Infertility Books

I had a miscarriage last year after a long attempt at conception and I'm trying everything to get pregnant again. When I saw this book in the discount bin, I grabbed it. What a mistake. For about two months, I felt WORSE. The book suggests that I miscarried because I wasn't "thinking" correctly about my pregnancy or had doubts about it. All the specialists encourage you not to blame yourself but this author does just the opposite. If this book helps you, with it's silly exercises, more power to you. My suggestion is to save your money. The discounted price that I spent for it was way too much.

This book is fabulous!! I am sorry that the one reviewer who miscarried thought the author was asking that we take blame for what happens to us. I didn't get that at all!! The author explains, instead, that past experiences may have left us with a "bad taste" that could be impeding our success at conceiving. She never says it's our fault. But that guilt, abuse, grief, etc. could all be blocking our ability. Through doing all these exercises, I went through some major catharsis. I won't lie: It was pretty painful at times to face all the horrors that I had forgotten over the years. But I have come through feeling like the world has been lifted from my shoulders. For Example: My mom grew up poor and during the great depression. She had hoped for a better life but instead married and had children, which kept her poor and unfulfilled. As her mother did. My mother blamed her having children for why she was not fulfilled. I grew up poor and am only now realizing that I fear having children because of my mom's attitude. I only wish I could afford to find a therapist willing to take me through the journey. I know I still have a long way to go, but oh, the journey is looking much brighter now.

I am three-fourths through this book and have found it to be a great exploration of both my emotional and family history. Being a counselor, I have spent a great deal of time examining my family patterns, however, the author guided me through the process in a slightly different way, than the conventional Genogram. I found her twist on the basic Genogram to be very enlightening. It even lead to a conversation with my husband, that might not have happened otherwise. I am finding that no matter what infertility book I open, I am not finding "the answer." With this book, I found answers to questions I wasn't even asking.

I felt that this book was very encouraging. I believe that this book is important for those people that want to conceive a healthy pregnancy. This book addresses mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of fertility. It is truly inspiring and helpful.

I am currently experiencing infertility, and the Mind-Body Connection that Niravi speaks about has been quite enlightening for me. In one exercise the reader is asked to research an Ephistogram--a chart that works somewhat like a family tree--but is much more revealing. With this exercise, I found out things about my family that I may never have known, and whether I achieve pregnancy or not, through this book, I have learned much about how my family's history has helped to create who I am today.

A terrific resource for those dealing with infertility. However, for those merely looking for alternative reproduction resources, this bood delves a little too much into specifics relating to infertility both emotional struggles and medical difficulties.

I was very disappointed with this book. It told me little I did not already know about egg donation and it should come with a disclaimer stating that unless you are very, very wealthy, surrogacy is not for you. It focuses so much on surragacy that I think a better title for it would be "Reproductive options for the very well-to-do."
There are better books out there focusing strictly on egg/sperm donation. I would recommend these instead, unless these technologies are not an option for you and you have the $35,000 to $100,000 per pregnancy (does not state whether these costs are limited to pregnancies that result in live births) that a surrogate pregnancy apparently requires.
There are some oblique references to the possiblity that insurance may pay a portion of the surrogates costs (yeah, right! I'm sure that's a small minority of insurance policies, though the author does not say) and a portion of your costs (This confuses me. You are not undergoing a medical procedure. Why would *your* insurance pay any of the costs?), but there is nothing concrete about how one would go about getting any portion of these monies reimbursed. All the author does is suggest that you and the attorney you hire read the insurance policy (whose policy? the surrogate's?) very carefully.

This was one of the best resource books we have come across. It was straightforward and to the point. We just needed to know that our thoughts and feelings were normal and that we were on the right path. This book helped us to feel more confident.

My wife and I have been struggeling with infertility for several years and we were finally told that we will need a egg donor to have a child. We did not know where to begin or who to turn to. While exploring the Internet we came across this book, it gave us all the information and answered questions that we never even though of. Thank you so much for writing this book.

This was a very informative book. My husband and I are just starting out and after reading this we feel more at ease about the whole situation. This book was very up front about what to expect and even gave us tips on what to look out for so we don't get taken advantage of.

Collaboratively written by obstetrician/gynecologist John C. Jarreet and fertility-related stress and management counselor Deidra T. Rausch, The Fertility Guide: A Couples Handbook For When You Want To Have A Baby (More Than Anything Else) is a comprehensive, straightforward and "reader friendly" guide specifically for couples wanting to know the medical facts about the variety of options to improve their chances of successful conception. Covering medical terms in detail, yet written specifically for non-specialist general readers seeking to educate themselves on a complex condition, The Fertility Guide covers everything from endometriosis to donor gametes. The Fertility Guide is superbly presented, authoritative, extensive, and highly recommended reference.

This book focused tremedously on what to do when you cant have a baby....and emotional issues...did not have essential info..that a couple would use, it was actually depressing

John C. Jarrett, M.D. and Deidra T. Rausch, Ph.D. have spent years helping couples with fertility difficulties. They've teamed up to write The Fertility Guide: A Couples Guidebook For When You Want To Have A Baby, a complete and easy-to-understand manual for people with problems becoming pregnant. Their book is unique among fertility books because they discuss the emotional aspects of infertility, as well as the medical aspects.(...)

I feel this book arms the reader with the information needed in deciding which direction to take once you've found yourself on the path where no hopeful parent wants to be. I love that it validates the many feelings which accompany infertility when society, out of a misguided need to help, often encourages us to squelch these emotions. The book also offers alternatives to "genetic parenting" rather than enforcing treatment as your only hope of getting on with your life. I found Part Two: Understanding the Medical Aspects of Infertility, to be an easy-to-comprehend guide of the workings of the body and a walk-through of the various procedures available to assist in your quest for parenthood. It's my opinion that every would-be parent would feel so much more "in control", something that is rarely felt in infertility, if they would walk into their doctor's office with this book firmly under their arm.

I've read a lot of infertility books, and this is clearly the best. Not only does it explain normal fertility, and then infertility in clear and understandable detail, it also gives a couple the information they need to be active, informed, and effective participants in the infertility treatment team. If not for this book, my wife and I would have had unnecessary and expensive treatments. Thanks.

This book is extremely thorough, covering everything from diagnostic testing, to treatment (high and low tech) to how procedures and medications will make you feel physically and otherwise.

Written in a very straight forward and easy to understand way, but not dumbed down by any means.

It's not a self help book designed to make you "feel" better. It's meant to inform and educate. And as out of date as my copy is, it's still very, very relevant to fertility treatments today.

Not at all negative in tone. It gives a truthful picture of what you should expect when going through any type of treatment for infertility. I'm an IVF veteran and still find it helpful as a reference.

Cannot recommend this book enough!

Written by infertility patients for infirtility patients, this most excellent resource answers questions not normally addressed by infertility resources in a sympathetic, practical, no-nonsense manner. I've used this book, recommended it to my sister and several friends. We all found the information very helpful. It really clarified the process, making it easier to figure out what our limits were and what we truly wanted to do. The emotional inventory included is invaluable for any couple going through the trying process of creating a family. I particularly appreciated how the various testing procedures were described: everything from what the test was expected to accomplish and how it is conducted, to how the various procedures you'll go through actually feel. This isn't the only good resource out there, but it is easily one of the best. If you're struggling with infirtility and feeling overwhelmed by the whole subject, start your exploration with this book.

This book provides an honest and candid look at the world of infertiltiy. It gives the reader real examples and descriptions of fertility drugs, procedures, side effects and the effect on your lifestyle. It describes medical conditions and procedures in non-medical terms. Any fertility patient who really wants to have an understanding of what is going on with her body and emotions during the fertility process should read this book. I highly recommend it!

All this book does is cite the negative effects of fertility treatments, including surgery! It points out how horrible certain patients' experiences were, without any positive outlooks. What a horrible waste of money.

Any women or couple starting to experience infertility must read this book!!!! This book was a great source of information for my husband and I when we began our trip down the infertility road. During our doctor visits, our doctor would ramble of numerous prosedures, surgerys, test and medications we may have to go through, it would boggle both our minds. We'd go home, look up everything discussed at the appointment in this book and we knew exactly what to expect from any given procedure or test. It help relieve a lot of the stress we were both experiencing.

This is a great book. It is a very helpful overview of the decisions you face when trying to get pregnant as a lesbian. I highly recommend this book.

I found this book to be very useful and helped to clarify some important questions I had about the process.

This was the first pregnancy book I read. Frankly, I found it a bit scary. The authors clearly had a very hard time with conception and with their small-town North Carolina doctors. That seems to have made them a tad fanatical about moms-to-be doing *everything* "right" or they'll never have a child. And I'm not sure the authros' (expectation and) experience of homophobia is particularly informative for those of us in more progressive settings. I very much appreciate the info. I got from the book; now I just have to try not to worry.

I agree with the other reviewer - their emphasis on timing having to be perfect has caused quite a lot of anxiety for me. After all, there's only so much we can control about this process and the rest is part nature, part luck. I would reccomend this book to someone doing home IVI's with fresh sperm, but it will only cause more angst to those doing frozen IUI's with their doctor.

The first half of this book is great for someone interested in learning what to expect before getting pregnant. It's easy to read and extremely informative. I enjoyed that part of it very much. Howevere, once you reach the center of the book the entire rest of the book is about infertility and ways you can get pregnant if either you or your spouse are found to have problems. I'm sure this book would become very helpful if that were to happen, but considering that I haven't even started trying to get pregnant...that part of the book did not interest me at all.

This is the book for you if you want to be pregnant or you think you might want to be pregnant some day. The author does a great job of describing practical advice for getting pregnant in a very easy to read fashion. After reading this book I wish I hadn't wasted time and money reading other hard-to-understand, incomplete books. If you are thinking about pregnancy you owe it to yourself to have this book in your hands.

My husband and I are starting to think about having kids so I thought this book would be a good place to start with a basic overview. It does do that but it didn't say anything different or insightful that I couldn't find for free online. (i.e. don't drink alcohol, no smoking, chemical hazards)

Most of this book(16 chapters) deals with infertility. This is something that I don't need so most of this book was not useful to me.

I would pass on this book. There are definitely better books out there like, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between.

Wow! What an extensive, down to earth book EVERYTHING getting pregnant! This author really knows the topic inside and out, and presents it to the reader in a very understandable format. I've only had it for a week, and couldn't put it down. If you are ever considering having a baby, read this first and find out what to do to get your body ready, and to know your body's signals.

So often during the seven+ months that my husband and I have been actively trying to have a baby, we have felt very alone. Like the rest of the world has not a trouble in the world getting pregnant, and we're the oddballs who can't manage it with him looking at me cross-eyed.

But this book was so wonderful, if only because it reminded us that we are NOT alone. There are MANY people in the world who are in our situation, or in more dire situations than ours. Sometimes it helps just knowing that we're not the only ones.

I found this to be an excellent book. My husband and I are coping with secondary infertility. The real-life trials and tribulations of the people in this book gave me some new found hope to continue my journey. The writers of each of the individual cases did an excellent job of depicting their quest for parenthood.

I am 4 months pregnant and got this book as a gift. I'm not sure if the person who bought it for me realized what it was about. As an expectant mom reading stories of the troubles people had conceiving and carrying children, it made me depressed and anxious - what if my child has Down's syndrome, what if it's stillborn, etc. So, if you have had trouble conceiving, by all means, this book is great support. I believe people need to "bond" with others who share similar trials and tribulations. But if you are not, and are easily spooked, I'd suggest picking up something more light-hearted and happy.

I always find people's stories about their infertility and fertility to be very moving. Stories about children and parents are always the most heartbreaking. But in the hands accomplished writers like the 22 in this 90%-nonfiction anthology, the subject is very nearly devastating in its sadness, joy, and beauty.

I traded most of my own writing time for time with my own long-sought-after children, and reading these writers made me feel, really for the first time, the pain of what I gave up to be a father! Writing, too, can be so wonderful!

WANTING A CHILD is not a breezy read because the writing generally is complex, though always quite clear. And there are maybe two duds. But overall, it is just magnificent.

Well, timing is everything... and isn't always fair. Had I not just completed reading The Hardness Factor before picking up "Coping With Erectile Dysfunction," I would probably have given this book 5 stars.

Metz and McCarthy have done a very good job of showing us the causes of erectile dysfunction along with some fixes (mainly using sexual awareness to overcome the problem).

I've been using the methods in this book, The Hardness Factor, and Exercising the Penis to build up the strength of my erections. All books have contributed to me overcoming the problem. This book, however, is best from the psychological stand point. If you suffer at all in this area, I suggest getting it.

this book is more from a psychological standpoint of a man. if your looking for something to help you understand premature ejaculation or impotency from a mans point of view its a good book. If your looking at it as a spouse looking for answers then it's a fair book but really doesn't offer the proper solutions.

For your information, our book --> Metz and McCarthy, Coping with Erectile Dysfunction: How to Regain Confidence and Enjoy Great Sex --> has been awarded the 2007 SOCIETY FOR SEX THERAPY AND RESEARCH (SSTAR) BEST CONSUMER SEXUALITY BOOK AWARD at its annual international meeting in Atlanta, March 8, 2007. This organization is considered the most respected professional association of sex therapists, researchers, and sexual medicine experts. Michael E. Metz, Ph.D.

A good book that deals with all the problems that a modern man may endure .The title talks in rich detail about the most important problems of men nowadays: penis size, premature ejaculation, erection problems and impotence. With great references and written by professionals the book is one of the best on the market. I recommend this book, after reading it i found out that i didn't know much about the problems that might turn up at a certain age but thanks to this title now i have the power and knowledge to prevent any of the above from happening.

There is a great deal of mystery around impotence and its causes and few people have tried to get to the bottom of the problem. This book is one of those that break through the wall of ignorance and present impotence for what it is a human condition. The book explains the origins of impotence, what causes its development and what are the ways in which it can be threaten. However, if you want a far superior book then read ""Natural Penis Enlargement: New methods of avoiding and curing impotence, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction safely and inexpensively. NEW Secrets that your doctor won't tell you, No Pumps, No Pills and No Gadgets!" by Platinum Millennium, a groundbreaking book about sexual disorders

A good book that deals with all the problems that a modern man may endure .The title talks in rich detail about the most important problems of men nowadays: penis size, premature ejaculation, erection problems and impotence. With great references and written by professionals the book is one of the best on the market. I recommend this book, after reading it i found out that i didn't know much about the problems that might turn up at a certain age but thanks to this title now i have the power and knowledge to prevent any of the above from happening.

What I loved about this book was the integration of a heartfelt story,beautiful photography and practical information on stress reduction.
Though the focus is infertility, the relaxation exercises are quick and easy and can be applied to your everyday life. I would highly recommend it to anyone faced with infertility.

This book tries to pull from other theories but is not complete on any.
More useful books are by Alice Domar and others that have proven track records. Not recomended.

Dr. Matthew McQuaid is an expert on overcoming the emotional challenges of infertile. A Spiritual Path To Overcoming Infertility: Creating Your Miracle Family Now draws upon the story of the birth of his own "miracle son" Luke to share inspirational guidance through the emotional pains and struggles of infertility and offer a knowledgeably approach to the problems of infertility and conception. Deftly guiding readers through the natural solutions, in vitro fertilization, and other processes for overcoming infertility, A Spiritual Path To Overcoming Infertility offers an accessible understanding of how to reduce the stress associated with infertility, apply simple health tips for greater success, use mind/body techniques to improve the outcome of medical treatments, choose the right doctor and clinic to match personal needs, eliminate blame and strengthen relationship, increase happiness and acceptance, and so much more. A Spiritual Path To Overcoming Infertility is very highly recommended for readers having to deal with infertility and conception issues of their own.