Resources
A curated library. Everything here is either created by us and checked against its primary sources, or a direct link to the original source — never a paid placement.
The library
Showing all 18 resources.
How many people stop along the way
Many people pause or stop fertility treatment before it succeeds — studies put IVF dropout around 17% in a managed cohort, with physical and emotional burden the leading reason. Stopping is common and not a failure.
Created by us
What adoption costs, by type
US government figures (Child Welfare Information Gateway): adopting from foster care runs about $0–$2,500, a licensed private agency $5,000–$40,000+, an independent (attorney) adoption $8,000–$40,000+, and intercountry adoption $15,000–$30,000. Foster-care costs are often reimbursed, and a federal adoption tax credit can offset expenses.
Created by us
What an IVF cycle costs
A typical IVF cycle in the US runs $15,000–$20,000 for the base cycle (stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo transfer), per ASRM. Medications and add-ons are extra.
Created by us
Medications and add-ons: the costs beyond the base cycle
Medications are a separate cost on top of the base IVF cycle — federal estimates cited by ASRM put them near $2,200 per cycle. Genetic testing, ICSI, and frozen transfers are extra too.
Created by us
What gestational surrogacy involves — and how the cost is built
Gestational surrogacy stacks several separate costs — the IVF cycle, agency matching, the carrier's compensation and expenses, legal contracts and parentage, screening, and insurance. Reliable public dollar figures are scarce, so we describe the cost structure and urge itemized quotes rather than inventing a total.
Created by us
The kinds of providers you might see
A plain guide to the types of clinicians involved in fertility care — from your OB-GYN to a reproductive endocrinologist and the wider clinic team — so you know who does what and when a referral makes sense.
Created by us
Questions to ask before you start
A practical list of questions to bring to a fertility consult — about your diagnosis, your options, costs, and success rates — so you leave the appointment with real answers, not more confusion.
Created by us
Donor egg and donor sperm success, honestly
With donor eggs, success tracks the donor's age, not yours: in a population study, the cumulative live-birth rate was about 45% when the donor was under 30, falling as donor age rose. Donor sperm insemination follows regular IUI odds. Individual outcomes vary.
Created by us
IUI success rates, honestly
Per-cycle live-birth rates for IUI are modest and depend heavily on age and whether fertility medication is used — roughly 8–18% per cycle in ASRM-cited trials, far lower over 40. Individual outcomes vary.
Created by us
IVF success rates, honestly
US national data (SART, RY2023): live-birth rate per egg retrieval is about 53% under 35, falling with age to ~4% over 42. Success is cumulative across cycles and strongly age-dependent. Individual outcomes vary.
Created by us
The tests that usually come first
A plain guide to the common first-round fertility tests — hormone bloodwork, an ultrasound, a semen analysis, and a check of the fallopian tubes — and why both partners are usually tested at the same time.
Created by us
ASRM patient education (ReproductiveFacts)
Patient-facing fact sheets and booklets from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine — the professional body whose guidelines most US fertility clinics follow.
Curated sourceExternal link
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
The US national patient organization for infertility: support groups, a helpline, advocacy, and plain-language guides. A good first stop for community.
Curated sourceExternal link
Adoption and surrogacy, start to finish
A realistic timeline for adoption and gestational surrogacy: preparation and approval (home study or medical/legal screening), matching, the legal process, and finalization or birth — with honest detours like long waits, a match that falls through, and country- or state-specific legal steps.
Created by us
From 'is this normal?' to a plan
A realistic timeline for the evaluation stage: knowing when to seek help (12 months if under 35, 6 months if 35+), the first round of tests, waiting on results, and reaching a diagnosis or a plan — with honest detours.
Created by us
Donor conception, start to finish
A realistic donor-egg or donor-sperm timeline: choosing and matching with a donor, the required screening and counseling, legal steps, then the treatment cycle and two-week wait — with honest detours like a long match wait, a failed cycle, or an emotional pause.
Created by us
An IUI cycle, start to finish
A realistic IUI timeline that tracks your menstrual cycle: monitoring toward ovulation, the insemination, then the two-week wait — usually tried for a limited number of cycles before reassessing, with honest detours.
Created by us
An IVF cycle, start to finish
A realistic IVF timeline: prep and testing, about 8–14 days of ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, the lab phase, embryo transfer, and the two-week wait — with honest detours like a cancelled cycle, an insurance hold, or an emotional pause.
Created by us
In review, coming soon
- The first tests, explained — held until its accuracy review is complete.
FertilityJourney provides education, not medical advice. For decisions about your health, talk with a licensed clinician.