mommymedia : fertility

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Getting Pregnant

Satya — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:59:00 GMT

For couples struggling to conceive this book might be all that you need to read. Raymond Chang combines eastern and western medicine to provide a variety ways to treat infertility. The writing is not too complicated, as many fertility books tend to be, and it is pleasurable to read.

He begins by teaching the reader how to chart their cycles and explains in detail how conception occurs. The book continues with a run down of physical, mental and physiological causes of male and female infertility complete with natural and synthetic options for treatment. The author advises when surgery is needed, and discusses a hormone-balancing diet, herbs, vitamins, exercise and emotional balance. He suggests physical exercises such as yoga and great meditations to help relieve stress in the mind and body. The most striking thing about this book is how much it is centered on the idea that our modern lifestyle is a cause of infertility. The doctor explains how running every day, listening to the news every day, or high stress environments send signals to the body that the environment is not hospitable to a baby. He also shares his idea that living in a densely populated area sends similar signals to the body.

The book will give you an entirely new, holistic view, on fertility and your body. It is a refreshing text, complete with a sympathetic voice rather than the cold, calculated tone that is common to many fertility books. For women or men struggling with infertility, this is a must read! Pick up a copy here.

Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant

Satya — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT

If you’re in the dark about what is causing your infertility I highly recommend this book by Dr. Robert Green, an experienced and sought-after reproductive expert. In addition to understanding the treatment of infertility as a physician he’s also been on the patient side with his wife, which makes his writing so much more personal.

Green’s book leaves you with no stone unturned. The book is written as if the author is your doctor, guiding you through each possibility. He begins at the first step, which examines your basic lifestyle and provides information on how it could be affecting your fertility. He then identifies physical factors by giving the reader information on each hormone and organ needed for conception. He includes handy charts for the reader to fill out and evaluate their own situation. These charts accompanied with the basic information about physical factors allow the reader to slowly deduce what their problem may be.

Green is persistent in the idea that “less is more” in regard to fertility treatments. He focuses primarily on what is often the root of the problem: hormonal imbalance. The hormonal imbalances he’s seen in his experience have often been treatable through diet and exercise. He emphasizes how stress, environmental toxins and weight and diet issues all contribute to fertility in ways that most doctors don’t address before putting a patient on the road to expensive treatments. He also delves deep into each fertility disruption such as endometriosis, PCOS and sluggish sperm with recommended treatments.

This book gives the reader a feeling of hope and viable options in how to deal with their infertility and optimizing conception. Dr. Greene believes that couples do not seek help for their fertility problems out of fear of failure. It is for those couples that this book was written and those couples that will benefit most from its information and message. Pick up a copy here.

The Male Biological Clock

Satya — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:45:00 GMT

The Male Biological Clock endeavors to go where few fertility books tread. The author, Harry Fisch, takes the reader through every possible infertility factor that could stem from the male. He offers solutions to typical as well as unusual issues that can affect men who are trying to conceive.

The book also brings to light how emotionally draining infertility can be for a couple and its affects on the relationship. Dr. Fisch reassures men not to feel guilty for physical issues they may encounter, a message that is sorely overlooked by many doctors in the fertility industry.

The male factor is almost completely overlooked in most fertility clinics. The author premises his book with this idea and shares stories of successful conception through treatment of male infertility.

Some of the treatments for male infertility can be gruesome sounding and may make even female readers wince. However, the book discusses possible options for those who may have lost hope of conceiving. Pick up a copy here.

A Few Good Eggs: Chicks Dish on Overcoming the Insanity of Infertility

Satya — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:56:00 GMT

Who better to write a book about the frustrations of infertility than two veterans of the struggle who have undergone years of treatment? Each chapter in “A Few Good Eggs” goes into great detail about the impact of numerous factors that can cause both male and female infertility, such as age, weight, stress, nutrition, STDs, pharmaceuticals and recreational drugs. The book provides tips on finding a fertility specialist, good questions to ask, important information about tests and treatments, and difficult choices that couples will have to make. One reader says while most books about infertility are either inspirational or medical, this one is refreshingly different. In “A Few Good Eggs,” she says, the authors offer a “real-life perspective” on the journey of infertility, something that so many clinical books lack. You’ll appreciate the “sister-to-sister” nature of the book, as if you are listening to the advice of a good friend. Other critics agree, most notably Publishers Weekly, who wrote that the “infusion of personality with facts makes for an engaging guide” for readers. Like many good books, “A Few Good Eggs” acts as a good friend during an emotional time. Pick up a copy here.

What To Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant

Satya — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:41:00 GMT

The physical and emotional letdown you experience when you are unable to conceive naturally can be difficult to endure; however, when you add to that the many technologies that can assist in conception, things can get confusing. Enter “What to Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant,” a one-stop guide to modern reproductive technologies. In clear, thorough steps, authors Daniel Potter and Jennifer Hanin give the reader insight into what a typical couple goes through when trying to get pregnant.

Just like your own doctor would do, this book weighs all the options and provides explanations of the possible problems that might play a role in your inability to conceive. While “What to Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant” won’t make you laugh or give you false hope, but it is an excellent companion for couples on the road toward using reproductive technology. Not only does it break down each form of assisted reproduction, fertility drugs, and fertility testing used today, but it also includes a large section dedicated to nurturing your psyche and your relationship during the procedures.

We love the use of quotes throughout the book and how they are interlaced in the text in order to illustrate the perspectives and emotions of real women who have undergone different forms of treatment. “What to Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant” dispels a lot of common misconceptions about trying to conceive, while educating the reader thoroughly about what a fertility doctor or reproductive endocrinologist should address during visits. An eye-opener for both men and women, “What to Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant” is a great guide to help you decide what to do next. Pick up a copy here.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

Satya — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:20:00 GMT

Every woman should read this book. Whether you’re going through puberty, trying to avoid getting pregnant or trying to conceive, it is an eye-opener for all of us.

Although author Toni Weschler writes in the tone of a teacher and not of a scientist, don’t be skeptical of her knowledge. She is a nationally respected women's health educator and speaker, and the information she presents is both accurate and precise. After reading “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” just once, you may even consider yourself an expert in your own reproductive organs. Being able to identify your fertile cervical fluid and having a thorough understanding of your cycle is an empowering thing, and this book teaches you all that and more.

You may already know some of the information that is presented to you in this book, but Weschler manages to present it in a fresh way so that readers may absorb the basics while expanding their understanding of the details. You’ll appreciate how the book addresses abnormalities and exceptions in hopes of covering all women and our unique cycles.

Through her teaching, Weschler has become a seasoned veteran in natural birth control and managed to single-handedly revolutionize the way women view fertility and conception. Additionally, she has had a significant role in the abolishment of reproductive myths across the country, and in turn, enabled women everywhere to take control of their bodies and their lives.

Presenting information in an easy, colloquial manner, Weschler will make you laugh and make you think while teaching you all there is to know about one of the most important biological systems in the human body. “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” will leave you in awe of the natural beauty that is the ovulation cycle, blossoming like an internal fruit tree. A must-read!

Buy a copy here.