Who Wants To Win a Baby?

I have wanted to be a Mommy my whole life. Even as a little kid I would prefer playing with baby dolls over Barbies, and a lot of the time my Barbie dolls would have baby bellies. I had taken more pregnancy tests over my lifetime than I can count. The second I got married to my now ex-husband I was ready to have a baby. After 6 months of no positive tests I had gone to see a doctor. He showed little interest in helping me conceive, looking back he must've seen what I didnt in that relationship. Regardless, I still ached for a baby.


I found another doctor who had diagnosed me with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). According to the US library of medicine, olycystic ovary syndrome is a condition in which there is an imbalance of a woman's female sex hormones. This hormone imbalance may cause changes in the menstrual cycle, skin changes, small cysts in the ovaries, trouble getting pregnant, and other problems.


I had the trouble getting pregnant, and I also had my fair share of ovarian cysts (one as big as a golf ball). I was devastated by the diagnosis and all but given up on getting pregnant. The fact that my marriage was falling apart was all I needed to give up.


Fast forward 4 years and I found myself dating this really cool guy named Joe. He was a nerdy guy with the most beautiful blue eyes... I fell pretty hard. Anyway, I was on the pill just to be safe, we weren't ready for a baby - we'd only been dating less than a year! I wasn't supposed to get pregnant easily anyhow.


It's funny how life has a way of throwing you curve balls. In July 2009 I had what can only be described as a "funny feeling". I took a test, which was negative just as I expected. The girls I was working with at the time were teasing me about being pregnant constantly. I laughed at them and even bought a cheap pregnancy test at the dollar store to prove to them I wasnt with child and maybe the issue could be put to rest. On July 28 I noticed my breasts (boobs are what I wanted to say, but "breasts" sounds much more mature, right?) were hurting. I chalked it up to my period coming soon and we about my business. There was no better time to take the test and laugh in the faces of my coworkers for being wrong. So, i went into the bathroom, peed in a cup, used the dropper (What?!? The test was only $1) and let the test rest on a wad of toilet paper as I started washing my hands. I saw the control line show immediately. That was nothing new- I was ready to throw the test away. Then just as fast the test line appeared purple. What??? The test line? Theres TWO lines there. TWO! I looked in the mirror to see my face pale as a ghost. I grabbed the test, clumsily walked to the desk to show my coworker the test. "Uh..... What is this? What does this mean?" That girl (name protected bc I dont want to mention anyone in here without checking with them first. Im nice like that!) was the sweetest thing. She calmed me down and drove me to Walgreens to buy a more reliable test. Again, two lines. Omg. OMG!!!! I was pregnant!!!


When it came it couldnt have been more UNplanned. I was on the pill and had pcos, This wasnt supposed to happen. But it did. And I was one of the lucky ones.


So, after going on and on about myself..... on the the page I found. Parents had posted about a Canadian radio station that was holding a contest to "Win a Baby". Heres the text ....

An Ottawa radio station is holding a controversial new contest in which the prize is up to three cycles of fertility treatments for couples who cannot conceive naturally.  To enter, couples need to write a letter to the station explaining why they need the treatments.  Finalists will need to undergo a consultation with a fertility specialist and submit a reference from a family doctor. Canada’s Metro News site reports that debate over the contest has erupted on Facebook and Twitter:

“I think we’re crossing some morality lines with this contest … imagine telling your child, you were a prize from a radio station because we had problems conceiving,” wrote Casey Schofield on the station’s Facebook page.
“When one in six couples have trouble conceiving — that’s a huge percentage,” said Hot 89.9 co-host Jeff Mauler. “If we help out those families or individuals who are looking to do this then I think those people who are against it should see the bigger picture and realize that we’re actually trying to help somebody who couldn’t do this otherwise.”

In July, a British charity held a similar contest, selling raffle tickets for a single IVF, donor egg, or surrogacy cycle."


In my opinion, I think this is a great thing. For couples struggling with infertility they are already dealing with a lot of emotions and hardship. Trying to conceive (or TTC) takes a lot out of people and puts added stress on both people in the relationship. When you think about fertility medicines, InVitro Fertilization (IVF), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)..... you dont know exactly how much it can cost. For one round of IVF the price ranges from $10,000 to $15,000. Most insurances don't cover infertility, so the financial burden add stress, which makes conceiving harder.


For the radio station to offer a couple the opportunity to become parents, its a beautiful thing. Yet, it's controversial as many consider it a morality issue, as the atricle says.

So, what do you think?? Is this a blessing or a joke?



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001408/
http://www.parents.com/blogs/parents-news-now/2011/09/16/pregnancy/canadian-win-a-baby-radio-contest-sparks-debate/http://infertility.about.com/od/ivf/f/ivf_cost.htm