IVF Facts:

• Can cost on average $7,500 per treatment cycle plus up to $6000 in meds
• Many couples choose to implant more than one embryo to increase chances of pregnancy
• Albertans using IVF are more likely to have twins (or more!)
• Multiples are 17 times more likely to require medical care before and after birth (and sometimes throughout their lives)

Christine Nordhagen, former Canadian Olympic wrestler and six time world champion knows these facts all too well.  After trying for two years Christine turned to IVF as a means to start her family.  “Our goal was to have a healthy child. In some ways it didn’t matter, we’d pay whatever it costs to make it happen. But it was a huge stress on us financially,”  says Christine.   They knew that IVF can produce multiples yet, because of the costs, implanted two embryos in order to maximize their chances of having a child.

The transfer resulted in the birth of their first daughter who was and is a happy, healthy child.

Two years passed and as often is the case, the Nordhagen family wished for another baby.   Again they turned to IVF, however, the experience was quite different this time around.

Instead of implanting only two embryos, they implanted three.  One was lost along the way but two survived.  Christine was pregnant with twins.  According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada a twin pregnancy is three times more likely to result in fetal anomaly and so Christine was monitored heavily via ultrasound.

At 33 weeks gestation an ultrasound revealed the twins had stopped growing.  A c-section was scheduled but as luck would have it, Christine went into labour and the twins were delivered.  Because of their low birth weight they spent a three week stay in NICU.  “It was very scary,” said Christine, “we hoped they would stay in (utero) as long as possible but it is what it is…with IVF we knew there was a higher chance of multiples.”

While IVF is paramount in allowing some couples to conceive and grow their families, it isn’t without risks.  Aside from personal financial and emotional stress placed on couples experiencing multiples, IVF also places financial burdens on our healthcare system as hospitals tend to high risk pregnancies and underweight or sick babies.  I’ll focus more on this in my next post.  I hope you’ll join me and please, if you have personal experience or a story to share, feel free to leave a comment!

About Generations of Hope
GOH is a non-profit organization devoted to raising awareness of infertility and helping couples struggling with infertility attain their dream of a family. Through the Generations of Hope Fertility Assistance Fund, families for whom IVF treatment is a challenging financial option can receive assistance for treatment at the Regional Fertility Program. Since 1985, there have been nearly 10,000 IVF births through the IVF program in Calgary.

For more information, please visit www.generationsofhope.ca, or follow us on Facebook  and Twitter

Don’t play with your juice.

Stop throwing that ball.

Put it away.

Make your bed and remember to hide your pjs.

Pick up that towel.

Put it in the laundry basket.

Don’t make a mess with your breakfast.

No, we aren’t doing a craft today.

Stop whining.

Mommy is wiping the sink because you got toothpaste all over it…again.

Put that away.

Hurry up, we have to go.

Stop playing around and just put your shoes on.

Why is your coat on the floor?

Come on, we have to go.

No, you don’t need your umbrella.

Hurry up, your brother and I are waiting.

*CRACK*

I scoop my crying baby up into my arms and watch the purple line on his forehead morph into a dark goose egg.  He may have been the one receiving a bump on the head but I feel like I got one too.  We were on our way out the door for the 100th time this week and I’ve done nothing but hurl orders at my oldest.  My youngest is so tired he can barely function and he’s whacked his head pretty hard. I’m not feeling very great about my mothering as of late. This house needs to sell fast(er).

For everyone’s sake.

I made them their favorite dinner and didn’t worry about how much of a mess it would make for me to clean up.  During that meal, I didn’t have to nag anyone to eat.  We all needed that too.

Yes he has a toque on and yes, it's May.

You can click over to their facebook page to enter your own memory.

One episode I watched featured a new brand of 100% natural memory foam mattresses called Essentia.  Did you know that traditional memory foam is a petroleum based product which has flame retardant chemicals added to it?  That means that over time, these types of memory foam off gas VOCs and the result is like breathing in paint fumes.  You know, while you sleep.

Scary.

I know I wouldn’t want my baby sleeping on anything like that.  Would you?

Anyway…so these all natural memory foam products that do NOT off gas, as seen on Dragon’s Den, are now available in Calgary!  They’re made of natural Latex and they have a 20 year warranty.  What do you get these days with a 20 year warranty? Nothing.  In addition to the mattresses they have pillows and organic sheets too.

How Essentia is different

Designed to be the healthy alternative to all other memory foams, our petroleum-free foam was developed in-house and is the only natural memory foam in the World.

Made from pure hevea milk, our foam is given its memory foam like feel using organic essential oils, plant extracts and water.

You get all the benefits of memory foam… but without the gunk.

 

Other bedding companies claim to have eco memory foam, plant-based foam or containing natural properties, boasting green tea memory foam or soy memory foam.

In all cases, petroleum based foam is used, with 2-15% of the petroleum replaced with soy or cedar oil, allowing the product to be promoted as “natural” or “eco-friendly”.

No health or comfort benefits are derived from these eco memory foam mattresses. Lack of breathability, chemical off-gassing and chemical odors remain major issues.

Have a look at the video.

Make your way to the Calgary Store and have a look for yourself.  Also check out their facebook page for updates on this super cool Canadian Business.  If you’re not in Calgary you can shop online and they have free shipping!

Then the fine folks at Shopcatch sent me a Visa gift card and told me to go shopping, and to take the app along for the ride.  How could I say no, right?  My husband was in need of a new winter coat and we’d put it off because it had been pretty warm through October and November so we were casually looking but hadn’t buckled down to buy one.  We had to stop ‘looking’ and get to the ‘buying’ or I’d have a frozen hubby sooner than later.

We had been in SportCheck and he’d found a Columbia jacket that he liked but it was about $300 which was just way too much.  We never would have gone back in to look again if it hadn’t been for Shopcatch.  We hit up Cross Iron mills mall and as soon as we got there I loaded up the app.  Lo and behold, Shopcatch told me that SportCheck had a sale on outerwear – up to %50 off!  We ended up finding him a Columbia jacket (not exactly the same) on sale for only $99!  Now, that’s reasonable if you ask me and we saved big time!

me, dorkin about

What is Shopcatch?
Shopcatch is a FREE app, that allows you to catch the top in-store shopping deals offered by major retailers at your favourite shopping malls across Canada.

The Shopcatch app and mobile site give you access to exclusive shopping deals, mobile coupons and in-store promotions where you are.

5 reasons to download ShopCatch:

• Catch the hottest deals in major stores and malls located near you
• Score exclusive mobile coupons for quick and easy redemption at major retailers in Canada
• One app – multiple malls; Get stores, deals, maps and everything you need to know to navigate your favourite shopping mall with ShopCatch
• Get notifications when the retailers you ‘follow’ are giving away the goods
• Be in-the-know of the most lucrative in-store promotion

 

 

TO WIN

Shopcatch wants you to go shopping too so they have provided me with a $50 Visa Giftcard to giveaway to one lucky reader!!  You’ll be able to stretch that fifty bucks further by using the app on your smartphone as you shop.

To get the app check out the iPhone app store or Android market OR visit Shopcatch and view the mobile website.

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment HERE at the bottom of this post and tell me what deal the app showcases that most interests you.

EXTRA ENTRIES

1) Tweet about this contest and leave an additional comment with your tweets URL (no more than 5 tweets / day)

2) Share this on Facebook  and leave an additional comment stating you did so

3) Tweet the following (also up to 5 times / day and leave a comment with your tweets URL  )  -

“Let’s see your @Shopcatch receipt savings! Enter to win $250 #beatmyreceipt http://on.fb.me/iioLMl ”

Fine Print -

Winner will be notified winthin 72 hours from close of contest.  If winner does not provide a mailing address within 5 days of receiving notification another winner will be drawn.

Entrants must provide a valid email address so they can receive notificaiton.

Contest open to Canadian residents only.  Winner will be drawn by end of day Jan 6th 2012

This is the recipe we make most often with our ‘mother recipe’ of Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.  Everyone loves it, nobody goes hungry AND if you use part skim mozza, it’s about as healthy as pizza can get – it’s no worse calorie and fat wise than a ham and cheese sandwich but watch out, it’s hard not to eat and eat and eat and eat and then wake up at midnight and scarf a cold piece from the fridge.  Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza

Ingredients (dough)

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tbsn olive oil
• 1tsp granulated garlic
• 1tsp sugar
• 2tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (quick rise or bread machine)

Ingredients (toppings)

• bbq sauce
• pizza sauce
• left over Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (you’ll need about a cup and a half but you can make a little go a long way – or pile it on if you have lots left)
• 1 red onion sliced thin
• 1 can pineapple tidbits
• (about 3 cups) Part Skim shredded mozzarella

Method:

Place all dough ingredients into your bread maker and run the pizza dough setting.  If making by hand, just mix well and knead for about 10-15 min until dough is smooth.  Let dough rise until doubled in size.  Remove dough from breadmaker and deflate.  Cut into two pieces and form into balls.  Let rest/rise on your counter under a wet towel (or in an oiled bowl) for at least a 1/2 hour.  Once dough has rested shape it into an oblong shape that fits onto a cookie sheet.  I always flour my cookie sheet first so it doesn’t stick.  I find a cookie sheet works much better than a tinfoil pizza pan.  Set dough aside while you get your toppings ready and preheat your oven to 425.

Top your pizza dough with a 50/50 mix of pizza sauce and bbq sauce or mix to your liking.  Spread pork, the onion, then pineapple over pizza.  Brush crust with a touch of olive oil (optional) Top with shredded cheese and bake for 15 min until edge of crust and cheese start to brown.  Let cool for 3 min before slicing.

Makes 2 large pizzas (serves 6-8)

Prep time 1.5 hours

cook time 15 min

Ford of Canada is providing us with a new Ford Explorer for a couple weeks so we’re getting out of Cow Town and heading for the West Coast!  I’m so excited to see the ocean.  It’s been a while.  Plus, I hope to hit up a few wineries and snap a lot of photos.

We’re going to show the baby off to our families (and Little H too…but for some, it will be the first time meeting Baby N.)

Also, Naot shoes has sent me a pair of sandles so I’ll write a bit about where they take me and yes, there will be more pictures!

If you’re not yet on my Facebook page please hit the ol ‘like’ button to keep up with me and to avoid overloading my blog with photos, I’ve started a flikr stream too. 

View Leaving Home Summer Roadtrip in a larger map

new baby N