To make an appointment, please call 616-988-2229 or toll-free at 877-904-4483 for our Grand Rapids and Mason offices. For our Kalamazoo office, please call 269-324-5100. We are available to see patients Monday through Friday and we also reserve weekend and select evening appointments for specific procedures and time sensitive appointments.

We participate with ASR Physician’s Care, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, Bronson UMR, Carrot, HAP, Maven, Metro Care, Priority Health, Priority Health-Cigna, Physician’s Health Plan/UM Health Plan, Progyny

Please note: We DO NOT PAR with any government funded insurance plans (i.e. Medicaid, Tricare, etc.). If you currently have one of these plans through one of our participating carriers (i.e. a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicaid plan), we would not participate and payment would be due in full at the time of service.

The Fertility Center is devoted to assisting individuals with fertility problems in becoming pregnant. Our practice also specializes in the evaluation and treatment of reproductive conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), recurrent pregnancy loss, and ovarian insufficiency. We conduct a variety of diagnostic tests and treatment procedures including the following:

• Operative Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy
• Tubal Patency Testing (HSG and HyFoSy)
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
• Invitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Donor Sperm Insemination
• Donor Egg and Embryo
• Gestational Surrogacy

No, we do not perform tubal reversals.

A Reproductive Endocrinologist/Infertility Specialist (REI) is an individual who has received two to three years of subspecialty fellowship training after completion of an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency. A fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility provides focused training in the science of fertility and its evaluation and treatment. Dr. Shavell, Dr. Giuliani, Dr. Jones, Dr. Bjorkman, and Dr. Thakur are all board-certified subspecialists in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

As a team of specialists devoted to helping patients with infertility, we work closely with your primary care physician and obstetrician. With your permission, we will send a complete report to your physician detailing the types of tests and procedures we performed. When patients become pregnant, we refer them back to their obstetrician or family practice physician for ongoing prenatal care. Our practice does not provide obstetrical care beyond the first trimester of pregnancy.

Payment is expected at the time of service. If you have questions regarding our insurance participation, please contact our office.

If you have a question during office hours, please call the office. You may need to leave a message for someone on our team. Please keep in mind that the nurses are with patients during the day, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. If you have a question after hours, there is an emergency answering service that can page the nurse or provider on call. If your question is not an emergency, please call the next morning when the phones are turned on at 8:00 AM. 

If you prefer electronic communication, you can always connect with us online for non-emergent questions via MyChart. This useful tool allows patients to securely send messages directly to our staff, at any time. If sending a message while our office is closed, we will respond during business hours.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) involves the washing and preparation of partner’s (or frozen donor) sperm, which is prepared in the laboratory. A small catheter is inserted through the cervix and the prepared sperm are deposited into the uterus. The sperm are placed closer to the fallopian tubes with this procedure, which is where fertilization occurs. This is an in-office procedure that takes only several minutes, and minimal discomfort is involved.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is when an individual takes injectable fertility medications (hormones) to stimulate the ovaries until multiple follicles are mature. At that time, a minor surgical procedure called an egg retrieval is performed to aspirate eggs from their follicles vaginally under ultrasound guidance, while under intravenous sedation. The eggs are then fertilized with sperm, and the resulting embryos are watched for development. Viable embryos can be transferred back into the uterus at the appropriate time.

During the “monitoring” phase of your treatment cycle, you will need to be available for multiple appointments to assess the growth of your follicles. Your nurse, prior to your cycle, can assist you in planning for these appointments.

During your first visit, we generally conduct a comprehensive consultation and answer any questions you may have. First visits last approximately 45-60 minutes. We do ask that you complete all necessary forms prior to your appointment. We make every effort to remain on schedule and not to keep you waiting. To do so, we kindly ask the same consideration from you.

We recommend only low impact exercise (walking or bicycling) when your ovaries are stimulated. The ovaries become enlarged from the fertility medications you may be taking, and high impact (bouncy) exercise may put you at risk for ovarian torsion, when the ovary twists on itself. This is a very rare, but serious complication.

IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) provide many individuals with the opportunity to get pregnant who otherwise wouldn’t be able to have children on their own. During your consultation with one of our doctors, you will be able to discuss your  unique circumstances and receive realistic expectations as to your chance for success.

Intravenous sedation is given during the egg retrieval procedure and the procedure lasts approximately 20 minutes. Most patients experience very minimal discomfort. Some patients have mild cramping after the procedure. Tylenol may be taken as needed. Contact our office if you are experiencing significant pain.

Pregnancy success percentages vary from patient to patient – your physician can best predict the outcome for your individual situation after reviewing your history, fertility evaluation, and prior response to fertility medications.

You may take some medications during your treatment cycle, such as Tylenol, Sudafed, and Robitussin. Please ask your nurse if you need to take other medications.

The cost for fertility treatment varies depending on a variety of factors (what treatment is recommended, how much medication you will need, whether insurance covers a portion of treatment, etc.). While our billing coordinators make every effort to gather your individual insurance coverage, it is your responsibility as the patient to contact your insurance company for your benefit information prior to your first consultation. If you have any other questions, you can contact the Billing Department at our Grand Rapids office at 616-988-2229, option 5.

Herbal supplements are not recommended and may cause unknown effects. If you are on such supplements, please inform your nurse or provider.

Side effects from fertility medications vary from patient to patient and what specific medication you are taking. Typical side effects may include abdominal bloating, headaches, and nausea. Please check with your nurse regarding specific symptoms you may be having.

The Fertility Center does not provide fertility medications for your cycle. A prescription will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice. We have a list of specialty pharmacies that carry fertility medications, and some insurance companies require you to use a specific pharmacy. Please discuss this with your nurse as needed.

Fertility medications often cause more follicles to develop, so there is an increased risk of a multiple pregnancy. During your cycle, we will discuss the risk of a multiple pregnancy based on your response. If you are pursuing IVF, a discussion in regard to how many embryos to transfer will occur. We typically recommend the transfer of a single embryo, which decreases the risk of multiples.

Pregnancy tests should be accurate 16 days from detected ovulation or from the administration of the HCG injection (Ovidrel). With IVF, pregnancy testing is scheduled approximately 10-12 days after the embryo transfer. Any earlier testing (especially when using a home pregnancy test) could result in a false positive pregnancy test.

Spotting (pink, dark red or brown) can be quite normal early in pregnancy. However, if you experience bright red bleeding, please get off your feet immediately and call our office. Mild cramping may also be normal. If cramping is moderate to severe, you should notify our office.

You will have blood tests and early obstetric ultrasounds to determine appropriate progression of the pregnancy before you are released. Typically, you will not be released to your OB/GYN until 8-10 weeks of pregnancy.

No, we do not work directly with sperm donors. While we offer the use of donor sperm to our patients, they order the specimen directly from an approved sperm bank.