Choosing a specialist and infertility clinic is deeply personal and one of the most important choices you’ll make during your infertility treatment journey. 

We polled our users for their most important factor in choosing a clinic (or perhaps leaving one for another) and the answer was overwhelmingly about the clinic’s personal care and direct access to the RE.

Your infertility journey is one filled with stress, anxiety and the unknown – making your mental health and care just as important as the medical care you’ll receive. Your clinic becomes an extension of your family as they help you literally extend it. 

Before choosing an infertility clinic consider the personal care you’d like to receive and ask yourself and the clinic the following questions: 

  • How accessible is my RE/specialist? How does he/she communicate during a cycle? Is he/she available via email or just by phone?
  • How difficult was it to schedule an appointment with the clinic? Did you have to wait a long time for a nurse or receptionist to call you back? Was there a long wait in the office once you arrived? – Not feeling like a number in a baby making factory is imperative in this process.
  • What is most important to you when it comes to bedside manner? Empathy, warmth, informative communication, and a clinic that felt invested in your success we’re some of the top reasons for choosing an RE amongst our users.

You also want to learn about the Clinic’s diagnostic testing and the proposed course of care. Here are questions to ask during your initial consultation:

  • What is the process for diagnosing my infertility? What tests will be conducted? What is their position on autoimmune, genetic and blood diseases as factors in infertility?
  • If you already know your diagnosis, is this an area of speciality for this clinic? Ask your RE to explain his experience and success rate with your specific diagnosis and age.
  • Are the treatment protocols personalized by diagnosis/couple? What is the process for treatment? What is the timeline for starting treatment or in between cycles if a treatment has failed?
  • Is the clinic available for monitoring and procedures during the weekends and holidays? How early in the morning do they open / how late do they stay open? Does the lab testing get done at the clinic or go to a 3rd party lab/provider?
  • If doing IVF, what are the clinic’s thoughts on Fresh vs Frozen transfers, Day 3 Embryos vs Blastocysts, and why?
  • What happens when a treatment cycle fails? Is there a plan beyond the first few steps of treatment? How does the clinic handle further diagnostic testing?
  • If important to you, what is the clinic’s position on a holistic approach to care? Do they recommend supplements? Are there lifestyle changes I can make to help my diagnosis? Is there a trained mental health specialist on staff? What do they think about eastern medicine treatments such as acupuncture, reflexology and herbs?
  • What are the costs associated with testing, treatments and medication? Does my insurance/health care provider cover any of these costs? Does the clinic accept coverage from any other provider? Are there payment plans? Does the clinic guarantee success?
  • What are the clinic’s success rates for live birth amongst my age group? 

Many fertility centers host open houses so you can meet the doctors before scheduling a consultation and visiting/getting the opinion of multiple RE’s is highly recommended. 

Luckily there are also sites like SART in the US, HFEA in the UK and Global Clinic Ratings with worldwide listings that allow you to do a bit of research prior to choosing the right doctor for you and your partner.

Just remember, this is an important decision that shouldn’t be made out of pressure or stress. You deserve the best care possible. You deserve to feel seen. You should trust your RE and if at any point you don’t feel this way, it’s OK to change your mind/clinics.