What it is
Infertility means twelve months of trying without a pregnancy, or six months if you are over 35. Secondary infertility is the same struggle after a child you already have. The WHO says about 1 in 6 people worldwide face it.
Fertility treatment is a long road. IUI places sperm in the uterus around ovulation. IVF takes eggs out, fertilizes them in a lab, and places an embryo back. There is also grief: each cycle that fails is a loss, and almost nobody sees it as one.
What's typical
IUI succeeds about 10 to 20 percent of the time per cycle. IVF live birth rates per egg retrieval run around 50 percent under 35 and fall with age. California passed a law in 2024, SB 729, requiring many large employer plans to cover IVF; check the current start date.
What's known
ASRM and ACOG suggest seeing a specialist after that mark, or sooner with known issues. RESOLVE, the national infertility group, runs peer groups and tracks insurance law by state.
What helps
- Decide together how many cycles and how much money before you start. Revisit, but start with a line.
- Find a RESOLVE group or an online one for your exact situation.
When to call someone
- Nowsevere belly pain, bloating, and trouble breathing during or after an IVF cycle. Call the clinic or 911.
- Nowthoughts of ending your life. Call or text 988.
- At your next visitask about counseling, costs, and what a break would mean.
Who helps
Tools: My Birth Team · Due Date Calculator
Related
- Trying to conceive: how long is normal, when to ask for helpBefore Pregnancy
- Pregnancy after a lossPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Trimester Zero: preparing your body before pregnancyBefore Pregnancy
- Tracking your cycle and ovulationBefore Pregnancy
What mothers here say
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Sources
- World Health Organization — Infertility prevalence estimates, 1990 to 2021
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine — Infertility: an overview (patient booklet)
- RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association — Insurance coverage by state
- Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology — National summary report on IVF success rates
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