Nicole Banks

Dr. Banks has been fabulous support and doctor throughout the fertility treatment journey. She does an excellent job explaining the protocols and steps moving forward. When I did not have success she was supportive and help plan how we can move forward to achieve the end goal of a baby.

Be patient and open minded because the process is long stressful. Everyone’s situation is unique, and no two stories are exactly the same. Dr. Banks is a very loving and understanding person and puts your wants first. She is very personable and explains things in as much detail as you want.

We started with IUI because tests indicated that it could be successful (no male factor and no indication of female issues). Original plan was up to 3 IUIs and then move to IVF. We did 2 IUIs with Clomid and trigger shots. Each one included regular monitoring leading up to trigger and IUI. We did not have success with these and she was happy to change the protocol and move to IVF now instead of trying IUI again. She was very open to our thoughts and supported our decisions. She helped set up our new protocol for IVF. We are starting this new protocol and based on results from IUI it has been determined that we will have the best success with a frozen transfer (due to age and presence of fluid during IUI cycles) and ICSI (borderline male factor discovered). While Birth control supported cycle was originally suggested after discussion of preexisting GERD and ulcers it was agreed that using an estrogen patch would be better for my health than birth control. We have just set up this protocol and plan to move forward with it next month.

I have Tricare so all diagnostic procedures were covered and just had to pay copays for those procedures. Stimulated IUI with Clomid cost was $1800, but we had a military discount. This cost included all monitoring events and the IUI procedure. Medications were not included but I do not remember the cost for Clomid and trigger shot. For IVF we have been quoted several options and opting to go with the Shared Risk program which costs $28,500 for my age and medications will be about $4,000.

They suggested only transferring one embryo. I have no concerns with this approach.

I’ve joked to my husband that I’ll never again have as quality of medical care than I have had with Dr. Banks. She’s phenomenal at what she does and I’m currently carrying a healthy pregnancy, despite not producing the most or best of eggs, as well as having recurrent uterine polyps. Dr. Banks fully supported my request to do a modified natural cycle—a request I’ve heard other IVF doctors deny because it requires more monitoring appointments. If you ask her a question, she thoughtfully explains her thought process. Dr. Banks is empathetic, optimistic yet realistic, intelligent, and has a heart of gold. She did the most thorough fertility work up I could imagine. I really cannot imagine a better fertility doctor.

Trust Dr. Banks and her expertise. She’s optimistic, kind, and empathetic, but she’s also going to weigh things carefully and provide her medical opinion. Right before IVF, we had an unassisted pregnancy, which was abnormal. Dr. Banks monitored it and advised us that there was no way it would be viable and she was absolutely right—testing later confirmed multiple chromosomal issues.

Approximately $30,000

Dr Banks is very knowledgeable and explained her steps in depth. She sat with us and answered every question completely. She also was concerned with another medical condition that I have unrelated to fertility. I had the most comprehensive work-up with her than any other Doctor.

Remain open-minded to the process and be patient because she will order a load of tests to give you the outcome possible. No question is too small; so, ask them all and she will definitely give you an answer.

She ordered blood work that showed low ovarian reserve. She prescribed medication to start a cycle and to see if I could sustain a pregnancy which was successful. She also did laser surgery to remove scar tissue. Everything was a success and after the quarantine I will be ready for transfer.

I was not given this information. My insurance paid for testing.

I would love to do multiple transfer, but Dr Banks only does single transfer to decrease chances of a problem.

Dr. Banks is very kind and compassionate and we have been happy with our treatment so far. The clinic is consistently busy so we don't feel like we always have access to her, but if we schedule in advance she has been willing to speak with us. Hoping we will have success with our next cycle/future treatments.

Be sure to have your questions ready prior to your visits as they are typically very quick. You can schedule time to speak with Dr. Banks if you plan in advance to get on her schedule during openings.

Birth control started 23 days prior to injections 13 days of Injections included Gonal-F Pen, menopur (10 days) added ganirelix (3 days) Pregnyl trigger shot on day 13 43 eggs retrieved, 37 mature, 30 fertilized, 19 on day 3, 5 on day 5 Unfortunately most of the embryos stop developing past day 3 Did fresh transfer of one "early blast" and one morula 3 day 6 4CB embryos frozen Progesterone in oil injections post retrieval Negative pregnancy test after transfer

Still awaiting bills from insurance for recent cycle and procedures

We did fresh transfer of two most developed embryos and were not successful

Dr. Banks made the diagnostic and iui process less daunting and stressful. She was excellent at giving me the facts while also being compassionate and comforting. I felt comfortable and prepared after every visit. Even when we lost the pregnancy Dr. Banks was patient and supportive of our next steps. She even was supportive of me going to a different clinic to try a different path.

Do not let the phone system deter you from visit this office, the doctors and nurses are wonderful, it is just hard sometimes to get through to them.

Dr. Banks performed all the necessary diagnostic tests to create a plan of action for my husband and myself. After determining I had a blocked tube she suggesting going to IVF. Cost however was a major issue for us so we elected to try iui first. She supported us and advised us to give it a try at least once but no more than 3 times. I was put on Clomid and montitored before the iui. I responded very well to the clomid and proceeded with the iui. It was successful on the first try and we were so excited. Unfortunately, the pregnancy ended in a checmical pregnancy. With Dr. Banks support we are currently participating in an IVF medication trial at another clinic.

The costs for iui and ivf are much lower at VCU than other fertility clinics in Virginia.

Dr. Banks was excellent at listening to our wishes and advising us of the chances for success while being compassionate and realistic.

Dr. Banks is brand new to the clinic but she obviously knows her stuff. I immediately felt like we were in good hands. She was thorough and I never felt rushed. She listened, answered all our questions, and gave us plenty of information (such as follicle count, lining thickness..things other doctors may not think to actually tell you).

She is new to the clinic so you may not be able to find a lot of reviews. But her credentials are impressive and she is warm and knowledgable. I highly recommend her.

We did IUI with donor sperm (same-sex couple). We did 100 mg Clomid for 5 days, then trigger shot (HCG) 36 hours before the procedure. We also came in for a baseline monitoring appointment and a second monitoring appointment on CD 13 to check whether the follicles were ready to trigger.

IUI out-of-pocket cost is $250. Ultrasound monitoring was billed to my insurance (I don't have any fertility coverage but it was covered). Insurance did not cover Clomid, but it was pretty cheap at Walmart. I paid a sperm bank for donor sperm and shipping...the clinic would mail back the cryotank for me after delivery (no extra cost).

n/a (did not do IVF)

Dr. Banks is warm, intelligent, and thoughtful. She made me feel like we were partners in the process. One little difference that I love is that she always angles the ultrasound monitor screen so that I can also see it, and describes to me what she's seeing. I felt so much more knowledgeable and better able to participate in decision making. I appreciated that she respected my personal preferences, risk assessments, and decisions, while always providing counsel to help me make an informed decision (e.g., when I decided to cancel an IUI cycle because I didn't like the follicle maturation pattern, or when we decided to try one cycle with Clomid).

We primarily did natural cycle IUIs. I have no diagnosed fertility issues - doing IUI because I'm a single mother by choice using donor sperm. I appreciated that Dr. Banks did not make me do extensive fertility testing before starting treatment, as all of the testing would have been out of pocket. She was very thoughtful about what was truly required versus nice to have, and let me make the cost/benefit trade off. When I had a few cycles that were "off" - the follicle wasn't maturing at my normal pace and ovulation was delayed - we tried one cycle with a small dose of Clomid. We did not do an IUI that month since I produced 10+ eggs and she said that even if I was willing to go through with insemination, she wasn't (very fair!). We went back to natural cycles after that, though she said that if we ever needed to move to IVF, we know my body responds well to Clomid. My pregnancy is the result of a natural cycle IUI.

Their care is so much less expensive than any of the other area options! My natural cycle IUI cash rate should have been a $795 flat fee (includes all ultrasounds and blood work), but they actually grandfathered me into the rates from my first pregnancy with them, so I paid even less than that.

We didn't discuss embryo transfer, but did discuss the number of mature follicles that she was willing to proceed with for an IUI. She said that two would be a conversation, but not a major concern. Three mature follicles would be a very serious conversation and potentially counsel to not proceed. Four or above she would not be willing to proceed with the IUI.

This review is long overdue. I want to share just how fortunate I was to be a patient of Dr. Banks. She advocated for me during a particularly stressful time of my life, and I will always remember the compassionate care she provided. She was realistic about our treatment chances, but she was also optimistic and hopeful for us. I had suffered a pregnancy loss prior to our consultation, and I appreciated her optimistic outlook. Her workup was very thorough which I appreciated. We had a hysteroscopy to remove the uterine polyps we saw during that workup and went on to IUI after a period of recovery. I just want to mention quickly here how skilled she is as a physician and surgeon. Both of my surgeries with her were excellent. I also had a saline infused sonogram and several vaginal ultrasounds performed by her during the course of my treatment. None of these ultrasounds were ever painful like they were with other physicians or providers in the past. She takes such great care with her patients. I never knew a vaginal ultrasound could be done without pain! Anyway, we failed the IUI at the beginning of our treatment, and because of my age, I asked her if we could go straight to IVF. She agreed, and we were fortunate to experience success on our first round months later. During this time, Dr. Banks monitored me very closely. I truly appreciated this since my single frozen embryo transfer and subsequent positive pregnancy test occurred during the same month I found out I was pregnant the year prior. My stress was super high as I was expecting the worst again, but Dr. Banks treated me with such grace. It truly is a testament to what a wonderful physician and person she is. When we shockingly found out we were having twins (our embryo split), she then made sure we had the appropriate follow-up with MFM so we could manage the pregnancy safely. She also made sure we were followed with additional ultrasounds at Shady Grove until MFM could fit us in. Despite having a high risk twin pregnancy requiring hospitalization for several weeks and subsequent postpartum preeclampsia, I consider myself extremely lucky. I received great care from Dr. Banks.

Come with a list of questions and do some research ahead of time so you can get your concerns addressed. Personally, I took advantage of several live Q&A sessions that Shady Grove Fertility physicians held online. Check out their website. Those sessions were very helpful as I was able to learn from the questions others asked as well.

Over $30,000.

Strong preference for eSET which I 100% agreed with.

Banks was very great with everything she explained it very well what will the steps that we have to take & she dnt have no weakness at all she was just excellent i will recommend her to anyone everyday abb no d all day

Stay positive thru it all and don’t give up

Haven’t started no treatment yet

The was all and above

No cost yet until I start bloodwork abb n f everything trying to get help with grants or loans to start the process

I have seen Nicole Banks once, she just started when I am forgoing with IVF. She is super knowledgeable, and will help any way she can, I was seeing a different doctor was was at shady grove till I recently just started seeing Dr. Banks

That she is a great listener

None we are just starting the IVF process with doctor Banks, will be starting in January with treatments.

2,500 around about