Anonymous wrote:I cycled with Dr. Udoff once before (several IUIs and one round of IVF, resulting in our wonderful miracle bun) and decided to go back to him for round 2 (currently in the thick of it, fingers crossed.)

I did a ton of research, interviewed three REs/clinics and he's the one I ultimately chose. There are a couple of things that helped me to decide -- if you look at the CDC success rates with a critical eye, as in, not just the summary statistics, but all of the data, including patient characteristics (older women, multiple fertility issues, etc.) -- their outcomes are impressive. Dr. Udoff himself might not be the most warm and fuzzy of the bunch, but he's willing to actually talk to you -- discuss options, listen to things you've come across in your own research, it's a genuine back-and-forth, as opposed to plenty of REs out there, who are...well, not like that. In the relationship with your RE, as in any other one, trust is earned and he has definitely earned mine.

Also, the clinic is small and you get to know/bond with the staff. The phlebotomist and the ultrasound technician are absolutely fabulous and the nurses (who are the ones you'll mostly be interacting with at any clinic) are great.

Feel free to ask me anything you want. This being the Internets, I know you don't have any guarantees that I'm not a GIVF plant, or a 60-year-old dude, masquerading as a fertility patient (for the record, I'm neither of those things), but I've been where you are and remember how nerve-wrecking every step of this process is, including picking a clinic, so I'll be happy to help with any info. Good luck!

Thank you for this message! I am not the OP, but I think my husband and I just decided on GIVF for frozen egg donor services (as they work with Fairfax egg bank which is where we found out preferred donor). I was trying to do some research on GIVF and this message was so reassuring! We had an initial consult with them, but it's helpful to hear this information from someone else.

I cycled with Dr. Udoff once before (several IUIs and one round of IVF, resulting in our wonderful miracle bun) and decided to go back to him for round 2 (currently in the thick of it, fingers crossed.)

I did a ton of research, interviewed three REs/clinics and he's the one I ultimately chose. There are a couple of things that helped me to decide -- if you look at the CDC success rates with a critical eye, as in, not just the summary statistics, but all of the data, including patient characteristics (older women, multiple fertility issues, etc.) -- their outcomes are impressive. Dr. Udoff himself might not be the most warm and fuzzy of the bunch, but he's willing to actually talk to you -- discuss options, listen to things you've come across in your own research, it's a genuine back-and-forth, as opposed to plenty of REs out there, who are...well, not like that. In the relationship with your RE, as in any other one, trust is earned and he has definitely earned mine.

Also, the clinic is small and you get to know/bond with the staff. The phlebotomist and the ultrasound technician are absolutely fabulous and the nurses (who are the ones you'll mostly be interacting with at any clinic) are great.

Feel free to ask me anything you want. This being the Internets, I know you don't have any guarantees that I'm not a GIVF plant, or a 60-year-old dude, masquerading as a fertility patient (for the record, I'm neither of those things), but I've been where you are and remember how nerve-wrecking every step of this process is, including picking a clinic, so I'll be happy to help with any info. Good luck!

I conceived both of my kids with GIVF. My kids are 9 and 12 so obviously this was a while ago. My primary doctor was not Dr.Udoff but my first insemination did not go well. About 6 hours after the procedure there was a lot of blood. I called the nurse and they had me come in immediately. Dr. Udoff did the examination. He was very kind and reassuring.

I did AI but I had trouble ovulating. I was monitored as an IVF patient with the daily ultrasound and blood draws. The monitoring staff were a pleasant bunch. I have tiny veins that roll and after a few days getting blood from me is challenging as I bruise easily and I have to be stuck multiple times. One day the anesthesiologist was walking by and the nurse called him in to do my blood draw. Poor man still had his coat on and coffee in hand yet he took one look at my bruises and quickly stepped in with a smile.

For my first pregnancy, I conceived twins. At the nuchal screening, it was quickly identified that there was an issue with one of the fetus. They did not bother with the blood draw (see above) and took me into genetic counseling. A few hours later I had a CVS done. I liked how seemless it was and how I didn’t have to wait for an appointment for another test.

It was at the CVS that I met the ultrasound tech. She was amazing and wonderful and was my tech for both pregnancies. I ended up reducing one twin. The high risk doctor that was going to do the reduction asked GIVF to do another ultrasound in me with him present so everyone understood what was going to happen. I liked that GIVF supported my medical needs beyond the insemination and of course my favorite ultra sound tech was there.

For both kids, they handled all of the billing with my insurance company.

Anyway, I really liked GIVF but again my experience is a decade old.

Anonymous wrote:I might have to switch to them from Shady Grove because they have their genetics lab (for PGD) in-house which my insurance is more likely to cover. Does anyone have experience with this clinic (even if you didn't do PGD with them)? I haven't really heard much about them so I'm interested in any and all experiences you have to share!

I did IVF and PGD at GIVF. GIVF will not bill insurance for PGD testing ($2,000) and they are upfront about it at the time you sign paperwork. But biopsy portion was covered. I was initially charged for biopsy as well. I asked them to bill insurance first and the claim went through.

Anonymous wrote:They are a sinking ship, GIVF was a good clinic years ago but not now. Look at how many cycles they do per year.

PP, can you elaborate? Is there something bad about them that you know of that's been making their number of cycles go down?

They are a sinking ship, GIVF was a good clinic years ago but not now. Look at how many cycles they do per year.

He's very kind-had good rapport. We liked the clinic and have always been surprised how little you hear about them. Both my sister & I used.

I might have to switch to them from Shady Grove because they have their genetics lab (for PGD) in-house which my insurance is more likely to cover. Does anyone have experience with this clinic (even if you didn't do PGD with them)? I haven't really heard much about them so I'm interested in any and all experiences you have to share!