Guest post from Liv of LivRyan.com
Financial stress is one thing — infertility on top of it is a beast of its own! Your stress levels are forces to be reckoned with. Trust me, I know.
My husband and I went through three years of waiting for a child. We lost six babies through miscarriage and another through a failed adoption before we finally became parents of children on earth.
I remember the medical bills pouring in. I remember heading to see the Reproductive Endocrinologist for the first time and thinking, "I wonder what this is going to cost."
You can't put a price tag on a baby, but infertility is quite the expensive road to travel.
If you can relate, or if you are in the beginning stages of infertility, I've put together some ideas to help alleviate some financial burdens that come along with infertility, adoption, and miscarriages.
1. Buy CHEAP Pregnancy Tests and OPKs (Ovulation Predictor Kits)
Early Pregnancy Tests has the cheapest tests around. They can be as low as $0.50 each, depending on how many you purchase. (Amazon also offers a number of different options for inexpensive pregnancy tests like these, these, or these.
If you need one on the fly, the dollar store is your friend. Their $1 tests are often behind the counter, so you might need to ask for them. They are the type of tests that you have to pee in a tiny cup and dip the stick in, but it's worth it if you are a compulsive pregnancy test taker. (No shame!)
Bonus Tip: Stay away from blue dye tests. You will waste your money because they have evaporation lines that make you think you're pregnant so then you will end up taking more tests!
2. Get Free Help and Ultrasounds When You Can
Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers (sometimes called Women's Choice Center or Pregnancy Resource Centers) offer pregnancy tests and ultrasounds free of charge at any point for any reason.
Bonus Tip: If you are prone to loss or tend to get overly stressed about your baby, ultrasounds can offer so much peace of mind. These facilities are usually highly equipped as grief counselors, too; just in case you ever received bad news. They will sit with you and pray with you and love you well through the pain.
3. Apply for Grants
There are so many resources and grants that support families who are facing the financial stresses of infertility treatment or adoption.
4. Don't be Afraid to Fundraise
It takes some courage, but don't be afraid to put yourself out there. People want to help people! Consider writing letters to friends and family, selling things, or hosting your own a fundraiser.
Kevin and I put on a "Fun Family Fitness Morning" with a $10 entry fee. All food and silent auction items were donated, and so was the zumba instruction! Additionally we sold T-shirts and made over $1,500 in one morning!
We also held a fundraising garage sale. Not only did people donate items to sell, but when some shoppers learned that our garage sale was an adoption fundraiser, they donated extra money.
Go Fund Me is another awesome website you can use to raise money for any cause.
5. Budget and Save and Trust God to Provide
It can be tempting to put treatments on credit cards, but with some smart budgeting, fundraising, and intentionality, you will be able to save up for those infertility treatments in no time.
I know you are weary, sister. But don't give up! You can and will survive this desert season. Don't stop fighting for your marriage. Take it one step at a time. And don't give up!
If you need some hope, don't worry, I have plenty to share.
Liv is a Midwest gal who loves to inspire women to bear hope into the world. She is a writer, speaker, wifey, mommy, and lover of all things coffee. She survived the desert of waiting once upon a thirsty time, and lives to tell you that you will too! Her new book Bearing Hope: Navigating the Desert of Waiting for a Child was just released August 1st, 2016! It's an inspirational companion, a "Desert Sherpa" of sorts that will make you smile, lend you courage and hope, and give you practical ways to survive (and thrive) through infertility and loss. You can get a free chapter right here.
