Everyone’s path to parenthood looks different, and for many women, that journey includes fertility treatments like IVF and egg freezing. With a single round of IVF costing as much as $20,000, many families are accepting side hustles and part-time jobs to access fertility benefits.  As conversations around infertility become less stigmatized, more women are speaking up about their experience working multiple jobs to have the family that they want. If you are looking into a part-time job for fertility benefits, you aren’t alone!  Why do companies offer fertility benefits?  To paraphrase — it’s the economy, duh. In a...

In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, we’re addressing the elephant in the room head-on: Many Americans who need in-vitro fertilization (IVF) still can’t afford it. With the average cost of a single IVF cycle ranging from $15,000 to $30,000, IVF insurance coverage has become a necessary health benefit. Unfortunately, despite the increase in employer-offered infertility coverage, these benefits remain out of reach for a significant number of Americans. This is for several reasons: Not all employers offer IVF coverage, and only a fraction of states offer fertility insurance coverage mandates. Plus, the definition of fertility...

If you’re a woman, you’ve almost certainly felt unheard or invalidated when expressing a medical concern. Chances are, you’ve left a medical appointment with more questions than answers. You’ve felt rushed and dismissed and just so incredibly confused when attempting to seek clarity on what’s happening in your own body. And you’ve done that thing that every single one of us has done: You’ve taken those questions to the internet. As a health journalist, I’m really not a fan of medical misinformation. I find myself bristling when someone mentions “doing their own research” about health matters,...

The more you understand during your family-planning journey, the easier it is to decide between two seemingly similar processes. Enter: egg freezing and embryo freezing.  They sound the same and share very similar processes, but the small differences can help someone understand which path is better for them.  Dr. Jessica Rubin, a reproductive endocrinology & infertility specialist at Reproductive Biology Associates, emphasized this exact point while in conversation with Rescripted.  What's the difference between egg freezing and embryo freezing? “Freezing eggs and freezing embryos are often confused as the same process, but they are in fact...

Adopting a baby in the United States can be expensive. Typically, it can cost anywhere between $15,000 and $70,000, depending on what type of adoption you choose to pursue. There are, however, some ways that hopeful parents can save money when pursuing adoption to grow their family.  The different types of adoption Before we dive into the more affordable vs. less affordable paths when it comes to adoption, we’ll share a brief overview of each option. Choosing the one that is right for you will be the first step of your adoption journey.  Foster care adoption...

Same-sex couples, individuals pursuing parenthood on their own, or couples facing severe male-factor infertility, may consider using donor sperm as an option for growing their family. You can use donor sperm from a vetted sperm bank or someone you already know. Opting for donor sperm from a sperm bank may be the right move for people who want access to well-screened samples and who don’t want to navigate the complexities of leaning on a friend or loved one. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are two common ways to use donor sperm to try...

As a many-year-menstruator, you may have a period routine down: Start the week feeling moody, bloated, and crampy. Grab your period kit full of natural pain relievers — a heating pad, magnesium, and CBD suppositories. Then, shoot your partner a glare from across the room that says, “DON’T COME NEAR ME.”  The minute they see the period kit, your partner knows to keep their hands to themself… but what if I told you a little physical interaction might actually make your period better? In this article, we share how period sex helps relieve cramps and boost...

This article is sponsored by BetterHelp, the world’s largest professional therapy platform, done online.  Like many people, I was nervous to start therapy for the first time. When I started getting panic attacks in my early 20s, I finally signed up for therapy and realized that everything I knew about it was wrong. Instead of analyzing ink blots and the unconscious meaning behind my dreams, my therapist and I worked on developing coping mechanisms and stress management skills, so I could eventually manage my anxiety on my own.  I started feeling better within weeks, which I credit...

You might be familiar with the basic rules for eating during pregnancy — like avoiding raw meat or seafood, waiting to enjoy deli meats until after baby arrives, and making sure you cook those fried eggs all the way through.  Another essential nutrition tip is incorporating foods with omega-3 DHA, which can play a crucial role in a baby's development. We’ll explain why omega-3s are important, how to add foods rich in omega-3s to your diet and recommend some supplements to help ensure you’re getting enough. Because when you’ve got a baby in your belly, they...

Three days after my D&C from a missed miscarriage, I walked the beach with my mom.  It was a sunny May morning, the kind of day that tells you summer’s on the way — but all I could see were dark, heavy clouds looming overhead.  We were wading in the water and collecting shells when I found a dime with my birth year. I had no doubt it was a sign from someone or something much bigger than me… a reminder to have hope, even at my lowest point.  I’d been through a miscarriage before, and...