Infertility Books

This books has given me insight into other avenues to explore when dealing with infertility. It has a lot of information that isn't generally offered in the doctor's office.

I've already consulted with a practitioner of TCM and was hoping this book could assist with the diet and nutrition aspects, but it's more than a little confusing. I have PCOS and am now completely confused with what I can eat. My TCM diagnoses recommend avoiding cold foods because of dampness (which includes most lettuces and other salad fare) but also suggests I stay away from wheat, refined carbs, meats, shellfish and microwaved foods when you combine all the recommendations for my particular imbalances. Oh, and to eat 6 small meals a day. If someone can tell me how I am supposed to work away from home and eat warm foods that have not been microwaved, I'm listening. Luckily, I can talk to my practitioner and get help. All in all, the book seems like it would be most helpful for those already in the care of a TCM practitioner and not as a tool to use on one's own.

An excellent book to come back to as a reference. It was very interesting.

As a male, I bought this book for my wife (who had 3 miscarriages). I started reading the book as it promoted nutrition and health as a way of making the whole woman strong enough to conceive. I really felt for the author, Randine Lewis, after her trials of losing her babies. But was also inspired by her research, persistence and hope to conceive. I have not grasped all of the Chinese Traditional Medicine described. However, by following the nutrition, herbal and massage methods, my wife is feeling better and more hopeful in her latest pregnancy. We hope to have a baby by February 2009. Thank you Randine.

Doug Setter, author of Stomach Flattening

This is a must read for anyone that is fighting infertility!!! I have only made a few changes and have already seen a difference in my body!! Several of the herbs I was already taking! I can't wait to see what the coming months have to offer!!! This book has brought me new hope!!! I have blocked tubes and PCOS. She talk about both of these issues in this book its great!!!!

This book, is great !!! I read it in two days, I couldn't put it down is just what I needed to know, all I can say is that so far I lost wheight, my allergies are gone, my sadness and anxiety are better, no babies jet .. but I feel am getting closer to my miracle....

I wanted someone to connect with, someone who's been where I have, I suppose. While I felt for her and her husband, it's just her situation which didn't match with mine. I thought I would be reading about someone who went through IUIs, IUIs with meds and IVF cycles.
The author is much older than me and has a specific situation with FSH levels. For most of us women in our thirties that's a non issue.
The healthy diet and nutritional information sparked my interest however I still believe everything in moderation is key.
If you're on a journey where male infertility is an issue or your on the IVF path, this is not for you.

I stumbled onto Julia's books and her website while browsing on Amazon. She had commented on someone else's book, and it brought me to read about her books and website. I am generally a slow reader and rarely finish a book. I started reading "Inconceivable" and found it an easy read and highly enjoyable! I carried this book every where I went and read, read and read. I finished it in one week! - which never happens for me. In general, we eat very healthy and organic, but this book, Julia's story, brought me to another level. It is soooo worth the reading! Now, I am almost halfway through "The Fertile Female" her second book, and again, am carrying it around with me every where I go! It's one of those books that you can sit down and really, really get into and you feel like you're right there in the story, too. I highly recommend BOTH of Julia's books. I've also ordered her Imagery CD and some Conference Tapes from her website Fertile Heart. They just arrived yesterday. I have not been struggling with infertility, but more "obstacles" in trying to conceive our second child. I've had a miscarriage and my second ectopic pregnancy this time around, meanwhile, I'm just getting older... now 42! So, anything I can do to preserve my fertility, and in general just be the healthiest I can be - is well worth doing. Besides all of that - I've just really, really, really enjoyed reading her books and following the exercises. They're very peaceful exercises - I LOVE IT!!!

I bought this for my sister-in-law, but since I'm a pregnancy/birth junkie I read it before sending it to her. I think it's a wonderful reminder that western docs do not know everything there is to know about fertility and infertility, but they tend to act like they do and present no alternatives.

My sister-in-law just had her first baby a few months ago after 10 years of trying. The few years of Western fertility treatment did not work and she hadn't yet gotten around to the acupuncture I was urging her to get. It happened naturally after they came out to visit my hubby and daughter and me.

Although the author is struggling with secondary infertility she still is suffering, as we all are. I saw I was not alone in what I was feeling and she opened up my mind and heart through her journey. I found it very helpful and I read in 24 hours cover to cover.

Peggy Orenstein's articulate prose is as "gorgeous" as her mucous:-). (She was frequently told by medical people that her cervical mucous was "gorgeous".) In this wry, intensely personal, beautifully told tale, she presents us with a cautionary tale of modern life that can be summed up as "Don't put off having children." I began to feel somewhat constrained as I turned the pages of her compelling story, thinking I had judged her too harshly in my review of her book "Flux"(available on my profile page, page 36 of reviews, dated December 6, 2000). In this current book, she writes briefly of her upbringing in a Conservative Jewish family, and of how she felt her mother's life was severely limited, strictly contained by old ideas of a woman's role. (I was born into a much freer, exuberant Scandinavian family full of educated, high achieving women who were also wise enough to know (1) they wanted children and (2) the time to have them was when they were young.)

I'm in my 30's, but I'm not planning to have kids. I happened to have a chance to borrow this book, and I'm glad I did. Orenstein's writing style was so honest and engaging, I'm going to seek out more of her work.

As others have noted, Orenstein shares everything about her fertility journey - especially the bad and the ugly. It was very brave of her, and I imagine it will be very useful to people trying to conceive. I found it refreshing to read about her ambivalence towards wanting children at all, and even now, towards how she arrived at parenthood at last and how it has affected her life. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about her Orthodox Jewish friend who had 15 children. That was a slice of life I wouldn't have gotten to learn about otherwise.

As an adopted person (from outside the US, as it happens,) I was not offended by her reluctance to adopt, as some other readers were. The decision to adopt is very personal, and I thought Orenstein's misgivings were perfectly natural. Besides, they did try to adopt a little boy in the end, but one petty bureaucrat made it impossible for them to bring him home. After five years of trying to become parents, one couldn't blame Orenstein and her husband for cutting their losses at that point.

I would recommend this book to anyone, whether they were trying to become parents or not.

I REALLY enjoyed this book! It helped me to relax more as I went through my journey that lasted several years & I'm so proud to say has FINALLY come to an end! We're pregnant! Her writing is wonderful & the book took me to world's I'd never been to. It was so helpful to see how another woman had struggled with this awful disease & how she made it through with a happy ending...it gave me great hope & helped ease my tension considerably. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling through Infertility or anyone who knows someone who's struggling. GREAT book...fantastic author with a big heart & a great sense of humor!

This book was exactly what I needed to read after struggling with pregnancies and feeling pretty alone in that. It is an amazing story of hope and loss that will -- sorry for the cliche -- make you laugh and make you cry. I highly recommend it!

I struggled with this book. How could someone go through all the procedures, expense, marital strife, and anxiety and NOT still be certain that they wanted to be a parent? Her descriptions of the escalating nature of infertility treatments were fascinating, but they could not overcome her descriptions regarding her ambivalence toward parenthood. I think her husband is a saint. I wonder what the people in Hiroshima think?

This book has alot of great information on how to concieve. Both myself and my fiance read this book and was filled will lots of good knowledge. I know have a one year old daughter so we must have learned something.

WARNING! THIS BOOK CONTAINS DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION!!! I recently ordered this book from an on-line website (author Debra Fulghum Bruce and Samuel Thatcher, M.D.) On p. 172 the doctors discuss folic acid requirements for expectant mothers...they say that you should be taking 1,000 milligrams. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!! You should only be taking 1,000 micrograms at the most! The book made me panic! My prenatal vitamin only contains 1 milligram (1,000 micrograms), so I was afraid I was subjecting my baby to possible spina bifida. I called the pharmacist and he confirmed that I should only be taking 800-1,000 micrograms. 1,000 milligrams, as the book recommends, would be WAY TOO MUCH! This book runs the risk of sending expecting mothers into a panic and potentially causing a dangerous overdose of folic acid. Don't read this book! Find another source. Any author that would be this careless is not the source you want to approach for help!

I was under the impression that this was a book for all couples wanting information on conceiving. It is actually more focused on infertility and oververcoming/dealing with infertility. There are some helpful chapters on BBT charting and drug-free ways to improve your conception chances (which is more what I was looking for), but as I mentioned beofre the primary focus is on infertile couples.

I bought this book thinking it would be a good read before my husband and I started trying for a baby. The cover captions looked like there would be some great information inside. However, when I got the book and read the table of contents I immediately realized it was a book about infertility. I only give it 1 star not based on the content but on the misleading cover of the book. I'll have to pay better attention next time!

I've recently come into the TTC group and have sought out many books to get prepared...this book looked good, said all the right things on the cover but when I got it home, it was very hard to stay interested! It was like a textbook, not a very difficutlt read but difficult to want to keep reading. Now I'm ordering new books because I dislike this one so much. I'm sure if has useful information, but I'd rather read something more "personable".

Mary Higgins Clark is one of those contemporary writers who can deliver a great story without graphic sexuality, violence or language. This particular book is one of my favorite Mary Higgins Clark books as it deals with the business of reproductive technologies. Over the last 10 years, I have read it over and over again.

A typical (and dependable) offering from MHC. Although her books are formulaic (beautiful woman in danger has to use her brains and a little outside help to figure out how to save herself and close friends or family members), they are still enjoyable. Although there is the added challenge of figuring out if I've read this particular book before or if it's just because it's all so familiar because of MHC's [tried and true] formula. But then, that's part of the reason that I enjoy her books . . . they ARE dependable. I have almost always enjoyed her books. When I am traveling and need something to fall asleep to in the evenings, I can count on MHC to deliver --- and I can recommend her books to friends and not be concerned about which one they pick up or that they have to be read in order.

An awesome mystery/suspense novel from Mary Higgins Clark. The best part about this book is it never gets stagnet. There are constantly new revelations, new suspisions, and I loved it!!

This book kept me reading from begining to end. It was great. I especially liked the topic of in vitro fertalization. There was many different elements in the story that lead up to a grand finale at the end. Easy to follow.. and you won't want to put it down. Highly recommend it!

This is a fun read. The main mystery is about Meghan's father. Mehgan tries to unravel whether her dad is dead or alive, if he had a double life, and if he murdered a unqualified fertility doctor after his disappearance. I really liked how all of these story lines flowed together and how they added to the mystery and suspense. I really didn't feel this story line was as predictable as other reviewers felt it was. I went back and forth between suspecting who the real murderer was and the ending surprised me.

I also like how Higgins-Clark developed the characters. That said, Bernie really didn't add anything to this book. I am not sure what Clark needed him for other than to add a disturbed character.

All in all this book did not disappoint.

This books is perfect for those who are analyzing all the different options for the treatment of infertility. It also covers all the different forms of male and female infertility. It gives in depth explanations to all the treatment options and what to expect with each one of them. It goes as far a providing a sample IVF protocol calendar. I was really impressed by the wealth of knowledge the authors provide. Although the book can be very technical, it does offer explanation of what all the medical terms are. Highly recommend for those who are exploring their options.

Of all of the books I've bought this is the one both myself and my husband have read and continue to refer to as we go through treatment. I highly recomend it.

I loved this book and wished it was the first one I'd found (rather than the last) as my husband and I went through the infertility process. The information was plentiful, was in an easy-to-follow, easy-to-understand manner and would be useful for anyone at any stage of their fertility. I would highly recommend you start here when gathering information about this emotionally and physically difficult process.

A friend recommended this book as "required reading" if you are facing any kind of infertility, or seeking treatment. This book went far beond that, and I heartily agree. It helped me understand what I was going through, the many different options, separated fact from myth and was presented in easy to read format. Don't let the fact that a doctor has written this book think it is in clinical terms; he co-wrote it with a patient and it is all very well presented. I was so impressed, I am now seeking treatment with Dr. Daniel Potter, but this is a great book no matter where you live. I highly recommend it!

I bought this book based on the reviews on Amazon. Boy, has it helped! It is clear and not full of medical jargon that is hard to understand. I like the fact that this was written by a woman who went through the process and a fertility doctor. It seemed to be the perfect blend. A must read for anyone going through this!

I brought this book a few months ago, and honestly I have read it many times since. Beginning the infertility journey has not be easy and as the months go by you feel more and more alone. This book did provide information about different tests, medications, and procedures, but they did it in a way that wasn't scary. While this isn't a medical book it tells you things in a way your girlfriend might. It was almost like talking to women who had been there and it made you feel better knowing that you weren't the only one experiencing this emotional rollercoaster. I enjoyed this book and use it as a checklist, because it follows almost exactly what most doctors chose to do. Good luck to all of you and may all of you get your little ones soon!

I was surprised by the few bad reviews this book received. I have been fortunate enough to have been blessed with one beautiful son, and I would like nothing more than to give him a sibling to grow up with. Unfortunately, my husband and I are not having any luck, and are entering the world of fertility treatments this month. Our son was conceived after one try, so being told we're dealing with secondary infertility came as a huge shock. I was depressed, feeling guilty (about feeling depressed around my son & for feeling sad when I already have one child), and experienced every other emotion this book discusses. Everyone keeps telling you "Just relax and you'll get pregnant", when not being able to get pregnant is the source of your stress and anxiety. How can anyone relax under those circumstances? This book helped me cheer up, laugh a little, cry a little, and surprisingly, relax.....somewhat. :) I found the descriptions of certain tests and procedures helpful, as I have to undergo some of them and like to know what to expect - from the patient's perspective. I found the decription of IUI sadly beautiful - how the woman's eyes filled with tears as the moment of her child's possible conception should have been a private moment between her and her husband, not in some doctor's office. I have, in some ways, a unique perspective. I am already a mother. For those of you reading this, possibly facing IUI or other treatments, don't let fear of the nature of your child's conception, birth, or joining of your family (for those adopting) cloud your decision to have a child. That is what I think this book is really about. There are many roads to parenthood. Each parent has to find his or her own road, both to conceive the child, and to raise the child. I know from experience, that whatever it takes to have a child, the results will be more wonderful than you can ever imagine, and well worth it! Good luck to all those TTC!

When my husband and I first started talking about trying, I wanted a book that was going to give me a more light-hearted view of the conception process. I was pleased when I found this book! I have read most of it now, and it's informative, but keeps me laughing. If you are looking for something that will help you analyze your fertility with steps and procedures and all that medical mumbo-jumbo, this is not the book for you! The only downfall is that the last third of the book is all about infertility treatments, and doesn't fit my interests at the moment.

Thank God these women wrote this book. Until i read this I thought I was the only one experiencing some of these things or feelings. At least I know (or am reminded) there are other women out there who feel like freaks too. I would have liked to know how things turned out for them though. I did do a lot of back and forth to review things or skipped portions that didn't apply, etc. but since part of me felt like I was going through it w/ them (or them w/ me), I wish I knew how things turned out for them. But, for those of us whose girlfriends didn't have the same conception problems as us, this book was great!

This book is a really cute book and you learn about your body in a light hearted kind of way. After getting half way through the book I realized I wasn't learning anything new that I didn't already know. I really like Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Its a huge book filled of so much information and a book I can always refer to. If you want to get a book that is easy to read and you know nothing about your body and your cycles then this is the book for you.

This book is great for anyone who has been told she cannot have a baby "on her own" and for anyone feeling as though no one understands. Julia articulates the frustration, overwhelm, and disappointment that is felt by so many of us who have been told we are too old or are infertile while at the same time gives us hope that there is an alternative. I wish I could meet her in person and thank her. On the inside back flap of the book it says "maybe you are the person Julia knows is out there waiting to hear it" (her story). I was that person and the book made a huge difference in the way I am going forth and made a huge difference in my life!!

Plain and simple, Julia Indichova just makes this all manageable. She has walked the walk and knows what it means to be told that a baby is not possible. She has found a path that works and she is generous in sharing her journey with us. The people who are disappointed are upset that there is no magic formula here. But I found hope in the fact that no one solution works for everyone, that each of our paths are unique. Like our babies! Read this book, you will not be disappointed.

The book was interesting in that it told a woman's story and how she successfully won the battle of infertility. However, if someone is looking to this book as a guideline they will be disappointed. This is not a how-to book.

If I'd known this was about secondary infertility, I would not have bought it. For the truly infertile, do yourself and your psyche a favor: Save the [PRICE]. Go ahead drink carrot juice, practice yoga, and stop reading books such as this one. At least those are three things that are affirmative self-loving acts that will keep you sane.

After being told I'd never have my own biological child, also because of high FSH levels, I went to Amazon.com (Jan 1999) and researched infertility. Thank God I read Julia's soothing book. It inspired me to follow her path. After Iyengar Yoga, Chinese Medicine, Visualization, reading most of the books in her wonderful bibliography, (and 2 unsuccessful rounds of FSH IUI), my openess to others about my struggle led to a holistic practicioner in San Diego (Dr. Carolyn Mein, D.C.) that balanced my hormones naturally and directly led to the birth of my now 15 month old daughter (Aug 2000). Bless you Julia! I didn't know where to begin and you were the calm voice in the storm affirming my inner voice. I am so grateful for everything this journey has taught me.

This is a wonderful book. I purchased it after the stillbirth of my first baby boy. It gave me the confidence to not try again but at least to start thinking about it. Thankfully we did and we have a beautiful 18 month old girl now. I felt like this book was written especially for me. It was so relevant to our experience of achieving parenthood. Thanks Ann for writing this book.

I found this book to be ok. It deals more with trying after a stillbirth than trying after a miscarriage. Then it goes into how to get pregnant again, which if you have tried for any length of time with your other pregnancies - you know how it works.

I actually purchased this book for my sister who's had two miscarriages in a matter of about five months. A friend of mine who also experienced two miscarriages in a row (a few years back) read this book and recommended I give it to my sister as part of a care package. I'm very glad I took my friend's advice because while my sister's found several books at the library on the topic of miscarriage, she said she wasn't able to find much at the major bookstores. Although I haven't read this book myself, I know my sister found it informative and encouraging. In fact, she said she read the entire book the same day she received it.

I starting reading this book a few weeks after our still birth. I did not want to "try again". I was just trying to deal with all the emotions and all the issues of our still birth. It has almost been two months now and all the other grieving book I've bought are on a shelf, but this one is still on my desk and I referance it almost every day.
This book has given me such a good resource for trying again, I almost feel like I could do it. I feel like I'd have a good chance to make it through with my sanity intact, no matter what the outcome.

After the stillbirth of our first child, we received or bought quite a few "Dead Baby Books" as we jokingly called them. Trying Again was the gift of a friend who knew that because we had lost our child to severe preeclampsia/HELLP, we would really struggle with whether we should try again in the future.

Trying Again is a reasonably good summary at the issues facing couples in a situation like ours, and special issues relevant going into a pregnancy that we know will be high risk. I have a minor frustration since all of these books about high risk family discuss the impact on the husband and the other children, and never seem to put any focus on the woman's career. It's often hard enough to be pregnant and work, let alone going into a pregnancy knowing that you may well have to stop working very early in order to go to term.

I would recommend the book for anyone who has lost a child. I think that many of the emotional issues are relevant whether you believe that your loss was a one-off event or whether you know already that you are high risk. However, I think women who have just learned the hard way that they are high risk will probably get the most out of the book.

I was browsing through the bookstore and this book caught my eye. I thumbed through it, and could not put it down. I bought it, and read the entire thing in one night.

I cried all night. I relate to the women in that book so much. Everything that was said, I have felt. I especially appreciated the section on Secondary Infertility, since that is what I am facing. Most books and other infertility resources don't even acknowledge that Secondary Infertility is a real problem-it makes those with Secondary Infertility feel so alone.

If you're looking for a book that helps you cope, helps you know that you are not alone in your struggle with infertility, and really helps you feel validated in your feelings, then I highly recommend this book.

I did not learn anything from this book that I did not already know. Most of the information included comes under the definition of common sense. If you're looking for a book that will really give you practical strategies by which to deal with infertility issues, there are better ones out there. From a literary standpoint, this was not a well written piece.

From what I've been told, the authors don't have the best reputation for professionalism either.

It's about time a book on the topic of infertility explored the more emotional aspects of this situation. As men and women, when we are confronted with the possibility of infertility, we are thrown to the scientific wolves and sometimes end up feeling like "road kill." Doctors, labs, medicines and experimental procedures can make us feel like modern day Frankensteins. It was so theraputic for me to read this book. Not merely a scientific forum for informative medical information but more importantly, a bible that helped me move forward emotionally. A must read for anyone going through this experience. Well written and heartfelt. Bravo, Harriet and Debby--thank you so much for sharing your wealth of expertise.

As a professional working for more than 15 years w/ couples experiencing infertility, I have found that the insight offered within this book has greatly enhanced my clinical effectiveness. I have gained sensitivity to the emotional impact of infertitlity at a deeper and more meaningful level. Sadly I became aware that I had overlooked some of the day-to-day experiences of infertility. Experiences that I simply took for granted as a woman who biologically conceived without difficulty. These overlooked experiences were profoundly significant to couples working hard to resolve their infertility. Imagine my surprise when I read the review titled, "There are Better Choices Out There." It appeared that this reader was having a very personal & emotional response to this book, given his or her overly harsh reference to literary merit and the lack of professionalism of its authors. I feel this book was written in a "user-friendly" format seeking to reach all persons touched by infertility. I also happened to research the background of one of the authors, H. Rovner-Ferguson and found that she has a long and well-respected history as regards all aspects of infertility, including emotional and medical implications. I am bewildered by this persons harsh criticism and wonder if perhaps they are reviewing a different book.

This book is a must read for all infertility patients. It is well written and as far as I can tell, comes from the heart. I have been experiencing infertility for four long years. Everywhere I turned no one understood my jealousy and need to isolate myself from pregnant family, friends and coworkers.I felt alone and crazy. A woman in my doctors office suggested that I read this book and I am so glad I took her advice. It feels great to know that I am normal.I even gave the book to my husband and he actually read some of the questions and answers.That says it all. Thank you to the authors that truly "get" what I am going through.