38 replies to this topic

[Hope for a Baby]

I'm currently going to Astra fertility in Milton and I'm not happy with their services and staff.
Any positive feedback on One fertility and their staff is much appreciated.

We are looking for a fertility clinic to do our first IVF

Thank you

[BabyVibez]

ONE is fantastic!
There is a couple of forum threads about them.
Which Dr are you reffered to? That will help with my reference for you

[Hope for a Baby]

Great to hear Baby Vibez and congrats on your pregnancy, that sure gives me hope.

I'm just finishing my IUI cycle at Astra this month and then we are transferring over next month, do you have any suggestions on which doctor I should book with?

[BabyVibez]

I am with Dr Hughes. He is delightful. Great bedside manner, great sense of humour, very flexible with treatment options etc etc. That being said.... no matter who your assigned Dr is, when you cycle, you deal with whomever is on at the time. I have had 5 cycles at ONE and Dr Hughes has only done one of my transfers. All of the Dr's are great for different reasons. If I had to give advice on one to avoide, I would say Dr Amin. She is a fabulous Dr but, has a 'different' bedside manner than the rest. She talks really fast and always seems like she has one foot out the door when you meet with her. I wanted a little hand holding and comfort from my Dr and found that in everyone except her. That said, she was my sister-in-laws Dr and they got preggers on their very first IUI.

I would advise you to keep a good record of each of your appointments and what was said just for your own peace of mind. There are a lot of staff blitzing around in there all the time. I found it much more efficient to be calling and speaking direct quotes from my records when i needed advice. Ohh.... and a good thing about ONE is 99% of the time when you call the nurses line YOU GET A LIVE PERSON!. I was always super impressed with that.

I will admit, the front desk ladies are less than organized. I am not sure it is their fault though. They are pretty far removed from the action of the clinic. Make sure when you get your consult apt that they give you all the paper work you need then, so you dont have to come back for it. That happened to us a hundred times. Also, they always gave us the bill for our cycles weeks before they happened. Don't worry - you dont have to pay for them then. Just take the invoice and add it to your records. You dont have to pay until everything is a go. In our FET cycles they gave us the bill on day 3 and I was like - we dont even know if it's going to happen until after day 10 and even then... not until after the thaw and there is something viable to transfer! I am not so sure the front desk ladies have any medical training in this field... which is fine as long as you know that and dont expect any advice medically from them. LOL

Another good thing about the clinic is that they have a pharmamcy with all the meds they prescribe on site so you can always leave with a nice big bag of goodies. That said - the clinic's pharmacy is really a sister pharmacy to the West End Pharmacy in Hamilton. Payment will be taken from your credit card whenever they have a chance to run things through. We got cought a few times thinking they had run it through and then spending from the card on other things only to find we screwed ourselves and got an NSF charge. Best to have a 'fertitily' credit card for the time being so this doesnt happen to you too. It was super annoying. Sometimes it would be well past a 2 weeks before they ran the VISA.

The lab line in the am is usually pretty good. I usually waited closer to the 9am time to go in and the line seemed pretty short. You have to get your blood work done before 9:30 to get the results back that day. The lab opens at 7:30am I think and it is first come, first serve. Ultrasound is a different story. I have waited up to an hour past a booked appointment time to see them. Sometimes it just get ridiculously busy. I also think they were down a u/s tech when I was last in because they seemed to be only running out of one room. Your lab results will come back anywhere between 11am and 3pm. I banked on just after 1pm when the ladies came back from lunch most times.

Your transfers will be between 10am and 12. This is also the time that they have any of thier clients in that have BFPs. Be prepared to see little kids in the wait room at this time as well as some little baby bellies forming. I made myself see it as hope, because I wanted to get into my transfer with a positive attitude. Other than that, I only ever saw kids in the wait room a couple of times. People seem to be pretty respectful of that. I like that the clinic makes an effort in this manner.

Anyways - I hope that helps. If you have any specific questions ask away!

[Hope for a Baby]

Thank You Thank You BabyVibez!!! I love this site and all of you on here.
You have answered many of my questions and are truly making this descion much more easier for me.
Just getting a nurse live on the phone is more than enough for me. I have to normally call Astra 5times in a day to get an answer.

I work right down the road from One fertility and live 10 minutes away so this will be so much easier on me and my nerves:)

I appreciate your advice and your time today for answering me

[WithHope]

Hey there Hope for a baby!!!
I also went to Astra!!! We did 6 iui with (Dr.Michael). When I was there I really liked the staff and Dr. Michael himself. However once I switched my husband and I noticed a big difference with One Fertility!! The clinic is run so differently for example (like BabyVidez) mentioned above 99% of the time u get a nurse on the phone happy to answer your questions!!! Which never happened at Astra. Another issues was we found dr. Michael was so relaxed when it came to treatments. He wouldn't do IVF on me because he said why jump into IVF?? When we came to One we were happy that  they really listen to there clients and consider what we want. 
Anyways just letting you know that One is amazing and you are making the a good choice by switching. 
My doctor was dr. Amin.  I did one IVF cycle and got pregnant.
All the best to you! 

[lindsayinport]

I also go/went to ONE. I loved it. Baby Vibez pretty much said it all, except the lab opens at 7 not 7:30, which was pretty much always running on time. Ultrasound was also on time that early (you can't get backed up when you're first in line, lol)

I also had Dr. Hughes, loved him, but it was Dr. Faghih that ultimately got us knocked up lol!!! Everyone is so great, you'll love it.


Good luck!

[Rookie37]

Looks like there isn't much else I can add.

I too LOVE the Dr's and nurses at ONE and have been very happy with them. With the exception of Dr Hughes (for some reason I've never met him), I have seen all of the REs there and they are amazing. My primary is Dr Amin and while she doesn't have that great of a reputation, I actually quite liked her. I'll admit, she doesn't 'beat around the bush' but I liked that about her. Personally, I need my Dr to be direct and not sugar coat things. I am considered a 'poor responder' because of my age and FSH level, but Dr Amin chose the right IVF protocol for me the FIRST time and I am now 9 1/2 weeks pregnant!

In any case, you'll be very happy with whichever Dr you get - they are all very helpful. Good luck!!

[lindsayinport]

Congrats Rookie!!! I didn't know!!!
That is fantastic, keep us posted

[SunnyS]

I too had great success at One! I recently completed my first IVF, and it's a BFP! My primary is Dr. Amin, but the one who did both my ER and ET was Dr. Faghih too, and I really really liked her. I also like Dr. Hughes, but to be honest, it doesn't matter which doctor you go to, I love all the doctor's there, and the nurses...

I'm not the biggest fan of Diane though... seems a little brash and not sensitive at all.

[WithHope]

Congrats Rookie37. That's wonderful news!

[Hope for a Baby]

WOW this amazing news! Thank you for all the success news:) I just had my IUI done this weekend at Astra truly hoping for the best. If it failed I'm transferring over to One to do IVF.

Thank You Ladies! I actually have smiled for the first time today:)

[Hope for a Baby]

If you don't mind me asking how much is IVF at One?

[Loopy]

Here is a link to some of their fees.
One fertility

I haven't been a patient at their new clinic, but at the CRC, Dr. Karnis was my RE, but I also saw Dr. Amin and Hughes. Dr. Faghih is also the actual one that did my retrieval and transfer....Sounds like shes had a lot of success! Also I know the embryologist Mike Neal from my job, and he is a great guy with great skills and passion. I contribute the fertilization of the eggs to him!

I can't say about the new place, but I do know they have a history of appearing confused/unorganized at the front desk, and as far as paperwork goes. But I'd definitely overlook that given the other positives. Just make sure you know whats going on with your "file", and feel free to question them if needed.

Good luck!

[BabyVibez]

Oooooh I forgot about nurse Diane. Yes, she is definetly the 'rotten egg' of the bunch. She is full of knowledge and can be helpful when you call her on her attitude, but she is defiently not a hand holder or sugar coater. She does seem to be the most organized nurse though... so I often ask for her over the phone.

That being said, she has called my home and asked for a different name more than once (looking at the wrong file when I say hello I guess). I always make sure when she gives me results that she is 'sure' they are my results. She seems kind of annoyed... but come on! THE most important part of the process is the damn beta results!!!!!

I have found that if ever I mention to my Dr that one of the staff are being douchey - that by the next time I come in they are sweet as pie to me. He obviously follows through with speaking to his staff about being courtious and sensitive. I like that.

[Hope for a Baby]

Thank You Loopy so much for this info:)

[DesignerBug]

Also a former patient of Dr. Hughes and he was amazing. I was oddly sick for my first transfer and he kindly waited me out until I could hold down enough water for the u/s. He came in personally and wrapped me all cozy in a warm blanket while we waited for my bladder to fill.

Not to mention that eventually we even got pregnant!

D

[lindsayinport]

I actually like Diane, she is firm, straight to the point and I have always had positive vibes, and felt as though she cared.

[burlingtonbabe]

I am a patient of Dr Hughes. What is annoying me most lately is all their residents. In the past few months I was asked if one could do my FET (which I said no, too much at stake!), one did my HSG, and then I had one for my endometrial biopsy and pap which turned out horrible, as he didn't know what a cervix after a leep looked like and assumed there was a problem without seeking another Dr opinion. The message he left for me absolutely petrified me, and resulted in a major breakdown. All for nothing, as I went to my family Dr and he was floored that this resident would think that anything was wrong, it's a normal cervix. Dr Hughes agreed once he took a look with his own eyes. That experience makes me wonder if the biopsy might have been done incorrectly as well. I will not allow any more residents, especially for procedures I am paying for. If they wanna do it for free fine, but not with my embryos and my $1000.

I think they must have a brand new nurse. When I went in for my lining check before FET, the US tech didn't write down the units of the thickness of my lining, and the nurse tried to tell me it was 1.1mm. I told her that was not possible, especially after 10 days on Estrace. I knew it wasn't right as they made the same mistake the month before, but I had to ask her three times to go and ask the tech what units she used on the report. Sure enough, it was 11 mm, or 1.1 cm. Then she started asking me all these general questions to fill in their form. Come on, read my frickin' file. I was really annoyed. At least she sensed that and Marlene took over.

While I do like the clinic alot, lately I have felt that if I wasn't on top of eveything something would go terribly wrong.

For those patients of Dr Hughes, has he ever done any of your procedures? I've had an IVF retrieval and now three FETs and he hasn't done one of them.

[Rookie37]

burlington babe - yes, lots of residents and definitely a new nurse or 2. I once had a resident do one of my IUIs and I was in so much pain and bleeding afterwards - I never had that when the regular REs did my IUIs. But, it was another resident who did my ER and my ET (under the guidance of either Dr Karnis or Faghi) and it was successful so I guess there are good and bad residents. As for your question about Dr Hughes & procedures: well, he is not my RE but my own RE is Dr Amin and she has not been there for any of my procedures, follow up u/s, etc.

Hope for a Baby - good luck!

[Cassandra_Angela]

I'm considered a "satelite" patient of ONE.
I actually see Dr Cepeda at HART but he does the ivf/fet procedures out of ONE.
I have seen Dr Hughes and Dr Amin in the past ... Both seem very nice.

[Hope for a Baby]

So our IUI failed I knew. So discouraging. I dropped off my medical records to One on Thursday, receptionist indicated that a nurse has to review my file and then I will get a call. Now I have to wait patiently to get in to discuss IVF. Please let this work. I'm starting to give up ......

[Rookie37]

So our IUI failed I knew. So discouraging. I dropped off my medical records to One on Thursday, receptionist indicated that a nurse has to review my file and then I will get a call. Now I have to wait patiently to get in to discuss IVF. Please let this work. I'm starting to give up ......

Hope - don't be discouraged, IUIs just aren't for everyone. We tried 3 medicated IUIs and nothing. But our first IVF was successful, so that just goes to show that there is a HUGE difference between IUI and IVF outcomes. One nice thing about ONE is that there is no wait time to get in for IVF, so if you are ready you should be able to cycle as soon as you get in for an appt. Good luck hun!

[Hope for a Baby]

Thank You Rookie I have an appt on November 19th so excited

[WithHope]

Hope for a Baby- Let us know how you make out at your appt on Nov 19. Which Dr. are you seeing?