With advances in IVF, more people than ever are using it to start a family with their partner or have kids on their own. But for most, it’s still too damn expensive. To talk more about that, we chatted with medical co-founder Dr. Banafsheh Bayati, MD, OB-GYN, FACOG (she/her) and co-founders + co-CEOs Alex Taylor (she/her) and Victoria Thain Gioia (she/her) of fertility, prenatal, and postnatal vitamin brand Perelel.

Read on to get all the deets on IVF costs and concerns, and you’ll even get a comprehensive guide on financially preparing for motherhood from the Perelel team themselves.

What exactly is IVF?
BANAFSHEH: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that facilitates embryo development, fertilization, and implantation with the end goal of pregnancy. There are several steps to the IVF cycle including ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, fertilization, and embryo transfer.

Why is there a dramatic rise in women getting it?
BANAFSHEH: For today’s woman, her most productive career-growth years and reproductive years may overlap. As a result, we’re seeing women freezing eggs and opting to delay reproduction. This is but one factor in the rise of fertility treatments.

How much does IVF usually cost? Can insurance cover it?
BANAFSHEH: Fertility treatments aren’t always covered by insurance and the costs can, unfortunately, be difficult to manage. IVF requires an extra layer of financial planning for pregnancy, with a single cycle running between $15k and $30k. Costs vary depending on individual needs and location, and may run far greater than this if multiple rounds of IVF are required. This places a huge financial strain on those who are trying to conceive.

Are women going into debt because of IVF?
BANAFSHEH: Women are exploring fertility services more than ever, but the reality is that they’re disproportionately shouldering the burden associated with costs. Unlike many other medical conditions, infertility is actually categorized as an elective treatment so nearly 70% of women who undergo IVF will go into debt because it’s not universally covered by health insurances. There are, however, a few steps you can take to lessen the financial strain of trying to conceive.

Before meeting with a fertility specialist, I encourage my patients to reach out to their health insurance provider or employee’s HR department to discuss what their current plan covers. At Perelel, we compiled a comprehensive guide to support anyone seeking financial assistance for fertility that includes questions for your employer. I also encourage my patients to research their state’s fertility insurance laws as some have mandated infertility coverage. (A good resource to learn more about the specific insurance laws in your state is American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

Women exploring IVF may also be able to offset the cost with grants, discounts, research opportunities, as well as financing options and payment plans. Ex: IVF Warrior is an incredible community-based fertility resource, offering a list of available fertility grants.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
VICTORIA: One of the biggest hurdles in starting a family is one we rarely talk about—the cost of motherhood. Fertility services, prenatal care, birth, and delivery can be overwhelming. Budgeting for these, and anticipating the price of childcare, can be extremely difficult to manage. On top of this, you’ll have a tiny human to care for while juggling the physical and emotional complexities of being a new mom.

ALEX: The list goes on… and it’s time to get loud about this. This year, we’re calling out the economic inequities of parenthood with our brand initiative The Motherhood Gap. We’ve created a complete resource guide to help women navigate their own financial journey, whatever it may look like, when starting a family. And in tandem, we are working with other private companies to identify ways we as business owners can better support female employees as they enter this chapter of their lives.