In August 2005, I walked out of the third specialist I saw to help with my endometriosis. I have had the disease since I was fifteen years old. All three doctors had told me the same thing: I would not get pregnant naturally. I sat on the bus on the way home overwhelmed with emotions that surprised me. While I did not try to get pregnant, but nonetheless I wanted to own that choice, not doctors or ultimately, the disease. I mourned the results and trusted the multiple doctors’ opinions. I would not be a mom.

The next day I traveled through a lot of websites that confirmed that infertility is commonly linked with endometriosis. Many people go through in vitro fertilization treatments, naturopaths and surrogate options to become parents. I decided to accept it and let it go from my mind. I needed to figure out just what I wanted to explore.

Three months later, our beautiful child was conceived. Imagine my surprise at my shocked doctor who delivered me the news. Two years later, our baby girl became a big sister. Both of our children are gifts. I cannot imagine my life without my daughters. What was supposed to be a medical impossible became a medical possible, twice.

Many couples cannot conceive without help. The cost of one round of IVF can be as high as $15,000 with fertility medications included.As a result many couples desperate to conceive, remortgage houses just to pay for the procedure. Many couples will risk maternal health by transferring multiple embryos in an effort to make the most of their investment. This is a risky practice that results often in extremely high health care costs and risky multiple births. While twins and triplets are adorable, they carry greater lifetime health costs and are often born premature. Many groups throughout Canada are strenuously advocating for public health care to cover the cost of IVF where it is the recommended course of treatment. IAAC – the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada recommends that three rounds of IVF be covered through provincial health care funding with single embryo transfer (SET) as the standard.
An IAAC survey recently indicated as many as 73% of British Columbians believe the province should adopt public funding for in vitro fertilization (IVF), similar to the policy in Quebec. In 2010, Quebec became the first province in Canada to provide universal access to IVF through a policy that covers the cost of treatment and mandates single embryo transfer. This policy has led to a reduction in multiple pregnancies from approximately 30 per cent to well under 10 per cent, resulting in better health outcomes for mother and baby, and an estimated cost savings to the health system of $30-$60 million per year since the program’s inception.”
Personally, I believe the parents who want to be parents by any and every means are the best kind. With some provinces and countries world-wide providing public funding for IVF is this the year for BC couples to get public funding for IVF?
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Disclosure: I am a valued member of the #IVF4BC blog team. As such, I received compensation, but my opinion is my own.