Serena Dovey

Dr. Dovey is the most professional and caring doctor I have ever met. She has deep knowledge and expertise, and she shares relevant research findings with her patients in accessible terms for lay people to understand. She was easy to get in touch with and we trusted her completely.

Go to Dr. Dovey! You will not regret it. She is the best.

We used a natural cycle to transfer two embryos. My progesterone levels were high enough that I did not need to supplement, which I really appreciated because progesterone is quite invasive. Dr. Dovey trusted my body, which helped me regain trust in it too.

Dr. Dovey's level of expertise is astounding. She has worked with many LGBTQ+ families and specifically with trans men to retrieve their eggs. She understands the emotional and physical toll of undergoing fertility treatment generally, and specifically as trans people. If you are LGBTQ+ and looking for a doctor in the Bay Area, there is no one better than Dr. Dovey.

Our care was covered by Progyny; we paid 10%. Do not recall the cost.

They advised us only to transfer one embryo at a time, and we were aligned.

They had to coordinate with a genetics company to build some very specialized tests for our embryos, and we were pleased with how they managed the logistics. They also were easy to transfer materials with (e.g., having sperm shipped there).

Dr. Dovey was friendly, but seemed kind of reserved. She didn't talk much during monitoring appointments. I came in knowing I wanted to do IVF, after four failed IUIs (I did IVF out of pocket). I went with Dr. Dovey so that I could get started with IVF right away. She wasn't overtly positive about the results, maybe because she doesn't want to get people's hopes up? I was hoping to do a transfer in January, but because I have hyperthyroidism Dr. Dovey wants me to be under the care of an endocrinologist before I move forward with the Frozen Embryo Transfer, but because I switched insurance in January it seems I may have to wait a while for the FET because I haven't been able to get an endocrinologist appointment before April. This is not necessarily Dr. Dovey's fault, but I wish I had known about this hurdle before switching during open enrollment. I does make sense to switch my medication before the FET.

Definitely do lots of reading on your own. If you have questions she (or people working close with her) will answer them, but she won't go out of her way to explain things.

Priming with Estrace (2 tablets per day), injections of Menopur and Gonal F, Cetrotide, HCG, Lupron. Great results. Dr. Dovey said my body responded well. My diagnosis is unexplained infertility.

Saline sonogram: $1,147 Egg retrieval: $22,188 Medications: $6,000?

Dr. Dovey was candid and on the warm side but not overly much. She listened to our concerns and had good information. She gave good sense recommendations and explained things clearly. We were happy working with Dr. Dovey and would work with her agai .

It makes sense to have an introductory phone call to see if you feel like it’s a good fit.

We did one egg retrieval and two singleton egg transfers. The egg transfer achieved the results we were looking for and we felt informed along the way. We did a more naturally timed transfer both times and that worked well for us (fewer meds and our expressed preference). The first transfer was a chemical pregnancy and the second resulted in a live birth. (Yay!)

I believe the egg retrieval was something like $17,000 and echo transfer was $7,000 or similar

As mentioned in the last bit, Dr Dovey was able to help me get more eggs and more embryos than any other clinic and this was my 6th IVF. I’ve been to about 7 fertility clinics, 3 of those clinics I’ve done IVF with. Spring is by far the clinic I recommend most. Not only do I feel like Dr Dovey personalized my treatments but I never felt rushed in my appointments and they always saw me on time. Literally the first clinic that wouldn’t make me wait in the waiting room for an extra 30 minutes. Someone else mentioned that the clinic looks outdated. I don’t know what that person is talking about because it’s quite a modern looking office.

If you have a plan, let her know. She’s a doctor that will listen and work with you

I was successful with testosterone priming so I requested to do that again and she agreed. I appreciated that she would call me with results and talk through things with me. She would always ask for my feelings and opinions before providing her own, which is critical.

I used Progyny so I can’t speak to billing

Her approach is great.

Dr.Dovey was great at communicating and showing compassion. She made every detail easy to understand and we really felt confident moving forward with our decision. She was very professional but also made us feel very comfortable at each appointment with her.

You’re in great hands! The care you’ll receive is exceptional!

I had already done multiple tests with other doctors but Dr.Dovey recommended I have them done again. I underwent a HSG exam, pelvic ultrasound and bloodwork. I husband had another seamen analysis done. Everything came back “normal” and we were diagnosed with Unexplained Infertility. We had the option to proceed with IUIs or IVF. IVF is out of our budget, so we decided to do IUIs. I did one cycle with meds and the trigger shot along with timed intercourse. This resulted in a negative pregnancy test. I then did two cycles with meds, trigger shot and IUIs. These both resulted in negative pregnancy tests. My husband had to relocate for work, so we had to discontinue treatment.

I believe each IUI treatment was $400 plus the cost of medications, which was around $175 per cycle.

She was very easy to talk to, never felt like we were being rushed. She explained things well. She was quick to understand our previous history and it always felt that whilst she had not treated us from the beginning of our infertility diagnosis, she had taken the time to become familiar with our medical history

Don’t feel like any question is unimportant or trivial, she seems understanding.

We did an IUI procedure with Dr Dovey, we had issues with the sperm sample, the clinic was very proactive and had recommendations and protocols in place to use multiple samples.

She was very helpful and understanding. Always answered all our questions, even if they seemed redundant. She listened to both my husband and I. Even if I saw Another doctor in the clinic, she would still follow up.

Take your time and ask all the questions. Come with questions to each appointment.

Dr Dovey listened to what we needed and was cautious with each treatment cycle.

All diagnostics tests were covered by insurance including laporoscopy. IUI and meds were not covered so paid out of pocket.

We did not do IVF.

She was very nice in general but overall not very good at managing the emotional state of me as a patient and didn’t communicate a lot or very well. She was not the Dr who completed my transfers and I usually left the few appointments I had with her uncertain of what the next steps were.

Do your research and be prepared for the staff to drop the ball so you can catch it before you end up with canceled and delayed cycles

My dr would only transfer a single embryo, there was absolutely zero room for negotiation on that point

She really reviewed our history before each visits. She obviously cares and gives us information in easy to digest ways. She explains it fully, and never rushes me during appointments. I feel very comfortable with her, and feel understood.

With my history with PCOS and clomid, she suggested we use letrazole and booster shots. Because we've done so many rounds of clomid without success, she is starting us at the middle dosage of letrazole. I am so glad to not feel like we're wasting a month of time on a lower dosage. When I said I wanted to do IUI, she didn't question that. She accepted our choice and we made a plan.

We are paying cash, and they offer a 40% discount for cash patients. I appreciate that greatly!

I like Dr. Dovey as a person. She communicated well, however I did not feel like our treatment was customized. I feel like it was simply the process they give to most patients looking to do an IUI.

As always, do your own research and feel comfortable asking questions and other options.

Clomid with ovidrel then the IUI.

Again, our insurance does not cover anything fertility. We had to pay for everything out of pocket. Their costs were not too extreme.

Dr dovey was wonderful, knowledgeable and professional. She didn’t talk down to me or my partner and was clear about all of the medical procedures and any risks or chances and helped us to make our own decisions.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, she is wonderful and open to explaining.

We used the typical medications for egg retrieval and were very successful. We had male factor fertility so most things were relatively uncomplicated from the female perspective. For the transfer, we timed it with my cycle and used estrace, this is the only thing where there was a delay - I started birth control as told right when my period began and then stopped, spotting a bit and then went for an ultrasound too late to actually begin the rest of the process during that cycle. More clear explanation of timing the birth control with the period or ovulation for the transfer would be helpful. Otherwise the transfer cycle went well and the transfer itself was quite easy. The most challenging part of the whole process is having to keep waiting for everything - so it is best to ask for a clear timeline and maybe see whether there are procedures (eg saline sonogram) that can be planned asap to not cause delays.

Typically $30 office visit copay but sometimes that wasn’t required, and about $800 annual storage fee of the frozen embryos

None - we had 2 viable embryos and only ever discussed transferring one

We couldn't have asked for a better experience with a fertility doctor. Dr. Dovey was kind, a good listener, and reassuring when concerning setbacks popped up. In the end, we are so thrilled with our results.

Ask all the questions - no question is silly!

Priming with Birth Control to induce a period. Agonist protocol with Follistim and Menopur, started Ganirelix on Day 7. Stimmed for a total of 12 days. Trigger with hCG and Leuprolide.

Around $20k for one embryo freezing cycle including PGT testing

Dr. Dovey was patient with questions. She explained reasoning behind each step. We had to increase my medication for my endometerial lining thickness and that was disappointing to hold off on the transfer but she gave me the knowledge to understand why the medications were different.

come prepared with questions

We did a typical IVF protocol (menopur). Retrieval went smoothly with 10 eggs retrieved, 5 embryos created.

Approximately 25k total for egg retrieval and transfer.

Only elective single embryo transfer

I cannot say enough great things about Dr Dovey and Spring Fertility. I came to Spring after receiving crushing news from another clinic (I’d never be able to conceive with my own eggs). Dr Dovey and the team were willing to continue trying with my own eggs and showed patience, care and compassion at every turn. They recommended new supplements and a new medication protocol that allowed us to retrieve 4 of my own eggs that turned into embryos. I never felt rushed with Dr Dovey and she always listened to and considered every one of my questions/suggestions, she was willing to modify certain recommendations after I’d shared certain concerns or past experiences. I’ve also seen other providers when Dr Dovey was out of office and they treated me with the same level of top-notch care. Thanks to Dr Dovey, I am 26 weeks pregnant with our miracle baby - we would not be here without her.

Dr Dovey isn’t necessarily warm and fuzzy, but she is incredibly personable and cares about her patients. She will always tell you like it is and I felt like she was rooting for me every step of the way.

My retrievals were all covered by insurance. My transfers were out of pocket and expensive, but comparable to other clinics.

We had two embryos frozen in one straw and Dr Dovey explained we could transfer both, or thaw one and refreeze at day 5 (they were both day 3). We opted to transfer one and thaw/refreeze the other. That refrozen day 5 is now a 26 week pregnancy!

The communication I received during monitoring ultrasounds about everything notable was amazing. I never once felt like Dr. Dovey was afraid of telling me what she saw or what a possible outcome would be. She set very fair expectations and was also able to provide comfort in explaining what was in the range of normal or why we may need an extra day of hormones before a trigger for egg retrieval. I felt very safe and confident that she was recommending only what was best for me.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid of getting an answer that is not black or white. There’s hardly any black and white answers when it comes to fertility treatment.

I was on stims for longer than expected for the egg retrieval. Not sure what the protocol was called but I had 2 nightly injections for about 16 days before I triggered. I was getting antsy but Dr. Dovey was really sure that a couple extra days would help my follicles mature and she was right. I got 10 eggs retrieved, all mature and all fertilized. For the transfer I was on a modified natural cycle and progesterone suppositories and I am now pregnant.

It isn't inherently the warmest person, but she is honest and I know she cares. I think it did take a little while for her to know who I am and develop a relationship with me. I think at first I felt a bit nervous to be around her, but during and after the retrieval she was very caring and warm and I really appreciated her support.

I would say that she might come off a bit cold and short, but I think it was important for me to also come prepared to ask her questions and I was a bit nervous since I was going through this process by myself.

Since I was on the Nexplanon, my cycles were a bit weird/I would sometimes not get periods at all. So Dr. Dovey put me on birth control pills to regulate my cycle. Ultimately I wasn't able to get as many viable eggs due to my eggs all growing at different speeds. This time around I took out my Nexplanon and now we are trying etrace and testosterone to hopefully have them grow at a similar rate.

I was utilizing Progyny and it made it super easy. There wasn't too much out of pocket, only additional copay medication through my insurance company.

N/A

Dr. Dovey was candid in explaining our medical situation and kept expectations neutral, focusing on next steps. She was available for consults and check-ins, very patient with our questions, and allowed us to go through the fertility process at our pace. We never felt rushed or brushed off.

Dr. Dovey is straight forward, knowledgeable, matter of fact but expresses an appropriate level of concern and friendliness.

I went through the natural fet cycle since I have a regular menses and ovulation. I also did not need progesterone therapy prior to the embryo transfer. The drugs I took for egg retrieval and embryo transfer are: novarel 5000 unit, menopur 75 unit, leuprolide 5mg/1ml, gonal F 300/0.5ml, fyremadel 250mcg/0.5, diazepam 10mg, cetrotide 0.25mg, oviderel 250mcg/0.5, methylprednisolone 16mg, letrozole 2.5mg. I iced the injection site prior to injections and had no pain (other than occasional, light burning sensation afterwards) or skin irritation from the injections. I also had no adverse reactions to any of the meds. The instruction videos for the various drugs as well as timely details about injection dosages and timing was very critical to our success. I took injections and pills on time as prescribed. My partner had picsi done for sperm. I'd also like to note that my partner took Therlaogix sperm motility and function supplements (recommended by Dr. Dovey for potential sperm issues). I had potentially decreased ovarian reserve and so based on my own online research, I took several OTC supplements to improve egg quality (in addition to a prenatal vitamin and omega 3): CoQ10, PQQ, acai, melatonin, resveratrol, probiotic, and NAD (TruNiagen brand) for about 5 months. Of course I can't say for sure if these helped but I had great results from the egg retrieval and so far a successful pregnancy from one IVF cycle (after trying to conceive on our own for 2.5 years). 15 eggs were retrieved, all mature, all inseminated, 11 grew to blastocyst, all were genetically tested, and 8 were euploid. We elected to have the highest ranked embryo transferred.

Monitoring appointments were usually in the morning which worked well for me. I was seen within 5 minutes of my appointment time and the process of seeing the doctor and then getting any bloodwork done if needed was a smooth process.

Any testing procedures prior to the IVF process were billed for prior to the scheduled appointment. For IVF I received a detailed breakdown of costs for each part of the process. If I recall correctly, everything was paid for up front except the embryo transfer which was paid for before that procedure. The drug package was paid for separately too.

Our preference was to transfer a single embryo since I did not want to carry multiple embryos. Dr. Dovey explained that a single embryo transfer was the typical practice of the clinic anyways since a multiple embryo pregnancy became high risk.

I always felt like I was in great hands with Dr. Dovey. It was clear that she wouldn't make any final decisions about my plan/treatment until she had all the information she needed to make an educated decision. She never gave me any reason to be anything but confident in our plan and everything has worked out very well so far! Looking back, I never thought to ask Dr. Dovey what she expected my outcome to be given my numbers and that also wasn't something she proactively discussed with me. In my experience, it was definitely "I don't know what I don't know" and it might have been more helpful for Dr. Dovey to tell me what other questions I should be asking. But on the other hand, she probably knows too much information is not always a good thing. At the end of the day, I know she had my best interest at heart and did everything she could to be successful. And we were successful!

Ask Dr. Dovey what results/outcomes you should predict based on your diagnosis and treatment plan. It will help to set expectations, especially if IVF is very new to you.

Right off the bat we decided to do ICSI for the best chances of fertilization and do a frozen transfer as I wanted to do PGT-A testing. For my protocol, Dr. Dovey decided to have me do a mid-luteal start because I had just gotten my J&J vaccine and was worried about enhanced blood clot risks of taking birth control to prep for stims. With a mid-luteal start, I did not have to take birth control so I was very happy with that decision. Given my diagnosis of PCOS and high follicle count, we did a relatively low dose of medications and had frequent monitoring appointments. We stimmed for 14 days total because we wanted as many eggs to mature as possible. The night I triggered I also started Caborgoline as a preventative measure against OHSS. For the FET, we did a modified natural cycle (which I was surprised she recommended because I don't ovulate on my own, though I respond well to Letrozole). She explained the benefits of this protocol but offered to do a fully medicated/controlled cycle if I felt more comfortable. I decided to do the modified natural because she felt confident. I did not respond to the Letrozole as well as we hoped, so she added 75 units of Gonal F for 5 nights (with monitoring appointments to track progress) to help my dominate follicle grow and to thicken my lining. After I triggered, I took progesterone suppositories before the transfer and all the way up t0 my second positive Beta. We did the 1st Beta 12 days after transfer as I had vacation plans (otherwise it would have been 14 days)

There were 3 main buckets of costs: 1)Egg Retrieval and ICSI (approx $18k which included PGT-A), 2)Frozen Embryo Transfer (approx $4.5k), and 3) medications (approx $5k) I wish cost of medication was included with the retrieval and FET - it seems a little misleading not to as they are so expensive

N/A- I only wanted to transfer one embryo and we were aligned on that

I loved working with Dr. Dovey. She was kind and understanding. Answered all our questions and concerns. I trusted her with her understanding of me having Cystic Fibrosis. When we took a year off between IUI’s and IVF she understood. Then when we started again we jumped in like we didn’t miss a beat. I felt like she was always rooting for us.

Straight to the point, not a lot of small talk.

Injectable and pill medication

My retrieval was about $22,000 and the transfer was around $5,000

I was already considered a high risk pregnancy so we all agreed on a single embryo transfer

As mentioned previously, it is clear Dr. Dovey is exceptional at what she does. I think the most remarkable part for me was that I had virtually no pain after both retrievals which I attribute to her skills as a surgeon.

Always feel free to ask questions!

For each retrieval cycle I was on approx. two weeks of injectables at decreasing amounts over the two week period, then trigger shot and retrieval. I had monitoring appointments every other day to two days.

$50K

N/A

Dr Dovey was very thorough, explained all the details to me, very logical and data driven. Helped take some of the decisions and included me quite a bit wherever needed. Also, empathetic when I had to take some tough decisions.

Ask a lot of questions to Dr Dovey as she will answer in data driven manner which will help you go in a good direction. Also, listen to her when she says to get mental health support.

around 10k per cycle

Dr Dovey educated us well on single vs multiple and the rules followed in CA.

Dr. Dovey is very professional. She was honest with me about my fertility options and likely egg yield. She talked me through every procedure and timeline and worked to help me understand the whole process. I felt very safe and comfortable working with her.