For couples who can't afford to undergo a regular IVF treatment, there are other alternative treatments available or low cost IVF procedures.
Mini IVF
Mini IVF or minimal IVF is an IVF treatment that uses low dosage of stimulating drugs, thus making it a low cost IVF. Mini IVF usually costs around $5,000 compared to a regular IVF treatment which costs $10,000 or more. The steps of mini IVF are the same with a regular IVF treatment but with a slight difference in the first step of egg stimulation.
Low dosage of stimulating drugs means only a few eggs produced. Though they are few, they are high quality eggs. This type of procedure is more beneficial for women aged 40 and up when their ovaries become sensitive to too much fertility drugs and those who are at high risk of developing OHSS. Though the success rate of a regular IVF treatment is significantly higher compared to a mini IVF, countless couples are able to conceive through mini IVF as well.
Natural Cycle IVF
Another low cost IVF is the natural cycle IVF which eliminates the use of any fertility drugs. This simply means no cost for fertility drugs, fewer office visits, and less monitoring and testing which saves a lot of time from ultrasound, laboratory analysis, and blood draws.
However, this procedure only qualifies few women with mild cases of infertility. The success rate is not as high as a regular IVF treatment but it less stressful and requires less treatment time.
IVF FET
FET or frozen embryo transfer is an IVF procedure that skips the stimulating and retrieving of eggs, but instead uses frozen embryos from previous cycles.
Though it is more advantageous to use fresh embryos, FET has its own advantages too. It is a less stressful treatment, far from the worries of developing a condition called OHSS, and it has fewer medications that cause more stress. Like mini IVF, it is a low cost IVF but with a lower success rate than a regular IVF treatment.
IVF using Donor Eggs and Sperm
IVF employing donor eggs or sperm costs lesser compared to a regular IVF procedure. For women incapable of producing their own eggs and males whose sperm are unable to fertilize an egg, they are perfect candidates for this type of IVF treatment. Aside saving a lot of money, it also gives hope to women who cannot conceive on their own and lets them experience what it's like to conceive or bear a child. Furthermore, this is beneficial for women whose age is over 40. Studies show that women over 40 have higher chances of conceiving through donor eggs than using their own fresh eggs.
There are certain regulations that need to be followed before someone becomes an egg donor. Couples are given privileges to choose what type of donor they want.
Among these methods, couples should calculate their chances. Low cost IVF doesn't necessarily mean low quality treatment. Determine which method is most beneficial to you. And if none of these methods apply to you, some programs are available to assist couples who can't afford a regular IVF procedure.