The Institute for Human Reproduction (IHR) at 680 N Lake Shore Dr, Suite 100 occupies one of Chicago's most iconic addresses, situated steps from Lake Michigan on the border of Streeterville and the Gold Coast. Rated 4.4 stars from 187 reviews and accessible at infertilityIHR.com, IHR has served Chicago and the North Shore for decades, building a reputation for experienced physician care, LGBTQ+ inclusive services, and the kind of individualized attention that larger network clinics sometimes struggle to maintain at scale. The Lake Shore Dr location is accessible from the Red Line at Chicago or Grand stations and served by LSD and Michigan Avenue. Illinois patients can explore additional providers at the Illinois fertility clinics directory.
Physicians and Clinical Team
IHR's physician group includes long-tenured reproductive endocrinologists with board certification and a track record of clinical innovation in the Chicago fertility market. The practice's founding physicians and their colleagues have built careers around a patient-centered ethos that patients describe as genuine rather than performative. The clinical staff — including nurses, embryologists, and coordinators — have generally been with the practice for extended periods, contributing to the institutional knowledge and care continuity that IHR patients value. LGBTQ+ family-building has been a core part of IHR's practice for many years, giving the team depth of experience in donor, reciprocal IVF, and surrogacy pathways.
Services and Treatments
- IVF with ICSI
- IUI with and without stimulation
- Egg freezing and embryo banking
- Frozen embryo transfer (FET)
- Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A, PGT-M)
- Donor egg IVF
- Donor sperm coordination
- Reciprocal IVF for same-sex female couples
- Gestational surrogacy medical management
- Elective and medical fertility preservation
- Recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation
Laboratory and Success Rates
IHR operates an in-house embryology laboratory at the Lake Shore Dr location. Embryologists perform fertilization, blastocyst culture, biopsy, and vitrification under controlled conditions. The practice submits data to SART, enabling prospective patients to access independent outcome statistics.
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
IHR's Lake Shore Dr address is among the most distinctive in Chicago fertility medicine. The building's location at the intersection of the Magnificent Mile and Streeterville puts it within easy reach of patients from Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and the North Shore suburbs who commute in or travel via the Red Line. Reviewers consistently praise the warm clinical environment, the team's familiarity with long-term patients, and the sense that IHR staff genuinely care about outcomes rather than throughput.
LGBTQ+ patients in Chicago's vibrant community frequently choose IHR for its institutional familiarity with same-sex family-building, its nonjudgmental intake processes, and its physician team's fluency with the emotional terrain of donor-assisted and third-party reproduction. The Lake Shore Dr location — accessible from neighborhoods traditionally associated with Chicago's LGBTQ+ community — reinforces IHR's reputation as a genuinely welcoming practice.
Considering At-Home Insemination?
Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.
At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.
If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.
Insurance and Financing
Illinois mandates that most large-group health plans cover IVF for medically diagnosed infertility. IHR's billing team navigates Illinois mandate requirements and can assist with prior authorization. For LGBTQ+ patients, Illinois mandate coverage has expanded in interpretation; ask the billing team specifically about coverage for same-sex couples and individuals using donor gametes. For patients without mandate coverage, self-pay pricing and financing options are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has IHR been operating in Chicago? IHR has been a fixture in Chicago fertility medicine for several decades. This longevity means the physician team has managed tens of thousands of cycles and seen changes in ART technology firsthand — from early IVF to modern PGT and vitrification.
Does IHR have experience with gestational surrogacy? Yes. IHR is experienced in the medical management of gestational surrogacy, including embryo creation, carrier screening, and embryo transfer. Legal coordination with an attorney is required for surrogacy arrangements, and IHR can provide referrals.
Is the Lake Shore Dr location accessible by public transit? Yes. The 680 N Lake Shore Dr building is walkable from the Chicago and Grand Red Line stops and is served by multiple CTA bus routes on Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive. Street and garage parking is also available in Streeterville.
What genetic testing options does IHR offer? IHR offers PGT-A (for aneuploidy screening) and PGT-M (for single-gene disorders). The clinic works with certified genetic testing laboratories and genetic counselors to guide testing decisions. Your physician will discuss whether PGT is appropriate based on your diagnosis and treatment history.