Miracle babies even further out of reach...

The day my son was born, was the most magical, beautiful day of my life.

It was also a day I thought may never come.

Like around 10 per cent of Australian couples, my husband and I were faced with the prospect of perhaps never having children.

IVF was our best, and possibly only, chance at achieving a dream we’d had all our lives. And it gave us our beautiful baby boy.

But soon, many couples in a similar situation may not be so lucky.

Laws to cap the Medicare rebate for IVF are due to commence in January 2010, making the possibility of a life with children even more remote for thousands of middle class couples.

Currently, thanks to the Medicare Safety Net, couples are reimbursed 80 per cent of the actual cost of IVF treatment, leaving out of pocket expenses at around $2000 – give or take a few hundred.

And while this cost is often the only one referred to when the issue is discussed in the media, there are many other associated costs, such as on-going specialist fees, hospital fees and anesthetist fees. In my experience, out of pocket expenses were close to $5000.

As it is, this is not a small cost. And when you take into consideration that IVF can take several cycles, costs can quickly add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

With the introduction of these new laws, the rebates would be capped and this potential extra cost could determine whether or not some couples can continue or begin treatment.

IVF is an emotionally and physically draining experience and, for many couples, their only chance to have children of their own.

The feelings of women experiencing IVF have been compared to those suffering from a terminal illness.

Additional costs would place a significant financial strain on families who simply can not afford to pay thousands of dollars multiple times.

Some couples may simply have to forgo the treatment, taking away their only chance of experiencing the magic of children.

IVF is responsible for the birth of more than 10,000 babies in Australia every year - my son being just one of those babies.

He is our little miracle and the prospect of not having had the chance to have him does not bear thinking.

And like many families, IVF will most likely be our only chance to give him a little brother or sister.

But it’s not because I put my career first, left it too late and think the government should pay for the convenience of having children how and when I would like.

I had just turned 27 when I started my first cycle.

Infertility is a medical condition – 40 per cent relates to female issues, 40 per cent male factor and 20 per cent is unexplained.

Fortunately for us, our first cycle was also the only one, but many couples go through up to ten IVF cycles, sometimes more, before achieving a pregnancy.

The government says those whose treatment costs are $6000 or less per cycle should not be affected by these changes.

But in reality, many clinics charge closer to $8000 per cycle, meaning couples could be up to $2000 dollars worse off.

It’s a tough blow to families already dealing with one of the most difficult challenges of their life.

And sad to think this amazing gift will only be available to the wealthy.

Queensland Needs Saving… by daylight.

This is not a new issue. It’s an old one, and one that never ceases to amaze me. Daylight Saving - why we don’t have it and why they say we don't need it.

Whenever the weather starts to heat up, I ask myself the same question. Why do Queenslanders have to miss out on enjoying longer days, more sunlight, more time outdoors and (slightly) darker mornings?

I understand that cattle and other animals aren't about to change their sleeping and feeding patterns to accommodate Daylight Savings, hence farmers are against pushing the clock forward.

But what about the rest of us? Personally I'm not opposed to splitting Queensland's time zones, if that's the only way the South East is able to align itself with the rest of the country.

Every year as the southern states leave us behind, I'm left wondering why we continue to resist an obvious lifestyle advantage.

Some parents have expressed concern that the extra daylight will mean children won’t want to go to bed.

Well I grew up in Melbourne where Daylight Savings has been part of life for some time now, and guess what? I went to bed at the usual time. I may not have wanted to, but bedtime was bedtime, regardless of the extra light.

Others claim the extra daylight increases the risk of UV exposure. Keeping your hat and sunscreen on for an extra hour should solve that problem.

Daylight Savings brings clear benefits, especially to families. It allows more time for working parents to play outdoors with their children, more time to exersise, be outside, enjoy the summer weather.

Not to mention the fact that most of Australia does in fact have Daylight Savings, meaning an hour of lost business for Queensland companies and SMEs. Either that or employees are forced to work Daylight Savings hours anyway.

Even wishing interstate family and friends Happy New Year becomes a maths challenge.

And when I go to Sydney next week, I'm going to lose an hour... oh well, at least I'll gain one coming back, even if it is already dark.