Being unable to conceive naturally is emotionally and financially challenging. When you add the often-high costs of fertility treatments, the wide range of individual circumstances, and an industry that frequently keeps fees opaque, the process becomes even harder to prepare for and manage.
Calgary marketing professional Kelsi Ribecco has tracked her fertility-related spending since 2018 and estimates her total at roughly $75,000. Thanks to her husband’s employer-provided coverage, they had unusually generous medication benefits and received a modest tax refund for medical expenses, but their out-of-pocket costs still came to about $50,000. They used a line of credit to finance treatments and she estimates paying roughly $12,000 more in interest.
“The reason I like to tell people the [$75,000] total is because most people don’t have the coverage we have,” Ribecco said. She shares her fertility journey and experiences with motherhood on Instagram under the handle Ciao Kelsi and serves as an ambassador for Fertility Matters Canada.
Ribecco’s infertility was not age-related; initially it was categorized as “male factor infertility,” and after several unsuccessful IVF attempts, doctors added “unexplained infertility” to the diagnosis. Her experience highlights how complex and unpredictable fertility treatment paths can be.
Is inflation a factor?
Inflation has affected fertility care costs, Ribecco noted. Clinic fees are often not posted publicly, and patients sometimes receive price updates or contract screenshots from others in online communities. For example, a frozen embryo transfer that once cost her about $1,800 is now listed at $2,750 at her clinic.
One in six Canadians will need fertility care, according to Fertility Matters Canada. The financial impact of fertility treatment is just one component of the overall cost of starting a family: National Bank, citing Statistics Canada, estimates that raising a child to their late teens can cost up to $300,000.
Despite the expenses and stress, Ribecco considers herself fortunate: she now has two sons and a supportive employer who allowed her to attend numerous appointments without losing pay or vacation time. “People with hourly rate jobs would lose wages or a whole day’s work to make appointments,” she pointed out.
The costs of fertility treatments can vary for couples
Costs differ significantly depending on the couple’s situation. LGBTQ+ couples often face higher expenses: female couples typically need to pay for sperm donation, while male couples may need egg donation, IVF and surrogacy, which can dramatically increase total costs. Women who require egg or embryo donation because of egg quality issues will also face additional fees.
Because each person’s fertility journey is unique, predicting total costs is difficult. Ravy Pung, a Quebec-based financial planner with National Bank, emphasizes that unexpected events—extra testing, additional IVF cycles, or surrogacy-related expenses—can add substantial costs beyond initial estimates.
Practical financial steps can help manage this uncertainty. Pung suggests investing through a tax-free savings account (TFSA) to shelter investment returns from tax and recommends building contingency plans for liquidity shortfalls, including understanding options for a personal or mortgage line of credit.
When to plan for pregnancy
There’s no single right time to plan for pregnancy, but early financial planning can reduce the strain later. Kalee Boisvert, a Calgary-based financial adviser with Raymond James, works with clients who are freezing eggs before finding a partner. Boisvert notes the tension many people face between waiting until they feel financially secure and the increased likelihood of needing fertility treatments when starting later.
“A lot of people end up essentially blowing through their savings,” Boisvert said. Early planning can help avoid tapping into retirement savings or delaying retirement goals to accommodate the costs of fertility care and child-rearing. She also warns against quick fixes: while some international clinics may advertise guarantees, the reality in many Canadian clinics is that failed cycles simply mean more attempts and more costs.
For perspective, the live birth rate per embryo transfer for women aged 35 to 39 is under 30%, according to The Health Insider, citing data from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society. That statistic underscores why couples and individuals should include potential fertility treatment costs in longer-term financial planning.
How affordability varies across Canada
Access to fertility clinics and public funding varies widely across provinces and regions. Some provinces offer programs that subsidize or fund certain procedures; others provide little or no public assistance. Melissa Stasiuk, a journalist who explored unequal access in a 2020 feature, reported that out-of-pocket expenses can be significantly higher for people without government funding—sometimes $20,000 or more per cycle.
Geography can add another layer of cost: many communities don’t have local fertility clinics, so travel, accommodation and time off work can further increase the financial burden. “How would it be feasible for the average Canadian?” Ribecco asked. “If you have any kind of infertility diagnosis… and you can’t afford the treatment, you just don’t get to have kids. That’s so sad.”
Given the emotional weight and financial unpredictability of fertility care, experts recommend early budgeting and saving, using tax-sheltered accounts when possible, and researching potential provincial supports and clinic fees in advance. Being informed about likely costs, having a contingency plan for additional cycles or treatments, and discussing financing options with a financial planner can help prospective parents make more resilient plans.
Fertility care is a deeply personal and often expensive part of family planning. Greater transparency in clinic fees and broader access to funding would reduce the financial inequities many hopeful parents face across Canada.