https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 27 May 2026 22:07:27 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1987675 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:36:11 +0000 spaniellove 1987675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's been over a year since my last treatment cycle, but I'm an example of someone who switched to a clinic that was chaotic and basically a free-for-all, but found much better success there. Not that it's always the better choice, but once in a while it works out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1987655 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:17:04 +0000 travellingbee 1987655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: I'm sorry you're having a difficult time with them. That's stinks. I've had nothing but good interactions but I'll admit I haven't dealt with the front desk for anything other than the first appt so I'm not sure how great they are. I've only dealt with the nurses and Dr. McKnight after that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1987546 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:40:20 +0000 Hoots 1987546@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: @mrs.shinerbock: So Houston IVF hadn't called me back by 3:00 p.m., so I called them. When I got through, they had an appointment for next week on 12/23. I wasn't impressed by the woman who set me up. When I got the patient email it didn't have my name on the top (as in not Hello Hoots, but Hello XYZ). Then, I tried to log into the patient portal. My last name is spelled wrong and on top of that my birthdate or zip code was input wrong, and I can't access it. I realize I'm just dealing with the intake office, but it doesn't give me a good feeling about the office in general. I'm going to try and call and get it fixed tomorrow and try to speak with another person. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986796 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 13:41:38 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1986796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: Good to hear, I was planning on asking to see one of the other doctors if we need to go back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986571 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:53:58 +0000 travellingbee 1986571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.shinerbock: McKnight. I've heard that McKnight and McKenzie have better bed-side manner. McKnight is amazingly empathetic and kind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986552 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:50:22 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1986552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: I did a lot of research online for reviews of local clinics and spoke with a few local friends who had gone to REs. We ended up picking Houston IVF because if was highly recommended and extremely convenient. (15 min from my work and DH works in the same building. Most of my appointments were early morning, so I was rarely more than half an hour late to work.)</p> <p>@travellingbee: Which RE did you see? We were very happy with all the nurses/support staff, but I really thought Dr. Hickman's bedside manner was lacking and he could have had a bit more empathy when he told me I was miscarrying. It wasn't a deal breaker for me, and we returned and had a successful IUI. Absolutely LOVED the in-house therapist though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986434 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:03:50 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1986434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: that's great! I have to drive about 45 minutes to get there too. I hope you like them as much as I do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986344 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:13:33 +0000 travellingbee 1986344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: what?! That's crazy! They're usually very good about calling back and I got in within a week! Sounds like you can't go wrong either way. I love them but it sounds like NHCRM is great too from what @Leialou says! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986342 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:12:48 +0000 Hoots 1986342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Leialou: I just made my first appointment with her for January 8th. I really liked the person who answered the phone! I'm so glad that you really like them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986318 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:03:09 +0000 Hoots 1986318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travellingbee: They were originally my first choice, but they won't call me back and keep putting me to voicemail!!! Unfortunately both offices will be 40-60 minutes away (we're on the south side). Based on SART rates, I think the North Houston Center is a tiny bit higher, but she does far fewer cycles per year. </p> <p>I don't have time to respond to everyone right now, but I'll try to sit down tonight and do that! Thanks so much for all your responses so far! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986311 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:01:22 +0000 mrswin 1986311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hoots: Like some of the other ladies mentioned I looked for somewhere that was close to work so that I could do monitoring and appointments with minimal disruption to my schedule. Also they are open 7 days a week and do not close over the holidays at all. </p> <p>From there I got a recommendation from someone I was close to who had been to the clinic for IVF, she liked her Dr and the nurses/tech staff. Ultimately, we went with the personal recommendation and it was great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986291 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:50:33 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1986291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go to North Houston Center for Reproductive Medicine and I love them!! Dr. Roach and Janna (the IVF nurse) are wonderful. I love that it's a small practice. I never encounter another patient unless it's a monitoring day. They take a long time with consultations and they just really care about their patients. Dr. Roach is also good about not forcing you into any treatments. She gives you the facts and then lets you decide.</p> <p>I paid about $11k for my fresh cycle and $3500 per FET. If you go through your fresh cycle, and then use all your frozen embryos and still aren't pregnant Dr. Roach waves her fees for your next fresh cycle. </p> <p>I was able to get my first appointment about two weeks after I called. I can't say enough good things about them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986256 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:30:56 +0000 kayakgirl73 1986256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read a bunch of reviews and threads about the various local RE practices on a local web DC Urban Mom. The RE practice I chose was also one of the two my GYN recommended and they are in the same building as her. A friend also recommended them and her specific RE but he was not saying patients at the office closest to me anymore so I went with the first available RE at my local clinic who had good reviews and he's been great. I agree with what someone up thread said about the nurses, I liked my first nurse more than my second but first nurse left between one I had baby one after treatment and I went back to cycle again. Good hours especially early monitoring hours was a major factor for me as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986245 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:26:24 +0000 travellingbee 1986245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are at Houston IVF and I HIGHLY recommend them!!! They are so thorough and easy to deal with. They are open 7 days a week which is super important and I think that their success rates are the highest in the area.</p> <p>ETA: I chose them based on my OBGYN's recommendation. They have beautiful facilities, and everything is in one place so you can have ultra sounds, labs, minor procedures, IVF, IUIs, acupuncture etc. all in the same place. My doctor has wonderful bed side manner and is very encouraging. The nurses are always available for questions. If you have any other questions, feel free to wall me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986216 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:14:28 +0000 BSB 1986216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Asked my OB for recommendations. Checked out their SART data, which looked good. I picked a clinic close to work. I really like my RE at first but there were some issues with the nurses she had. I liked the dr but the nurse seemed a bit distracted. At some point, I got a new nurse, but she wasn't any better. Then I was ready for another treatment and I learned my dr was on maternity leave (which hurt a little but hey people, including my drs, can get pregnant) and the clinic doesn't allow patients to see other REs in the clinic while one is out (not even while she was on leave...wtf!). I started not liking their clinic's policies more and more. Nurse continued to bother me. She wasn't horrible but I just something off about her.</p> <p>Well, after my 3rd failed IUI and with a unknown diagnosis, I decided to switch clinics. I wanted to move to IVF and I wasn't able to be seen by my dr or any of the other REs. They said I would have to wait like a new patient to see another RE in the clinic. It was like a whole month. Oh, the people up front were kinda rude about it when I asked to switch dr. Up until the point, I enjoyed working with the people in the front office.</p> <p>I got recommendations to see one in the same city (still close to work) or one about 15 min away (outside of Seattle). I heard good and both bad about the clinic in Seattle. My accupunturist said some of her patients switched to the one in Bellevue and got pregnant. I decided to call them and they were able to get me in before my current clinic could see me with a second opinion RE. Bonus points for the new clinic!!</p> <p>Right from the start, I liked the office. They had two REs in the clinic. I saw both of them. They had similar methods and worked together. If I needed to see an RE, I would/could see either one of them. I printed copies of all my records and they started trying to get be diagnosed and away from the unknown diagnosis. After about a month worth of tests they diagnosed me and were hopeful that IUIs could work for me with the new meds they put me on. I was so relieved to have a diagnosis. Not sure why the other clinic didn't do these tests. (Checking my insulin levels is one of the factors in finding my diagnosis, because I had a mild insulin-resistant PCOS + DOR.) Oh, other clinic did blood work only every 6 months. My clinic now does one almost every time. </p> <p>Oh, after I switched my accupunturist told me that a bunch of her clients switched to my current clinic and got pregnant. She even noticed the quality in care and attention at this clinic. She said she's seen hints of PCOS in the months that she's treated me with accupunture, but she's not a doctor and didn't want to bring it up to me. </p> <p>Though my second set of 3 IUIs were unsuccessful, I'm still very happy in deciding to switch and continue treatment with them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986183 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 08:44:22 +0000 Trailmix 1986183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I asked my OB for a recommendation!</p> <p>And I agree that convenience should be a factor bc you will have to go in for many appointments, depending on what treatment you end up doing.</p> <p>Finally, it's important to have someone you trust and like, this makes a huge difference! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986179 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 08:42:01 +0000 sweetooth 1986179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I live in the DC area, so I can't help you with any specific feedback about the RE's you are looking at. But when I started my search, I googled and read reviews. That didn't really help because the reviews were all over the place.</p> <p>I made the call to set up our first appointment and liked the treatment I received on the phone. And at our first appointment, I really clicked with the RE. I say, trust your gut. If you feel like you need to make two appointments to have a comparison, go for it. But you might meet one, and have a good feeling. Trust that feeling.</p> <p>I also recommend that you meet some of the staff. Most of the time, you're dealing with everyone BUT your actual RE. So while they are the ultimate point of contact for treatment, you are connecting with your nurse and all of the technicians WAY more. The staff is a big part of a good experience.</p> <p>Convenience is also a factor. Whether or not the office has weekend hours (periods don't always fall on regular M-F days). And if they have the early monitoring appointments. It's nice to be able to get in and out early so IF doesn't feel like it's taking over your day. </p> <p>Good luck with your decision! I hope you find one that you like and that you have a good experience. I only have good things to say about my RE! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-choose-an-re#post-1986170 Tue, 16 Dec 2014 08:35:38 +0000 Hoots 1986170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So DH and I are starting to really look at REs. We think we are going to make appointments with 2 to get a feel for their practice and to try to make the most informed decision. The two we are looking at have comparable SART rates and look to offer some of the same financial programs. </p> <p>How did you make the decision to go with your RE? Are there any red flags or even green flags that I should be looking for?</p> <p>Right now, my top two are Houston IVF and North Houston Center for Reproductive Medicine. So if anyone has any experience with them, I'd love to hear about it! </p>