Anonymous wrote:You can monitor downtown with SG; you only need to go to Rockville for IUIs, retrieval, and transfers. I felt like SG pushed us quickly to IVF, but then again IVF worked for us while everything else failed. We did a lot of advocacy for ourselves and called them multiple times to confirm protocol dates, get results promptly, and resolve insurance issues. Our doctor never called following negative pg tests, which they are supposed to do. We'll be going back to them despite these issues. I was under 35 with PCOS.

My experience was the opposite at SGFC. I did 4 IUIs and in my opinion it was too many. I asked about IVF after the 2nd or 3rd failed IUI but the doctor wanted to try a less aggressive approach a couple of more times with injectables and such, given my age and condition. After 4 failed IUIs, it was clear that IVF was the next step. And my nurse always called with negative or positive results, so it's really strange that they never did that for you.. Good luck with your next attempt!!

I've only been a patient at Shady Grove Fertility so I cannot really compare it with other centers. I did all my fertility treatments at SGFC and it was perfectly fine. Yes, it's definitely not a small and intimate practice but I got results and that's what matters. I went to the Rockville office and worked with Dr. O'Brien. She was great. I'm pregnant with my 2nd now. I never had any problems with scheduling. Sometimes the waits were very long but that's because everyone tries to come in before work time for monitoring so it's not a surprise. I saw my doctor only a handful of times and the rest of the time worked with my nurses.

I'm a current GW patient and I've never felt like they were short staffed. In terms of the patient experience, I would highly recommend GW.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone currently deciding between the two? It seems GWU is far more personalized but suffer from being short staffed. And SHF has sobmany patients they have trouble keeping track of them. Staff at SGF seem nice but overwhelmed.

I've been working with GW for over 8 months. I have never once felt they were short staffed. They are proactive and responsive.

Anyone currently deciding between the two? It seems GWU is far more personalized but suffer from being short staffed. And SHF has sobmany patients they have trouble keeping track of them. Staff at SGF seem nice but overwhelmed.

We did both. Paid full price at GW with Gindoff using own egg and did not get pregnant. Then we did shared DE at SG and got pregnant on the first try. Obviously, own egg and DE is different. But overall we like the staff at SG better than GW. They have a clinic near INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Where as at GW, I hated driving in and out of DC everyday during monitoring. Also, we like SG Dr Greenhouse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GW does have a patient portal, they use the Follow My Health app and all of your blood results, etc are posted there.

Is this a recent update? Because when I was cycling there (most of 2014 and 2015), they didn't use the portal even though the rest of the MFA practice did. Profoundly frustrating--I initially went there in part because my regular endocrinologist is there and I thought it would be easier, but Frankfurter and team didn't pay any attention to her notes/lab results/reports.

Fwiw, I'm MUCH happier at Shady Grove where I'm cycling now, much to my surprise. I thought the factory feel would bother me, but it hasn't at all. And it's not outcome-based--I'm still trying for that elusive take-home baby.

GWIVF does not use the portal for the in-house lab that does the monitoring bloodwork. The labs that are ordered through the downstairs lab all show up in the portal, though, so the annual blood work and my recurring miscarriage labs and the HSG reports are all in the app.

Why does it matter? My nurse calls me within a few hours anytime I have bloodwork in the morning. I don't feel a need to see a daily estrogen level update (and I'm as type A as they come.) It just doesn't tell me anything.

GW does have a portal, and Dr Frankfurter's practice does use it to schedule appointments. Some of my results are in there as well, but the daily monitoring ones are not. They seem to prefer calling, which is fine with me b/c I get to talk to the doctor or nurse directly and ask questions.

Anonymous wrote:GW does have a patient portal, they use the Follow My Health app and all of your blood results, etc are posted there.

Is this a recent update? Because when I was cycling there (most of 2014 and 2015), they didn't use the portal even though the rest of the MFA practice did. Profoundly frustrating--I initially went there in part because my regular endocrinologist is there and I thought it would be easier, but Frankfurter and team didn't pay any attention to her notes/lab results/reports.

Fwiw, I'm MUCH happier at Shady Grove where I'm cycling now, much to my surprise. I thought the factory feel would bother me, but it hasn't at all. And it's not outcome-based--I'm still trying for that elusive take-home baby.

GW does have a patient portal, they use the Follow My Health app and all of your blood results, etc are posted there.

I've had a really wonderful experience at GW. Dr. Humm is amazing - very thoughtful and thorough and Christy is my nurse and she really is great. I've had one successful birth and hopeful for a second in the coming weeks. Would (and have) absolutely recommend GW.

GW = no patient portal

I don't have experience at GW, but I recently moved from a one doctor fertility clinic in another state to Shady Grove. It does feel a little impersonal and factory-like, but there success rates are very good so we are giving them the benefit of the doubt. However, one thing I really don't like is that they don't have a patient portal. At my last clinic I was able to see all my lab results, timelines, etc. in the portal. At Shady Grove they simply call you to share results. If you like to be fully informed and are up on the research this is really frustrated. I prefer to feel like I "own" my data by having access to it. Does anyone know if GW or the other clinics in the area offer a patient portal?

Anonymous wrote:Just curious. How can we check the quality of the lab? I mean, neither SG nor GW publicly post any details relating their lab, for example, how many embryologist they have, each embryologist bio, what kind of medium each lab uses, how the medium is used while incubating the fertilized eggs, are their incubator upgraded?, does the incubator has time-laps features, how do embryologist work in the clean room, etc.

I'm from foreign country, and many of the reputable IVF clinic in my home country has these details on their website, separate blog from RE and/or embryologist to update/educate the patients re newer IVF technology. However, I have never seen these type of information made available to the patients in U.S. clinics (if there are, please chime in).
So, when some PP says SG has better lab, how can you know for sure?

You have only stats to go by - total number of cycles per year, and success rate. I am also from another country and was told that a clinic at home is willing to try different culture mediums for a case like mine. SG won't hear about it, and they told me that they use their own proprietory culture medium, the same for everybody. So you don't even know what it is, what it's similar to, etc.

Just curious. How can we check the quality of the lab? I mean, neither SG nor GW publicly post any details relating their lab, for example, how many embryologist they have, each embryologist bio, what kind of medium each lab uses, how the medium is used while incubating the fertilized eggs, are their incubator upgraded?, does the incubator has time-laps features, how do embryologist work in the clean room, etc.

I'm from foreign country, and many of the reputable IVF clinic in my home country has these details on their website, separate blog from RE and/or embryologist to update/educate the patients re newer IVF technology. However, I have never seen these type of information made available to the patients in U.S. clinics (if there are, please chime in).
So, when some PP says SG has better lab, how can you know for sure?