How To Find The Best Doctor For Infertility

“I give up. I am NEVER going to be a mom and I am NEVER going to go through this again,” I said to my husband as we were sitting on the couch. I couldn’t take it anymore. The shots. The treatments. The let downs. The heartaches. My husband didn’t know what to say. Seeing his wife like that was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He was heartbroken too about their failed fertility treatment, but he tried to stay strong for his wife by his side.

As many of you know, Tyson and I suffered from infertility for many years. After 8 rounds of clomid, 3 failed IUIs, hundreds of shots, tests and prayers – I had given up.  I just couldn’t take it anymore, emotionally and physically. Going through treatments is hard enough – and then to get the news it didn’t work, was truly devastating.

We went through several different doctors until we found the PERFECT one. The one that we finally trusted. The one we finally felt comfortable with. The one that finally listened to us. The one that finally made our miracle happen.

We were actually taking a year break from infertility treatments when I heard an advertisement on the radio for The Fertility Center of Las Vegas. I had heard it a million times, but for some reason this specific time as I drove on the freeway to work, it touched my heart. They were having a free seminar for anyone who wanted to go and listen to their doctors speak. It radiated in my mind throughout the whole day, until I finally spoke up and told my husband that I was ready to give it a try! We had heard good things about their office and thought we would go and just feel it out. From the moment we walked in their office doors, we both knew it was the place for us. We could feel it! We felt comfortable and welcome. Before we knew it, we had made our first appointment and started treatments with Dr. Bruce Shapiro at The Fertility Center of Las Vegas. A new journey began and it was an exciting time!

Through four years of experience, we learned exactly what to look for when going through infertility. There are a lot of doctors out there to choose from and it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect one for you that meets your needs and understands you as an individual. Here are 10 things to keep in mind while you look to find the best doctor for infertility and how we chose Dr. Shapiro to be our miracle worker, who we are so very grateful for!

1. EDUCATION: I always appreciate when a doctor lets us know their background and how they got to where they are today. Dr. Shapiro is well educated and actually completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale New Haven Hospital, finished his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University, and earned his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Talk about top notch and trustworthy! Make sure you find a doctor who is confident in their knowledge and truly knows what they are talking about.

2. EXPERIENCE: Find out how long they have been in practice and how much experience they have in the Infertility practice. Dr. Shapiro founded the Fertility Center of Las Vegas, which was actually the city’s FIRST infertility practice! He has years of experience under his belt and you can truly feel it when you are with him. As a couple, you put a lot into the treatments – not only your money and time, but your emotions and physical body! It is always reassuring knowing the experience a doctor has when deciding on one.

3. SUCCESS RATES: Most offices will let you know what their success rates are – and don’t be afraid to ask! You can check out The Fertility Center of Las Vegas’s success rates here. It always brought me so much comfort knowing I was in the hands of a successful doctor who had helped other women’s dreams come true before mine.

4. BED SIDE MANNERS: Something I LOVE about Dr. Shapiro is his bed side manners! I have gone to plenty of doctors in my life who aren’t personable and kind of just do their own thing, how they want and when they want. I love the way he made me feel and helped me realize that he really cared about me and the success of my treatments. Find a doctor who makes you feel comfortable as you work together.

5. EASY ACCESSIBILITY: Look for an office that is easily accessible. This is SUPER important! I loved that not only the Fertility Center of Las Vegas had two offices in the Las Vegas valley, but I could also call them anytime with questions! I am a little paranoid when it comes to health, so it was comforting knowing they were always there for me. I am sure you want the same!

6. CLEANLINESS: This may sound like a given, but you would be surprised what we have seen in doctors offices. Make sure you go to an office that is clean and organized. You want to be able to go and feel like you are getting the best treatment possible!

7. GOOD STAFF: If you think about it, you spend more time with the staff at an office than the actual doctor most of the time. Make sure the staff is kind, welcoming, and happy! I always told the staff at The Fertility Center of Las Vegas that I could hang out with them all day. I feel like they became my friends. You will see as you go through treatments, you will feel like you LIVE at the doctors office for tests, blood work, ultrasounds and other visits. You might as well be living with kind and friendly people, right?

8. REASONABLE PRICING: Fertility treatments are super expensive no matter where you go, but you can always do your research to find the best prices. Do keep in mind, you get what you pay for too. We noticed when we went the “cheaper” route we didn’t have as nice of an experience.

9. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS: I sat in a doctors office once in tears, begging for answers, and the doctor looked at me and said, “I really just don’t know what is wrong. We can try this, but I am not sure if it will work.” If you are going through this – you know that is something you DO NOT want to hear. Ever.

Luckily, when we met with Dr. Shapiro, I gave him my same speech through the same teary eyes I had prior at the other doctor’s office and the experience was COMPLETELY different. He knew what to say. He had answers to my questions. He had hope. He had faith. He believed that I could be a mom – and he made it happen.

10. COMFORT LEVEL: Last, but certainly not least, make sure you feel comfortable. Do what you feel is best. Find a doctor that you feel comfortable with and that brings YOU comfort during such a difficult trial you are facing.

I remember sitting in the waiting room at The Fertility Center and my foot was shaking. Tyson calls me “Thumper” because I literally shake my foot as fast as possible when I am nervous. I was sitting by a woman who seemed to be comfortable and confident when she asked, “Is this your first fertility treatment?” I looked at her and said, “No. But it is my first with Dr. Shapiro.” She looked at me and said, “Don’t be nervous! You are in GOOD hands. I traveled from across the country to see him. He will take care of you, just like he has taken care of me.” Her words have stayed in my head for many years now. I wasn’t nervous – I was in good hands! Women travel from all around the world for him. I knew he would take care of me.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey through infertility. I hope you find the very best doctor for YOU just like we found one for us. I know that miracles happen. I have witnessed one – in fact, she is running around my house at this very moment. And I know that a miracle can happen for you too.

If you are going through the trial of infertility, I encourage you to get connected with The Fertility Center of Las Vegas through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn !

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Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day!

June 10, 2014 by Danielle Davis | 5 Comments