The Cost of Infertility

FitPregnancy

Understanding the prices of needing help to conceive

As more and more women - both young and older - speak out about their challenges in conceiving, the subject of infertility is becoming less taboo. For example, 45 couples recently competed to win free IVF cycles in a video contest sponsored by a Las Vegas fertility institute, Time magazine reports.

Read more: Infertility Treatments Help Older Moms Have It All

But despite all of the news reports on infertility, many of us don't know the money details of this condition. How much does it cost? How do couples handle the long haul to pregnancy?

Time magazine took a look at the financial side of infertility from costs to questions to ask. As the writer found out, conceiving via medical procedures can be quite pricey. "According to RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, the average cost of an IVF cycle using fresh embryos is $8,158, not including medications, and that's only for one cycle," Time reports. The association also notes that medications for IVF are $3,000 to $5,000 per fresh cycle.

Read more: I Used an Egg Donor
RESOLVE says on its website that trying to find the costs associated with infertility treatments can be frustrating. It lists the following average prices for other services:

  • Average cost of an IUI cycle: $865; median cost: $350

  • Average additional cost of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure: $1,544; median cost: $1,500

  • Average additional cost of preimplantation genetic diagnosis: $3,500; median cost: $3,200


Here are other questions to ask before moving forward: Is fertility treatment covered by your insurance? Can you use your flexible-spending account? In either case, make sure you read your company's policies to see your options. Some plans offer some coverage, while others cover zero.

If you're dealing with infertility, the last thing you want to hear is not to stress out about it - but it's true, our Ask the Labor Nurse blogger emphasizes. She says that the mind-body-baby connection is just as important as what's going on with you physically.

Check out our I Used An Egg Donor page for the experience of one of our writers when she faced difficulties getting pregnant.

Read More: Miscarriage Demystified