Having a Baby and HD

There are 3 options out there for someone who has a genetic abnormality to have children.
1: Have children naturally and put them at risk of HD.
2: Conceive naturally and test for HD at around 12 weeks. Have an abortion if test is positive. Have the baby if test is negative. 50% chance of either.
3: Go through IVF with PGD. This will guarantee that the baby does not have HD.

I want to have a child of my own very badly. I want my own little creation that is half me and half my husband to love and cherish. The question is, "What am I willing to do to make that happen?"


When you compare cost, having a child naturally is the cheapest and using IVF is extraordinarily more expensive. Testing for HD after conception is not very hard on the finances, but could be devastating to a person emotionally. It is certainly a personal choice.
For me, the financial burden of IVF is the lesser of the evils. Having a child with HD or having an abortion are two things I couldn't do. The 50% chance is just too great. I could get pregnant three times and if I had them naturally they could all have HD. If I tested for HD each time I could end up with three abortions. It just isn't feasible.
So by process of elimination I am left with IVF with PGD. After a consultation with Reproductive Specialist and a couple estimates over the phone it appears that going through this process for less than $15,000 is impossible, and depending on the doctor we choose it could cost up to $20,000. Per cycle.
Though it may seem obvious to choose the doctor that charges the least amount, it's not. First, we have to consider the success rates of the doctor. Second, we have to pay $150-$375 just to sit down and talk to the potential doctors. That adds up quickly. In the end, no matter which doctor we choose, we need A LOT of money. The scariest part is that we could spend the let's say $18,000 and not end up with a baby. If we are lucky we would at least have some frozen embryos leftover to try again. This would only cost another $4000 or so to implant. If there are no extra embryos, we would have to pay the entire cost over again. I am willing to spend it once, but I just don't know what I'll do if we have to pay it more than once. God willing that won't happen. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee and the chance of success is maybe 65%. OUCH. These statistics are kicking my ass. How am I going to feel if I spend that money and there is no baby to show for it?
At this stage of our lives, that kind of money is nearly impossible to come by. We don't have time on our side and we cannot wait years until we save enough. We need to do this as soon as possible. So this is where we are at right now. Stuck and stressed. I have to figure out how to balance getting everything I want out of life. We are going to do what we have to do, but it isn't going to be easy. Our road just wasn't meant to be smooth.