Can you afford not to do IVF ?

A common concern  which lots of infertile couples have is whether they can afford to do IVF or not.

Everyone knows that IVF treatment can be expensive  ! IVF doesn't have a 100% pregnancy rate, which means patients may need 2 to 3 cycles before they get pregnant. Trying to budget for this open-ended expense can be a major challenge ! This uncertainty often puts infertile couples off because many are not comfortable taking such a big financial risk when the outcome is uncertain .

However , I think couples need to remember that sometimes they cannot afford not to do IVF ! IVF is the one treatment which maximizes an infertile couple’s chances of getting pregnant . Irrespective of whether they actually achieve a pregnancy or not, attempting an IVF cycle will give them peace of mind that they followed the right process and did whatever was humanly possible to try to have a baby.

If they fail to make the attempt , this is something which they will most probably regret later on. We rarely regret the things we do , but we often regret the things we didn’t !

It’s true that there is a financial and emotional risk in attempting IVF. However, the emotional risk of not attempting it will often leave a lifelong scar . While the money spent on an IVF cycle can always be earned again, the opportunity cost of not doing IVF when you are young is irreplaceable.

The truth is that there is a price to be paid – whether you do IVF, or you don’t. This cost is both financial and emotional. While it’s easy to measure the financial burden, it’s hard to quantify the emotional pain – and as you get older, the pain of never having tried at all can become a huge burden with the passage of time.

As John Greenleaf Whittier eloquently put it — 'Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'

When you are 50 and looking back at your life , the last thing you want to be doing is beating up on yourself because you missed a golden opportunity. It can be hard to live with this regret which gets magnified as tie goes on. You may end up kicking yourself what you failed to do whatever was humanly possible in order to maximize your chances of having a baby !

Not sure if IVF is the right choice for you ? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at http://www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so I can guide you sensibly!