Money Matters

When I decided to become a single mother by choice, I knew that just the cost of getting pregnant was going to be a lot. I had a friend who had done it before me so I knew about what to expect. Add in years of Internet research and I thought I had a pretty good idea what getting pregnant would cost me.

I never thought I would have trouble getting pregnant so I made a budget and figured at the outside, I would spend about $5000 and then I would get to take home a baby. I was so wrong. Before I sat down  to write this post, I opened an Excel workbook and starting adding up the costs. Even though I wrote every check and signed every credit card receipt, I was still shocked at the grand total... so far.

At the time I started seeing my Reproductive Endocrinologist, I had pretty good insurance coverage. They obviously would not cover any fertility treatments, but all diagnostic testing was covered at 100% after my $250 deductible and a $40 co-pay. I know how incredibly lucky I am. From July - October of 2010, my insurance paid over $14,000 towards diagnostic testing. I paid about $600. The result? I was perfectly normal and should not have any difficulties conceiving within 3-4 cycles. So, I ordered $3500 worth of frozen sperm from California Cryobank - enough for 6 cycles, which also came with 1 year of free storage. I really did think that I would get pregnant within 2-3 cycles and would have 3-4 more vials left in storage for baby #2.

Running total: $18,100 and no baby yet.

That was followed by three un-medicated cycles at $550 each, plus $210 shipping for the sperm then three months of Clomid cycles at $1450 each, plus shipping. You also have to add in 6 months of ovulation predictor test strips, pregnancy tests, Clomid, Ovidrel, Prometrium, hospital parking, etc, etc. It adds up to about $8500.

Running total: $26,600 and still no baby.

Then there's the $250 IVF consult, $450 in additional bloodwork and $950 in diagnostic testing that is all OOP now that I no longer have group health insurance coverage. $4300 in IVF fees for my RE, $6000 for the surgery center, anesthesiologist and embryologist, $930 for sperm and shipping and $3000 in IVF meds.  This IVF will cost me about $15,880.

Running total: $42,480 and while my odds are much better with IVF, there is still no guarantee.

And I had originally budgeted $5000. The cost of infertility is astronomical. And that's just the financial cost. It may be years or even most of my lifetime before I realize the full impact of the physical and emotional costs.

I can say this though... no matter what the final cost ends up being, if this journey does end with a baby in my arms, it will have been worth it. This is my dream and you cannot put a price on a dream.