This post brought to you by The Motherhood and The Stork. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

I am SOOOOO excited to be sharing this information about a product I wish to goodness had been out just a handful of years ago when Tim and I were having a bit of trouble getting pregnant. Turns out, we were NOT alone in that struggle: the 2013 statistic is that 1 in 6 couples have trouble conceiving (a HUGE jump from 1970, when that number was 1 in 20). After taking part in a conference call with the founder and learning more about the device, I have decided that I need to spread the word! If you are currently watching the calendar march on and not getting a positive pregnancy sign, this might really help!

Why is Getting Pregnant a Challenge?

photo credit: Selbe B via photopin cc

Was anyone else out there totally shocked to not get pregnant right away once they started trying? It took us 7 months before we had a successful pregnancy (we experienced one very early miscarriage during that timespan, as well). What we didn’t realize until we didn’t get pregnant right away was just how tricky it can be! We were in our late 20s, and the statistic for people around that age is that they have a 20% chance of conceiving every month, when trying. And that is for perfectly healthy couples with no additional barriers such as a low sperm count, PCOS, or imbalanced vaginal pH. For folks trying to get pregnant in their 30s, their statistical odds go down even more.

But if you approach your doctor before trying on your own for a solid year, the odds are good that you will just be told to “sit tight” and wait. There are really very few options available for those who are initially struggling with conception. Once treatment options do become available, they are slow, invasive and costly. One round of IVF runs between $12,400 and $20,000!

The Stork

The Stork is an at-home fertility aid unlike anything that has ever been available outside of a doctor’s office. It is a conception system to assist with insemination. You use it to collect semen into a cervical cap, and then deliver the cap to the outside of the cervix. It is used at home following intercourse, which makes it feel much less sterile than similar procedures that have been offered in doctors’ offices. You can get a clear understanding of how it works by watching the video below. Just a head’s up, while the video is totally clinical in nature and not something that would make me blush, it might make me uncomfortable to watch in a public setting (like work) or with little ones around.

Let’s Talk Cost

Honestly, I was really blown away when I heard the cost of The Stork. Let’s compare this with other fertility aid options.

Approach	Cost/Attempt*
The Stork®	$210.00/cycle
IUI	$1,000-$5,000/cycle
IVF	$12,400-$20,000/cycle

The Stork comes with the ability to use it 3 times during 1 cycle. Or if you are absolutely certain about when you are ovulating, you could use that one kit just once a month for 3 months. I would have purchased this in a heartbeat if it had been available a few years ago!

How to Buy The Stork

The Stork is currently a prescription only product, but they are working on the final details with the FDA to become available over the counter. They expect to be available without a prescription later this summer at CVS and Amazon! For now, though, you simply need to request a prescription from your doctor, and then submit that prescription via The Stork website. The device will be mailed to your home in discreet packaging so that the mailman and the neighbors don’t know your business! 😉

Stay up to date with the latest Stork news by following them on Facebook and Twitter.  That’s a great way to be the first to hear about when they become available over the counter!