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IVF

Thanksgiving Reflections: The Family I Have

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As another Thanksgiving passes, I am thankful for so many things. At the top of my list, of course, is family.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think about how easily our family came together. My husband and I dated only briefly before marrying; Ryder joined us just about 9 months after our wedding, and Reid was perfectly timed two years later, almost to the day (I actually had the same due date for both boys! How crazy is that?).

It’s true; we’ve been very blessed. Often, when the boys are driving me up the wall (which is usually every 34 minutes or so) I have to remind myself how lucky I am that they’re here. They’re alive, vital, full of mischievous energy and waiting to take on the world… one LEGO piece at a time. How I adore them!

As another Thanksgiving passes, I think of the couples who are waiting for a family of their own.

If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you’ll know that I am a huge supporter of OHIP for IVF. And you may be wondering, why the heck does she talk about it so much? Well, simply put – I do have a blog, and I have an audience. So why not talk about the stuff I believe in? I can chat about makeup, clothes and mommy moments until I’m blue in the face, but sometimes, I like to talk about relevant issues that have affected friends, family, co-workers and others near and dear to me.

So if you’ll lend me your ear for a moment, I’d love to remind you why it’s such a hot topic.

Now I’m sure you all will agree that infertility is an emotionally painful experience. But did you know that it impacts 1 in 6 Ontarians? That’s more than 15% of our society, suffering with the inability to conceive.

Did you know that IVF was once fully funded in Ontario? That’s right. Up until the mid 90′s, our government put families first. But right around the time that Bob Rae passed the hot potato to Mike Harris, the government severely restricted infertility funding. Hence, couples were left to incur the hefty costs of IVF should they choose to seek assistance in realizing their dreams of starting a family.

We can change that. We know that Quebec has introduced funding for up to three cycles of IVF to help create families. In turn, this helped reduce the number of multiple pregnancies in that province from 27.2% to 5.2% in just 6 months. And Quebec is now on track to save hundreds of millions of dollars as the number of twins and triplets in neonatal intensive care units is expected to drop significantly….

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Grandmas are Moms with Lots of Frosting.

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I’ve always adored that quote! (Author Unknown.)

Even though I did not have the opportunity to know my own grandparents, I’ve relished in Ryder and Reid’s relationship with my Mom. Oh, they love me – but they loooove Grandma. And why not? She comes with lots of tasty frosting :)

I’ll never forget the day I told my mom I was expecting. She and my father had stopped by the house to drop off a few supplies (we had just moved in) and while they were taking off their shoes, I blurted out that I was pregnant. And, they looked at me like I had lobsters growing out of my ears.

(I know they’ll blame it on the shock of my exciting news, but I know what they were secretly thinking: “Oh Lord, she’s such an immature brat! How is she going to raise a family?”)

Guess what? Two boys later, I can still be an immature brat at times, but I’ve never had to raise my family alone. My Mom has been there from day one – supporting me with love, advice, a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on. In truth, all of Ryder and Reid’s grandparents have been an instrumental part of their lives, and today – Grandparent’s Day! – I wanted to acknowledge the special role that they’ve played.

I’ve always known the bond between grandparent and grandchild is a special one. In fact, even before I had witnessed it firsthand, I had experienced the dynamic peripherally – childhood friends who were raised by their grandparents; high school chums who had one or more grandparents living with them in their old age; co-workers who visited their grandmother on weekends and holidays.

And, I’ve also been privy to the other side of the coin – online friends who proudly post pictures of their grandchildren; neighbours who take a brand new grandchild for a walk in the stroller; old teachers who lament that their now married kids are off seeing the world instead of making them a grandma :)…

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Infertility Awareness: Just the Facts

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I often gauge my reader’s interest/reactions to see if I’m on track with a topic or trend. Specifically, I’ve been chatting about the need for publicly funded IVF for close to a year now – and I keep coming back to it with good reason.

SUPPORT from my readers. AGREEMENT with the need for change. SHARING stories and strategies.

I’ve made emotional pleas; have argued facts and figures, and have even taken a step-by-step approach to how both the Ontario and Alberta governments can actually save hundreds of millions of dollars over just 10 years. I welcome you to re-revisit any of my previous posts if you’d like a refresher on why publicly funded IVF just makes sense.

Today, I simply want to give you the facts in black and white.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

“Infertility is a significant medical condition. Just because a person wanders around and appears healthy, but is really not, is not something that is covered adequately by most provincial governments,” he said. “I don’t think they appreciate the issues of not being able to have a family and the cost that is born by those who can’t.” – National Post, May 23rd, 2012

“Dr. Cal Greene, the head of Calgary’s fertility clinic, who has been campaigning for publicly funded IVF treatments, said Tuesday the Alberta government has no financial excuse to sidestep the issue. ‘This is an idea whose time has come. It’s been shown to work in other jurisdictions. It’s time to apply that to the Alberta experience,’ said Greene. ‘It would end reproductive discrimination based on income, so treatment would be available to everyone.'” – Calgary Herald, May 23rd, 2012…

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Infertility Awareness: Round 2

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Since I’ve always succumbed to the notion “Life is Short; Eat Dessert First” – I’d like to give you my takeaway for this post now, rather than wait until the end. So here goes.

Infertility is not a choice. It is not a problem – nor is it bad luck – and it certainly does not discriminate. Anyone, at any time, can be faced with it. Infertility is a medical condition.

With that in mind, allow me to return to the meat of the issue, or the main course if you please.

A few months ago, I blogged a series of posts based on Conceivable Dreams, the OHIP for IVF Coalition. They are the provincial voice for thousands of infertility sufferers and their supporters across Ontario, with the single goal of having OHIP coverage of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) reinstated by the Ontario government.

Bad news: Ontarians are still waiting. (Seriously? What’s the holdup; this one’s a no brainer!)

Good news: The call for government support is continuing across the country, with Generations of Hope, an Alberta-based patient group raising awareness of infertility and the need for government support towards treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

Now in case you need a little nudge, here’s a reminder why publicly funded IVF makes complete sense:…

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#OHIP4IVF: Today’s the Day!

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It’s Election Day! Today Ontarians will go to the polls and the decisions made will affect our lives – and the lives of generations to come.

One word: VOTE.

Exercise your democratic rights. Speak for yourself – and for those who don’t have a voice. Make an informed choice. Vote.

And alas, today is also a very important day for OHIP for IVF; the government we elect has the power to help 1 in 6 couples realize their dreams of having a child… or perhaps provide a serious roadblock. Hello… $550,000 in savings, remember?

Earlier today, I had a brief Twitter conversation with the esteemed Ann Douglas, Toronto Star columnist and author. She provided this very helpful link: a snapshot of what party leaders have to say about #OHIP4IVF. Take a peek:…

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Conceivable Dreams: The Savings Add Up

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With the 40th Ontario Provincial General Election just days away, and an incredibly relevant issue – OHIP for IVF – still on the table, I thought it would be a great time to answer one of the questions many of y’all may be asking – just how will the $500 million in savings be realized?

I’ll endeavor to answer it as simply and succinctly as it was explained to me. Really, it’s not rocket science (I promise!). And to do this, perhaps I should lend an example.

Suppose John and Jane Doe (a fictional couple) have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive, and therefore turn to IVF or other assisted reproduction techniques. (Today, one in six Ontario couples struggle with infertility – so they wouldn’t be alone. IVF is often their best and only treatment option.)

However, since IVF costs on average $10,000 per treatment cycle (!!!), the Doe’s would likely choose to implant more than one embryo. Wouldn’t you want to improve your chances of conceiving the first time? Or second? Or third? At $10K per treatment, that would be a yes.

And as a result, John and Jane – and other couples using IVF – would be 10 times more likely to have multiple births than those who do not. And while the notion of twins or triplets can be endearing, the hard truth is that multiples are 17 times more likely to be born pre-term, require a caesarean delivery and/or need expensive care at birth and throughout their lives. So although the Doe’s would pay out of their own pocket for the initial service, the province as a whole ends up paying for their offspring through higher taxes, diverted funds, cancelled social assistance programs and more.

After about 10 years, we’ll be paying close to $500 million dollars….

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Conceivable Dreams: You’re With Me!

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I’ll be honest.

When I first wrote about Conceivable Dreams: OHIP for IVF last week, I was not entirely sure what the response would be. I knew that *I* fully supported the initiative (and hey, it’s my blog, so I can write what I believe in, right?) but how my readers would react was another story.

Turns out… you’re with me!

Thank you so much for all the heartfelt, candid and touching feedback. According to your comments, OHIP for IVF is long overdue, and many would like to see it accessible to every couple who is in need of assisted reproductive technologies to start a family. We’re not alone:

• 73% of Ontarians surveyed agree that Ontario should adopt a policy of publicly funding IVF treatments that is similar to Québec’s

• 63% of Ontarians surveyed agree that Ontario families should have some form of public coverage for fertility treatments

• Within the general public, support for some form of coverage was highest among those with children at 71% and women at 68%

• 55% agree that cost should not be a barrier to infertile couples who need assistance with reproduction

(The survey was completed on-line from August 29 – August 31 using Leger Marketing’s Online Panel – LegerWeb.)

Now these statistics obviously show that as a society, we are mostly in agreement that some form of public coverage is warranted. But what I find incredibly interesting about these results is that the MOST support comes from those people who already have children. Truthfully, wouldn’t you think that those who were able to conceive naturally might say, “Screw it, you’re on your own?”

Not on your life.

Because we have been blessed with a family; appreciate the challenge in building one; and have experienced the euphoria in seeing those hopes, dreams and plans come to fruition – by way of a tiny, perfect little baby. We know of family and friends who have struggled with fertility, and have witnessed the emotional toll that it has placed on health, careers, finances… even marriages.

Because above and beyond our desire to alleviate the financial strain on those couples trying to conceive, we also want to relieve the financial strain on our healthcare system – to the tune of $400-$500 million in savings over 10 years.

Yes, OHIP for IVF is a splendid idea.

Here’s a call for action. Over the course of the Ontario election, Conceivable Dreams and its supporters will be asking all candidates where they stand on funding of IVF and whether they will commit to helping 1 in 6 Ontarians create families in a safe way that helps reduce costs to the healthcare system. I will be personally asking this question to every candidate who calls, knocks on my door or asks me to participate in polls; I hope all of my readers who are with me on this important initiative will do the same.

Next week, I’ll show you how exactly the savings can be realized. Trust me, it all makes such great sense!

Please note Conceivable Dreams receives funding from industry supporters like EMD, which shares their passion for improving patient access to safe and affordable fertility treatments.

Conceivable Dreams: OHIP for IVF

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“First comes love;
then comes marriage;
then comes Lena with her baby carriage…”

Sounds simple enough, right? Love, marriage and babies – preferably in that order. And I’m not going to lie; I was that girl. My husband and I had procreational sex exactly twice – and if you do the math, I have two little boys.

But it doesn’t always happen that way. And it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the emotional toll and financial stress on couples desperately trying for a baby. In fact, I’m willing to bet that everybody knows someone who has struggled with fertility – and has witnessed the highs and lows of trying to conceive firsthand.

I want to discuss in-vitro fertilization (IVF). It may be a taboo subject depending on your religious, cultural or political views, and for that reason I invite you to check out of this conversation if you’d rather not read on. To tell the truth, when first approached to blog about this topic, I questioned whether my readers would find it “too touchy”. But for those who feel that sometimes nature needs a little push – and have healthy, beautiful and vivacious children in their life because of successful IVF, please do hear me out.

I’m sure you all will agree that infertility is an emotionally painful experience. But did you know that it impacts 1 in 6 Ontarians? That’s more than 15% of our society – made up of friends, colleagues, family members and peers – suffering with the inability to conceive. Infertility is certainly not a choice; it is a devastating medical condition.

Did you know that IVF was once fully funded in Ontario?

Of course, making babies was not on my radar back then (phew!) so it’s no surprise that I was out of touch with that particular piece of legislation. But in the mid 90’s the government severely restricted infertility funding; hence couples were left to incur the hefty costs of IVF should they choose to seek assistance in realizing their dreams of starting a family.

We can change that.

Quebec recently introduced funding for up to three cycles of IVF to help create families. In turn, this helped reduce the number of multiple pregnancies in that province from 27.2% to 5.2% in just 6 months. And Quebec is now on track to save hundreds of millions of dollars as the number of twins and triplets in neonatal intensive care units is expected to drop significantly.

Furthermore, it’s estimated that Ontario could realize similar savings by providing OHIP coverage for IVF – between $400-$550 million in savings over 10 years, actually. And if you’re following my train of thought, you’d see that these savings could offset the cost of providing IVF and other “Assisted Reproductive Technologies” to patients who require treatment to start their families. Making babies and saving money in the long run? Yes please.


Introducing Conceivable Dreams.

“Conceivable Dreams, the OHIP for IVF Coalition, is the provincial voice for thousands of infertility sufferers and their supporters across Ontario. Their goal is to have OHIP coverage of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) reinstated by the Ontario government.”

Connect with Conceivable Dreams on Facebook.

So what can you do? Make your local candidates earn your vote; ask them where they stand on public funding of IVF. You can bet I’ll be posing this question to every candidate who calls, knocks on my door or asks me to participate in polls.

You know how much I love feedback – would you like to share your personal fertility story?

Please note Conceivable Dreams receives funding from industry supporters like EMD, which shares their passion for improving patient access to safe and affordable fertility treatments.