I made an appointment today. With a new RE. My insurance kicks in on October 1 and my appointment is on October 2. To say we are excited is an understatement.
When we first started TTC, we went with the hippie feminist OB office that was linked with the local women's health center. We were super disappointed in the Dr and later regretted following our principles versus looking up reviews and getting recommendations.
When we switched to an RE office, we went with someone who was well recommended in the community. He was awesome and we loved him. Of course, we decided to ditch IVF and that was that.
Now we're back in the game. I looked up SART IVF statistics for the 3 clinics in our city. Wow! I had no idea there could be such a difference. So, this morning, I made an appointment with the clinic that, by far, has the best statistics. Then, I started looking up online reviews. People *hate* that place. Lots of comments about how you're treated like cattle, they're only interested in $, it takes forever to get a call back, etc.
So how do we choose? Do we go with the feel-good friendly place with the considerably lower statistics (think 16% vs 35% success rate in my age group). Do we choose by the numbers? What we want is a successful, healthy pregnancy and baby, so aren't the numbers more important? I know people people spin data all the time (I do it for a living). Could the good numbers place have messed with their stats?
I could seriously drive myself crazy thinking about all of this (the good numbers place has 3 locations and a bazillion doctors...how do I know which is the best?)
Clearly we're back on the TTC roller coaster and the endless obsession with numbers and days and symptoms has started.
When we first started TTC, we went with the hippie feminist OB office that was linked with the local women's health center. We were super disappointed in the Dr and later regretted following our principles versus looking up reviews and getting recommendations.
When we switched to an RE office, we went with someone who was well recommended in the community. He was awesome and we loved him. Of course, we decided to ditch IVF and that was that.
Now we're back in the game. I looked up SART IVF statistics for the 3 clinics in our city. Wow! I had no idea there could be such a difference. So, this morning, I made an appointment with the clinic that, by far, has the best statistics. Then, I started looking up online reviews. People *hate* that place. Lots of comments about how you're treated like cattle, they're only interested in $, it takes forever to get a call back, etc.
So how do we choose? Do we go with the feel-good friendly place with the considerably lower statistics (think 16% vs 35% success rate in my age group). Do we choose by the numbers? What we want is a successful, healthy pregnancy and baby, so aren't the numbers more important? I know people people spin data all the time (I do it for a living). Could the good numbers place have messed with their stats?
I could seriously drive myself crazy thinking about all of this (the good numbers place has 3 locations and a bazillion doctors...how do I know which is the best?)
Clearly we're back on the TTC roller coaster and the endless obsession with numbers and days and symptoms has started.
Our Fertility Factory has some horrible reviews, but I loved my doc and loved my experience there. The first place I went was not so much a factory but my RE with hundreds of patients remembered me and my case far better than the RE/prof with only a handful of patients.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, read reviews and shop around, but trust your gut for the final decision. I trusted my doc 100%.
I agree with Pom, it has to be a good fit. We have friends who went to the FF we were working with and loved it. It was a fine fit for me (efficient and convenient) but a horrible fit for W (unfriendly, and a brusk) so we are switching to one with lower rates but W TRUSTS them and is EXCITED to work with them. I think your success has a lot to do with how you are feeling about the overall treatment.
ReplyDeleteI went with the best stats, but also because a friend recommended a particular RE there. I don't love the place, but they got me pregnant so I can't complain (and I'll go back). That being said, you don't want a place that makes you cry or feel bad about yourself. That just won't do. Oh and yes, I think there are ways to mess with numbers for these things, so definitely take some of it with a grain of salt.
ReplyDeletemysmallobsessions said...We used Pom's doc and also adore her! It was totally a cattle call, and I can't vouch for every ultrasound tech there, but I can say that our doc and her nurses were awesome, and that the few times I had actual compaints (inevitable for a process that involves almost daily interaction with needles and dildocams at 7am) they were taken care of quickly and sympathetically. I'd say give the factory with the good stats a try--if you hate it, the other options in your city will still be there waiting.
ReplyDeleteAlso, lots of love to and for your grandma. What a lovely picture to symbolize a wonderful life.
Unless YOU think it's truly awful, I vote stats. I liked our factory fine (same as lesboparents'), but while I do adore my main doc there, I didn't love everyone. But, really, oh well. They got the job done, and then I didn't go back there anymore. In that sense, it's different from choosing a primary care doc: you are hoping for a *short* relationship with an RE.
ReplyDeleteMy doc has a lot of information on his blog about how to best interpret the SART stats. Maybe this will help you decide whether the difference (which sounds significant to me) is a big deal or not: http://infertilityblog.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html
(may i have a small squee! that we are having this discussion?)