American Surrogacy Blog

It’s not always easy to know how to balance your career and your fertility journey.

Each individual will have their own answer to this question; hopefully we can help you consider the possible effects of quitting work for IVF from all angles.

This article will help you weigh the pros and cons, from financial factors and appointment flexibility to maintaining your career and exploring other options.

If you’re struggling to balance your career and fertility journey, we’re here to help. Contact us today for guidance to find the best path forward for your family.

Should I Quit my Job for IVF?: 5 Considerations

Deciding between working during IVF and quitting your job depends on factors like job stress, financial stability and your personal IVF journey.  

Leaving a job is a major life event for anyone, especially prospective parents. Any decision you and your family make is valid. Before making up your mind, consider the situation from these points of view.

1. Is Your Job Adding Stress to Your IVF Journey??

A stressful job and IVF can be a lot to cope with at once, the stress of one adding to the stress the other.

Some women experience the stress of their careers as negatively impacting their pregnancy. It’s well established that stress can affect fertility; whether or not your job adds stress to your life is contingent on your individual circumstances.

2. Can You Afford IVF Without Your Income?

IVF is an expensive process, costing an average of $25,000 – and most prospective parents will need more than one round.  Affording IVF can be challenging for a single or no-income family.

Before quitting, explore alternatives like IVF grants, insurance benefits or adjusting your budget.

Need help exploring financial options for IVF or surrogacy? Contact us today to learn about grants, insurance coverage and alternative solutions like surrogacy or check out our article on financial resources for your fertility journey.

3. Are You Able to Take Time off Work for IVF Appointments?

IVF requires strict scheduling for medical procedures, and appointment timing can conflict with work hours.

If your job is time-consuming and not flexible with granting time off, IVF while working full-time may make difficult to attend appointments.

Talk to your employer about taking time off work for IVF appointments or consider remote work options.

4. Will You Be Able to Return to Your Old Job?

A career break might leave gaps on your resume, which could affect future job prospects. While resume gaps are becoming a bit more acceptable, they still may not be ideal.

Consider whether or not your job will be protected, and for how long, if you take time off work for IVF, or if you’d feel comfortable re-entering the workforce later. 

5. Are You Fulfilled Outside of IVF?

For some, working during IVF can be a welcome escape from stress as they wait for their results. Others prefer to dedicate all their energy and attention into the process. Reflect on what helps you feel most supported and balanced.

IVF and Working Full-Time: Managing Time and Stress

IVF is stressful enough on its own. Depending on the kind of career you have, IVF and working full-time can be physically and emotionally exhausting.

If you’re juggling a stressful job and IVF, quitting may benefit your mental and physical wellbeing, which can translate to higher success rates in your fertility journey.

However, some women experience their job as a sense of joy and security through the IVF process. The day-to-day routine and sense of tangible progress work can provide may reduce stress and foster a more positive mindset.

If your employer has a strict policy on time off, it may require more strategic planning.

Tips for Time Management

• Plan Appointments in Advance: As soon as you receive your IVF treatment schedule, mark all key dates on your calendar. Try to book appointments for early mornings or after work hours, if possible, to minimize disruptions to your workday.
• Take Advantage of Remote Work or Flexible Hours: If your job offers flexibility, adjust your hours around your IVF appointments. A more adaptable work schedule can significantly reduce stress.
• Communicate with Your Employer: Be upfront with your employer about the time-sensitive nature of IVF appointments. Having open communication can help them understand your situation and may lead to a more supportive work environment.
• Create a Buffer for Recovery: Plan a few extra days off after major procedures like egg retrieval. Having time to rest and recuperate before returning to work can make a significant difference in how you feel both physically and emotionally.

To help manage the emotional challenges of IVF and working full-time, here are some practical strategies that can provide support during this demanding time.

Tips for Coping Emotionally

• Set Boundaries: Be clear with yourself and your employer about the emotional toll IVF is taking. It’s okay to admit that you’re struggling and may need a bit more flexibility in your work hours or responsibilities.
• Seek Emotional Support: Whether it’s a partner, family member, close friend or therapist, having someone to lean on during the IVF process can help you manage the emotional rollercoaster.
• Practice Stress-Relief Techniques: Integrating practices like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga can help you remain calm and centered during stressful moments. Even 10-minute breaks can make a difference.
• Be Kind to Yourself: IVF is hard, and you’re doing the best you can. Accepting that it’s okay to not be at your best during this time can reduce unnecessary self-pressure.

The decision to continue working during IVF or stepping away is deeply personal.

We know you’re dedicated to your parenthood journey. This decision comes down to you, what you feel and what your body is telling you.

Do I Tell My Boss I’m Doing IVF?

Telling your boss you’re undergoing IVF may allow you to request special considerations, like flexible hours or extra time off.

The answer really depends on your workplace culture, your relationship with your employer, and your comfort level.

Many employers, especially those with family-friendly policies, may be more than willing to offer accommodations that make balancing IVF and work easier.

Here are some tips to help you approach the discussion with confidence and clarity:

1. Plan Ahead: If you’re preparing to speak with your boss about your IVF journey, be sure to prepare ahead of time. Being clear about your needs can help your boss understand the situation and find ways to support you. If you need more flexibility with your schedule or deadlines, communicate that clearly.
2. Keep It Professional, But Personal: While IVF is a deeply personal experience, you don’t need to go into every detail. Share only what you’re comfortable with, and keep the focus on how it may affect your work. Keep the tone positive and solution-oriented, focusing on how you plan to manage your work responsibilities.
3. Maintain Open Communication: Check in with your boss periodically to ensure that everything is still working smoothly and to discuss any new developments. This helps build trust and shows that you’re committed to balancing work and your IVF journey.

If you approach the conversation with confidence, clarity and professionalism, you’ll likely find your boss is more willing to accommodate your needs.

Feeling Overwhelmed after Multiple Failed IVF Attempts? Consider Surrogacy

If IVF and working full-time is taking a toll, especially after multiple failed IVF attempts, you may want to look at other options.

Surrogacy could be that path forward.

Surrogacy retains many of the benefits of IVF, such as using your genetic material to have a child but carries very few of the facets that make IVF difficult to manage alongside a successful career.

When you choose surrogacy, you’ll partner with a surrogate who carries your child for you. You won’t have to worry about taking time off for repeated treatments or dealing with the physical and emotional toll of unsuccessful cycles.

How American Surrogacy Can Help

We specialize in supporting intended parents through every stage of the surrogacy process. Whether you’re just starting to consider surrogacy or you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to:

• Guide You Through the Process: Our experienced team will help you understand what surrogacy entails and how it fits with your unique needs.
• Match You with a Surrogate: We’ll help you find the right surrogate for your family in as little as 1 - 4 months, helping you become parents quicker.
• Coordinate Medical and Legal Support: From medical screenings to legal agreements, we’ll handle the details so you can focus on what matters most—your family.
• Protect Your Investment: Surrogacy is a significant financial commitment. Our Limited Risk Program offers transparency and protections that fit your situation, reducing financial risk.

Surrogacy can offer the balance you’re looking for, allowing you to keep building your career without putting your dreams of parenthood on hold.

If IVF feels overwhelming or you’re ready to explore other family-building options, surrogacy could be the perfect solution. Contact us today to get personalized support to take the next step in your journey to parenthood.

The number of egg retrievals is determined by factors like age, ovarian reserve and overall health.

On average, multiple retrievals are common, but it’s important to weigh the potential benefits and risks with your fertility specialist.

Whether you’ve experienced multiple unsuccessful egg retrievals or are just starting your fertility journey, we can help you assess alternatives like donor eggs and when it might be time to find a surrogate. Contact us today.

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about egg retrieval cycles, including safety considerations, the number of attempts you can try and when to consider alternative paths like surrogacy.

For more guidance and support throughout your journey, follow us on Instagram @american_surrogacy.

How many Times can you Do Egg Retrieval?

There is no set limit on the number of egg retrievals, however, the ASRM states that 2 to 6 IVF cycles are recommended for women under 35.  

Due to IVF success rates decreasing with age, if you are 35+ you may want to consider other options after 2-4 failed cycles.

Curious about how your age may impact your egg retrieval outcomes? Read our article about the average number of egg retrieved.

How many Times is Safe to do Egg Retrieval?

Egg retrieval is typically a safe process and any limitations are typically based on the IVF cycle as a whole, not just the egg retrieval.  It is standard to wait one full menstrual cycle between IVF cycles.

It is generally not recommended to undergo egg retrieval two months in a row without a menstrual cycle in between.

The safety of multiple egg retrievals depends on several factors, including your overall health, ovarian reserve and how your body responds to the stimulation protocol.

Can you do Back to Back Egg Retrievals?

Yes. This process is known as duo stimulation, which is when there are two ovarian stimulations during the same IVF cycle.

This procedure may be recommended if time is a factor, such as for patients with diminished ovarian reserve or that have less than antral follicles.

In a study conducted by Alberto Vaiarelli, the second egg retrieval resulted in more eggs than the first.

However, there may be some drawbacks to consider:

• OHSS: this approach may increase the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and requires close monitoring by your doctor.
• Cost:  Egg retrievals can range between $2,000-$$5,000 per retrieval, not including medications. For back-to-back egg retrievals, the costs will double while also leaving less time in-between procedures to save up additional funds for the second retrieval.

What Are the Risks of Multiple Egg Retrievals?

While egg retrieval is generally safe, undergoing multiple cycles can increase certain risks, including:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
• Surgical complications.
• Emotional and financial strain.

Alternatives to Multiple Egg Retrievals

If you’ve undergone several cycles without success, it may be time to explore other family-building options, such as:

• Using Donor Eggs: Egg donation offers a higher success rate, particularly for individuals with low ovarian reserve.
• Embryo Donation: This option allows you to use donated embryos from other families who have completed their fertility journey.
• Surrogacy: If you’ve had to undergo multiple egg retrievals for IVF due to failed transfers or miscarriages, there may be uterine issues or maternal health problems making pregnancy difficult or impossible. Surrogacy can help you achieve parenthood using your own eggs and sperm or a donor’s.

Egg Donor Surrogacy after Failed Egg Retrieval

If there are no eggs retrieved during IVF for surrogacy, it can be a deeply emotional and unexpected setback.

Using donor eggs is a common solution when egg retrieval is unsuccessful.

You can find an egg donor through a fertility clinic, an egg bank or even consider a known donor such as a family member.

Donor eggs can be fertilized with your or your partner’s sperm, creating embryos for use for your surrogacy journey.

Surrogacy After Failed IVF

For a variety of reasons, IVF isn’t viable for some families or individuals. In these situations, you may want to consider an alternative family building method like surrogacy.

You’re already familiar with much of the beginning steps involved in surrogacy. If your IVF issues began with implantation, you may even have viable embryos ready for surrogacy.

Here are a few things you should know about switching from IVF to surrogacy:

• Short Wait Times: We know that the waiting involved in fertility treatments like IVF and egg retrieval is one of the most frustrating parts of the process. Luckily, with a surrogacy agency like us, your wait is almost over. We estimate wait times between 1 - 4 months.
• Qualified Surrogates: For certain individuals with complicated fertility stories, surrogacy may be more successful than previous endeavors. All of our surrogates have been thoroughly screened and must meet requirements.
• Financial Protection: After all the work you’ve done to get here, you may rightly feel protective of your surrogacy funds. Our built in financial protection will help you ensure your funds even in the unlikely event of a surrogacy interruption.

If you’re finding yourself considering surrogacy after failed IVF, know that you’re not alone.

We specialize in helping families move forward with confidence. Get in touch with us today to discuss your options, connect with a qualified surrogate and start planning your next steps toward parenthood.

Few experiences feel as isolating as struggling with infertility while everyone around you seems to get pregnant and start families.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by emotions like pregnancy envy, grief or frustration, know that you’re not alone. There are ways to regain control and find hope.

Contact us today to learn how surrogacy could help you build the family you’ve been dreaming of.

This article explores the emotional challenges of infertility, including pregnancy envy and grief, while offering practical coping strategies and family-building options.

Follow @american_surrogacy for insights and inspiration from our surrogacy community.

It Feels Like Everyone is Pregnant but Me

When it feels like everyone in your life is getting pregnant except for you, try to remember that there isn’t a right or wrong way to feel. Emotions can’t be “correct;” they are what they are, and denying that will only make you feel worse.

By this time, you’re likely emotional over your difficulty conceiving and emotional over the fact that, for everyone else, this process is a walk in the park.

If you’ve been struggling with infertility, you may be experiencing:

• Pregnancy Envy: If you experience jealousy, frustration and sadness after your friends’ or family members’ pregnancy announcements, you may be experiencing pregnancy envy.
• Infertility Grief: Infertility carries a sense of permanence, grief and loss that can be immensely difficult to overcome.

If you’ve experience d failed IVF cycles and are struggling with the emotional toll of IVF, read our article about handling grief after unsuccessful IVF.

How to Cope with Infertility when everyone is Pregnant​

The good news is that no matter how isolating it feels, you are not alone.

Even though it may seem like everyone you know can get pregnant without even trying, the truth is that 1 in 8 women have some level of difficulty conceiving naturally.

Both pregnancy envy and infertility grief can feel profoundly isolating, yet there are many, many women who experience these same feelings as they struggle to build their family.

Dealing with infertility when everyone else is pregnant can feel overwhelming, especially when a few different people in your life are pregnant at once, but there are things you can do to regain control of the situation.

• Acknowledging Your Feelings.  Remember the things you’re feeling are real and valid. You have every right to feel the way you do, and it’s important to experience your emotions as they come.
• Leaning on Family and Friends. Don’t underestimate how good complaining could feel. Studies seem to show that most women experiencing infertility never share it, even with close friends – which can easily increase feelings of isolation.
• Practicing Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a great avenue for emotional comfort, and can be as in-depth or light-weight as you want it to be. Journaling is a great way to center your emotions and better understand yourself. Meditation could also help you identify unwelcome emotions, and learn to experience them without letting them linger. Or you could simply go for a long walk to clear your head.
• Counseling or Therapy. Therapy is a great resource to help you through difficult, emotionally charged times, and can help build resilience, so that in the future these experiences don’t have a debilitating effect on you.

If you don’t know of anyone else who has gone through this, perhaps try gently bringing up your own story with older childless family members, or friends who have never been pregnant. Odds are, you’re not as alone as you may think.

Connecting with others who’ve had similar experiences can provide valuable insight. Consider seeking support through these communities:

• Resolve Peer-Led Support Groups
• John Hopkins Infertility Support Groups
• The Infertility Institute Support Groups

How to Deal with Pregnancy Announcements during Infertility

Many women have wondered why pregnancy announcements can be so triggering after a battle with infertility.

For some, it can be as simple as the fact that either consciously or subconsciously, your friends’ or family’s exciting news brings your own negative emotions and tragic experiences to mind.

Sometimes the best thing to do for yourself is to try to avoid these announcements altogether, at least until you’ve had some time to heal.

You could take a break from social media, and have your spouse screen mail if you’re worried about receiving an announcement card.

Depending on your social life, you can find other ways to limit your exposure to pregnancy announcements. For instance, if your church often announces pregnancies during services, you might excuse yourself during that part.

Dealing With Infertility When Everyone Else is Pregnant

If your best friend is pregnant and you’re infertile, you may have issues ignoring it. For close relationships, like those with friends or siblings, a more direct approach is often necessary.

My Best Friend is Pregnant and I’m Infertile

It can be incredibly painful to learn your friend is pregnant, but it’s important to remember that no matter what you’re feeling now, your friendship can still survive this.

Here are a few tips for dealing with pregnant friends during infertility.

• Communicate: One way to handle your situation is simply to tell your friend what you’re feeling. It may come as a shock at first, but as you begin communicating, it will become easier for both of you to talk about.
• Set Boundaries: If there are some things you would rather not talk about, just let your friend know instead of suffering in silence.
•  Rely on your bond: Strong friendships are hard to break off. Despite these challenges, you can find ways to support your friend during this exciting time in her life.

Dealing with Infertility when Your Sister is Pregnant​

Pregnancy envy can be somewhat extreme when it’s your own family who’s become pregnant.

When a sibling shares her pregnancy after your struggle with infertility, the highs and lows of your joy, sadness, jealousy and even anger could be dizzying.

Try to remember that these feelings are natural and valid, and that your relationship could grow through this difficult time.

• Be Honest and Open: Just like with other friends, clear communication is important. Opening a dialogue with your sibling and sharing what you’re experiencing will help you both come to a full understanding of the situation.
• Set Boundaries: Communicate your limits clearly with your sibling. There may be things you used to talk about or tease each other with that are simply too sensitive right now. They deserve the chance to avoid hurting you.
• Be aware of childhood memories: It’s common for children to play with “baby” dolls and make idealistic plans. Being around your siblings could bring up some once-pleasant memories that appear much more painful in your current context – try to be present and stay in the moment.
• Rely on your shared history. Your sibling and you probably have a strong background. This is only the latest chapter in your rich history, and you’ll get through it together.

While the emotional toll of infertility may be amplified by those around you announcing their pregnancies, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Surrogacy After Infertility

Surrogacy offers a chance to build a family when other methods may not have worked.

Surrogacy is a family-building option where IVF is used to create an embryo using your gametes or a donor’s. The embryo is transferred to a surrogate’s uterus, where it can grow into a baby.

Surrogacy allows intended parents to achieve their dream of parenthood while maintaining a genetic connection to their child in most cases. Here’s why:

• Meeting Basic Qualifications: Surrogates must meet age, health and lifestyle criteria.
• Medical History Review: Your fertility clinic carefully reviews the surrogate’s medical history to confirm she can carry a pregnancy safely.
• Physical and Psychological Screening: Surrogates undergo thorough medical exams and psychological evaluations to ensure they’re physically and emotionally ready for the journey.

While the process can be challenging, especially for someone coping with pregnancy envy, surrogacy offers a beautiful and rewarding path to starting your family.

Infertility is a tough journey, but surrogacy can be the solution you’ve been searching for. Contact us today to start your surrogacy journey or view our highly-qualified surrogates.

With our thorough surrogate screening process and dedicated support, we’ll help you achieve the family you’ve dreamed of.