Northwestern Medicine Fertility and Reproductive Medicine is the reproductive endocrinology and infertility program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, located in Chicago's Streeterville/Gold Coast area at 259 E. Erie Street. This flagship Chicago location is the hub of Northwestern Medicine's fertility program, with additional suburban locations including Oakbrook Terrace (listed separately as northwestern-medicine-fertility-and-reproductive-medicine-oakbrook-terrace-il). As one of the premier academic medical center fertility programs in the Midwest, Northwestern Medicine draws patients from across Chicago, the greater metropolitan area, and beyond. Illinois has a comprehensive fertility insurance mandate, and Northwestern Medicine participates with qualifying state-regulated plans. Related listings may also appear in the Fertlo database for other Northwestern Medicine fertility locations operating under organizational names such as Fremont Fertility Partners, PLLC (slug: fremont-fertility-partners-pllc-chicago-il) or Center for Reproductive Medicine & Fertil (slug: center-for-reproductive-medicine-fertil-chicago-il). For a statewide directory, visit our Illinois fertility clinics directory.
Physicians and Clinical Team
Northwestern Medicine Fertility and Reproductive Medicine is staffed by reproductive endocrinologists who are faculty members of the Feinberg School of Medicine and affiliated clinicians of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The physicians are board-certified with subspecialty fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Many are internationally recognized researchers in areas including PCOS, endometriosis, ovarian aging, and reproductive genetics. The care team includes reproductive endocrinology fellows, registered nurses, certified embryologists, licensed genetic counselors, and patient care coordinators. Northwestern Medicine's health system provides access to subspecialty consultation across oncology, genetics, urology, maternal-fetal medicine, and endocrinology.
Services and Treatments
Northwestern Medicine Fertility and Reproductive Medicine provides:
- Comprehensive fertility evaluation — hormonal bloodwork, antral follicle count, hysterosalpingography, saline infusion sonography, semen analysis, and genetic carrier screening
- Ovulation induction — oral and injectable stimulation protocols with monitoring
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- In vitro fertilization (IVF) — conventional and individualized protocols
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A and PGT-M)
- Frozen embryo transfer (FET)
- Fertility preservation — egg and embryo cryopreservation for elective and oncofertility
- Third-party reproduction — donor egg, donor sperm, and gestational carrier coordination
- Recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation
- Male infertility evaluation — in coordination with Northwestern urology
- Reproductive surgery — hysteroscopic and laparoscopic procedures
Laboratory and Success Rates
Northwestern Medicine's IVF laboratory operates at the highest academic medical center quality standard. The lab employs vitrification cryopreservation, time-lapse embryo monitoring, extended blastocyst culture, and PGT biopsy protocols. Research from Northwestern's reproductive medicine program contributes to continuous laboratory protocol improvements.
Patients should review the most current cycle-level data published by the CDC's ART Surveillance program and the SART Clinic Summary Report.
Patient Experience
The Erie Street Chicago location is at the heart of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's medical campus in the Streeterville neighborhood, accessible via public transit (MBTA Red and Purple lines, bus routes) and easily reached from across the Chicago metro. As an academic program, Northwestern Medicine may have longer initial scheduling wait times than private practices. However, the depth of subspecialty expertise, research-driven protocols, and access to the full Northwestern Memorial Hospital system make this program particularly valuable for patients with complex diagnoses.
Considering At-Home Insemination?
Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. For individuals and couples exploring their options before pursuing formal medical treatment — or those working with a known sperm donor — at-home insemination kits offer a private, lower-cost first step. MakeAMom offers FDA-cleared at-home insemination systems designed for a variety of needs: the CryoBaby kit works with frozen or low-volume sperm, the Impregnator kit is optimized for low motility sperm, and the BabyMaker kit is designed for users with sensitivities or conditions such as vaginismus. All kits are reusable and shipped in plain, discreet packaging. MakeAMom reports an average 67% success rate among clients who use their home insemination systems. At-home insemination is not a replacement for medical care when underlying conditions are present, but it can be a meaningful starting point — and knowing when to consult a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.
Insurance and Financing
Illinois has a comprehensive fertility insurance mandate requiring most state-regulated group health insurance plans to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF for qualifying patients. Northwestern Medicine participates with a broad range of Illinois insurance plans, and the financial counseling team assists with benefit verification and prior authorization. Self-funded ERISA employer plans are not subject to the Illinois mandate.
Other mandate states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Rhode Island also require insurers to cover IVF and related fertility treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the relationship between Northwestern Medicine Fertility Chicago, Fremont Fertility Partners, and the Center for Reproductive Medicine & Fertil? Multiple Fertlo database listings share the same or closely related Northwestern Medicine fertility website URL, reflecting organizational entities or registration names associated with different locations or historical incarnations of the Northwestern Medicine fertility program in Chicago. Northwestern Medicine's fertility program operates from multiple Chicago locations, including at Prentice Women's Hospital (250 E. Superior St.) and 259 E. Erie St. Patients should contact Northwestern Medicine Fertility directly to identify the most appropriate care location.
Does Northwestern offer fertility treatment for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes? Yes. Northwestern Medicine's proximity to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University provides fertility patients with access to genetics and oncology consultation for hereditary conditions including BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome, and other hereditary cancer syndromes. PGT-M testing for these conditions is available through the fertility program's genetics partnership.
How does Northwestern's research program benefit patients? Faculty members at Northwestern conduct and publish clinical research that directly informs patient care protocols. Patients benefit from treatment approaches that reflect the most current evidence in ovarian stimulation, embryo culture, genetic testing, and implantation biology. Research-active physicians also have access to clinical trials and investigational protocols that may benefit select patients.
Can patients from outside Chicago access Northwestern Medicine fertility services? Yes. Northwestern Medicine's fertility program sees patients from across the Chicago region, Illinois, and neighboring states. The suburban Oakbrook Terrace location (separately listed) provides additional access points. Patients who can only make limited trips to Chicago for procedures may be able to do some monitoring locally with results communicated to the Northwestern team.