pressure. After starting ar the clinic my husband was Diagnosed with low sperm count and later vericosities. Dr. Couchman was expremely supportive, providing us with realistic and honest advice. We were faced with two choices: have my husband have surgery to correct his verbosities and wait 9-12 months to find out if it corrected his sperm count enough to resume trying IUIs or proceed with IVF. She clearly explained the options and advised us to proceed with the surgery option and if that didn't work return to IVF. Well, we are extremely greatful for following her medical advice because my husbands count when from 10,000 to 75,000 in 3 months post surgery and we were able to conceive with me taking fermara/clomid. I had went to quite a few other clinics/doctors looking for medical advice and help before going to Carolina Conceptions. To be honest all the other clinics told me not to worry about my fertility despite being diagnosed with PCOS at 18, the reason being I have atypical PCOS and don't present typically. So most doctors insist I can't have it and since we are both 29 they felt we were too young to worry about fertility treatment. But dr. Couchman invegstated all my symptoms and diagnosed me while keeping in mind the financial and emotional toll of fertility treatment. Finally, to be completely honest Dr. Couchman is the first Doctor I have seen that made me feel like a human with a medical problem and not a mystery of science. I can't say enough good things about Carolina Conceptions and all the doctors and staff there, without them my babies life wouldn't be possible.

Be completely honest with your doctor and commit yourself 100% to the treatment approach you choose.

I had a blue cross pop plan that covered all tx that was not ART and it covered all testing.

Dr. Couchman seems to be very experienced in her field. I felt like I could trust her and her opinion and expertise. She tried every option to help us get pregnant before even suggesting IVF, which was our last option. I felt like she understood that IVF was a huge undertaking on us financially, mentally and physically and I appreciate that she took this into consideration. I never felt rushed by her and she always took time to explain things to me.

Make sure you listen to what she has to say and consider her experience and expertise because she knows what she is doing.

We first started with oral fertility meds which did not work. I don't have a period on my own so this caused complications with me ovulating. I did three cycles of IUI. The first cycle included Menopur. I personally don't think this cycle worked at all because I don't even think I got my period after it. The second cycle included Menopur, but with higher dosages. My egg growth was very slow with this cycle, but implantation did not occur. The third and final IUI included Follistim. With this medication, the cycle seemed to go perfect. My eggs responded quickly and as they should have, but I didn't get pregnant. I then had IVF which consisted of Gonal-F and Menopur. My eggs were very slow growing with this cycle, but eventually they were able to retrieve 11 eggs.

My insurance covered all three of my IUIs, so I only had to pay for office co-pays and medication co-pays. I ended up having IVF, so overall we spent around $22,000.

I am an extreme case - I have poor egg quality and my husbands MFI is severe. After my first cycle failed (my embryos failed to develop) - Dr. Couchman met with the other doctors to come up with a game plan for my situation. My protocol was completely changed. My second cycle was completely different - my poor eggs made blasts and I was able to biopsy for PGS. Awaiting my first transfer now! She met with me to go over my fears about the FET failing and has been kind during this difficult process.

She is an excellent listener - though I don't know how she'd do with someone who was super emotional - I'm very pragmatic and it is easy to talk straight with her.

My first cycle was antagonist with menopur and follistim - my AMH is very good for my age and I responded great 16 eggs - but the quality was awful everything dead by day 3. For my second cycle, I primed with testosterone patches - used more menopur than last time and used HGH - my eggs still looked ugly to the embryologist but they made blasts - putting a PGS normal back next month!

Grace Couchman is a great human being. She listens to you, makes eye contact, makes one feel like they are important and their issue is important to her. She explains the situations and assures one understands what is going on. She never hesitates to help her patients even when she is on vacation. She understands people have another life and does not give them false hopes and makes sure they have a good relationship with their partner. She makes a doctor & patient conversation so easy and without any stress. She is such a down to earth person that anyone fells comfortable talking to her and discussing private issues. I was so happy to see her and work with her during the fertility trials

I would tell any prospective patient to feel as comfortable as they can when they meet and discuss their issues with Grace Couchman. She is trustworthy and handles any situation greatly. She is going to be the best fertility doctor anyone can have.

She start with doing some test and blood work to start with. She would ask me to report to her any issues I have with my cycle or any questions I might have regarding medication usage and dose. She then would adjust my medication based on labs, my feedback on start of my cycle and such. She would have her nurse available at all time even when she was out of reach to give her the message.

I had coverage with my insurance for medications and basic treatments. I don't remember how much but I was only responsible for the co-pay. However, my partner and I would not be able to do IVF or more aggressive treatments as the cost would be out of our budget.

Dr. Couchman was patient and good listener. I have PCOS and was over responsive to the injections, which led to canceling a planned IUI. At that point, I felt my affordable options were over. I did some research on my own and found out about ovarian drilling (laparoscopy and covered by my insurance). After speaking with Dr. Couchman, I learned it was a procedure she could perform. I only wish she had presented that as an option to me, as opposed to me spending countless hours searching for where to go next, considering I could not afford IVF.

Have a good understanding of all treatment options and talk with her about them.

Dr. Couchman was conservative in her approach because of my PCOS. She didn't want to overstimulate my ovaries and called off a planned IUI due to 2 eggs that were close to 17mm and 2 that a were around 14/15. I did not like that decision, but appreciated the precaution she took. Also, after the laporascopic surgery (ovarian drilling), she only prescribed letrozol and did not put me on the injections. I didn't agree with that either, but I did conceive. Although it resulted in a miscarriage at 17 weeks. I do wish she had been aggressive in her precaution before releasing me to a regular OBGYN, as I think I should have been under the care of a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist considering my medical history.

Cost incurred for co-pay visits, ultrasounds, medications, surgical procedure, and IUI.

NA

Dr. Couchman was very honest and upfront with us from our very first visit. She responded to emails very quickly regardless of the time/day they were sent. I always felt like she cared for us and our dream of having a child. After reviewing all of our records and completing various tests, she provided us with multiple options and assisted us with choosing the most appropriate option for our family.

Explain your goals and financial situation so she can assist you in choosing the best option. She will be honest with you.

Dr. Couchman is very blunt. She doesn't sugar coat anything which can be hard to hear if you are older. She does give you all the information you need and you don't leave with questions. I would go to her again if I were going to do another treatment. She does take what she learns from each treatment and tries to development a plan based on that information when suggesting future treatments.

Just remember that she is blunt. She is very realistic about your chances of having a successful IVF cycle. She doesn't seem to believe in eastern or naturopathic work which i feel should go along with fertility treatments. Patients should consider "getting their bodies ready" before any fertility treatment.

we tried clomid for three months which Dr. Couchman did just to put my mind at ease. When doing IVF, i started with 3 weeks of birth control. I then did 10 days of injections with a trigger shot on the 10th day. Thirty-six hours later, we did egg retrieval. The first IVF cycle we did PGS testing on the one egg that survived to day 5. The embryo was considered abnormal. The second IVF cycle we used the same treatment with the addition of a human growth hormone added to my protocol. That cycle we had 2 embryos we could transfer on day 5 (we did not do PGS testing this round). On day 7, we learned that we had 1 more embryo to develop to blastocyst which we froze and have yet to transfer.

paid out of pocket for first treatment and it was around 13,000 for treatment and 5000 for meds. Same for second treatment, but 10,000 was covered under insurance.

From the very first meeting I felt completely at ease with Dr. Couchman. I am not one that like going to doctors and it give me anxiety but I can honestly say that I never felt that way under her care. Yes she gave me news and I information that was hard to hear at time but she always assured me that I would get pregnant. After my failed first round of IVF my husband and I new right away that we wanted to try again asap; Dr. Couchman supported us 100%. She gave us pros and cons of excerpt stpenof the way as well as time for us to think and pray on our decisions. She answered and emails or phone calls we made to her in a timely manner. We felt at ease the entire time under her care. We will be forever thankful for the two miracles she helped us conceive and bring into this world.

Ask questions if you don't understand a certain process or procedure. Every patient is different and what works for some may not be best for others. Going into it I thought IVF was a "last resort" option. But it turns out that it was the safest and most effective choice for me.

Luckily my husband and I had excellent insurance. The covered most of my treatments completely and cover most of the cost associated with medicine/injections. Complete out of pocket expenses totaled about $6k.

Dr. Coachman is an excellent Dr. She really looks into your background and digs into why you are having fertility problems. Based on my history, she discussed her plan and we thought it was excellent. After discovering I have a very high egg count and my husband has a high sperm count we believe IUI was the way to go. Unfortunately, I never fully ovulated. We decided to go to our next step, which was either IVF or embryo adoption. We decided on embryo adoption because that was in our price range. 2 embryos we implanted by another dr and I had a successful pregnancy! Dr. Coachman saw me for my next appointments and was over the moon that we were finally pregnant! I hated to leave Carolina Conceptions.

Be open to all options and be ready to listen. You won't always hear what you want to and that's ok. Dr. Coachman will work out a plan of action to help you have a baby.

For my IUIs they were very thorough. I would come in when my cycle started on Day 1 to see if everything was good (no cysts, etc). After the nurse completed my ultra sound I was instructed to start my fertility oils, like clomid, on a certain day and start injections on the 3rd day, I believe. After so many days on the injections, I would go in for another ultrasound to see if I was ready to ovulate. I was directed to go home and give myself a trigger shot, have sex, and come back in 2 days to have an IUI done. We were also instructed to obstain on the 2nd day so my husbands count would be good. We did this for 3 cycles.

My insurance paid for most of my IUI appointments and medication. I believe we paid out $500 all together. For our embryo, we put down a $300 non refundable deposit, paid for medications, and the transfer which totaled around $5,000 , maybe a little more than that.

When we completed embryo adoption they implanted 2 embryos and believe this would be great. We are very thankful one took!

Dr. Couchman was extremely knowledgeable, comforting, matter of fact, and supportive. She was never discouraging or negative about the failed IUI attempts and continued to reassure me that everything was normal in the process. If she was unable to do the procedure, she was sure to have another one of the highly trained doctors do so. I have since moved to Georgia, but my partner and I plan on trying to have our second child and have already decided that we are willing to make the trips back to Raleigh to try with Dr. Couchman as our doctor (that is how much we love and respect her).

Trust in the process and in Dr. Couchman and her team.

I completed three rounds back to back of IUI with Clomid and injections. As we were waiting to see the third round of IUI results, I also trained for the IUI with injectables because Dr. Couchman felt that if the third round was not successful, then we would have a higher chance of doing that process without being too invasive. Luckily, the third round was successful and I had my daughter on her due date at the beginning of 2016.

Apart from the 4 vials of sperm purchased, we spent approximately $2,000. This covered medications, preliminary testing, numerous visits, three inseminations, confirmation testing, and IUI with injectables training.

Dr. Grace Couchman was the perfect amount of professional, mixed with compassion, and I could not have asked for a better experience. She always answered my emails, even on the weekends!! I could not believe the level of care she provided. She always seemed genuinely excited for us every step of the way, and her optimism helped me to keep a positive outlook throughout the process. If I had a question, she would always respond in a timely manner. And when one of our twins didn't make it at week 9 of pregnancy, she called me as soon as she got the news. She made sense of it all, and brought so much clarification to the situation. She was factual and realistic about everything. I did not feel like she was trying any treatment that she knew was a waste of time. She knew what it was going to take to get us pregnant and helped us get to that goal.

Always ask questions. If you do no understand the answer given, ask for clarification. Dr. Couchman is extremely knowledgeable and intelligent. When doing something for a long time, we sometimes forget other people do not understand what we are talking about, so if she loses you, ask for clarification and she will lend it.

I do not remember specifics, but I was put on medications to do a fresh IVF cycle, and we used my husbands frozen sperm sample for the transfer with ICSI. I was given progesterone to take in the days leading up the transfer, and for about two weeks after. Because of male infertility we were told ICSI was our best option at conceiving with a fresh cycle.

We had to do remote monitoring due to living in an area 3 hours away. The doctor’s office they set us up with in Wilmington was just as fantastic. Dr. William Cooper was great!

The cost of this practice was SLIGHTLY more expensive than a few others, but by far exceeds any and all expectations you would have when going through this process. They completely supported my wants and wishes to skip all the in between options that could have made them more money but may not have worked, and never once questioned my determination to go straight to the IVF. All of the other clinics we had talked to wanted us to try a million things that would have cost us an absurd amount of money, only to probably have to do the IVF my gut told me would work.

Both our doctor and the embryologist suggested we only transfer one embryo. They felt our likelihood of conceiving given what the issue was, was an easy fix and would result in a live birth. My husband and I are military, and cannot afford several rounds of IVF... So we went with our gut to transfer two embryos in hopes of getting twins, so we would not have to pay for another treatment and still get the two children we longed for. We felt supported, but they were honest about what that would mean if we had multiples, risks, complications etc. On the day of transfer, they suggested again we only transfer one, but I was adamant. I would say they tried to sway us to eSET, given our age and diagnosis, but ultimately they supported our decision.

Dr. Couchman was outstanding. We were not sure what to expect however we had zero complaints or reservations about working with Dr. Couchman. She was incredibly compassionate, listened to us thoroughly at each visit and always gave us plenty of time to meet with her during appointments and even via email during treatment cycles. She is exceptional in her counseling style and offers solid advice to her patients.

Be prepared to hear what she has to tell you. The method we ultimately selected was not the first choice but after several meetings with Dr. Couchman was the one that worked best for us. Be open to any and all suggestions, she is an expert in her field.

In total between meds and procedures, we spent approximately $50,000. My husband and I carry the cystic fibrosis gene therefore we had to have genetic testing for all embryos. Insurance did not cover any of our procedures or medications.

Facing miscarriages was the hardest experience of my life but I felt like I wasn't alone during those experiences - Dr. Couchman was there every step of the way. We were optimistic but practical about my pregnancies and Dr. Couchman always remained honest. I appreciated her consistent efforts to make such a difficult time so much easier for me.

Rest assured that you are in good hands with Dr. Couchman. She cares about her patients and has every desire to make your dreams come true with a healthy baby. Be honest and candid with Dr. Couchman and she will alleviate your concerns and worries.

Dr. Couchman paid close attention to my responses to medications and protocols in previous cycles. She always pointed out specific things from previous cycles that I failed to remember. I felt cared for by Dr. Couchman. She had my best interest at heart and I could feel it in everything that she did in my behalf as my doctor. And friend.

Monitoring was usually done at a time that was relatively convenient for me most of the time. It was quick and painless most days.

It was a ton of money, that's all I remember!

Dr. Couchman always reminded me of practicalities - even when my head was in the clouds and the thought of sextuplets sounded fun! Dr. Couchman kept me grounded and realistic and for that I am truly grateful.

She knows her stuff. At times I found that the expectations that she set for our results were much higher than the outcome, although I know there are many variables. I believe in taking charge of your own healthcare, and as I've done my own research about different IVF methods, am surprised that she's not presenting more options to me, such as different drugs and ways to prime for IVF. In general I trusted and still do trust and value her input on major decisions.

Do some of your own research so that you can ask questions outside of the box.

IVF with menopur and gonal-f, plus centrocide as a trigger drug

IVF - about 15,000

only single embryo transfer

Dr. Couchman was so straight forward and knew exactly what I was striving for and how to give that to me. When I lost my daughter at 20 weeks she was so worried about me and when I went back to see her she wanted to know my future plans and what my doctors had planned to health me achieve a full term pregnancy because she didn’t want me to go through the pain of losing another child!

Be ready for her to be direct and to tell you exactly how it is but still also be sympathetic to you and your needs and concerns!

The total cost of my IVF cycle with insurance was around $4,000 including medicine!

Although we haven't had success yet, she always leaves us excited to try the next option. She is very detailed but gets right down to business. I also like that we meet in her office most of the time and just talk...it isn't intimidating. She is very approachable and genuinely concerned, ready to find a solution.

She isn't a miracle worker, but strives to be.

We have unexplained infertility and have just started working with her. So far we have done all the help and she pre tests. Eggs are good, sperm is good, uterus is good, all levels are normal. We did 3 cycles of 50 mg of clomid without a positive result.

Copay under insurance for office visits. Clomid was covered, any in office testing was covered, but once we started getting into more complicated procedures nothing was cover under insurance. Iui was about 2-3k and Ivf was upwards to 18k+.

We haven't discussed this in much detail because the cost of treatment was more than we could handle....just not an option.

We visited doctor Couchman for 2 times. After taken all the tests, and everything is fine, she suggested us to take IUI. And explained us how the IUI will work. After the 2 unsuccessful IUI, we will see her again to talk about the next step.

If she can explain the reason of my infertility.

two same IUI, take the baseline utralsound at day2-3, then take the Letrozole from day 3-7, then take another utralsound at day 12, then take a shot at that day night. At last, have the IUI at day 14. But unfortunately, we have the negative results.

My insurance can not cover any procedure about infertility treatment. So about one time's IUI is $250+$250+$480+medicine, around $1000. Now we will take IVF, I am not sure the price of it. I just worried about that if we can handle the expensive fee.

Dr. Couchman appears to be very cerebral; the downside of this is that I often felt like she was withholding essential information from me. I've also been frustrated by the infrequency of actually seeing the doctor.

Get as much face time as possible and ask a lot of questions

My partner and I have gone through 3 rounds of hormone injections. The first two we used Letrozole and Ovidrel; the third we used Follistim and Letrozole. All three have resulted in negative pregnancy tests. Dr. Couchman was reluctant to move to Follistim right away because of my unicornuate uterus. (Having multiple fertilized eggs would be very risky)

Fertility treatments are expensive. To date, my partner and I have spent about $3000 out-of-pocket for 3 rounds of hormone therapy.