If you’re thinking about or going to be doing fertility treatment through CNY Fertility, here’s some guidance. I’ve coached many clients through their experiences with CNY and I’m happy to provide more information.
First, I must share an important caveat. I wasn’t paid by CNY Fertility or anyone to write this. I have no financial gains or get any kind of pharmaceutical or corporate kickbacks from sharing the information in this post. I’ve written this for a few reasons, so that you have another source of information other than Reddit or overwhelming Facebook groups, but mainly to demonstrate the benefit of using an independent fertility coach on your fertility journey with CNY. I like being transparent and call out the elephant in the room.
Caveat over. Let’s get into it.
Some info about CNY Fertility
If you’re new to learning about CNY and all their cost-saving opportunities, here’s a bit of context.
CNY Fertility (I’ll just use ‘CNY’ for the rest of this article) is the brainchild of Dr. Kiltz, who was on a mission in the late 1990’s to make IVF cheaper. The clinic started in upstate New York, which is also why it was coined the name CNY – standing for Central New York. The main clinic moved to and continues to be in Syracuse, NY.
It has grown and there are several locations across the United States.
It continues to have an international reputation for being one of the cheapest options north of Mexico for fertility treatment, including IVF.
When I say IVF I mean with or without donor sperm, egg freezing, IVF with your own eggs, donor embryo IVF, and/or donor egg IVF.
CNY can be a great way to save money
I commend CNY for breaking down the financial barriers that too many of us with fertility challenges face. It’s not out faults that we have fertility struggles. Fertility treatment is such important healthcare, it’s unfair that financial cost can get in the way of possibly ever having a baby. I believe this wholeheartedly.
Using a business model like no other, CNY attracts people to travel to them to do multiple cycles or to be able to afford an IVF cycle for the first time.
They offer prescription medication bundles that is cheaper, too. The medication protocols they offer can be one of the cheapest options.
CNY also offers what many other fertility clinics don’t
Many patients find their way to CNY because other fertility doctors have not given them the care they need because of their age, large body size, very low ovarian reserve, or another reason.
CNY Fertility doesn’t have a BMI (Body Mass Index) limit whereas many fertility clinics do. Doctors in too many other clinics provide judgemental healthcare whereas CNY is known for being more inclusive of all body sizes.
Most clinics around the world have limits on how old you can be before moving on from IVF with your own eggs to donor egg or donor embryo IVF. Even with donor eggs/embryos there are often age limits. This varies but the restrictions can be based on laws, or can be decisions made by the specific fertility clinic executives and lawyers. CNY doesn’t have the same restrictions.
The options can be overwhelming
Another reason people gravitate toward CNY is that the doctors are open to trying a variety of medications and add-ons. They are known for being more open to trying new options and experimenting with new medications on the market.
A lot of fertility patients come to CNY because they feel like they have more control over their cycles when other clinics or doctors wouldn’t try a certain protocol.
Patients often feel the need to do their own research and propose what they would like to for their medication protocol to their team instead of being told what they should do. Some patients love this.
That can be a double-edged sword for other patients because that can feel like a burden, feeling like it’s their responsibility to know what to do, leaving some patients overwhelmed with the choice. Advancements in IVF are constantly changing, and keeping up can be challenging. Knowing what’s right for your situation is personal and researching takes time; it can be hard to know who to trust.
An independent fertility coach can be a sounding board for making these decisions.
Many of their patients travel to them
Because of the unique offerings, CNY attracts a lot of patients who travel to them for treatment. Travelling for IVF does come with a unique set of challenges and opportunities.
Travelling can leave patients with a feeling of isolation or like you’re doing it alone. You’re not alone. There are many CNY groups attached to the clinics and also social media spaces like on Facebook. There are also independent coaches like myself. Sorry to be a broken record.
Figuring out time off of work, where to stay, and for how long are just a few other parts, as well as looking into monitoring.
Don’t forget that if a cycle is cancelled but you’ve paid for your Airbnb, flights and adjusted your plans it can be another level of devastation. Make sure to get insurance or book with free cancellation if you can. It’s not your fault if this does happen to you, though. Pile on the compassion as you go.
Monitoring at your local clinic vs doing everything at CNY
People who live somewhat or very close to a CNY clinic usually opt to do the monitoring with them.
If you live far from a CNY location then you’ll either travel to near the clinic for a few weeks to do the whole cycle or use a monitoring location and just travel for egg retrieval/sperm deposit and/or embryo transfer. CNY will need to have your bloodwork and ultrasound results within a few hours so having the monitoring clinic work well with CNY is a must.
Sometimes it’s a toss up about whether to travel to be monitored by CNY if there is a bit of a distance or a border to cross, or do it all with CNY. So many factors go into this like: Nexus, proximity to you, monitoring options, Nexus, and supports that you need and have nearby.
If you purchase the medications independently then you can use the electronic prescription they send you to fill nearby. If you’re outside of the US like in Canada, then you’d need to get your family doctor to take the prescription from CNY and write their own for for you to fill at your local pharmacy. Keep your receipts.
Choosing a clinic closer to home or near friends or family for convenience, or based on your insurance and how many cycles you might need to do can all come into play.
Pregnancy support from CNY is short-lived
My hope is that you get and stay pregnant, and when you do through CNY, they are there to continue to prescribe medication, and do the beta blood test(s) and the ultrasound(s), but they are not there with maternity expertise, or for very long after a positive beta. They often want to discharge you by about 8 weeks. There are exceptions especially if pregnancy loss or bleeding happens, but that’s the standard.
This means you do have to find your own maternity care on your own and they might not be available for a while, depending on who you’re hoping for such as an Obstetrician, midwife or family doctor who specializes in maternity care. Having an independent fertility coach to bridge this gap can be extremely valuable.
CNY is not perfect
If you’re in the decision-making process or deep in treatment at CNY, I want to be clear that there are drawbacks to CNY. It deals with a high volume of patients so you might feel like just a number, and the communication with the various teams can chaotic.
There are ways that it can be easier to navigate/
If you’d like personalized fertility coaching support while you navigate your treatment, your options, and whatever happens beyond, book a session with me. It’s judgement-and-pressure-free.
Feel free to comment if you’ve got advice to share if you’ve had any experience with CNY.
Disclaimer: Laura is not responsible for any errors in this post or any distress that this information may cause. This post is not considered medical advice nor does it replace guidance from a medical doctor.
One Response
Haha, CNY really *is* the fertility wild west, isnt it? Setting up shop withoutBMI limits or age restrictions, like they’re saying, Hey, bring your judgmental clinic said no list! And the medication protocols? Sounds like a playground – try this new thing, experiment, or just research till your head spins! But seriously, the independence is great, until you realize choosing *anything* is like picking your own IVF destiny. And let’s be real, needing a maternity coach just to navigate *that* shows how much they lean into you provide the control. Love the honesty about post-baby care though – CNYs great for cycles, maybe not the full nine months of party planning! Just gotta pack a sense of adventure and your own obstetricians number.