Advanced Fertility Associates, United States

I truly wish I could write this happily. My husband and I had been trying to conceive for more than a year without success, so naturally I became concerned and began looking for a nearby fertility doctor for testing and advice. I was 37 years old, had no children, and had never had any pregnancy-related problems; I simply had never been pregnant before. When we arrived, the front desk staff were friendly. Dr. Ratcliffe came out to greet us, but she seemed unwelcoming, as if we were bothering her. I am sure she could tell from my greeting that I was frightened and uneasy about the situation. We sat in a back room to meet with her. I had read reviews saying her bedside manner was poor, but I did not expect this. She asked my husband and me many health-related questions, which I expected. She then explained how babies are conceived, fertility problems, and the causes of infertility. I appreciated the explanation because I did learn something. Then everything went downhill. She told my husband and me that “if we continued trying to conceive, we would be irresponsible.” I started crying when I heard this. She showed no compassion. I asked, “What do you mean?” She became even harsher, saying that we were too unhealthy and that because I was now older, my child would probably have “lifelong” health problems. I wish I were joking. I was shocked, frightened, and completely overwhelmed. She said IUI or IVF might be options, but she would not help me pursue either because I needed to lose 90 pounds before my birthday, which was only about six weeks away. I said that losing that much weight would surely be unhealthy for me. She then said, “Because if I did and you had a sick child, you would sue me.” That was when I realized this was not about my husband and me wanting to build a family; it was about her. She spoke to us like children instead of adults seeking advice and help. She told us which tests she wanted us to complete before making a decision. She ordered a semen analysis for my husband and said she would arrange blood tests for me. She then said she wanted to perform an ultrasound to check my follicle count. She said that because I was “older,” I should have at least 18 follicles, but she said it spitefully, as though she expected me to have fewer. We went into the ultrasound room and found that I had 23 follicles. She seemed surprised. As we prepared to leave, she gave my husband the information for his semen analysis. She said she would arrange my testing and email me once it was set up so I could go to the laboratory. The email never came, and the tests were never arranged. Three days later, my husband completed the semen analysis. Dr. Ratcliffe called him with the results and said his count was about 10 ten thousand above the “normal” value. Instead of simply giving him the good news, she repeated over the phone, “I strongly recommend that you and your wife stop trying because it is ‘irresponsible.’” Then the call ended. After that appointment, I knew I would never return. I would give anything to become a mother, but I will not tolerate being treated with such contempt to achieve that dream. A few weeks later, I saw an obstetrician-gynecologist and told her what had happened. She was shocked, but even without my naming the doctor, she knew who it was. She asked, “Was it Dr. Ratcliffe in Santa Rosa?” It is terrible that an obstetrician-gynecologist already knew. She said many patients had told her about similar experiences. Despite Dr. Ratcliffe's terrible attitude and poor advice, I am happy to say that I am now 9 weeks pregnant with my first child, and I am thrilled. If you are having difficulty trying to conceive, I recommend that you do not see her. Go elsewhere.

I wish I could write this happily. After my husband and I tried to conceive for over a year without success, I naturally became concerned and looked for a nearby fertility doctor for testing and advice. I was 37, had no children, and had never had pregnancy problems because I had never been pregnant. The front desk staff were friendly. Dr. Ratcliffe came to greet us but seemed unwelcoming, as though we were bothering her. She could surely tell from my greeting that I was frightened and uneasy. During our meeting, she asked many health questions, as expected, then explained conception, fertility problems, and causes of infertility. I appreciated this and learned something. Then the visit took a turn. She told us, ‘Continuing to try to conceive would be irresponsible.’ I began crying, but she showed no compassion. When I asked what she meant, she said our health was too poor and, because I was older, our child would likely have lifelong health problems. I was shocked, frightened, and overwhelmed. She said she might consider IUI or IVF if needed but would not perform them unless I lost 90 pounds before my birthday, which was about six weeks away. I said losing that much would be unhealthy. She replied that if I had a sick child, I would sue her. I then realized this was not about our wish to build a family, but about her. She spoke to us like children rather than adults seeking advice and help. She described the testing she wanted before making a decision, including a semen analysis for my husband and blood tests for me. She then performed an ultrasound to count my follicles. She said that because I was ‘older,’ I should have at least 18, in a harsh tone implying I would not. The ultrasound showed 23 follicles, which seemed to surprise her. Before we left, she gave my husband information for the semen analysis and said she would order my tests and email me when I could visit the laboratory. No email came, and the tests were never ordered. Three days later, my husband had the semen analysis. Dr. Ratcliffe called with the results and said his count was about 100,000 above ‘normal.’ Instead of sharing this positively, she again said, ‘I strongly recommend that you and your wife stop trying because it is irresponsible,’ then hung up. After that visit, I knew I would never return. I would give anything to become a mother, but I would not tolerate being belittled to achieve it. A few weeks later, I told an OB-GYN about the experience, and she was shocked. Even before I named the doctor, she asked, ‘Was it Dr. Ratcliffe in Santa Rosa?’ It was terrible that she already knew; she said many patients had shared similar experiences. Despite the doctor's poor treatment and advice, I am happy to say that I am 9 weeks pregnant with my first child and am thrilled. If you are struggling to conceive, I recommend going elsewhere.

I want everyone to know how professional this clinic is. They assisted me in Spanish throughout the process and gave me the opportunity to become a mother of twins. First I thank God, then Dr. Jennifer, Bonnie, and the rest of the staff. They are an excellent team, and everything went very smoothly. They patiently explained every step and were extremely attentive. I expected the process to take months, but after only two months I was overjoyed. I thank God for leading me to this clinic.

Read the reviews before spending your money or time with Dr. Jennifer Ratcliffe. My wife and I had been trying to conceive for over a year when we were referred to her Santa Rosa office. Because we live nearly two hours away, the visit required considerable effort and planning. The front desk staff were friendly, professional, and welcoming. Unfortunately, the positive experience ended there. From the moment we met Dr. Ratcliffe, she seemed arrogant, dismissive, and patronizing. She was extremely rude to both patients and staff and openly insulted and belittled her assistant in front of us. She also spoke to us as though we could not understand basic information. Throughout the consultation, she repeatedly made insulting and inappropriate comments to my wife and me. For example, she repeatedly mentioned my wife's age (40) in a mocking, sarcastic way rather than addressing it professionally or compassionately. She repeatedly called my wife old and laughed it off. I am not joking. Her overall manner was more like an aggressive salesperson than a trusted medical professional. Instead of listening to our concerns, history, or family goals, she aggressively pushed IVF and emphasized that we were 'running out of time.' She never asked what we had tried, what we wanted, or whether we had questions. The most disturbing part of the visit occurred during the ultrasound. Dr. Ratcliffe was so rough and careless that my wife cried from the pain. When my wife said she was hurting her, Dr. Ratcliffe grinned and said, 'Yes, I know,' before continuing. This behavior was shocking, unprofessional, and completely lacking in empathy. After she left the room, my wife and I immediately looked at each other and agreed never to return. The experience felt violating, dehumanizing, and unsafe. In my opinion, Dr. Ratcliffe should not practice medicine. A doctor's first duty is to do no harm. In our experience, she not only failed to uphold that principle but actively caused harm through both her behavior and disregard for patient well-being. I am sharing this review in hopes that others can avoid the treatment we experienced.

I highly recommend Dr. Ratcliffe! She is knowledgeable, realistic, and results-oriented!

Dr. Ratcliffe and her team helped me conceive my son. A year later, I returned to try for a second child, and after a journey, I became pregnant again thanks to her and the team. She has been doing this for many years, and it is wonderful to have that experience available locally. I highly recommend their services.

I spent $240 and 30 minutes having this woman question me in an interrogating tone and answer my questions condescendingly. Halfway through, I interrupted to say that I was uncomfortable with our interaction so far. She ignored my comment and continued. When the appointment ended, I felt completely drained, stressed, uninformed, unsupported, and was essentially in tears. I have not yet completed the transvaginal ultrasound included with the initial appointment. I cannot imagine meeting this woman in person and allowing her to touch my body. I requested a refund, but they refused. Do not waste your time or money here. Go elsewhere.

We found Dr. Ratcliffe after an ectopic pregnancy a year ago and a negative experience at another clinic. Our experience with Dr. Ratcliffe was very positive. She was direct and honest about the fertility process, and it was clear that she was committed to it. In addition, AFMG is more financially accessible than most fertility clinics, which allowed us to successfully complete one IVF cycle. We were very satisfied with the care at AFMG and are happy to report a successful pregnancy.

Advanced Fertility Associates is an excellent place. They stood by us until we succeeded. The staff always gave us the information we needed. A very positive experience.