The Journey To Motherhood

Yesterday as we celebrated Mother's Day, I couldn't help but to be keenly aware of how very lucky I am to have 2 healthy and wonderful children, and how fortunate we were to be able to conceive these children when we were ready to start our family. And although it was easy for me, I know that the journey to Motherhood is not so easy for others, as they must rely on medical science for help in creating the family that they so desperately wish to have.

I have an amazing friend who went through several years of infertility, and fertility treatments, before she finally became pregnant with twins at age 38. The miracle of all this was that when she finally got pregnant, it was during their fifth attempt at IVF. It was their last and final attempt because she & her husband had exhausted all financial means to pay for another IVF treatment, and statistically, their chances of being successful were not increasing.  The years of paying for private fertility treatments, not covered by provincially funded health care plans, had cost my friend & her husband thousands of dollars and they could no longer afford to continue to pursue their dream of having a child. My friend told me she had all but given up hope on their last try because she knew that the money had run out.

Infertility in not a choice that couples make for themselves. Infertility is a devastating medical condition. Current medical technology exists to help many infertile families to conceive the children they so desperately want, but this technology remains beyond the financial means of most couples. My heart truly breaks for these couples because I, as a young girl growing up, dreamed of having children one day, and I could not imagine having this dream taken away through no fault of my own. I believe that infertility is a medical condition that requires support...just like many other medical conditions.

Did you know that 1 in 6 Albertans struggle with infertility? We also know that 67% of Albertans believe the province should fund IVF treatments for families. Currently, Quebec is the only province in Canada that funds IVF treatment plans, along with many other countries around the world. It is my hope that we can change this so that couples can realize their dreams of starting a family without financial status being the determining factor.

Current evidence shows that funding IVF will reduce the number of multiple births and make infertility treatments safer for mothers and their children. Couples who seek IVF treatment on their own often have multiple embryos implanted to increase their chances of conceiving because they may only be able to afford one  IVF treatment.In light of this, it would make sense  to save taxpayer dollars by funding IVF {three rounds of single embryo transfer} for infertile couples to help them realize their dream of having a family. Anyone who has gone through the pain & suffering of infertility, or who has watched loved ones journey through this pain, will agree that it is the right choice...for many reasons. All families are beautiful....no matter how they are created.

To learn more, please visit:  Generations of Hope

Feel free to follow the conversation by following @gensofhope or searching #ABHC4IVF and #abpoli on Twitter.

{Disclosure: I am a valued member of the Generations of Hope #ABHC4IVF blog team. As such, I received compensation for sharing this message, but my opinion is my own.}