Many ways to make a baby

Last update: October 21, 2007 - 10:27 PM

MANY WAYS TO MAKE A BABY

A fertile woman has a 20 percent chance of becoming pregnant if she has sex while ovulating. The rate declines with age, and drops significantly after age 35. But there are many ways to become pregnant. Some involve drugs. Others involve reproductive technologies that are expensive and often not covered by health insurance.

FERTILITY DRUGS

Generally covered by health plans.

Cost: $3,000 - $5,000 per cycle .

Artificial hormones like Clomid increase the likelihood that a woman will produce one or more eggs at a time, increasing her chances of getting pregnant but also the chance of multiple births.

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

Generally covered by health plans.

Cost: $400.

Usually combined with fertility drugs. A man's sperm is collected and then manually injected close to the woman's cervix or in her uterus. The procedure increases the number of sperm that can reach the egg.

SPERM DONATION

Generally covered by health plans.

Cost: $150 to $250.

The sperm is delivered to clinics, which use artificial insemination to impregnate a woman.

IN vitro fertilization

Generally not covered by health plans.

Cost: $10,000 or more per cycle.

Fertility drugs help a woman produce numerous eggs, which are surgically removed and mixed with sperm in a petri dish. Some of the eggs that are fertilized and grow into embryos are implanted her womb. The remaining ones may be frozen and stored - for a fee - for future pregnancies.

EGG DONATION

Generally not covered by health plans.

Cost: $15,000 to $17,500 (includes cost of IVF).

An egg donor takes fertility drugs to generate multiple eggs. They are fertilized through IVF, and the embryos are implanted in an infertile woman. One round of IVF with a donor egg can cost $20,000 to $25,000 in Minnesota.

Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Associates.

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