Infertility treatment has great potential for squandering some of your most precious resources—money, time, and peace of mind. Before you start infertility treatment, decide how much money, time, and emotional energy you can afford to spend on infertility treatment. Take control of a process that can so easily take control of you.

Financial limits

Consider:

• What your insurance coverage will pay for. Be aware of all exclusions in your policy.
• How much money you can afford to spend on treatment as well as pregnancy, delivery, and infant health care. A financial planner may be of help.
• What various treatments cost, and what hidden costs, such as medications or routine testing, aren't included in a clinic's fee schedule. Assisted reproductive techniques generally cost $10,000 to $15,000 per attempt in the United States.
• Some clinics offer creative financing for infertility treatment, which may or may not be right for you. See the RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Web site at http://www.resolve.org for information on financing infertility treatment.

Time limits

Before you start infertility treatment, plan how long you each envision trying to conceive with medical help. Talk to your doctor ahead of time about what is a reasonable period of time to try treatment for your specific condition. Whether you decide "no more than 4 months and then we stop treatment and start an adoption process" or "we'll try as long as it takes," set definite time points when you and your partner will evaluate your prognosis and progress. Anticipate that you might want to take periodic breaks from treatment, which can become all-consuming and difficult.

Ideally your doctor will help you stop and assess your plan and options at each step of the way. If you feel that you are being pushed to make decisions without enough information or support from your doctor, consider finding another doctor.