Mark Bidwell

Dr. Bidwell is super compassionate and straight forward. He is very honest about where you are in treatment, but does it gently. He is a little serious which I appreciate, but still has a way of lightening the mood to make you comfortable. He explains everything in a way you can understand and takes his time so you can process and ask questions.

If you want a very knowledgeable doctor who will take care of your whole self and not fill your head with false hope Dr. Bidwell is your guy!

We started with baseline blood work. (I had already been through 13 cycles with amother doctor.) Started with 100mg of clomid and timed intercourse. 4 rounds. Then we did an HSG test that was inconclusive. We tried 200mg of clomid and ovidrel injections with timed intercourse 2 rounds. Then came 200mg clomid, ovidrel injection, and an IUI that round was also unsuccessful. We moved on to a Hysteroscopy and Tubal endoscopy where we discovered I have complete tubal blockages of both tubes. After recovery Dr. Bidwell decided IVF was our best option moving forward based on my egg and uteran health and my husbands sperm analysis. We have been saving for a year now and hope to move forward in the next few months.

The clinic offers a discounted rate for IVF that includes all parts of treament except for meds and freezing embryos at $8,500.

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Dr. Bidwell is definitely a knowledgable doctor and has always remained optimistic throughout our treatment. He has discussed our test results in a clear way so we can understand our expectations and possible outcomes.

His personality is not extremely gentle and compassionate but he is a good doctor nonetheless.

My husband was diagnosed with Male Factor Infertility by a different male clinic. That doctor had improved his numbers significantly so when we moved to Kettering to see Dr. Bidwell we started on Clomid, Ovidrel and timed intercourse the first month. We then completed 3 more cycles using Femara, Ovidrel and timed intercourse with pregnancies. We moved on to complete an IUI cycle with Dr. Bidwell and found out my husbands count had decreased again and the cycle failed. We decided to do a second IUI but the actual procedure was completed by Dr. Karnitis that time (he is such a pleasant and personable doctor). That cycle my husbands count improved some but it failed as well. We are now moving on to IVF in a few months!

I do not have insurance coverage for IUI's but the clinic overed self pay discounts. The procedure costed $185 and the sperm washing costed $150 plus the cost of the ultrasounds leading up to that were covered with a $40 copay from my insurance.

I have not completed an IVF cycle yet but due to my age, my clinic will only perform a single embryo transfer

Dr Bidwell is a smart and caring doctor. My only concern is the lack of knowing what’s going on from appointment to appointment and having a plan that is aggressive. He is always friendly and soft spoken. He has been very kind to me during my miscarriages. I always felt well cared for.

Get a plan and make sure you are your own advocate. Keep track of everything and keep going until you succeed.

We used times intercourse which result in a miscarriage. He thought this would be the best route since we had been pregnant 3 times before. And I immediately started progesterone. It was a great plan but unfortunately did not result in a take home baby. We moved onto iui. First with oral medications and after my eggs did not respond then to injectable. Our IUI was not successful.

Everything use to go to insurance. Then they switched to Cincinnati. Now I pay for everything up front.

He gave me this advice on multiples. One healthy baby is our goal.

Dr. Bidwell is a great man with years and years of experience and knowledge. He’s a man with a plan, but maybe lacks a little in the compassionate department. I get it, I get it, he sees heartbreak all day, but you just want to feel like your RE is rooting for you.

If you want straight facts and honesty and bluntness, YES go see Dr.Bidwell. If compassion and sensitivity are important to you, maybe seek out someone else.

The first cycle was a monitored (but NO IUI) clomid cycle. Negative pregnancy test. Then I did 2 months of clomid no monitoring because I couldn’t afford to go back to the clinic. Then I did 3 IUI’s, the first two with clomid, and the last with Femara. The first IUI resulted in a chemical pregnancy, while the next two were negative results.

The IUI cycles were about $900 a month. The clomid is about $30 a month, and the trigger shot is $150.

I did not pursue IVF with Dr. Bidwell, but hope to start the process soon with another RE at our practice, if we can save/raise enough money.

For the first time in our whole journey through infertility Dr. Bidwell has made us heard. We had previously been working with an OB and she made us feel ignored and like we were just a number to her, she never answered our questions but would skirt around an answer. I was almost in tears after our consultation with Dr. Bidwell because he made us feel like he truly cares about you and your journey.

Don't be afraid to ask questions because you feel they are silly, he will answer you and make sure you're concerns are addressed.

We first started with a full blood panel to test for PCOS and anything else that might show up, I was then prescribed metformin. Then our first cycle we did Femara for 5 days and I wasn't responding great so we did I believe 3 more days and rechecked the follicles, then did our first IUI. Then came the progesterone blood work and my levels were too low to have ovulated. The next cycle we did a higher dose for longer and another IUI, due to money and some confusion my progesterone levels were never ran so I don't know if I ovulated or not but the cycle didn't take.

My insurance offered zero coverage of infertility so we paid out of pocket for everything. Each cycle costed us about $1000 out of pocket. Our trigger shots were $175 a piece from our local pharmacy, and we were given then info of a pharmacy in Florida that would ship us 2 shots for $200.

Dr. B was fantastic. He was straightforward in his answers and information, but never blunt or abrupt. He told us what his recommendation was (medicated IUI) but did not push us to that path and allowed us to do some medicated timed intercourse cycles. He let us go through this at our own pace, which was incredibly helpful. He wasn't always my doctor (my cycles just happened to sync up on days when his colleague, Dr. K, or a nurse was the one giving ultrasounds) but I was always able to get an appointment with him to discuss next steps when necessary and he was the one who performed my successful IUI.

He tends to think out loud on occasion, which can be scary when he's saying "Hmm.. interesting..." but don't let that scare you. If you need clarification on something, then ask for it and he will gladly give it to you.

I met with my RE for the first time in November 2016 and began what he called "the investigation period." Lots of tests later, we discovered that my husband had low morphology (2%), my AMH was high (8.6 ng/ml), and my 7DPO progesterone was 8.7 ng/ml unmedicated; my RE likes to see at least a 10 for unmedicated cycles and a 15 for medicated cycles. Based on these findings, my RE recommended we go forward with fertility drugs and IUI. We asked to continue with timed intercourse for the time being and he agreed. Here is my cycle breakdown for the timed intercourse cycles: Clomid 50mg for 5 days, unmonitored. Clomid 50mg for 5 days, monitored. Follicles weren't growing well, so they upped my dosage to Clomid 100mg for 5 more days, during which I ovulated on my own. 7DPO progesterone was 19.7 ng/ml. Clomid 100mg for eight days, monitored. Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation. 7DPO progesterone was 17.7 ng/ml. Faint positive tests and blood work showed a chemical pregnancy. Clomid 150mg for six days, monitored. Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation. Started taking Metformin this cycle. 7DPO progesterone was 33.9 ng/ml. Clomid 150mg for six days, monitored. Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation. 7DPO progesterone wasn't checked after great number during previous cycle. Letrozole 5mg for five days, monitored. Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation. 7DPO progesterone was 17.8 ng/ml. At this point, we were frustrated and ready to move on to IUI. Before that, we wanted to be sure both of my tubes were clear since we were paying out of pocket for the procedures. Since I had mentioned my history of harsh period cramps at my first RE appointment, he was able to code the procedures as something other than infertility with insurance, so they were completely covered. I had my hysteroscopy and laparoscopy in July 2017; the RE found completely clear tubes and a healthy uterus, meaning the blockage shown in my HSG the year prior had been a spasm. Armed with that knowledge, we moved forward with IUIs. Here are those cycle breakdowns: Letrozole 7.5mg for 5 days, Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation, second Ovidrel shot 5DPO to keep my progesterone levels up (my RE prefers this to progesterone supplements unless absolutely necessary). Post-wash stats: 36.4 million count. 91% motility, 4 on the forward progression scale. 7DPO progesterone levels of 27.8 ng/ml. 15mm cyst discovered at CD3 ultrasound. Benched for this cycle. Letrozole 10mg for 5 days, Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation, second Ovidrel shot 5DPO to keep my progesterone levels up. Post-wash stats: 34 million count, 92% motility, 4 on the forward progression scale. Faint positive tests and blood work showed a chemical pregnancy. Letrozole 10mg for 5 days, Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation, second Ovidrel shot 5DPO to keep my progesterone levels up. Post-wash stats: 37 million count, 90% motility, 4 on the forward progression scale. Made the choice to abstain from sex after 3DPIUI due to slight bleeding (first time we chose to do this). Positive home test result at 16DPIUI. Beta that day came back at 326 with my progesterone level at 59. Second beta at 20DPIUI came back at 2,132. Third beta at 24DPIUI came back at 7,900.

My insurance covered fertility drugs and ultrasounds, but no procedures. I paid maybe $4 per cycle for Clomid or Letrozole, and each Ovidrel shot was around $10 out of pocket. The semen sample wash cost $150 and the actual IUI procedure cost $185, both out of pocket. We were also paying for OPKs (specifically ClearBlue Advanced Digital kits) and various supplements out of pocket at the recommendation of our doctor.

Dr. Bidwell is very smart and I always trusted him with my care. I do feel that in my initial appointment (where we were told that IVF with ICSI was our best shot at achieving pregnancy) our odds were presented to us with a little too much certainty. Basically I was told that it was almost a 100% chance I'd be pregnant by our second cycle. In reality I ended up with "degenerate eggs" and no baby after 2 attempts. I don't feel as though I was prepared for the possibility things may fail. When we chose to move on to donor embryos Dr. Bidwell was supportive but did present us with other options as well to make sure we made the right choice for us. I was disappointed that Dr. Bidwell wouldn't accept embryos from another office, but he was happy to do all my monitoring. Overall I was very happy with the care I received from Dr. Bidwell.

Don't expect him to be warm and fuzzy. He is a great doctor but he can be a little short with his answers. He is for the most part a straight shooter.

Dr. Bidwell is open to single and double embryo transfers.

Very busy and seems very focused on his method not truly customizing for each patient. Knowledgeable but not always available. His own partner would question why things were decided in a certain fashion

Do your research on clinics before choosing. Success rates and what others in the community say.

Lupron protocol. I was told by another doctor this protocol is to “suppresive” for my condition and what the numbers were showing. I was a high responder so maybe I did need a method this suppresive. Disheartening when doctors aren’t aligned . Canceled cycle and failed cycles/transfers were the result

Cost for anesthesia paid seperately Covered items billed to insurance Items not covered paid out of pocket Costs will vary depending on your insurance coverage

Dr. Budwell was very knowledgeable and always made us feel hopeful that we were heading the the right direction. He always explained everything very well to us and allowed us to feel heard. After our first appointment we felt so much hope and this continues with every appointment we had after that.

Don’t be afraid to ask for certain tests and procedures. You are your own health advocate.

We started with a very low dose of clomid along with monitored cycles and timed intercourse. After a few rounds of not ovulating we upped the dosage. Clomid had me ovulating but later in my cycle (days 20-30) we then added the trigger shot to the mix. I ended up having a few miscarriages but no sustainable pregnancy. I have prescribed heparin to take as soon as I got pregnant but did not end up getting pregnant after that point at his clinic. The only reason we left the clinic is because we moved out of state.

Dr. Bidwell, out of all the fertility doctors we have seen, has been the best. I liked that he was the one performing almost all of the ultrasounds and procedures. The one time we had a transfer without him, was the one that stuck. Even so, I appreciated his attitude and positive manner over the other doctors I have seen. He also did just recite a line, he would chat with us and make us feel better about things.

I don't know about advice, but choosing him is a very good choice.

I've gone through so many different treatment protocols, it would take a long time to remember it all! I remember him increasing my dosages of follicle stimulating hormone to try and work with the diminished ovarian reserve. We ended up doing a donor cycle after speaking with him about how things weren't going so well with my own eggs.

I can't recall. Insurance covered everything up until diagnosis, then it was out of pocket. Donor eggs was the most expensive thing we did.

We came to Dr Bidwell on the heels of having seen a different RE, who told us that our chances of conceiving and carrying a baby to term were extremely low. The manner in which this other RE relayed the info to us was very off putting and we sought out a second opinion. Dr Bidwell spent well over an hour with us in our consultation going over test results, explaining them in a way we could understand, and he gave us options. He was willing to try several things before moving to donor eggs which is exactly what we wanted. During the course of all our treatments, some successful, some not, he was always very informative, compassionate and reliable.

Dr Bidwell was pretty consistent with appointments running behind, but the care and attention he gave during your appointments made up for it ten fold

Clomid w/timed intercourse - unsuccessful IUI - unsuccessful Donor Egg IVF - successful 2 out of 3 times

He was compassionate, understanding, knowledgeable, respectful, trustworthy, and fast acting. I would recommend and have recommended the people I care about most to this practice! I got pregnant my first time trying with Clomid and was at risk of miscarrying but because this practice was on top of it, they gave me progesterone to prevent me from miscarrying.

Just trust him and listen to him. He’s the best!

I wasn’t having periods or ovulating so the first thing I was prescribed was Metformin, progesterone, and prenatal vitamins with my OBGYN. Then Mark Bidwell did some further bloodwork, checked my Fallopian tubes, and checked my husbands sperm. My Fallopian tubes were clear and my husbands sperm was good so he decided to try Clomid with a “trigger shot” and timed intercourse. They gave me a calendar, told me when to take a test, and made it easy to understand and I could always get ahold of a nurse if I had questions. I went to my first appointment with them on January 16th and I found out I was pregnant on February 9th. I know it normally takes several months of trying so I was very fortunate but I owe it to the doctors and their treatment!

I remember they gave me a sheet that laid out the cost for every appointment, every test, medication, etc. They kept me aware of the cost of things along the way and gave me tips to help with the cost. The most expensive test was checking my Fallopian tubes. I have an HSA and didn’t hit my $3000 deductible until I was in the hospital having my baby. So the costs weren’t outrageous for what I expected.

Dr. Bidwell was nice and seemed knowledgeable but he made me feel as if I just had to go through the motions that he puts patients through. I felt as though no plan was tailored to the patient. I also only saw Dr. Bidwell two times while I was his patient.

Do your own research before you go and ask questions about his protocol.

I was put on 50mg of Clomid cycle days 5-9 with Ovidrel as a trigger when directed by a nurse. We did timed intercourse.

I had to pay 100% of all costs. I paid approximately $5,000 for testing and two cycles of monitoring.