"I remember sitting in my car in the clinic parking lot, staring at the negative pregnancy test, and thinking — I can't do this again. Not here. Not at this price. That was the moment I typed 'IVF abroad' into Google."
This is Sarah's story — in her own words, as told to the FertiJourney Medical Team. It's a story about resilience, about questioning the status quo, and ultimately about finding hope 6,000 miles from home.
Three Failed Cycles in California
Sarah was diagnosed with PCOS at 32, but like many women, she put family planning on hold while building her career in San Francisco's tech industry. At 36, she and her husband started trying. After a year without success, they turned to a well-regarded Bay Area fertility clinic.
"The clinic was beautiful," Sarah recalls. "Marble floors, Nespresso machines, a waterfall in the lobby. I remember thinking — I'm paying for all of this, aren't I?"
Cycle One: The Wake-Up Call
Her first IVF cycle cost $28,000 out of pocket (her employer's insurance covered diagnostics but not treatment). The stimulation produced 15 eggs — a good number — but only two made it to blastocyst. Both were transferred. Neither implanted.
Cycle Two: More Aggressive, Same Result
For the second round, the clinic adjusted her protocol. Higher medication doses. 18 eggs retrieved. Three blastocysts. PGT-A testing revealed one euploid embryo. "We put all our hope into that one embryo," Sarah says quietly. "When the beta came back at zero, I couldn't get out of bed for two days."
Cycle Three: The Breaking Point
The third cycle was the hardest. "They suggested a fresh transfer this time. I was in pain, bloated, and emotionally drained. When it failed — again — the doctor suggested donor eggs. I was 38. I wasn't ready to give up on my own eggs."
By this point, Sarah and her husband had spent nearly $80,000. Their savings were depleted. They'd taken out a loan for the third cycle. "I remember doing the math and realizing we'd spent more on IVF than our wedding, our cars, and a down payment on a house combined. And we had nothing to show for it."
Finding FertiJourney
Late one night, scrolling through a PCOS support group on Facebook, Sarah saw a comment from a woman who'd traveled to Shenzhen for IVF. "She mentioned FertiJourney. I'd never heard of medical tourism for fertility — it sounded almost too good to be true."
She spent the next three days researching. She read studies about Luohu Hospital's IVF lab. She compared success rates. She watched YouTube videos of Shenzhen. "The more I learned, the more I realized that the U.S. fertility industry isn't the only option — it's just the most expensive one."
Key Decision Factors
- Cost: Estimated $22,000 total in China vs. another $25,000+ cycle in California
- Technology: Luohu's lab had equipment newer than her U.S. clinic
- No wait: Could start treatment within weeks, not months
- Integrated approach: TCM alongside Western IVF protocols
The Video Consultation
Sarah filled out FertiJourney's intake form on a Tuesday. By Thursday, she had a video consultation scheduled with a FertiJourney coordinator and a doctor from Luohu Hospital's reproductive medicine department.
"The coordinator, Mei, spoke perfect English. She'd already reviewed my medical records — all three cycles, my AMH levels, my husband's semen analysis. The doctor asked detailed questions about my PCOS, my response to medications, my previous protocols. It felt more thorough than any consultation I'd had in California."
The doctor proposed a different approach: a tailored stimulation protocol adjusted for PCOS patients, closer monitoring (blood work every 48 hours instead of every 72), and the option of integrating acupuncture to improve endometrial receptivity. "They weren't just copying what hadn't worked before. They were actually rethinking my case."
Two weeks after that consultation, Sarah and her husband booked their flights.
Arriving in Shenzhen
FertiJourney had arranged everything. A driver met them at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. Their apartment — a modern two-bedroom in Luohu district, a 10-minute walk from the hospital — was fully furnished, with a kitchen, washing machine, and high-speed WiFi.
"I was nervous about the language barrier, but FertiJourney assigned us an English interpreter, Li, who was with us for every appointment. She also helped us get set up — SIM cards, WeChat, grocery delivery apps. By day three, we were ordering takeout in Chinese."
The neighborhood around Luohu Hospital surprised Sarah. "It wasn't what I expected. There were parks, modern shopping malls, international restaurants. We found a great coffee shop two blocks away. I could walk to the hospital for my morning blood draws — no traffic, no parking garages."
Sarah and her husband used weekends to explore Shenzhen — the OCT Loft creative park, the sprawling Lianhuashan Park, the seafood restaurants in Shekou. "It stopped feeling like a medical trip and started feeling like an adventure. I think that mental shift was really important."
First Consultation at Luohu Hospital
The Reproductive Medicine Center at Luohu Hospital was a revelation. "It was modern — I mean, really modern. The lab had equipment I recognized from research papers. The embryology lab had the latest time-lapse incubators. And everything was spotless."
Dr. Chen, her primary physician, spent 45 minutes with them in the first consultation. "In the U.S., I was lucky to get 10 minutes with the doctor. Dr. Chen drew diagrams. She explained my antral follicle count in detail. She showed us photos of the lab. She asked about my stress levels, my sleep, my diet — not as a checklist, but as real factors affecting my treatment."
The clinic's WhatsApp-based patient communication system meant Sarah received her lab results within hours, with explanations in English from Li. "I never had to play phone tag or wait three days for a nurse to call back."
The 14-Day Stimulation
Sarah's stimulation protocol was adjusted for her PCOS — a lower starting dose to reduce the risk of OHSS, with close monitoring. Every 48 hours, she walked to the clinic for blood work and ultrasound. By day 10, her follicles were developing steadily.
"The difference was the monitoring frequency. In California, they'd scan me once or twice during the whole stimulation. Here, they tracked everything. Dr. Chen adjusted my medication dose three times based on how my body was responding."
She also started acupuncture sessions at the hospital's Traditional Chinese Medicine department. "I was skeptical at first, but the acupuncturist explained that certain points could improve blood flow to the uterus. I don't know if it was the acupuncture or just the relaxation, but I slept better during those two weeks than I had in months."
Day 1–3: Baseline & Start
Baseline ultrasound and blood work. Started Gonal-F 150 IU daily. Acupuncture session for relaxation.
Day 4–8: Monitoring & Adjustment
Blood work every 48 hours. Dose increased to 187.5 IU on day 6 based on estradiol response. Added Cetrotide on day 8.
Day 9–12: Final Growth
12–14 follicles measuring 16–21mm. Lining at 10.2mm. Trigger shot scheduled for day 12, 9:00 PM precisely.
Day 14: Egg Retrieval
Procedure under light sedation. 8 eggs retrieved. "I woke up and the first thing I asked was 'how many?' When they said 8, I cried — happy tears."
Egg Retrieval and Results
Eight eggs. In her previous cycles, Sarah had produced more — 15, 18, even 20 — but quantity had never been her problem. The question was quality.
The embryology team used ICSI for fertilization. The next morning, Li sent a WhatsApp message: 6 of the 8 eggs had fertilized normally. "I remember showing my husband the message at breakfast. He just hugged me. We'd never had more than 3 fertilize before."
Five days later, the blastocyst report arrived. Four blastocysts. "Four. I read the message three times to make sure I wasn't imagining it."
They opted for PGT-A testing. The results came back in 10 days: three euploid embryos — two girls and one boy. "I had three healthy embryos. After three cycles in the U.S. that produced zero, I had three. I sat on the floor of our apartment and sobbed."
The Frozen Embryo Transfer
Sarah flew back to San Francisco to recover and prepare. Two months later, after her body had returned to baseline, she returned to Shenzhen for a frozen embryo transfer (FET).
"The FET was so different from my fresh transfers. I wasn't bloated from stimulation. I wasn't emotionally wrecked. I just took estrogen pills, monitored my lining, and when everything was perfect — 9.8mm trilaminar — they transferred one euploid embryo."
The transfer itself took 15 minutes. Sarah lay on the table, watching the ultrasound screen as the embryologist guided the catheter. "I saw the tiny flash of fluid where the embryo went in. Dr. Chen squeezed my hand and said 'This is a beautiful embryo. Now we wait.'"
The Positive Test
The two-week wait was agonizing. Sarah and her husband stayed in Shenzhen, trying to distract themselves. They visited the Dafen Oil Painting Village, took a day trip to Hong Kong, and ate their way through the Dongmen food street.
"I didn't test at home. I was too scared. I waited for the blood test at the clinic."
On the morning of the beta HCG test, Sarah walked to the clinic alone. "My husband was in a work meeting on Zoom. I figured if it was bad news, I'd rather process it by myself first."
Li called her at 2:00 PM. "Her voice was shaking. She said 'Sarah, your beta is 487.' I said 'Is that good?' She said 'That's very, very good.' I screamed so loud the neighbors probably thought something was wrong."
Two weeks later, the ultrasound showed a heartbeat. "It was 142 beats per minute. The most beautiful sound I've ever heard."
"I flew 6,000 miles for treatment, and it was the best decision I've ever made. Not because the U.S. doctors were bad — they weren't. But the system is broken. The cost is insane. And there are incredible doctors all over the world who can help you, if you're willing to look."
The Cost Comparison
Sarah kept meticulous records throughout her journey. Here's how the numbers broke down:
| Expense | California (Per Cycle) | Shenzhen via FertiJourney |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic Fees & Monitoring | $15,000 | $5,200 |
| Medications | $5,000 | $1,800 |
| Egg Retrieval | $4,500 | Included |
| ICSI | $2,000 | Included |
| PGT-A Testing (3 embryos) | $4,500 | $2,100 |
| Embryo Freezing (1 year) | $1,200 | $600 |
| FET Cycle | $5,000 | $2,400 |
| Flights (2 round trips) | N/A | $3,200 |
| Accommodation (6 weeks total) | N/A | $3,600 |
| FertiJourney Coordination | N/A | $1,500 |
| Interpreter Services | N/A | $800 |
| Acupuncture (10 sessions) | $1,000 | $400 |
| Total | $80,000 (3 cycles) | $21,600 (1 cycle) |
Total Savings: $58,400 — and one successful pregnancy vs. three failed cycles.
Sarah's Advice to Other Couples
We asked Sarah what she'd tell someone considering the same path:
- Do your research, but don't get paralyzed by it. "I spent weeks reading studies. At some point, you have to trust the data and make a decision."
- Don't be afraid of the language barrier. "FertiJourney's interpreter was with us every step. I never felt lost or confused."
- Give yourself time to enjoy the experience. "Don't just fly in for the procedure and fly out. Shenzhen is an amazing city. Let yourself explore."
- The cost difference is real — and life-changing. "We spent less on a successful cycle in China than we did on any single failed cycle in the U.S. That's not an exaggeration."
- Trust the process. "Every step, from the first video call to the transfer, felt more personal than anything I'd experienced at home."
Sarah's daughter was born in early 2025, healthy and perfect. She and her husband still have two euploid embryos frozen at Luohu Hospital, waiting for when they're ready to try for a sibling.
"When people ask me where I had my baby, I say 'Shenzhen.' They always look surprised. Then I tell them the story."