2015 - 2016, Successful
She [Dr Lippincott] is conservative--I consider this a good thing in her approach, but it may be something that some people are concerned about. Personally, I felt very comfortable with her--she was not cavalier about risks to either my health or that of my potential children. I'm in the medical field, and have seen severe side effects of fertility treatment, as well as bad outcomes in premature multiples--because of all of this, I felt much more comfortable with someone who tends towards the conservative end. It's also possible that I did not see the full range of what she would be willing to do, as my fertility issues were (thankfully!) resolved with treatments that were on the simpler end.
I honestly felt very comfortable with the clinic. Initial wait times were long, but I called back and lucked into a cancellation within 2 weeks. Dr Lippincott and Judy Adams were both very available and I felt very much that I was in good hands. Only limitation--and thankfully I did not have to deal with this much--the MGH lab is incredibly slow, and I have sat for more than an hour's wait to get blood drawn. Thankfully they very rarely asked bloodwork except right at the beginning of my workup and at the end, when confirming pregnancy.
How was your experience with Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?
Dr Lippencott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her. I worked more directly with the ultrasound technologist, but Dr Lippencott would always be available for consultation regarding the plan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?
She is conservative--I consider this a good thing in her approach, but it may be something that some people are concerned about. Personally, I felt very comfortable with her--she was not cavalier about risks to either my health or that of my potential children. I'm in the medical field, and have seen severe side effects of fertility treatment, as well as bad outcomes in premature multiples--because of all of this, I felt much more comfortable with someone who tends towards the conservative end. It's also possible that I did not see the full range of what she would be willing to do, as my fertility issues were (thankfully!) resolved with treatments that were on the simpler end.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital?
Dr Lippincott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her.
Describe the protocols Margaret Lippincott used in your cycles at Massachusetts General Hospital and their degree of success.
I had previously done 3 cycles of unmonitored Clomid (1 cycle on 50mg and 2 on 100mg), and only ovulated on the last cycle (2 follicles). Dr Lippincott diagnosed me with PCOS based on my US and confirmed that I probably had not ovulated in the prior year (I had been using urine ovulation tests without ever getting a positive line, until the last cycle of Clomid).
With Dr Lippincott, she had me come in for ultrasounds on day 3 (confirm ovulation and how many follicles ovulated) and day 12-13 (confirm if a dominant follicle present). Based on the size of the dominant follicle, I would either come back in on day 16-17 (if it was not large enough to be able to confirm what day it would be mature), or they would estimate the date of follicle maturity from the day 12-13 scan. I would then administer HCG and do timed intercourse. I did this for two cycles. On my 3rd cycle with Dr Lippincott, we decided to add on an IUI; again, I did US on day 3 and day 12-13; because my follicle was still too small, we repeated an US on day 16, did HCG injection on day 16, then did an IUI on day 18. Thankfully this was enough for us!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Judy Adams (actually the ultrasonographer, who was usually my point person if not Dr Lippincott))
I did not actually work with any nursing staff. My primary point person was Judy Adams, the ultrasonographer, who was great--warm and very responsive, and also very good.
Describe your experience with Massachusetts General Hospital.
I honestly felt very comfortable with the clinic. Initial wait times were long, but I called back and lucked into a cancellation within 2 weeks. Dr Lippincott and Judy Adams were both very available and I felt very much that I was in good hands.
Only limitation--and thankfully I did not have to deal with this much--the MGH lab is incredibly slow, and I have sat for more than an hour's wait to get blood drawn. Thankfully they very rarely asked bloodwork except right at the beginning of my workup and at the end, when confirming pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Margaret Lippincott at Massachusetts General Hospital.
We were lucky- covered by insurance. We have a high-deductible plan; after the discount from the insurance, we paid ~$200 per US (so $400 per cycle) plus $500 for the IUI. (With the high-deductible plan, until we meet our out of pocket, we expect to pay $150-$200 per doctor's appointment--so don't take this as the amount you would pay if you had a more conventional plan.) Clomid is pretty cheap.