Fertility Specialists Recommendation!?!

Amazing817 · August 2013

Hi All, I'm new to this board as well as our next step in trying to conceive. I'm looking for recommendations for fertility specialists! Thanks!

JBDamonM · September 2013

Hello. Where are you located? I used Center for Advanced Reproductive services/UCONN. I had a fantastic experience and can PM you my Drs info if you're in the greater Hartford area. Do you have a diagnosis?

sarahmuoio521 · September 2013

I could not more highly recommend any other doctor in general than the one we used for our fertility specialist. Dr. Gad Lavy of New England Fertility is simply the best. He has four locations-Stamford, Shelton, Hamden, and I think Greenwich. He is the only doctor in the practice so you always see him as the doctor. His staff is absolutely amazing. He makes each patient feel like they are the only one he sees and his staff becomes like family. You feel that your success is their success as well and they really care about how you do. We are pregnant now after 8 months. Any questions, feel free to contact me!

kklee0710 · September 2013

I second the center out of Uconn. We used them as well.

zoella27 · September 2013

Cannot say enough good things about Dr. Schmidt at Uconn!

Krisd6 · September 2013

I have been seeing Dr Hurwitz- he has offices in Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford
He is wonderful!

Amazing817 · September 2013

HI All,

THANK YOU ALL SO much for writing back!

My husband completed a semen analysis and it was very very low so my OBGYN referred us to Dr. Schmidt at UCONN. I think we will take her recommendation seeing as she has a lot of her patients seeing him. I completed my Day 3 blood work and they called yesterday saying everything was good with that.

We have to wait over a month to get an appointment. What was it like when you first went? We have no clue what to expect or how we are going to be able to proceed!

Thanks!

JBDamonM · September 2013

I was in the same situation. My OB referred me to Dr. Nulsen at UCONN and I can't say enough good things about that man. Before the first appointment they will send you a book of paperwork to fill out. At the first appointment expect a whole lot of talking and an internal ultra sound. Also expect a lot of next steps before you can start treatment. You will need to do bloodwork for infectious diseases (can be done same day as appointment) you'll need an updated pap/annual exam and they will probably have your husband do a repeat analysis and see the urologist they partner with in an attempt to determine the cause of the issue. The entire staff at UCONN is AMAZING. You are in VERY good hands. Feel free to PRivate message me if you want more info or have questions on the male infertility. It's a tough diagnosis. Also you can check out the Trouble Trying To Conceive board - I found a lot of good resources there when I was trying to get pregnant. Best of luck to you!

Amazing817 · September 2013

Thank you JBDamonM for helping to put my mind a bit more at ease. I have a couple more questions, how do I private message you?
Thanks!

JBDamonM · September 2013

Click on my name and then on the top right is a bar that says "Private Message".... Let me know if you can't find it!

Lacirey · October 2013

UConn center I highly recommend as well. I went to Dr. Dilugi she is fabulous! They work out of Farmington, Hartford & New London.

PrivateOne · October 2013

I highly recommened UCONN fertility center as well. I am currently finishing my first cycle there and they have been wonderful. I've seen just about every doctor there through the cycle monitoring process. Dr. Schmidt is super nice and has a great personality.

Amazing817 if you'd like me to give you any specific info on The Center as well, I'd be happy to. Feel free to PM me too.

Amazing817 · December 2013

Hi All!

Its been about 4 months since we started our quest at UCONN! I wanted to write in and let everyone know that we are moving very slowly but we are at least progressing! We met with Dr. Schmidt on 10/31/13 and he truly is very warm and has made the process thus far pretty smooth for us.

By the looks of my DH records for both his SA it looks like he has a low count and low mobility. Dr. Schmidt sent my DH to YALE to meet with a fertility urologist and nothing was "wrong" just the low count. So it looks like we are dealing with male infertility and its frustrating as all heck not being able to do anything to up his count.

At this point it looks like everything is checking out with me. I have done all the routine blood work which was fine and my HSG was good. We are going in on 1/2/14, a sonohysterogram (SHG), because he wants to make sure I don't have a little polyp. We are then going to start talking on 1/2 about our actual "plan." His nurse put me on a low dose of birth control until he gets back in the office on 1/2 so they can do the SHG. My alternative was meeting with a fellow on 12/23 but would defeat the purpose because wouldn't be able to have the consult. On one hand we are incredibly excited but also very nervous too!

So I really have no idea what is next for us, pretty nerve-racking! But I wanted to say thank you to everyone that has chimed in thus far regarding UCONN and the CARS program especially @PrivateOne and @JBDamonM!

Any thing we should be thinking about, words of advice, thoughts?!?!

JBDamonM · December 2013

@Amazing817 - I am so sorry you are in this situation. I know first hand how awful Male Factor is to deal with. My husband had low count and low motility - the news came out of no where.

If you have any quesitons before or after your consult - I"m happy to try and answer them from my experiences.

Don't be surprised though if he reccomends IVF - it's truly the best course of action for male factor. I want to give you the heads up because i know sometimes those three letters scare the shi& out of some people.... Personally my IVF wasnt bad at all - dare I say a great experience.

Good luck on 1/2. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and crowwing my fingers.

JBDamonM · December 2013

@PrivateOne - I am sorry for your loss

HUGS.

snowqueen1299@yahoo.com · January 2014

I went to rma in danbury and saw hurwitz. Was not a good experience for me AT ALL. Mind you I do know people who went there and used a diff dr and loved it. I called about 3 important tests he wanted me to have done and needed his answer and no one ever called me back even after I spoke to the patient coordinator minutes after leaving the parking lot after my appt. I ended up using dr rony Elias as the Weill Cornell center in my kisco. Amazing.

Amazing817 · January 2014

@PrivateOne, @JBDamonM, @zoella27, @kklee0710 can any of you shed some light on this. I posted on the TTC board and they said that since Dr. Schmidt isn't monitoring me that I should conisder finding a new RE? Thoughts on this? I'm pretty nervous about this going wrong and I thought UCONN was one of the best places to be.

This past Wednesday we met with the RE and he is scheduling us for our 1st IUI next month. Although my husbands sperm count is very low he wants to give at least one try, he is not sure what the final count will be after the wash. He prescribed me to take Clomid 50mg between day 3-7, he said it could help increase our chances (is this true?). I have always ovulated without any issues according to the lovely smiley faces on our clear blue sticks so he told me to just call once I get a smiley face next month and come in the next morning.

However, tonight I started kinda panicking in case I somehow mess up the timing of taking the ovulation kits. He did tell me that some patients come in several days prior to the IUI for monitoring but he didn't think I needed it because I ovulate pretty regularly, however do you think it would help to be monitored? I just don't want to mess up my own timing. Thoughts on this?

Also, leading up to my ovulating days when is recommend to have sex and when should we abstain? Thoughts?

Thanks so much for taking the time to shed any and all light on an IUI!

JBDamonM · January 2014

Hi.....

I have never done an IUI so I can't totally speak to it, but a couple of things that jump out at me:

You may not need the monitoring for ovulation purposes (since he states all systems are a go) HOWEVER you may want to be double checked that you are not over stimulating on it (and have like 3 eggs that are ready to go)..... That being said he may not be concerned with this issue because of your husbands numbers. Clomid helps produce better quality eggs. The idea is that one follicle will develop into a super egg and increase your chances, but it is a hormone and therefore it's not that unheard of to get a few follies out of it - depending on how your body responds.

I personally would want the monitoring and would call back and push for it. Much like yourself - I would be nervous and with everything invested into fertility treatments I would want the best chance at success emotionally and physically.....So I would just demand an ultra sound. Don't feel bad about it.

I happen to know @kklee0710 in real life and I know she did a clomid cycle with them ---- so maybe she can weigh in!

kklee0710 · January 2014

Hi! I was on schedule for an IUI but when I tested for ovulation we were out of town. I actually talked to the doc you are seeing and he told us we should just DTD and see what happens. I think clomid just increases the number of eggs you release. It makes the chances better if there are more of one getting fertilized. Don't hesitate to call them- I swear I called my docs nurse daily at one point- she knew my voice!

Amazing817 · January 2014

Thanks @JBDamonM & @kklee0710 I will give the center a call this afternoon!

JBDamonM · January 2014

let us know what they say!

Emmy916 · January 2014

I LOVE RMA Fertility clinic … they have an office in Trumbull, Danbury, and Norwalk. I see Dr. Hurwitz. All the staff there is amazing!

Em

Amazing817 · January 2014

Just an update, I call CARS back and spoke to our nurse and she said she completely understood that I was nervous however she said that they typically do the ultrasound and blood work the day of the IUI. I told her that I was afraid of missing out ovulation day and she said that once I start my cycle in Feb to call and they can bring me in for monitoring prior to the IUI. I'm not sure if I'm being over paranoid. I just know that we only have so many tries with our insurance and I don't want to mess one up on my own. I think she thinks I was being a bit crazy but seriously at this point I don't care what people think, I mean I sometimes do, but this is a pretty big deal that can get messed up very easily with timing being off.

Thanks @JBDamonM & @kklee0710 for offering up advice!

JBDamonM · January 2014

Don't worry about what she thinks!!!! I totally agree with you on the insurance piece.....better to fight for yourself!

JBDamonM · January 2014

Don't worry about what she thinks!!!! I totally agree with you on the insurance piece.....better to fight for yourself!

Amazing817 · January 2014

Thanks @JBDamonM

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