Good morning!

I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you my long, expensive and invasive journey to get the most adorable, but destructive baby ever made.

My husband and I started IVF when I was 38—so six months ago. I won’t be taking questions on this timeline right now. It took us 3 rounds of ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)—an advanced step used during IVF where a specialist injects one single healthy sperm directly into the centre of the egg—to get a positive pregnancy test. We lost that baby at 8 weeks.

We then did two more rounds—the first of which produced no healthy embryos and the second of which gave us Poppy and all her calamity ⬇️

Each round of ICSI—with medical procedures (including daily ultrasounds, blood work and egg retrieval surgery) plus all of the medication—costs roughly $25K. That’s for each round and we did 5, so you do the math, I’m not an accountant.

The whole process requires so much physical and emotional work. From the daily needles, to the crazy-making hormones, to the complete devastation when the test is negative, this is not a process for the faint of heart. But it’s also not a process for the faint (?) of money.

Every time we embarked on another round, I was like “I am so grateful that we can afford to be infertile” because fertility treatment is a privilege. Sometimes I would be sitting in the waiting room and talk to women who had to travel from as far away as Amherst, Sydney and P.E.I. to get treatment.

That’s why I was so happy to read today that the Prince Edward Island government is offering up to $20K to people trying to get pregnant.

The new Fertility Treatment Funding program will give the financial benefit to people to cover fertility treatment expenses, regardless of their household income. Sounds great! Except the $20K only covers in vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination, initial consultation fees and prescribed medications.

It does not cover travel which is deeply unfair because according to Fertility Matters Canada and Conceive Health, P.E.I. is the only Canadian province without a fertility clinic.

If you are currently going through fertility treatments in Halifax like I was, just a head’s up that Nova Scotia does offer The Fertility and Surrogacy Tax Credit. It’s a refundable tax credit equal to 40% of medical expenses for eligible fertility treatments or eligible surrogacy-related costs. It’s a pain in the ass to collect all the receipts, but there's no limit on the number of treatments that an individual can claim.

Also, please reach out to me on Instagram if you need any support as you go through the process. I’m always here to listen and provide any advice I can.

Love, light and little miracles!

– Jules

📷 @editorjulesl

Today: 🌧️ 25°

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 24°

Next Day: 🌤️ 27°

7-day forecast

🚗 Driving, biking or busing today? Check out the current traffic conditions and ongoing road closures.

Rental listing site RentCafe has released a report on the top Canadian cities renters are interested in. Halifax ranks sixth overall.

The rental listing aggregator uses data from its listings, such as page views and engagement metrics, as well as apartment availability, to determine the interest of renters in a given city. The report is quarterly, with this one being special in that none of Canada's largest cities made the cut.

The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer goes over some of the reports findings regarding Halifax and what they say about the poor state of renting in the city.

🏘️ Halifax councillors have turned down a proposed housing development in a historic Black community, after residents voiced concerns about the size of the project and nearby historic unmarked graves.

🇺🇸 U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat on $28B worth of Canadian goods is set to take effect just after midnight—a spokesperson confirmed Mark Carney spoke to Trump by phone Monday afternoon, but did not share any other details.

🍼 Operators of diaper banks in Atlantic Canada say growing demand for their services is highlighting the financial strain many families face as the cost of diapers, formula and other infant necessities continues to climb.

🛋️ Your mood can shift throughout the day. Notice how you’re feeling without judging it, then ask: What small thing might help me right now?*

🎭 Only two weeks left of Shakespeare By The Sea this summer! Catch Julius Caesar and our new musical, Beauty & the Beast, until August 30th!*

🏡 Adult children of seniors are helping their parents decide whether to age in place. This free guide helps everyone figure it out together.*

NOTICE is hereby given that the following companies intend to make an application to the Registrar-of-Joint-Stock-Companies for surrender of their incorporation certificates: 3073633_Nova_Scotia_Limited*

*Sponsored Post

Join Tribal Fusion Art and Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 for a workshop that includes museum admission, personal tour of the Welcome to Turtle Island installation, and a hands-on mosaic glass art workshop grounded in Mi’kmaw, Anishinaabe and Anisininew teachings.

📅 August 27th: 1:00 pm

Learn more here.

🦞 A 34-year-old man who along with his father has faced allegations of intimidation in the southwest Nova Scotia lobster industry has pleaded guilty in two cases—admitting Tuesday he attempted to extort and harass another buyer.

🖥️ Nova Scotia Power officials say they don’t know why a digital copy of almost three decades worth of customer information that was later stolen in a cyberattack was not automatically deleted as intended.

🚨 Halifax fire and emergency and police were called to a fiery two-vehicle head-on collision in Bedford late Monday that sent one person to the hospital—a 17-year-old is scheduled to appear in court to face a charge of operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm.

🖊️ A teenage daughter's powerful letter of support helped a convicted Halifax drug dealer secure a sentence at the lower end of the scale—In sentencing Jordan Lawrence Cooper, the judge urged him to take a copy of his daughter’s letter with him, read it every day and commit it to memory.

📚 The Nova Scotia author whose romance books inspired the wildly popular “Heated Rivalry” TV series has donated $300K to financially challenged libraries in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

🚒 Fire crews were called to a home on Hillview Drive in Dartmouth—the vehicle was said to be a hybrid, so the report came in as a “hazmat call,” prompting assistance from six Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency stations.

Now leasing in Clayton Park—discover brand-new rental apartments designed for modern living. Choose from spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites featuring in-suite washer and dryer, pet-friendly living, and exceptional amenities. Enjoy up to one month free rent plus free internet.

Suites start from the $1,900s. Find your next home today.

Looking for something to do this week? Check out these Coast picks:

🗓 Alan Syliboy Journey: The Journey So Far, published by Nimbus Publishing, is based on his retrospective exhibit at Dalhousie Art Gallery, May 9 - August 11, 2024. Alan will be presenting new and older work at The Prow Gallery. | Aug 6-28 |

🗓 Matt Mays, Joel Plaskett Emergency & Terra Lightfoot: After three sold out performances this summer, Matt Mays has announced that his celebrated annual Shore Club shows will return to Shore Club on the Cove, the club's outdoor lot, for three back-to-back nights of music under the stars. Joining Matt and his band all three nights are special guests the Joel Plaskett Emergency and Terra Lightfoot. | Aug 20-22 | 6pm | From $84 |

🗓 Clare Belford Live at YukYuks: Clare Belford is hitting the stage with her sharp, personal and seriously hilarious take on life. A fixture of Canadian comedy, Clare has performed at Just For Laughs, the New York Comedy Festival and the Halifax Comedy Festival, and has appeared on CBC’s New Wave of Stand Up and The Debaters. | Aug 21 and 22 | 8pm | $25 |

Have an event to share? Let us know at [email protected].

➡️ The Triumph Ace vehicle carrier departs Halifax for Brunswick at 6am.

🌮 Fresh Latin flavours are just a click away. Order Salt + Sol online, skip the wait, and enjoy waterfront dining your way.

🍕 Public's Fig & Pig pizza combines bacon lardons, figs, arugula, and hot honey on handcrafted dough. Sweet, savoury, unforgettable.

*sponsored

🎤 It is a tough week to be provincial energy minister Marco MacLeod. In what might be his first (and potentially last) real public bout as a politician, MacLeod has been accused of perpetuating harm against women by way of rap songs he recorded sometime between 2009 and 2013, which were published to streaming services in 2023. The Coast’s Brendyn Creamer discusses why people are worked up about MacLeod’s former music career.

🚧 This week there are lane closures for road maintenance; some areas could be down to a lane and others could be alternating over the next few weeks—here is some road work to keep in mind this week.

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