Infertility is something none of us expects or plans for. It hits us at our very core…emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially. No matter who you are or where you are on your fertility journey, you will spend more time, money, and energy than you ever anticipated when building your family once you are faced with difficulty conceiving.
Unfortunately, many outside infertility circles have a hard time understanding the impact infertility makes. Let us help inform and educate others about the high costs of infertility. Please leave us a post about WHAT HAS INFERTILITY COST YOU? Since all of these posts are anonymous, be as open and honest as you can about all that you have paid throughout your experience with infertility.
We look forward to reading your posts and sharing them with others so we can finally change people’s attitudes and perceptions about the real price of infertility.
I'll go first, I guess.
We did IVF. I live in MA, and our insurance covered most of it, as well as the other treatments we did before IVF. However, we still had to pay some portion out of pocket. I once calculated that to be about 3-4K. So, monetarily, IF cost us a few grand.
It cost me my faith. Granted, I didn't have much faith in God before TTC, but it was the IF that really made me sit down and decide that I cannot believe in God at all.
While it has not cost any friendships or family relationships in the long run, there were definitely times, while we were in the thick of it, where I felt isolated and alone. In the short term, it cost a level of understanding and intimacy with my friends and family.
I think my husband and I are in the lucky category: the IVF was successful, and we are parents. Our marriage has been strengthened, we have friends and family who supported us and still do. I know that IF costs most people a lot more than what we paid, monetarily and emotionally. Im glad for NIAW, so maybe the fertile world can get a glimpse of the other side.
Posted by: supermouse | April 29, 2010 at 10:32 AM
It has cost my sister her marriage. Her husband knowing that he would never give her a child (or any woman for that matter), chose to take the infedility route. Hence, it ended in divorce.
Posted by: Heidi Marsden | May 18, 2010 at 07:05 AM