Invasive procedure: Start of (Injectable) Medications
Usual fee: $500.00
The reason I specify "Injectable" Medications is because some woman are asked to take birth control pills as the start of the medical regimen. They can be on these small pills for sometime while the cycle is being controlled and/or synchronized with either the egg donor or Intended Mother. In actuality most women are already using this method of birth control before they even consider being a surrogate. When the other medications are introduced is when the "Invasiveness" happens....first is a daily shot of Lupron. This is given with a small needle and is substations. For those who are not used to giving themselves daily injections this can be a bit intimidating but for the most part they are easily administered and not painful.
The next and most dreaded are the progesterone shots. These needles are quite large and are intramuscular. They are usually given/taken in the behind area...upper hip....a hard to reach area and can be quite uncomfortable. If a surrogate does become pregnant she can expect to take these shots for 8-12 weeks depending on the clinic's protocol. It is really hard to find a place that hasn't already been 'hit' once during this time frame and as the weeks pass, this area becomes somewhat tender. Estrogen is also part of the regimen and these often come in pill form but I have also experienced them (personally) in the intramuscular shot form.
If a surrogate has an RE who uses something other then the shot forms of these and other medications there is still the discomfort and side effects of each medication. Hot Flashes and mood swings to name a couple. Besides being required to take pills by mouth there are the vaginal suppositories and creams which can lead to yeast infections and other messy, uncomfortable itchy discharge. (Always ask your clinic for instructions on how to give yourself your medication....I am no doctor and am only sharing my own experiences or those of people I have worked with.)
If a surrogate has agreed to 3 IVF cycles then she would have a start of medication fee each time...potentially leading the IPs to paying $1500.00 for just this clause in a contract.
I will be touching on other invasive procedures and the fees associated with them in the weeks to come. If there is one you would like more information about please feel free to ask!
Sharon
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