How Much Does IVF Cost? Making A Baby Can Get Expensive!

According to the Center For Disease Control, 6% of women (1.5 million) in the US are infertile. Other sources such as the National Institutes of Health say the percentage of infertile couples is as high as 15%. The numbers are significant and unfortunately I’m one of them.

Even though you don’t know me personally, chances are pretty high that you and your spouse or someone you know has also dealt with the struggles of infertility. The average couple trying takes around seven months to conceive. Meanwhile, I know plenty of modern couples who've taken years.

Speaking from experience, infertility is not an easy subject to talk about, especially the longer you try to get pregnant without success. But a lot of times people don’t realize how emotional infertility can be, especially if you never had any issues yourself or had a “surprise” or two. And to top off the roller coaster of emotions people like me have to deal with, it’s crazy expensive!

How Much Does IVF Cost?

The cost for IVF can vary a lot between clinics and the specific medications and procedures you require, but the general range for a FULL IVF treatment is $13,000-$24,000 for one attempt.

Many couples end up “only” paying $5,000 – $10,000 for a half IVF cycle because often there is no viable embryo to implant after extraction.

Most insurance plans like mine don’t cover IVF at all, which means we've got to fund everything ourselves.

Here’s a look at the summary of costs at my clinic for conventional IVF:

Conventional IVF Costs

How Much Does Mini IVF Cost?

Mini IVF is appealing because it’s much less invasive, less complicated, less shots, and less expensive. But the downsides are the success rates are lower that conventional IVF and there's also very limited chance to have enough extra embryos to freeze for a second cycle.

Here’s a look at the breakdown of costs at my clinic for mini IVF:

Mini IVF Costs

How Much Would You Pay For A 33% Chance?

The success rates for IVF are another important aspect to consider because if you do the math, a lot of the times a single attempt isn’t going to be successful. Here’s a look at the success rates in 2012 for my particular clinic:

IVF Success rate

I’m just turning 35, so I figure I have about a 32-34% chance of having a baby in each attempt. That certainly isn’t high enough to get very excited about. It’s very hard to feel comfortable paying $15,000 for a 33% chance.

From a simple mathematical standpoint, one must therefore spend $45,000, or three attempts, before one is successful. Unfortunately, each attempt is independent of the next, which means we could be trying to bet on black at the roulette table while red keeps showing up. Just like investing, there are no guarantees.

Non-Monetary Factors To Consider Before Doing IVF

As much as money is a huge factor in our decision, it isn’t the end all be all. We all know the major pro of doing IVF is being able to have a baby and raise a family. But here are some of the cons I’ve come with beyond the costs.

Time – I haven’t even mentioned the amount of time involved in doing an IVF cycle. There are a lot of doctor appointments, trips to the pharmacy, lab tests, and procedures involved.

Fortunately we have fairly flexible work schedules, but the more time away we spend from work, me in particular, the less time I have to earn money.

LOTS of shots – Getting blood drawn is not fun. I just had three vials taken today. But injecting myself with needles is much worse. It seriously sucks getting up the nerve to shove a needle in your stomach, especially as someone who gets queasy at the sight of blood.

The fear and unpleasantness of all the shots involved with IVF is one of the major cons I have with IVF. Perhaps you’d argue it gets easier each time you do it, but I still cringe at even the thought of injecting myself.

Emotional roller coaster doing IVF

Infertility is incredibly emotional. It’s frustrating, sad, painful, hopeful, and disappointing. We’ve come to peace that IUI didn’t work and having insurance helped us a lot. I worry that it will take a lot longer to get over the disappointment of IVF if it doesn’t work. Having a supportive partner or spouse is incredibly important.

Surgery risk – It seems silly now, but I didn’t realize that IVF is actually a surgery until recently. It makes sense when you think of how expensive it is. And as with any surgery there are always risks. The only other surgery I’ve had before was getting my wisdom teeth out, so taking anesthesia still freaks me out.

Chance of miscarriage – Even if IVF results in a pregnancy, there’s no guarantee I could carry a baby full term (life birth). I can’t imagine the emotional roller coaster of going from total elation of finally being pregnant for the first time to the devastation of losing a baby. There’s a delicate balance between staying positive while also setting expectations really low.

Ethical considerations – While I don’t want this article to spew into a debate over whether IVF is ethical or not, there’s no denying that some people are flat out against it.

My husband and I don’t have any moral conflicts with IVF nor are we trying to have a giant family. But sometimes I wonder since I haven’t been able to get pregnant for 3 years now, perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be?

IVF might not turn out OK

An unhealthy baby – Who knows whether IVF can affect the health of a baby, but what if we have a baby with abnormal symptoms? Would we end up blaming IVF or ourselves for going against nature?

Taking care of a child is no easy matter and we will be full-on, committed parents. One of the benefits of IVF is the clinic can supposedly choose the highest quality embryos for insemination.

IVF Success Rate Chart

Alternatives To IVF

Although my doctor recommends IVF as the next step, there are certainly other alternatives. But of course, none of them are guaranteed either.

Chinese Medicine Herbs For Treating Infertility
Chinese Herbs

Chinese (Eastern) Medicine

One of my friends over 40 has had multiple miscarriages and was told by her ob-gyn that her only option to get pregnant was using an egg donor.

After finding a Chinese Medicine infertility center, however, she was able to get pregnant and gave birth last year through the help of acupuncture and herbal medicine.

The process can be slow, roughly 5-7 months, and also involves weekly appointments. The combined use of IUI or IVF with Chinese medicine can be more effective than by itself, but it all depends on your condition.

I’m leaning towards giving it a try. It can still get expensive over time, but by itself it’s a lot cheaper than IVF. The estimated cost of treatments is below:

Initial consultation    $120
Acupuncture               $280/month
Herbal Medicine        $272/month
1st month                $672/month
2nd month on            $552/month
6 months                 $3,432 total

Clinical Trials As An Alternative To IVF

If you can’t afford IVF, you can consider participating in a clinical trial. The difficulties are finding one in your area that you qualify for and of course there are always risks to consider when participating in any research study.

One of my friends lived near a clinical trial, but didn’t qualify due to too many failed prior attempts at IVF. If you do qualify, the entire treatment could be covered and you may even be compensated on top of that.

But this can range wildly depending on each study and the amount of funding available. I’ve considered doing a clinical trial, but admit the risks intimidate me, and I haven’t found one nearby yet either.

Adoption Is A Wonderful Choice

Adoption is a fantastic option to raise a child in need and is certainly something my husband and I are considering. It’s not necessarily a cheaper option compared to IVF, and it can also take 2-4 years.

According to Binti, the range of US adoption costs ranges from $20,000-$45,000 and international adoption costs are similar at $20,000-$50,000.

If you qualify for the IRS adoption tax credit, you can reduce the expenses by $13,400 in 2015. But if your modified adjusted gross income falls between $197,880 and $237,880 the tax credit begins to phase out, and if you make above that range, then you don’t qualify at all.

Adoption can be complicated too and it isn’t as easy as it used to be. According to CNN, international adoptions have dropped 50% since 2004 and many countries like China have become much more restrictive or closed down entirely such as Russia, Ghana, Guatemala, Nepal.

Surrogacy As An Alternative to IVF

Typically even more expensive than adoption is paying for a surrogate to carry your baby. We have thought about this option, and while it would be nice to avoid the challenges of pregnancy and giving birth, it feels way too complicated and unaffordable.

The cost of surrogacy can range between $80,000-$125,000 in the US! That is out of the question for us but we might consider international surrogacy later. If you’re willing to deal with the complexities of long distance travel and government paperwork there are cheaper options in countries such as India for around $35,000.

But there are many risks, legalities, and logistics to consider. Some international agencies have been shut down due to fraud in the past too, so don’t underestimate the importance of due diligence if you have the means to consider surrogacy.

Avoiding Regrets

As much as we don’t want to have to spend tens of thousands of dollars, we also realize that IVF won’t be a realistic option for us indefinitely. Our best chance for success is within the next six months and we don’t want to look back when we’re much older and regret not trying when we had the chance.

Even if we pay for one or two attempts and fail at least we can always say we tried. And then we can take our time considering adoption and rebuilding our savings.

I put the below table together of the various options we’re considering sorted by cost. I’m leaning towards incorporating acupuncture and herbal medicine as a first step.

It does involve a lot of weekly appointments and drinking bad tasting tea every day, but doing it in preparation of IVF could increase our chances of success with such an expensive surgery.

And who knows we could get lucky “trying” on our own in the months leading up to IVF which is why I’m counting the months of taking herbs and getting acupuncture in the count of total attempts.

But the percent chance is probably quite low in the first 1-3 months. There are so many possibilities I feel pretty overwhelmed! Of course we don't have to decide our entire plan now, but it's helpful to think of the big picture especially in regards to time and the expenses.

Multiple options for IVF and the costs 2

IVF And Life Insurance

Good luck in your IVF process! There will be sad days and disappointments, but stay with it. Who knows, during your IVF break, you might end up conceiving naturally. I know many parents who have, including my sister-in-law and friend in the tech industry.

Once you have a baby, please consider getting life insurance. Having a baby and buying a home are the two most important reasons to get life insurance.

The most efficient way to get competitive life insurance quotes after having a baby is to check online with PolicyGenius, the #1 life insurance marketplace where qualified lenders compete for your business.

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Life insurance is an act of love. Please get life insurance to protect your family.