If you are recommended with a test tube baby for infertility treatment, you have to hold back and consider some important aspects. The medical, physical and psychological aspects are kept aside, but the financial part is quite more serious for a lot of potential patients. You may get a part or no insurance coverage at all. Paying for these complex treatments off your pocket is a huge investment. You need to know several factors affecting the overall cost to know what to expect.
Inclusions of Average IVF Cycle
Test tube baby or IVF includes a lot of procedures, technicians, doctors and nurses at each stage. A lot of healthcare providers charge in lump sum for each IVF cycle, which consists of major costs. The cost of treatment varies from clinic to clinic. But these costs are usually included per cycle –
- Lab Tests – An IVF cycle definitely involves many tests like blood tests for women and semen analysis for men. Blood tests are required to analyze the conditions that can affect fertility, to determine hormone levels before and during the management of the cycle, and to inspect ovarian reserve. Blood tests are needed after embryo transfer to test pregnancy.
- Ultrasounds – This test is needed to monitor ovaries to check whether your eggs and follicles are prepared for retrieval. Ultrasound is very effective to analyze several fertility aspects like –
- Ovarian volume (the width, length, and depth of ovaries)
- Uterus morphology (structure and shape of uterus)
- Texture and thickness of uterus lining
- Number of eggs reserved in your ovaries
- Sperm preparation – Whether you choose donor semen or your partner’s sperm, the semen is treated and washed in the fertility lab in a unique process to filter and use the healthiest and strongest sperm to fertilize your eggs.
- Egg retrieval – It is the most detailed process in IVF cycle. Ovulation is triggered after the well-monitored fertility cycle and your doctor will retrieve eggs surgically for the treatment.
- Embryo culture – After combining the sperm and egg for fertilization, the embryos are cultured well to enable quality embryos to be recognized before the next process.
- Embryo transfer – After 5 to 6 days, the doctor will transfer embryos to your uterus or freeze and transfer them in next cycle.
