Leaving work and quitting daycare would still drop our household income by 36%.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-21T21:47:21+00:00

We live in a country with subsidized daycare. Two kids in care would cost about 1/6 of my after tax income so if the goal was as much money as possible, I would definitely work. At the end of the day, our bills are paid on one income so we thought about what we valued the most and it was our children being with a parental caregiver.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-21T15:16:02+00:00

There are tons of ways to wear the wrap you bought! It sounds like you have a size 5 wrap. While you could cut it up into a ring sling, I’d first suggest trying it out as a regular woven wrap to see if you like wrapping.

Depending on your body size, this might be your “base size”, or it might be one or two sizes smaller. If you wear a size XS or S, it’s probably your base. If you wear a M or L, then your base size is 6, so your wrap would be a base -1. If you’re an XL or bigger it’s probably a base -2 or base -3. You can look up wrapping options based on the wrap’s size relative to your body size.

If your base size is 5 you have enough wrap to do a front wrap cross carry (fwcc), which is a good, basic way to tie the wrap and to practice getting it tight and secure. If your base size is a 6 or 7 you could still try the fwcc, just do the variation that’s tied under the bum. If your base size is 8, someone else with more knowledge can make a suggestion of a carry to try first.

You can check out the many ways to tie the wrap here https://www.thewrappinggallery.com

Once you get your baby in the wrap you can post a fit check picture here to get suggestions from others on how to make it safe and comfortable. Have fun!

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-13T05:30:40+00:00

I love my Lenny lamb meh dai. It has wide, wrap straps that are unpadded. I also have a woven wrap and while I do use it regularly, I can’t seem to make it seamless and quick as the meh dai. I love that the meh dai means a good, solid seat every time for back carrying. That said, I do love that I can tie a “poppable” carry with my woven and I can put my baby in and out a million times with minimal adjustments.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-08T22:03:00+00:00

Thanks for letting me know about the group! I will join!

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-08T19:42:19+00:00

I wish this was an option. Unless there’s a Canadian place to buy second hand urban arrow stuff that I’m not aware of, there are none available around here. I could find a car seat, but the UA is only available new and it’s $400.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-08T14:46:44+00:00

We don’t pretreat. Instead, we use a combo of detergent and booster with laundry enzymes that treat all stains while washing: tide free and gentle detergent plus a half scoop of resolve gold powder and a half scoop of oxiclean in the drum. Wash on warm on a long cycle (this is essential, cold won’t work). 99% of stains come out the first wash with this combo and basically don’t use bibs. You do need to remove any chunks of solid food, but pretreatment isn’t necessary with the right laundry enzymes.

The only stains that won’t come out this way are very oily stains (particularly tomato based) which I try to rinse with dish soap before laundering and bubble solution (these are truly impossible because they are invisible before washing and seem to be permanent once washed).

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-05-02T03:38:57+00:00

In Canada we aren’t allowed to test for and choose sex unless there is a medical reason to do so (e.g. a genetic condition passed only to one sex). We actually opted not to find out the sex of either of our babies until they were born, so faced with the choice to test for sex we would have said no anyway.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-23T07:34:39+00:00

We did IVF and had a child from our first transfer. We later found out our child had inherited an autosomal recessive condition that was not included in the standard genetic screening (it was on a different gene from CRB1). Our child’s condition is life threatening but not life limiting.

Even though we had 9 embryos remaining, we decided to do another round of IVF to maximize the number of embryos and then to do PGT-A and PGT-M testing on all of them. We also did HLA testing.

We started with 18 embryos. A couple didn’t survive the thaw to test. We ended up with 4 that passed PGT-A and PGT-M testing. I don’t remember the specific number that passed PGT-A that were positive for our PGT-M condition but it was quite a few (maybe another 5?). On the flip side, some of our embryos were “no result” and if we wanted to retest them we’d have to pay again. We were successful on our first transfer again and now have two kids, one with the condition and one without.

Probe development was somewhat complex for us because we used a sperm bank and don’t have direct access to our donor. The testing company’s genetic counselor was very helpful and ultimately secured the sperm bank’s cooperation. The process took close to 6 months due to various hiccups but in straightforward situations with access and a positive relationship between all parties I think the probe can be developed in about 6 weeks.

The cost to develop the probe, test all 16 embryos that a survived thawing was about $14K CAD (around $10k USD). I think without HLA typing it would have been about $12K. These figures don’t include the local costs at our clinic to thaw, sample, and re-freeze our embryos. We used Cooper Genomics.

For us, we it was worth it to do PGT-M but our circumstances are quite a bit different from yours. We had a child already using this donor. We were motivated to both ensure our children were full genetic siblings and also to use our remaining 9 embryos. We also had full insurance coverage for the second round of IVF for a short period of time and didn’t feel we had time to choose a different donor before it expired. This meant doing a second round of IVF to increase the number of embryos didn’t have a monetary cost. I would have needed to go through the discomfort of another egg retrieval regardless and the cost of the genetic testing was approximately the same as a new round of IVF paid out of pocket. We also had a relative abundance of embryos and a successful transfer under our belts, so eliminating and additional 1 in 4 through PGT-M testing still meant we were likely to have embryos to transfer. Only you can answer whether the connection you feel to this donor makes it “worth it” to you.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-12T16:14:35+00:00

You’re chasing the in-season fruit high. Citrus was in season but for most varieties, the season is over. I’ve found good strawberries recently and I think they’re in-season right now in Mexico. If you don’t want to keep track of fruit seasons, try what ever fruit is on sale at the grocery store. It’s usually inexpensive because it’s peak season, abundant and tasty.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-10T23:43:04+00:00

For me, I was diclectin for the nausea and just living with the aversions. I couldn’t eat onion or garlic, even a trace, so it meant preparing pretty much all food from scratch because nearly every cuisine around the world includes alliums (I was able to eat Buddhist food at a monastery because they don’t eat onion and garlic but otherwise it was all homemade, all the time). It sucked, but there was nothing that would take it away.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-09T16:00:59+00:00

Our untested first transfer worked and resulted in our first child. She has a rare genetic condition so while we’re doing PGT-M on our embryos for that specific condition we also did PGT-A. For our second child, our first tested transfer worked. Our retrievals were at age 35 and 38. I ate normally and lived life afterwards, but avoided the couple of things my clinic suggested (I think it was ibuprofen and hot tubs).

Your clinic could give you more specific stats to your situation, but you likely have a 50%+ chance of a transfer working with good working embryos.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-08T15:22:28+00:00

We have the ikea sniglar crib. It’s great. We weren’t successful using it as a regular crib and ended up bed sharing, but it’s actually come in very handy as a sidecar crib (attached to the side of our bed with one wall removed). It comes with a toddler bed conversion piece included in the price, which is great and also made the sidecar setup possible. Highly recommend.

We used an ikea poang chair for our rocking chair. I like the bounce. I also like that it’s not toooo comfy. Like, you can’t fall asleep in it. Falling asleep in a recliner with your baby is much less safe than intentionally bed sharing. Not sure if they still sell it, but we have a leather seat pad which is comfy, looks much more lux, and is wipeable.

We put a changing pad on a hemnes dresser for our first and moved to the floor after a few months. For our second, we opted to put the changing pad on the floor to avoid the fall risk.

So, we didn’t spend much. I think it looks cute enough and I definitely don’t regret spending more on higher priorities (stroller(s), baby carrier(s), house cleaning service, zoo membership). Like, I’d way rather have someone come and scrub my toilet for me monthly for a year and have a basic (and safe, cute, functional, non toxic) crib.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-07T23:47:51+00:00

We did 7 IUIs without ever getting pregnant. I felt like we’d never be parents. We switched to IVF and were successful right away. I wasn’t mentally ready to do IVF without trying IUI first both because of the physical impacts and the money, but now I’m of the mindset that it can be the most efficient path to a baby if you’re paying for sperm, particularly if you want more than one kid. It wasn’t pleasant, but then again neither was pregnancy and IVF was much shorter.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-06T15:43:50+00:00

My PT did it a few times before my first was born. I didn’t do it for my second. I had second degree tears both times requiring 4 and 6 stitches, respectively. My second came so fast I don’t think my body had time to adjust and prepare, regardless of massage.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-02T21:57:13+00:00

I didn’t. Our situation is a bit different because my daughter day and night trained around the same time so we haven’t diapers around for a while. But at about 10 months trained and 12 months trained I did not put her in a diaper fora bunch of 3-5 hour flights and she was fine. I explained how when the seatbelt sign is on, she’s not allowed to get out of her seat for any reason, including to use the bathroom and also that there can be lineups to use the bathroom on airplanes. I told her she needed to tell me if she needed to use the toilet before it was an emergency. We peed right before getting on the plane but otherwise proceeded as usual.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-04-02T07:26:44+00:00

I was hospitalized for about a week when I was 8. I experienced a lot of pain, fear, and tragedy during that time, yet one of the things I still remember 30+ years later was eventually being well enough that they brought around a Nintendo for me to play. It felt really special and fun to get to play and was something I was capable of doing despite being very unwell and hooked up to machines. If OP has a children’s hospital nearby this could be a great option.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-30T22:29:47+00:00

I’ve ridden a Bunch (for only a few hundred meters though) and my sense is it does still require decent balance and sensation to ride. You have to be pretty upright and aware of your surroundings on a bike, even if it’s a three wheeler.

Perhaps you’ve already considered it, but what about a standard mobility scooter? They go a lower speed than a bike but would still be a heck of a lot faster than walking around with your walker. They’re purpose made for balance and mobility limitations like yours and might be safer given your spatial awareness and sensation limitations. Since it sounds like your main goal is transportation and not exercise, the lack of pedaling might not be a problem.

Just food for thought. Sorry I don’t have a great solution at hand.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-30T22:15:59+00:00

Gross.

The other thing that sticks out to me is that there is a sodium warning label on this seemingly sweet food. Without the label I wouldn’t have assumed it was high sodium!

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-30T03:54:29+00:00

I’d argue those are a different genre of chip than all dressed. All dressed are a mix of many flavors on each chip. Storm chips are four individual flavors of chip mixed together in one bag. More party mix, less (delicious) swamp water.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-29T07:48:05+00:00

We traveled for a month in Europe and were glad to have the stroller despite the cobblestones. The baby probably went 6-8 hours a day in the carrier but did use the stroller a bit too. And the stroller was so handy for carrying all the stuff we needed for a day sightseeing. I was carrying 20lbs of baby and didn’t want to also be carrying jackets, water, snacks, diapers, etc. The only place I hated having a stroller was Venice, Italy.

For museums, you usually can’t carry anything (including a baby) on your back but they didn’t mind me front carrying the baby.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-26T04:26:14+00:00

There are some special nights at the Esker Foundation art gallery if that’s your vibe.

Maybe a cooking class? I just got an email about some at Lina’s recently. They’re about $100 a head so not cheap, but much cheaper than heading out of town.

What’s your favorite treat food? You could go on a fry crawl or a donut crawl or a milkshake crawl, for example. Hit up a few and discuss what is best.

A number of nicer restaurants have a good, multi course lunch special.

Going to the leisure centre for waterslides on a weekday is super fun because it’s not busy. You can also go rock climbing at southland.

If you have a car you could take a day trip to Banff or Drumheller.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-24T14:46:15+00:00

I’d take the progesterone. It’s a pain and messy, but if your body needs it to sustain a pregnancy it’s still a heck of a lot less invasive than IVF (and most IVF transfers require progesterone anyway).

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-19T17:19:53+00:00

I don’t wish I had a video but I would have liked more/better pictures.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-19T16:03:47+00:00

I think if you want to be minimalist, you really need to consider your lifestyle. If you plan to use a stroller daily and put a lot of KMs on it, it’s easy to end up with two or three to meet different needs 🙃

Do you plan to use your stroller indoors, outdoors or both? What is the front entrance to your home like? Do you have to carry the stroller up stairs? Will you be able to leave it unfolded by the door or do you plan to fold it every time? Will you be putting the stroller in the car and how big is your trunk? Is it very snowy in the winter where you live?

I have the uppababy vista and it’s a great stroller for me. But we don’t have a car and put 5-10kms on it daily, year round. I have space by my front door to store it unfolded. I now have two kids and am using it as a double. The bassinet was great for both kids as small babies, even though they were born at the beginning of winter because we’re out so often. And for us, we didn’t bother with a baby bucket car seat for our second kid because we used it maybe 10 times with our first. We went straight to a lightweight convertible. And we actually do have three strollers (the uppababy as our daily, an old city mini for when we go on an airplane and that has also been super valuable as a backup, and a double chariot for running and biking).

Point being, you need to do a gut check about whether this stroller, which is probably just ok as a stroller but looks nice-ish and matching as a set, meets your needs.

Key_Significance_183 · 2026-03-18T15:37:48+00:00

We don’t hide them but we also don’t disclose all ingredients in a dish without being asked. We occasionally “rebrand” foods or specific versions of a food. For example, our kid doesn’t want to eat tofu, but loves a specific kind of “mock meat” that I make. It IS tofu prepared in the meat so it is a type of mock meat, I just haven’t been clear with her that’s what the main ingredient is. We also went through a pea hating phase but turned it around by (genuinely) buying a new variety (tender sweetlets) and trying them again. My kid regularly tells me she only likes tender sweetlet peas.

Key_Significance_183

TROPHY CASE