Patrick Herrick

We first visited Dr Herrick when I was pregnant for the first time and was worried about miscarrying. He did everything he could to help us keep that baby. He even had my blood tested for a few rare problems that most doctors don't think of to make sure we had the best chance to keep our baby. Despite our efforts, we did lose that child. When it was time for us to try again, Dr Herrick ordered numerous blood tests to help discover the problem. It took months, two very early miscarriages (4 weeks and 6 weeks), and several different medications to figure out what the problem was and how to fix it, but Dr Herrick put the puzzle pieces together and made it possible for our sweet little son to be born. Dr Herrick always explained the significant results of the tests he ordered for me, and he was very good at taking the time to answer my questions. If it weren't for him, I think it would have been a long time before I would have been able to have children.

He doesn't always have a super warm fuzzy bedside manner, but he is a very good, straightforward, honest, professional man and he is always sympathetic to what you are going through. Don't plan to be somewhere soon after your appointments because they often take a long time, but it is worth the inconvenience of the extra 30 or so minutes because you receive excellent care. When I have called that morning, begging them to squeeze in an appointment for me, they almost always figure out a way, so when they run behind I figure that they are just going out of their way to help every patient just as much as they always help me.

First, the blood tests Dr Herrick ran showed that I had elevated androgens and prolactin. He gave me a medication (cabergoline) to lower the prolactin, which helped - I was able to conceive - but I miscarried immediately, so we knew that wasn't the whole problem. He then added Clomid a few months later, which helped - I conceived again! - but I miscarried that baby a few weeks later. He ran more blood tests and discovered that I have insulin resistance and PCOS. He gave me Metformin to help the insulin resistance and was also planning on giving me another round of Clomid for the best chance of success, but before I could start taking the Clomid, I conceived again. He kept me on Metformin throughout the pregnancy to help me keep the baby, and he also had me getting progesterone shots to help me keep the baby as well. I stopped getting the shots at 15 weeks as my levels were fine on their own by then. As a result of this treatment, I delivered a healthy baby!

I always pay a copay for an office visit, and I pay for the medications he puts me on. My insurance usually covers blood tests. He is also my OB, so I paid a general fee for all his OB care over the course of 6 months.

I refer people to Dr. Herrick all of the time!!! He and his nurses share all of the information they have and are always available to answer questions. Prior to finding Dr. Herrick, years of failed treatment and negative labs/tests led our RE to tell us my egg quality must be poor and we would need an egg donor if we wished to pursue pregnancy. Dr. Herrick poured over my binders full of medical records and ordered new labs to find our problems. Medication to lower my prolactin (eventually a pituitary microadenoma was diagnosed before #3), clomid (but for a shorter time and on earlier days than ordered by any previous doc) and progesterone post ovulation resulted in conception! We had two more babies after. Each pregnancy was threatened with miscarriage due to low progesterone levels, but he caught it early and treated throughout resulting in live births each time. Without Dr. Herrick, we would have built our family somehow, but we would have missed the experience of conceiving and delivering our 3 kiddos.

Be understanding of him, too. Dr. Herrick is an amazing doctor. He has his days where he seems an it short, tired, or just off. Remember he has many other patients and likely carries burdens those days we don't know about. Most days, however, he is warm and kind. Never doubt that he is compassionate, and determined to help you conceive and deliver a healthy baby!!!

Elevated prolactin - eventually determined via MRI to have been due to a pituitary microadenoma. Treated with bromocriptine the first two pregnancies and with cabergoline on the 3rd. Low estrogen - 50mg clinic cycle days 3-5 - all 3 pregnancies Low progesterone resulting in failure to implant - HcG shots 3, 5, 7, & 9 DPO on pregnancies 1 & 3. Progesterone suppositories daily from 3 DPO on the 2nd pregnancy as new insurance wouldn't cover injections of HcG. Once pregnant: Progesterone injections through first trimester to prevent miscarriage until placenta developed enough to make its own. On 3rd pregnancy, progesterone continued to fail to stay elevated through 2nd and 3rd trimesters so more progesterone via suppositories and injections. Zinc during 2nd and 3rd trimesters in 2nd and 3rd pregnancies due to pre-term contractions Results were three pregnancies resulting in live birth at term (first) and early term (2nd and 3rd).

Because Dr. Herrick operates from.a family practice setting, he tends to work from that framework as well. Typically I was charged a copay & insurance picked up labs and tests with me paying my standard deductibles. Was much more affordable than our OB specialist or RE had been! We retained him through our pregnancies and made a monthly payment on the anticipated bill while pregnant.

I setup an appointment with Dr. Herrick for a male fertility test at my wife's OB/GYN's request. He was my PCP at the time. I came to him for a referral but before he offered the referral, he provided his guidance on testing. He gave me a pamphlet and instructed the following: Poke a hole in a condom (without spermicide), have intercourse, promptly drive the condom/collection to the testing site and turn it in. I was very confused at first by these instructions because I planned to generate a sample at the testing clinic. But then I saw the Cross on the wall and put it together that his religion was dictating his recommendation. The phrases "every sperm is sacred" and "masturbation is a sin" came to mind. I think his advice was as good as it could be considering his faith, but scientifically this method seems highly flawed and would likely show a lower sperm count/motility. I stayed quiet while he gave his recommendations and I ended up going against his recommendations. The sperm count and motility test came back fine which was a relief. Five years later, we now have had 2 kids but I thought I should share my experience with Dr. Herrick. I think he should be more open about the two methods of providing semen to the clinic. He only shared one method and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that was the only way. This could lead to false results and undue burden/stress on individuals. With that being said, if you want a doctor of faith (catholic or similar) then I would recommend Dr. Herrick for male fertility testing.

Dr. Herrick does not have the best recommendations on how to perform male fertility testing. If your faith does not allow masturbation, then his method is an alternative.

No treatments were necessary, only fertility testing. The strategy for fertility testing was flawed, in my opinion.