# Baby Making Fund



## NatalieJW (Dec 6, 2016)

Hello Ladies,

So i'm going to be visiting London Women's Clinic on 19th January for an open day, though it is appointment based. I have been saving for this process and wondered how much you had in savings before you embarked on this journey. I think money is a general concern for singles in this situation but it does worry me greatly. I'm also saving to buy a house and ideally would like to be on the housing ladder before a baby arrives, i think all this money planning is just stressing me out, and really i need to chill, but i'm seriously thinking about taking on a second job to save save save. So what i'm after is how much you had available to you before embarking on this process and how much did you need one baby was here for at least 9 month to cover maternity leave.
Many Thanks
Natalie


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

Hi Natalie

I'm still in the trying phase, but I had no dedicated IVF savings before trying. I do have savings, but like you they're for a deposit for a house so I don't want to touch them. I put my IVF cycle on a credit card and worked as many extra jobs/hours as I could to pay it off quickly. My last cycle ended up costing me £4500 and it's almost paid off now (from September). The motivation is knowing that I can't do another cycle until it's paid off because there's only so much I can put on the credit card haha I am self employed so I have the option of taking on extra work when it's available, which luckily it has been the past few months. I've also put myself forward for a lot of babysitting work through childcare.co.uk to make extra money. It may only be £8 an hour but every little helps, and to be paid that just to sit in a house while a child sleeps a couple of nights a week is great. It's also flexible around my other work.

I'm trying not to worry too much about the money aspect, although that's easier said than done! I've crunched numbers on turn2us.org.uk and with maternity allowance, WTC and CTC/CB I know I'll manage until I'm back to work if and whenever baby makes an arrival! I desperately wanted to buy a house before I tried, then before I had a baby, and now I've kind of just accepted that both will happen when they happen. If I don't have a house by the time a baby arrives then it's fine. If anything I'll have a little extra money to save towards a deposit once I'm on maternity leave anyway!


/links


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## Me Myself and I (Dec 30, 2012)

Hi
This is a difficult question to answer as depends on so many factors, like where you live, if you have any gynae issues etc. And finance is a funny thing, basic living for some would be 1k a month for others 3k! And maternity leave depends on your package.
I'd aim at having at least enough for three cycles. As unless you have ability to earn lots quickly then I would feel worse not being able to launch into another cycle ASAP if it were me.
If you've had basic fertility tests, have age on your side I would consider looking into home insemination as you'd be able to still save hopefully and perhaps succeed quite quickly and without such invasive treatment.
Not sure that helps.


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## NatalieJW (Dec 6, 2016)

Thank you both, pollita, i might look in to the baby sitting site, as a teacher i might qualify? And most nights i sit in marking so would be no different just doing it at someone elses house  i have already brought 5 vials of donor sperm so thats one less cost  im 29 (30 in august) so hoping that helps but havent ovulated since having my last depo shot almost 7 months ago :-( and as i still have had no af i dont think home Insemination is an option :-( i find this all so stressful lol not sure what i would be like with a baby hehehe.


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

Babysitting would probably be ok for you then! I do work for two families of doctors and have even done some overnights for them (basically just sleeping at their house while they're both working night shifts incase the baby wakes up) and it all goes in the pot. 

I replied to your other post about Cryos sperm and CRGW/LWC. You should be able to cancel your order with cryos if you need to and get back most, if not all of your money. LWC will accept it no problems with CRGW won't. I also had sperm reserved with Cryos when I started treatment with CRGW and had to let it go because they only use their own and Xytex/ESB. Don't stress about it, it'll all work out in the end.

Have you considered egg-sharing? You can do it with both clinics and it would mean free IVF for you which may help if money is an issue. I've done 3 cycles so far (and facing my 4th) but egg-shared on the first two. there's no way I could have afforded to pay for 4 cycles myself. That's a LOT of saving


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## NatalieJW (Dec 6, 2016)

Thanks Pollita, i replied to the other thread just, i think i would lose about £600 to cancel with cryos, i dont know how i feel about that, in all honesty i have £5000 in the baby fund, and if i cancel the sperm it will make about 6700, whi h i think is more than enough, maybe im stalling! I know im definitely scared! But im going to LWC bristol on 19th Jan so will see what they say and how i feel  thanks for all your responses pollita :-D x


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## Me Myself and I (Dec 30, 2012)

Was the depo for endo?
I was on zoladex which is similar. It took me about that time for a period then another three months to track. 
I'm not sure why you assume home inseminations wouldn't work? It can and does work for women and logistically the only thing you'd have to organise would be delivery which believe me as a teacher is a darn sight easier than fertility treatments! Schools sadly are difficult jobs when ttc via a clinic as the scans involved, frequent visits etc mean you can't just make up time, you have to have cover in place etc so can be really stressful; not saying to discourage but maybe worth a look as all you'd need is the sperm!!! 
Lucky age is on your side!😍


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## NatalieJW (Dec 6, 2016)

Me, Myself and i, I have brought IUI ready sperm which i believe doesn't work as well for home insemination and that instead i should use ICI sperm for that? it would certainly reduce the cost, and you are right, i'm not sure how i'm going to manage using a clinic with work, especially as i don't want work to know at this stage. Its a question im going to put the the clinic on 19th Jan, about opening times and the need to have appointments for scans after 4.30, though i am prepared to take the day off for AI otherwise. I will think about home insemination's though, would be nice to add my baby find to the house fund :-Dx


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

Word of warning Natalie, clinics tend to prefer ICI quality sperm so they can wash it themselves during preparation stage. Again this varies from clinic to clinic but maybe just be prepared that you may end up cancelling your order with them anyway. In my research the clinics in Denmark which I was going to use for IUI were happy for IUI quality sperm, but both UK clinics for IUI and IVF wanted ICI.

Sorry don't want to be a downer, just realistic x


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## NatalieJW (Dec 6, 2016)

Okay thank you, i might just cancel the donor anyway, i think in hind sight there is a lot more i should have considered prior to ordering sperm :-/ and now i do look at his profile and think maybe i should have a donor that shares more of my characteristics


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