u/Environmental-Soft-3

Any recommendations for a quick but yummy (and not necessarily a take out place) for a quick dinner in Times Square before a 6:30pm show on a Sunday? We have about 1 hr 15 min for dinner.

We live somewhere that feels fancy or at least makes my niece from Louisiana feel fancy before her first broadway. She’s 6.

I developed pretty significant melasma during pregnancy, and unfortunately it hasn’t gone away since having my baby. I know melasma can be really stubborn and that certain treatments can actually make it worse, so I’m looking for someone who really knows how to treat it, rather than just a general dermatologist who happens to offer lasers/peels/etc.
At this point it’s affecting me enough that I’m tired of waiting and hoping it fades on its own. I’d especially love recommendations from anyone who has personally had their melasma successfully treated.
I have EmblemHealth GHI, so someone who takes my insurance would be ideal, but I’m willing to pay out of pocket for the right doctor. Manhattan or Brooklyn preferred, but I’ll travel within NYC for someone who is genuinely good with melasma.

Would love names + what treatment you did and whether it actually helped. Thank you!

My mom is coming to visit and flying into LaGuardia. She rarely travels, and this will be her first time traveling completely alone, so I really want the pickup to be as seamless and stress-free as possible for her. Ideally, I’d love someone who will track the flight, communicate clearly with her, and make it very obvious/easy where she needs to go to meet the driver.
If you’ve personally used a car service or driver for LGA that was especially reliable and easy to navigate, please send me your recommendations! I’m much more interested in someone you’ve actually had a good experience with than just picking a random service online. ❤️

Hoping there are some NYC parents here who have dealt with this very specific IVF insurance situation!
My husband and I are both NYC employees, but we work for different organizations. We both have access to the NYC employee GHI/Emblem PPO plan through our respective employers.

Right now, I’m covered as a dependent under his policy and am about to start IVF. The plan has a 3-cycle IVF benefit, and given my situation, there’s a good chance I’ll need to use all three.
I also have the option of enrolling in the GHI/Emblem PPO through my own NYC employer, where I would be the policyholder and would also have a 3-cycle IVF benefit.
Has anyone actually been in this situation and knows how the IVF maximum is handled?
If I use my 3 cycles as a dependent under my husband’s policy and then switch to my own policy through a different NYC employer, do I get a new 3-cycle benefit because it’s a different employer/policyholder? Or does Emblem track the lifetime maximum by the individual patient, meaning my 3 used cycles would carry over because both policies are ultimately GHI/Emblem?

My fertility clinic’s insurance coordinator thinks the benefits may be separate because the policies are through two different employers, but she recommended that I confirm before relying on that.
I’m going to verify it directly before making any decisions, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has actually done IVF under NYC employee GHI/Emblem coverage and switched between a spouse’s policy and their own policy through another NYC employer. What happened to your 3-cycle benefit?

Hoping someone who has actually dealt with this can tell me how it worked for them.

I’m currently covered under my husband’s NYC GHI/Emblem PPO plan as his dependent. He’s a CUNY employee. I’m about to start IVF and expect that I may need to use the full 3-cycle lifetime IVF benefit under his plan.

I’m also a NYC employee through DC37, so I have the option of enrolling in GHI/Emblem PPO through my own employer. My plan would also have a 3-cycle IVF benefit.

Does anyone know whether the 3-cycle maximum follows the individual patient/member, even when you move to a different policy through a different NYC employer, or whether the benefits are separate because they’re two different employer policies/policyholders?

Basically, if I use 3 cycles while I’m a dependent under my husband’s CUNY GHI policy and then later enroll in GHI through DC37 as the policyholder, would I have 3 new IVF cycles under my own policy, or would Emblem see that I already used 3 cycles under my husband’s GHI coverage and consider my lifetime maximum exhausted?

My fertility clinic’s insurance coordinator thinks the cycle balances may be separate because the policies are through separate employers, but recommended that I confirm before relying on that.
I’m obviously going to verify directly with the plan/benefits office before making any insurance decisions, but I’d really love to hear from NYC public employees who have actually switched from a spouse’s NYC GHI plan to their own NYC GHI plan while doing IVF and know how Emblem handled the lifetime maximum.

Correction: I am employed by a city union, but I’m apparently not a “city employee” — Louisiana transplant so new to all of this, but would have the same insurance as stated above in the event that I switch.

Planning a family trip to 30A for May/June 2027 and would love opinions from people who have stayed in these communities with young kids. We’re currently considering Rosemary Beach, Seacrest, Alys Beach, WaterSound and WaterColor.

Our group will be a 2.5-year-old, 3-year-old, 7-year-old, two sets of parents, and four grandparents. I’ll also hopefully be pregnant, so convenience is going to matter a LOT. We normally vacation in Destin, and this will be my admittedly picky family’s first 30A trip with several hours added in commute time. I’ve stayed in Rosemary several times before having kids and love it, but I want to make sure I’m not automatically choosing Rosemary when one of the other communities might actually work better for this particular group.

My biggest priority is walkability. I really don’t want to load toddlers into a car every time we want to do something. Ideally, we can walk to coffee/breakfast in the morning, shops or things to do during the day, and walk to dinner at night. One of the things I’m trying to sell my family on is that 30A can be a vacation where we park the cars when we arrive and barely touch them again.

Vibes also matter a lot. I don’t just want a beautiful house in a quiet development where we have to leave the community to do anything. I love that vacation feeling of being able to wander around, grab a drink, get ice cream with the kids, browse shops, hear live music, etc. Being able to walk somewhere directly from the beach for a drink, lunch or snacks would be a huge plus — ideally somewhere actually on/overlooking the beach. I want the adults to be able to say, “I’m going to grab a drink,” and walk over in a bathing suit rather than everyone packing up and getting in a car.

Beach proximity is very important. With two toddlers, we’re going to have a ridiculous amount of stuff, so I’d love to be close enough to walk to the beach or have an easy tram/shuttle/golf-cart situation that makes hauling kids, stroller/wagon, beach toys, bags, etc. realistic. I’m not opposed to paying more to be closer to the beach if it genuinely makes the vacation easier.

For the house/resort itself, my dream setup would be a private pool plus access to a really nice community pool. A zero-entry pool, splash pad, shallow toddler area, etc. would be amazing, although that’s not an absolute requirement. With toddlers and grandparents, I can see us spending just as much time at the pool as the beach.

Other things that matter are easy/safe stroller and wagon routes, playgrounds or greens where the kids can run around, easy bike rentals (especially with child seats/trailers), good restaurants within walking distance, and enough going on that everyone can split up without needing cars. We’d also prefer a community where getting onto the beach itself isn’t an ordeal during late May/early June.
For those familiar with several of these communities, where would you choose for this particular group and why?

I’m especially curious about Rosemary vs. Seacrest. Is Rosemary’s private beach/pool access worth the premium with toddlers, or does Seacrest’s kid-friendly pool/splash-pad setup + proximity to Rosemary make it the better choice?
WaterColor amenities look incredible for kids, but would we lose that compact, walk-out-the-door-for-dinner/drinks experience that I love about Rosemary? WaterSound looks beautiful, but is it too spread out or quiet for what we’re looking for? And Alys is gorgeous, but is it actually worth staying there with young kids and grandparents, or is it somewhere we’d be better off walking/biking over to for dinner and drinks?

And if there’s another 30A community/property that fits this group better, I’m completely open to it.
Basically, I want my family to leave saying, “Okay, I understand why you like 30A better than Destin.” 😂 I’m looking for that quintessential 30A experience: beautiful beach, great pools, charming atmosphere, drinks/food near the sand, walkable restaurants and shops, easy logistics with little kids, and as little loading and unloading children into cars as humanly possible.

Where would you stay?

Hi everyone. I’m looking for experiences from anyone who’s had an atypical early pregnancy after infertility, especially if you were recommended a D&C.

I’m 5 weeks 3 days today.

This was a completely spontaneous pregnancy after preparing to start IVF. I went in for my baseline bloodwork to be cleared to start IVF injections on what I thought was cycle day 1 of a normal period. I had actually had what seemed like a full period (bright red bleeding with tampon use), but my bloodwork unexpectedly came back with an hCG of 13.55.
My initial progesterone was only 3.15, and based on that value, my RE told me from the very beginning that the pregnancy was not viable. However, my progesterone then increased and stabilized around 15-16 with subsequent bloodwork. Despite that improvement, after my hCG began showing irregular rises, my doctor has reached the same conclusion—that the pregnancy is not viable—and is now recommending a D&C.

I had a negative home pregnancy test on 7/19, then my first positive blood test on 7/21, so this pregnancy announced itself incredibly early.

Here are my hCGs:
7/21: 13.55 (progesterone 3.15)
7/23: 60.94 (progesterone 7.69) – doubling ~22 hours
7/27: 370.46 (progesterone 16.17) – doubling ~37 hours
7/29: 439.76 (progesterone 16.92) – doubling ~194 hours
7/31: 564.05 (progesterone 15.12) – doubling ~134 hours
8/3: 1,294.32 (progesterone 15.93) – doubling ~60 hours

I had a transvaginal ultrasound the same day my hCG was 1,294, and they did not see an intrauterine pregnancy, but they also did not identify a definite ectopic pregnancy.

My RE is recommending proceeding with a D&C, explaining that the pregnancy is very unlikely to be viable based on the overall hCG pattern and concern for a pregnancy of unknown location. I understand that if this is a viable intrauterine pregnancy, a D&C would end it, which is making this decision incredibly difficult.

I know my hCG pattern is abnormal overall, and I’m not trying to convince myself this is definitely viable. I’m just struggling because after two very slow rises, the most recent rise was approximately a 60-hour doubling time, which seems much more reassuring. I also wonder whether the fact that this pregnancy was detected so incredibly early changes how the hCG trend should be interpreted.

Has anyone had:
Two very slow hCG intervals followed by a normal one?
A pregnancy that wasn’t visible around an hCG of 1,300 but turned out to be intrauterine?
A recommendation for a D&C in a pregnancy of unknown location, and if so, how did your story ultimately end?

I’m looking for honest experiences—good or bad. I know this may very well be a nonviable pregnancy, but before making an irreversible decision, I’m hoping to hear from others who have been in a similar situation.

Thank you all so much. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life

Hi everyone. I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been through something similar because I’m struggling with whether to proceed with a D&C tomorrow.
I’m 5 weeks 3 days.
This was a completely spontaneous pregnancy while I was preparing to start IVF. I went in for my baseline bloodwork to be cleared for injections on what I thought was cycle day 1 of a normal period. I had what seemed like a full period with bright red bleeding and tampon use, but my bloodwork unexpectedly came back with an hCG of 13.55.
My initial progesterone was 3.15, and based on that, my RE told me from the beginning that the pregnancy was not viable. My progesterone then increased and has remained around 15-16, but my hCG became irregular.
Here are my numbers:

Here are my hCGs:
9DPO: 13.55 (progesterone 3.15)
11DPO: 60.94 (progesterone 7.69) – doubling ~22 hours
15DPO: 370.46 (progesterone 16.17) – doubling ~37 hours
17DPO: 439.76 (progesterone 16.92) – doubling ~194 hours
19DPO: 564.05 (progesterone 15.12) – doubling ~134 hours
22DPO: 1,294.32 (progesterone 15.93) – doubling ~60 hours
I had a transvaginal ultrasound the same day my hCG was 1,294, and they did not see an intrauterine pregnancy, but they also did not identify a definite ectopic pregnancy. I did have a Endometrioma cyst on my left ovary and 2 Hemorrhagic
cysts on each side.

My RE is recommending a D&C because she believes this is a nonviable pregnancy of unknown location. I understand that if this is actually a viable intrauterine pregnancy, a D&C would end it, which is why I’m having such a hard time making this decision.
I’m not asking anyone to tell me whether my pregnancy is viable. I’m more wondering:
Does this pattern sound familiar to anyone who ultimately had an ectopic pregnancy?
Did anyone have no obvious signs of an ectopic on ultrasound initially?
If you had a pregnancy of unknown location, what ultimately led to your diagnosis?
Did anyone have hCG that slowed dramatically and then sped back up again?
I’m emotionally preparing myself for the possibility that this is nonviable. I just want to understand whether my story sounds typical for an ectopic pregnancy, since nothing has actually been seen outside the uterus yet.
Thank you to anyone willing to share your experience. I know no one can diagnose me over Reddit—I’m just trying to better understand what others have gone through while I make a very difficult decision.

Hi everyone. I’m looking for experiences from anyone who’s had an atypical early pregnancy after infertility, especially if you were recommended a D&C.
I’m 5 weeks 3 days today.
This was a completely spontaneous pregnancy after preparing to start IVF. I went in for my baseline bloodwork to be cleared to start IVF injections on what I thought was cycle day 1 of a normal period. I had actually had what seemed like a full period (bright red bleeding with tampon use), but my bloodwork unexpectedly came back with an hCG of 13.55.
My initial progesterone was only 3.15, and based on that value, my RE told me from the very beginning that the pregnancy was not viable. However, my progesterone then increased and stabilized around 15-16 with subsequent bloodwork. Despite that improvement, after my hCG began showing irregular rises, my doctor has reached the same conclusion—that the pregnancy is not viable—and is now recommending a D&C.
I had a negative home pregnancy test on 7/19, then my first positive blood test on 7/21, so this pregnancy announced itself incredibly early.
Here are my hCGs:
9DPO: 13.55 (progesterone 3.15)
11DPO: 60.94 (progesterone 7.69) – doubling ~22 hours
15DPO: 370.46 (progesterone 16.17) – doubling ~37 hours
17DPO: 439.76 (progesterone 16.92) – doubling ~194 hours
19DPO: 564.05 (progesterone 15.12) – doubling ~134 hours
22DPO: 1,294.32 (progesterone 15.93) – doubling ~60 hours
I had a transvaginal ultrasound the same day my hCG was 1,294, and they did not see an intrauterine pregnancy, but they also did not identify a definite ectopic pregnancy. I did have a Endometrioma cyst on my left ovary and 2 Hemorrhagic
cysts on each side.

My RE is recommending proceeding with a D&C, explaining that the pregnancy is very unlikely to be viable based on the overall hCG pattern and concern for a pregnancy of unknown location. I understand that if this is a viable intrauterine pregnancy, a D&C would end it, which is making this decision incredibly difficult.
I know my hCG pattern is abnormal overall, and I’m not trying to convince myself this is definitely viable. I’m just struggling because after two very slow rises, the most recent rise was approximately a 60-hour doubling time, which seems much more reassuring. I also wonder whether the fact that this pregnancy was detected so incredibly early changes how the hCG trend should be interpreted.
Has anyone had:
Two very slow hCG intervals followed by a normal one?
A pregnancy that wasn’t visible around an hCG of 1,300 but turned out to be intrauterine?
A recommendation for a D&C in a pregnancy of unknown location, and if so, how did your story ultimately end?
I’m looking for honest experiences—good or bad. I know this may very well be a nonviable pregnancy, but before making an irreversible decision, I’m hoping to hear from others who have been in a similar situation.
Thank you all so much. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life.

Hi, I just got my first holo taco and tried sweet tooth and it’s so chalky and streaky, no amount of coats fixes it. Any advice?

Looking for recommendations for an exceptional Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist in NYC.
Pregnant after a traumatic high-risk pregnancy that ended in an emergency C-section at 37 weeks due to oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid) and persistent breech presentation. I was followed very closely by MFM in my previous pregnancy with frequent ultrasounds and NSTs, and I truly believe that level of monitoring helped save my daughter’s life.

I’m looking for an MFM who: Is thorough and proactive rather than “wait and see.”

Takes patient concerns seriously and doesn’t dismiss them (my last concerns saved my babies life) with weekly scans, Is willing to individualize care based on prior pregnancy history rather than only following the minimum standard schedule, Works well with my OB and communicates recommendations clearly, Has experience managing pregnancies complicated by oligohydramnios or other placental/fluid concerns.

I’d prefer someone in Brooklyn for convenience, but I’m absolutely willing to travel anywhere in NYC for the right physician. Affiliations with Mount Sinai or Weill Cornell are a plus, but I’m open to any outstanding MFM.

I’m not necessarily looking for someone to deliver my baby, I mainly want an MFM who will provide excellent surveillance and partner with my OB throughout the pregnancy.

If you’ve had a wonderful experience with an MFM in NYC, especially after a previous high-risk pregnancy, I’d love to hear who you recommend and why.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for recommendations for an OB-GYN as my husband and I are hoping to grow our family again soon, so I’d like to establish care before getting pregnant.

I’m currently a patient of Dr. Garrick Leonard and have only seen him once since moving to New York. While I liked him during that visit, I’ve since been trying to schedule another appointment and haven’t been able to get a call back, which has given me some pause. Before becoming pregnant, I’d like to make sure I’m with a practice that is responsive and a good fit.

For a little background, my last pregnancy was high-risk and ultimately resulted in an early emergency C-section. One thing that’s especially important to me is finding a physician who truly listens to their patients. During my last pregnancy, beginning around 30 weeks, my maternal-fetal medicine specialist in New Orleans agreed to increase my monitoring because of concerns I continued to raise. I ultimately had twice-weekly non-stress tests that later increased to three times a week, along with frequent ultrasounds. That increased monitoring led to the discovery of a serious complication and the need for an early delivery. After such a traumatic experience, it’s incredibly important to me to find a physician who will take my concerns seriously, explain their reasoning, and partner with me in my care rather than making me feel dismissed.
I’d strongly prefer someone who delivers at Mount Sinai or Weill Cornell, but I’m open to hearing about exceptional doctors affiliated with any system.

If you’ve had a particularly positive experience—especially with a high-risk pregnancy, close monitoring, or VBAC/C-section care—I would love to hear who you recommend and why. Thank you!

I also live in Brooklyn but work in Tribeca so bonus points for having multiple locations (but not necessary).

Hi, I have a consult with the following doctors and just want some thoughts on them or recommendations for other doctors at RMA-NY, Columbia, or Spring Fertility.

Dr. Karipcin

Dr. Romanski

Dr. Klatsky

Hi everyone,

I’ve been reading Reddit and FertilityIQ nonstop and I’m honestly getting overwhelmed trying to decide where and with whom to move forward for IVF.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with these clinics/doctors, especially if you had diminished ovarian reserve, needed PGT-M, or were trying to maximize embryos from very few eggs.

Our background:

• Age 39
• AMH: 0.0842
• Need PGT-M for a known genetic mutation (so embryo attrition is a huge concern for us)
• Likely only realistically able to do 2 retrievals because of insurance/lifetime cycle limitations and finances
• Goal is to maximize embryo yield in a single cycle (2 max) as much as possible due to insurance constraints (can't afford on our own financially).
• We would ideally like more than one transferable embryo because we know PGT-M + PGT-A can drastically reduce numbers
• Concerned about clinics using “one size fits all” protocols for DOR patients
• I’m specifically looking for a doctor willing to be appropriately aggressive/creative with stimulation protocols if warranted

Clinics/Doctors we are considering:

RMA NY- Had a consult with Dr. Jackson-Bey, wasn't a fan of her or the Brooklyn RMA clinic -- they seemed a hot mess tbh. Switched to Dr. Romanski, am awaiting my consult.
Spring Fertility NYC- Have a consult with Dr. Klatsky coming up.
Columbia Fertility- Have a consult with Dr. Karipcin

*but I am open to other doctors** though no other clinics because of insurance constraints

Big concerns/questions:

• Which clinic has the strongest embryology lab for patients expected to get very few eggs?
• Which clinic is best with severe DOR / low AMH patients?
• Which doctors are known for individualized protocols instead of standard protocols?
• Is there a meaningful difference between the labs at Columbia, RMA, and Spring, or are outcomes more doctor/protocol dependent?
• For people who needed PGT-M, did your clinic proactively discuss embryo attrition and embryo banking?
• Did anyone feel pushed into conservative protocols when they wanted a more aggressive approach?
• Has anyone with AMH this low actually had success getting euploid and/or PGT-M unaffected embryos in one retrieval?
• How important was protocol choice versus lab quality in your experience?
• Did any clinic strongly recommend Omnitrope/HGH, DuoStim, luteal stim, estrogen priming, microdose Lupron flare, etc. for low reserve patients?
• If you consulted at multiple clinics, what questions ended up being the most revealing in helping you choose?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who felt their doctor really tailored treatment to their specific situation rather than treating them like a standard IVF patient. Also, very interested in moving fast given my age and diminished ovarian reserve -- was hoping to be pregnant by November 2026.

Any experiences — good or bad — with Columbia, RMA, or Spring and/or any of these doctors would really help. Thank you so much.