mommymedia : infertility

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.

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.

Inconceivable: A Woman’s Triumph Over Despair & Statistics

Madelyn8278 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:06:00 GMT

A book that has been described as “a memoir of hope for the thousands of women struggling with infertility,” Julia Indichova’s “Inconceivable” is the inspirational story of one woman who beat the odds by mustering up some real determination and tuning into her body.

Indichova’s story is not uncommon: Unable to conceive a child, she made the rounds of medical doctors and nontraditional healers, but still came out unsuccessful. It wasn’t until she decided to change direction and turn her focus inward that her wish finally came true. “Inconceivable” recounts her personal journey from hopeless diagnosis to overjoyed motherhood.

Any woman who faces or has faced the challenge of infertility will be able to relate to Indichova’s story. Today, as more and more women are trying to conceive at increasingly older ages, fertility options of all kinds are advertised left and right. After hearing from five different fertility specialists and reproductive endocrinologists that there was no physical possibility of getting pregnant, and taking often desperate measures including undergoing acupuncture, ingesting herb soup, strange-smelling fruit and unidentifiable black-and-white pellets, Indichova embarked on an internal mission all her own.

In the end, it wasn’t the years of financially and emotionally draining advice that finally helped her conceive, but her own will, drive and determination. After eight months without caffeine, plenty of nutrients, yoga, and visualization exercises, Indichova found out she was pregnant with a perfectly healthy baby girl.

One of the reasons we love this book so much is because rather than taking a clinical “how to” approach like so many others, it focuses on the amazing power of self-discovery. One reader says, “[Indichova’s] story of hope has touched me like no other book I’ve read on this subject … I have found [it] to be an invaluable resource on this difficult journey.”

Get yourself a copy here.