The Price of Infertility

February 13, 2008

Children aren't cheap. A new babe requires a laundry list of material goods and of course, a big dose of love. But for couples dealing with fertility issues, their bills rack up long before the worries of funding college.

Beyond the emotional toll that failed attempts at baby making takes, potential parents have to pay for the possibility to even get pregnant.

A recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., calculated the costs of fertility treatments. To see the findings, read more.

A Reuters article about the findings said:

The cost of giving birth using assisted reproduction technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) exceeds $100,000 when the probability of a live birth falls below 15 percent, suggest results of a new cost analysis.

Source

14 Comments

kmckay 4 years 14 weeks

NinaG- my husband feels the same way and I have the same reaction. We're currently on our 21st month of trying and thank goodness i have awesome insurance. All my meds & iui have been covered. I don't think we'd move on to IVF however.. time will tell. I know that some adoption orgs have LONG waits, tons of paperwork, strict guidelines, high costs, etc. The cons can be daunting for those of us that just want it to work the 'old fashioned' way :)

d9rlcb 5 years 14 weeks

As someone going through this I would say that's a fair estimate of how expensive it all is.

splashofsass 5 years 14 weeks

I am not sure where alexiron got her figure for the cost of adoption, but that is no where near the cost that family members and friends of mine have incurred. Adoption is a wonderful thing and has touched my family very deeply in a positive way, but I would never judge someone else for making the decision to try the IVF or other fertility route. The excuse that "why don't you just adopt" I think is abused and overused. Adoption can take YEARS, the paperwork, the home studies, the interviews, the background checks, the waiting, the waiting, the waiting, to find out if you have been picked as a placement, with the worry that the birth parents can just change their mind (even after the child has been placed with you). And the cost, most people I know have paid at a minimum $30,000 for just one child. A close family friend tried domestic adoption for years, then has tried for an international adoption, and is still waiting to be placed (5+ years ongoing). I think before someone makes a statement about a "leap over adoption to incur medical treatment" should take a step back, and realize they are pushing their own beliefs and judgments on other people, who we have no idea what their situation, obstacles or hardships may be. I just wish there was more understanding for both sides of the issue, because I have experienced and been touched by both, and both have the power to make the world a better place. Sorry for rambling. :)

faerymagick15 5 years 14 weeks

Also, I am sure the figure they are using for infertility treatments is numerous IVF attempts along with actually getting pregnant, prenatal care, and birth costs. Most couples do have to undergo treatments more than once unless you are very lucky to have it work the first try. So, add up 3 IVf attemps and you have about $45,000. There are IVF refund programs though...pay for 3 attempts at a discounted rate of aorund $20,000 and if it doesn't work you get most of your money back. BUT...they have age cut offs, mostly by age 37. Then...you don't qualify. I am 38 so we have to do this one attempt at a time and insurance is only willing to pay once (and that was after my appeal). So, if a couple spends $45,000 on IVF plus another $15,000 on prenatal care and the birth...you are approaching $100,000 easily.

faerymagick15 5 years 14 weeks

alerixon, I am not against adoption, my husband is. See, I have 2 biological children from my first marriage. He legally adopted them when we married and doesn't want to adopt again. I had my tubes tied after my 2nd child was born. I had the tubal ligation reversed in 1999 when we had been married for 4 years. The whole point was to have a child together. Well, we have had a lot of problems getting pregnant and staying pregnant(I have had numerous miscarriages). IVF is our last hope and we are done. I personally would love to adopt internationally. But my husband feels like he has already done that. I am ok with it. Although my husband loves the kids with all his heart and would not change a thing...he is very wary of adopting. I don't really understand his reasoning but I am not going to push it and it is not a marriage breaker for me so we came to the compromise of trying IVF and then we are done regardless of the outcome. Not everyone is up for adoption and with IVF costing about $15,000 for one attempt...adopting can sometimes cost just as much if not more. Especially a private adoption of an infant/newborn...or even internationally.

alerixon 5 years 14 weeks

Adoption usually costs around $10,000 - $25,000, certainly not cheap but significantly less so than the $100,000 price tag listed above. I don't follow the argument that child has to be come from a man & woman to be 'theirs'. Other than physical appearance, an adopted child would have many parts of the mom and part of the dad, their love, outlook on life, humor, beliefs, pretty much everything. The true sense of a person is established by how they are raised and loved, not what they look like. If the only reason to have a child is because it might look like you, that reasoning just doesn’t make sense to me. NinaG it is wonderful that your husband knows himself well enough and is honest. I believe that is a brave thing to admit, and certainly benefits your family. I do understand that adoption is not for everyone. I suppose what I have trouble understanding is the leap over adoption to expensive medical procedures.

NinaG 5 years 14 weeks

my husband has always been very honest and said that he is not sure he could love an adopted child as much as he would love his own and he did not want to have to have to find out the hard way. While I disagree with him (to me love is love is love) I have to appreciate his honesty not to put himself in a situation where he would have favourites.

ALSW 5 years 14 weeks

And it's not like adoption is on the cheap side either...

cine_lover 5 years 14 weeks

Adoption is not for everyone. For some people it is not the desire to have a baby, but the desire of having a child that is part you and part your husband. Some people if they can't have their own, don't have the desire to have children. And that is fine. IT is sometimes more then just the desire to raise a child.

alerixon 5 years 14 weeks

I just realized my comment might seem a bit harsh. I wish you the best of luck faerymagick!

loveallstar 5 years 14 weeks

that sucks, there are so many women out there who can't afford it and end up childless b/c of that, I remember coming across a blog of women who were infertile discussing how they were unable to afford IVF and I felt for them.I wish you alot of luck faerymagick.

alerixon 5 years 14 weeks

What about adoption? While they might not have your eyes or other physical attributes, they'll have your love and your heart. And there are so many children already alive that desperately in need a loving home, it seems a waste of money and opportunity.

faerymagick15 5 years 14 weeks

luckily my insurance is covering our IVF attempt although they will only cover one attempt so we may still not have a baby. If it weren't for the insurance we wouldn't be able to even try. It really does suck!

Lovely_1 5 years 14 weeks

wow, that is very expensive...

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