Q&A Time

I receive a lot of questions and comments about our journey.  Here are my answers to a few of the most common:

Does insurance cover your IVF?

Sadly, even our rock star insurance does not cover IVF.  So, we have to pay everything out of pocket.

How much do your IVF cycles cost?

Including both the procedures and medications, our fresh IVF cycles are $15,000 and frozen embryo transfers are $5,000.  Typically, the medications run 20-30% of that total cost.  CF throws an extra curve ball, so before we could begin our first round, we had the added expense of Jake's testicular biopsy.  This procedure was $6,000.  We also opted to do ICSI (Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection), where the embryologist selects a single sperm to be injected directly into an egg, which was an add-on to our IVF fees.  To date, our costs have been approximately $46,000, with our next frozen cycle pushing us over $50k.

My friend got pregnant when she stopped trying.  If you just relax, it will happen.

Oh, how I wish it could.  Even though we all know stories of friends who struggle with infertility for a long time and are then able to conceive naturally, for some it's not a possibility.  CF brings on a slew of complications, with one being the lack of a vas deferens in males - basically a natural vasectomy.  IVF is our only option to get pregnant. 

How many cycles did it take for you to get pregnant with Gavin?

Technically, it took 4 cycles - 2 fresh cycles & 2 frozen embryo transfers.  The second fresh cycle had to be cancelled before transfer, due to hyperstimulation.  He was worth every single injection.  This video entry from a Ferring Fertility contest we entered last year is the best snapshot of our road to G-man.  

Are you afraid of this cycle failing, especially since you've gone public?

We've had cycles where people knew and ones where we've kept it a secret.  I'd much rather let people in.  Afraid? No.  But, if it's unsuccessful, we'll be sad.  We'll be that way whether 10 people know or 100 people know.  We're letting the world know how to pray for us - the good, the bad & the ugly. 

What do you do to help keep your stress level down during treatments?

Acupuncture, Netflix marathons, sporadic baking & scrapbooking.  We're usually on the go, so we make a point to clear our schedules during this time.

I'm an open book.  So, please don't hesitate to ask away if you have questions.

We're so grateful for your love.

xoxo

Amy