Episode 6: Eboni K. Williams talks about her embryo transfer process and the financial costs
This is episode 6 in a seven-part series on the journey of choosing motherhood as a single Black woman.
Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world. So why are some women choosing to do it alone? A growing trend among some women is choosing to do motherhood by themselves, taking on all the responsibilities, both mentally, emotionally, and financially.
Single motherhood is still considered by many to be taboo and many in our community look down on women raising children on their own. That hasn’t stopped a growing number of women from still choosing that path. The journey can look different for each woman. In this new and honest limited series, “Choosing Motherhood with Eboni K. Williams,” theGrio host, and journalist Nicole Ellis talk about their individual decisions regarding single motherhood and all that comes with it. Topics will include defining single motherhood, egg freezing, donor selection, financial costs, concerns, and dealing with criticism from societal stigmas.
In episode six of “Choosing Motherhood with Eboni K. Williams,” Williams and Ellis elaborate more on the financial cost of freezing their eggs, and Williams gets candid about her embryo transfer experience.
According to the Emory School of Medicine, an embryo transfer is when an egg, fertilized with sperm outside of a woman’s body, is implanted back into a woman’s womb. Then, between nine and 14 days later, a woman can learn if the transfer was successful and if she is pregnant. The IVF Center reports the average success rate on the first try of an IVF transfer is between 20–35%. That’s where the financial costs of egg freezing can become expensive.
Another option for women with fertility issues which may also be more cost-effective is IUI (intrauterine insemination), where sperm is inserted directly into the uterus during ovulation to increase the chances of fertilization.
According to Fertility IQ, the average cost of an egg freezing cycle is $11,000, which includes hormone stimulation, egg retrieval, and lab processing. There are additional costs, around $5,000 for medication, plus fees for storing the eggs. The cost of IVF (in vitro-fertilization) is even higher, around $24,000.
Tell us about your journey to motherhood. Did you have to use IUI or IVF treatments, and how did that work out for you? Share your thoughts on egg freezing, IVF, and more at theGrio.com or on our social media pages.
