Carrot partners are experts in what they do — and have valuable advice to share for anyone pursuing a fertility journey. Today, we’d like to introduce Main Line Fertility, one part of Carrot’s global network of more than 2,700 clinics and partners in 50+ countries. We sat down with Main Line’s Founding Partner and Medical Director Michael Glassner, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist, to get his thoughts on looking for a clinic that meets your needs, the importance of emotional support as part of a fertility journey, and his perspective on how the fertility world has changed over the course of his career.
Carrot partner name: Main Line Fertility
Location(s): Philadelphia, PA; Bryn Mawr, PA; West Chester, PA; Paoli, PA; Havertown, PA; Reading, PA
Interview with: Dr. Michael Glassner, Reproductive Endocrinologist, Founding Partner, and Medical Director at Main Line Fertility since 1991
What do you recommend individuals and couples look for in a fertility clinic?
One of the most important decisions patients make on their fertility journey is choosing the right clinic for their care. I suggest patients do their research before choosing a clinic — what treatments do they offer, how do they make care affordable, and what are their success rates? It’s also extremely important to find a physician and care team who you feel comfortable with and will partner with you on achieving your goals.
What advice do you have for people just starting their family-forming journey?
Ask your physicians and care team all the questions you need to so you can be confident in your treatment plan and then be flexible if the plans need to change throughout your journey. Keep in mind that no matter how parenthood comes to you, it is a miracle.
Tell us a bit about Main Line Fertility and how you work with Carrot.
Main Line Fertility believes that everyone should be able to grow their family. Our whole-body approach to fertility care includes personalized treatments plans, meaningful relationships with your physician, affordable care, and convenient locations and appointment times. We offer in vitro fertilization (IVF), invocell (IVC, an IVF alternative), intrauterine insemination (IUI), egg freezing, gestational surrogacy, one of the nation’s largest in-house egg donation programs, and a highly experienced donor-assisted reproduction team. We foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all patients and are advocates for LGBTQ+ family building. In addition to providing our patients with the latest cutting-edge technology, we also offer emotional support through our dedicated patient care advocates, monthly support groups, private online support community, and in-house acupuncture. MLF is proud to be a part of Carrot’s provider network to ensure high-quality fertility care is accessible to more patients.
From your perspective, how have fertility benefits and the family forming space changed over the years?
The space has made great strides since I started practicing over 30 years ago, and I am excited to see how it continues to evolve. Patients are more open about fertility and family forming, and savvy employers are realizing that to build a culture of trust and loyalty they need to support their employees’ personal goals. No one should be prevented from starting a family due to financial constraints.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
My wife and I have struggled with infertility, so I truly understand and empathize with my patients. Support from your personal network, the right healthcare team, and your employer are key to finding the strength to persevere. The final result is worth it, I promise.
If you’re a fertility care or family-forming service provider interested in supporting Carrot members, or you would like to learn more about working with Carrot, please contact us at providers@get-carrot.com.
