After you and your partner have been trying to conceive for at least twelve consecutive months, most doctors recommend fertility treatments. There are many different treatments to help with your journey to becoming a parent. With nearly 500 fertility clinics in the United States, we understand you have a lot of options, so we want to help you make the best choice for your family.
Most people get recommendations from their gynecologist or a trusted friend, but it is very important to do your own research. Before your initial consultation, you should know the type of clinic you are visiting, their size, success rates and any associated costs.
What to look for when choosing a fertility clinic in Minneapolis
There are many important factors to consider when selecting a fertility clinic. Make sure you find the solution that’s right for you and your family.
Decide the type and size of clinic you prefer
The size and type of clinic you select will affect your overall fertility experience. Here are a few important factors to consider during your search:
- Sole practitioners
- Small practices (with less than 10 member physicians)
- Large, full service practices
- Fertility networks
- University-based clinics
- Hospital-based clinics
Find a clinic with higher than average success rates
Success rates are one of the most important things to consider when selecting a fertility clinic. Success rates for the following procedures can tell you a lot about the practice:
- Choose a clinic that performs at least 120 IVF procedures each year. (This is about two per week, which means they routinely perform IVF embryo transfers.)
- Look at the clinic’s success rates for your age group and see how it compares to their overall success rate.
- Investigate the difference in fresh versus frozen embryo transfer success rates.
- Confirm the percentage of embryo transfers that resulted in live births. This is the best way to evaluate a fertility clinic’s success rate.
Always choose a clinic with success rates at least above the national average. Most clinics publish their success rates directly to their website.
Plan and budget for your fertility treatments
Fertility treatments don’t come cheap, so it’s important to understand all of the costs ahead of time. Costs may vary clinic to clinic as well; so make sure you know exactly what’s included. Once you understand how much it will cost, you can explore these different ways to mitigate the financial weight of fertility treatments:
- Health insurance coverage – Many health insurance policies cover fertility treatments or fertility diagnostic procedures. Contact your health insurance provider to find out more.
- Financial assistance programs – Most fertility clinics participate in proven course-of-treatment plans that increase your chance of having a baby with things like providing multiple IVF cycles for a discounted fee.
The compassionate, fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinologists at the Center for Reproductive Medicine look forward to helping you build your family. Our success rates are consistently above the national average — and are among the best in Minnesota. Call us today for an initial consultation at 612-863-5390.
