Berkeley Parents Network: Reproductive Science Center

Berkeley Parents Network

Reproductive Science Center

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Health & Medical > ObGyns > Reproductive Science Center

Website for the Reproductive Science Center: www.rscbayarea.com

Re: Experience with Bay Area Fertility clinics? (June 2005)
I am currently 24 wks pregnant with my second child, conceived through Reproductive Science Center in Orinda in December 2004 (the first was born in 2003, also through RSC), and I've always had a good experience there. I found the office staff caring and supportive (almost like cheerleaders for me) and both times we conceived within 2 tries with Follistim + IUI. Someone was always there to hold my hand during the IUI; the technician even told me she sang to our, uh, sample, which I found oddly comforting. The doctors and nurses went out of their way to make sure I had last-minute prescriptions filled on time, find me samples and freebies to help reduce the cost, etc. I would definitely go back there again if we decided to try for a third. anon

September 2003

Re: Weckstein or Willman?

I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Louis Weckstein of the Reproductive Science Center in San Ramon. He is truly wonderful, caring, warm, extremely professional and knowledgeable about infertility and as far as I know, very successful in this field. I was a patient of Dr. Weckstein's and I owe the birth of our little boy (now 4 months old) to him. In addition, his staff is just as wonderful as he is. Good luck! dms

Dr's Weckstein and Willman are both part of the same practice - Reproductive Science Center. See their website at http://www.rscbayarea.com/ I have recently started seeing Dr. Smikle in the same practice. Depending on the causes of your infertility (or fertility challenges!), one or another of the doctors' speciality might be a good fit - I chose Dr. Smikle because he specializes in PCOS - and I'm not going straight to IVF. (It's too soon for me to recommend him one way or the other.) I went to a free seminar they gave in Berkeley to get more information and meet the doctors (at least those who were there), get a feel for it. Plus, there was a drawing (which I didn't win) for one free IVF cycle for one lucky couple or single, and a certificate for $150 off a consult - actually $75 off the first consult and another $75 off if you go with IVF. They are expensive, at least compared to my regular ob/gyn - but probably all fertility specialists are. Good luck! Another woman trying to conceive

Other Recommendations

2001

I'm looking for an RE and I'm trying to decide between Dr Smikle in San Ramon at the Center for Reproductive Science and Dr Susan Willman's practice in Orinda. According to Willman's office she only sees people for IVF and all other work is handled by a nurse practitioner. Smickle comes well recommended but it is so far to go and I'm thinking I'll have to trek out there several times (I'm planning to start with drugs and iui). Does anyone have experience with either of these two practices? Particularly the nurse practitioner at Willman's or the Center for Reproductive Science in general. Thanks!

I would choose the San Ramon Center, because I believe their success rates are higher than anyone else's in the Bay Area, which isn't saying all that much.a Even UCSF is not very good.a For IUI, experience with large numbers of people, and technique, is important.a For IVF, transfer technique and the lab (embryology) are everything.a See the CDC site at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/drh/arts/index.htm, and http://www2.cdc.gov/nccdphp/invitro/Cliniclist.asp?state_code=CA for the San Ramon clinic, specifically.a You can waste years and a lot of money going to someone with low success rates, then find immediate success with a better clinic.a The best IVF centers in the U.S. are on the East Coast.

The link above refers to the 1995 CDC IVF report. The most recent report is for 1997, and can be viewed at http://www2.cdc.gov/nccdphp/drh/art97/clinics97.asp I have looked at IVF centers nationwide. On the entire East Coast, there are maybe five centers which have slightly higher pregnancy rates than the Reproductive Science Center of the Bay Area in San Ramon. It's hard to say without knowing exactly their criteria for accepting patients. None of these have higher pregnancy rates in the 40+ age range, though they do better with younger women, based on the 1997 report. Dr. Willman does her procedures and uses the embryology lab at the San Ramon Center. Karen

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