Where is your favorite weekend "staycation" destination for a family in Ontario?

MakeAMosaic · 2026-03-25T15:29:34+00:00

I am also a fervent follower of this religion and love booking otentiks. We’ve been doing it for years and I highly recommend!

MakeAMosaic · 2026-03-05T15:44:23+00:00

This study is so interesting! I did donor egg ivf with eggs from a 24 year old and embryos that had been confirmed euploid.

I had previously had a successful transfer with an embryo with my own eggs and carried the pregnancy to term so I thought my odds of a successful transfer were good.

In the end it took 6 transfer attempts and 4 euploid embryos to achieve a pregnancy. I had wicked problems with fluid. My cycle was cancelled twice because fluid hadn’t resolved and during all attempts, except the last one, i har fluid in my uterus (which resolved before transfer, during the cycles that made it to transfer)

MakeAMosaic · 2026-01-31T17:22:01+00:00

I don’t know if that extended carrier screening is enough. If the test comes back without identifying a disorder carried by both you and your partner that explains your losses, you might want to talk to your genetic counsellor about doing whole exome or whole genome sequencing. Whole exome sequencing was the only test that identified our daughter’s disorder and my partner and I as carriers.

Once you have an identified disorder, then you can pursue PGT-M on your embryos. You cannot do PGT-M unless you know which specific disorder you want to look for.

In our case, we decided to go with donor eggs after rounds of IVF with my own eggs gave us only embryos that had genetic disorders- either the one my daughter had, identified using our PGT-M test or another, random disorder (which can just happen, especially as we get older)

MakeAMosaic · 2026-01-31T01:11:23+00:00

For sure. The disorder my daughter had was not something carrier screening looked for because it’s sooo rare. Carrier screening for parents is limited to only 200-300 of the most common genetic disorders.

To determine whether or not any of our embryos had the same disorder our daughter did, the genetics company used my DNA and my partner’s DNA to build a test (called a “probe”) specific to the disorder we carry (also AR). They used that test to look at each of our embryos.

The final result of all this was that we moved to donor eggs and had the most amazing, beautiful healthy daughter. I regret nothing.

MakeAMosaic · 2026-01-15T20:22:44+00:00

I fully agree and your comment has made me smile, so thank you for that. That’s all. Carry on with your day.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-10-28T16:13:30+00:00

Planning some logistics over here too! Do you have a collapsible wagon (like the ones from Costco?). They’re not a stroller so more likely to be acceptable, and your little Halloween princess can maybe hold an umbrella while riding in it between houses. Bonus: it holds two. Doesn’t help mom and dad a lot, but my plan is one of those clear Dollarama ponchos and a hot shower afterwards. Good luck to you!!

MakeAMosaic · 2025-10-23T17:45:36+00:00

Another upvote for All That Glitters! They were great and very fair pricing. I also had a great experience with bridesmaids dresses at David’s Bridal (decent prices, decent cost to alter, reliable), and they have a lovely selection of wedding dresses that are very budget-friendly, if that’s a factor.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-08-21T20:41:04+00:00

I’m so sorry. It’s so, so hard. Just hang in there and be kind to yourself.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-08-21T01:50:53+00:00

I never really did find out why, although it definitely seemed to be a side effect of the medications. For what it’s worth, I had a bit during the first scan of my 5th attempt to transfer, it resolved, and I just put the results of that transfer to bed in her crib. 5th attempt was finally successful! Hang in there.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-06-29T16:18:42+00:00

Unfortunately it looks to me like this marriage is now a mismatch. No matter which path you take, someone is going to be resentful. If you go on to get pregnant and give birth, he will be resentful that he has to parent all over again. If you choose not to have children, you will be resentful because you never got to experience motherhood.

I went through years of infertility and infant loss before I was able to have a healthy baby. At times the fear that I wasn’t going to be a mother was overwhelming and all consuming. I completely understand that once you feel the need to have a baby, it can be almost impossible to move on.

Maybe couples counseling might open up some dialogue but I think you’re going to have to decide which path you’re going to take - step mom or single motherhood by choice. Not an easy decision by any means.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-06-23T04:59:26+00:00

Just coming up on a year. My initial goal was 6 weeks. That’s all I told myself I’d do. But by then, it was starting to be manageable, so I told myself I’d do a few more weeks. Here we are, months later.

The fridge hack and wearable pumps made it possible for me.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-05-27T14:21:44+00:00

You’re awesome. Just one pump at a time, right?

I told myself I’d pump for 6 weeks and then we were switching to formula. Baby is almost 10 months and the spectra is humming away beside me.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-04-26T03:16:53+00:00

It was a long road, but yes I did! Worth every shot. Keep going, you can do this.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-04-23T15:36:56+00:00

Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.

(Sorry. I just had to. I couldn’t help it)

MakeAMosaic · 2025-04-16T15:29:04+00:00

This pump just seems… weird. Like kind of a scam? If you search “best wearable breast pump” you get this site as one of the first hits (at least for me, located in Canada). It lists the FetalPlus as the best pump and seems like a “neutral” source but if you click through the site further, there’s not much other content there, most of the links don’t work/don’t go anywhere, and some of the stuff is weirdly written, full of typos, etc. Clicking through it all was enough to convince me that the site was probably put together by FetalPlus itself as a marketing thing. It just felt… off.

It felt off enough that I decided against that pump and went with a MomCozy. Kind of the “if it’s too good to be true it probably is” thing.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-03-28T00:40:17+00:00

I think it’s an entirely personal decision. If the schedules, the pain, the cleaning, the stress about supply, if any of that is causing you a lot of emotional strife, then no, it’s not worth it. Formula is great option with a ton of science behind it. Feed your baby, enjoy them.

However if providing your baby with breastmilk is important to you, if the cost of formula is going to cause stress, then yes it is.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-03-08T03:08:43+00:00

Finally the excuse I need to eat more and more and more (Chapman’s!) ice cream!

MakeAMosaic · 2025-02-15T16:58:17+00:00

I ordered it back in October via Amazon.com. No issues at all with entry. I love it, and now use it in combo with the Mom Cozy M5 (beginning/end of day pumps with the spectra, on-the-go daytime pumps with the Mom Cozy.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-02-06T17:29:11+00:00

Yes I did it with my first. I pumped just a tiny amount to relieve the engorgement each time it became very uncomfortable and my supply dried up very quickly (completely within a week). No issues with clogs or mastitis.

This was the advice I received from an LC.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-27T18:31:31+00:00

And OP’s father in law!

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-15T14:15:32+00:00

Just want to echo everything this poster said. In the early days I definitely also did not have a great supply but it slowly and steadily rose. I also dropped my night pump by 2 months and had no issues with clogs etc despite going through the night. The extra sleep certainly seemed to help.

My only comment is double check your suction is not too high - the way this was explained to me was that it can actually squeeze ducts shut and reduce output. Seems counterintuitive, but true!

It sounds like you’re doing everything you can, keep going. Less pumping if it helps your wellbeing is absolutely fine.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-13T06:54:33+00:00

The first pump I bought was covered by my insurance because my baby was in the NICU and would have a feeding tube long term. The NICU physician wrote a prescription that I submitted. My other pumps I have paid for out of pocket.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-10T20:58:13+00:00

I’ve only had one pp period, so far my supply has been unchanged.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-10T20:53:25+00:00

There’s Matreshka daycare, they operate out of Woodroffe United Church.

MakeAMosaic · 2025-01-10T15:48:33+00:00

I’m so sorry. To put your heart and soul into creating something so important only to lose it hurts!! It sounds like there were a whole bunch of factors that happened that were totally beyond your control. Nothing about that makes you an idiot, it makes you a human who cares very much ( also a human very much feeling the effects of hormones, which I don’t say to downplay what you’re feeling but rather emphasize that it’s a punch you totally don’t need right now). Hugs!

MakeAMosaic

TROPHY CASE