Dr. Google has been a boon to those dealing with medical issues, and in my own personal experiences, infertility. But books, I still love those. What's better than cuddling up with a first-person tale of woe to make you feel certain that there is hope for your situation? The laptop doesn't do so well propped up on the ledge of the tub (believe you me, I have tried), but a medical tome can pass the time while attempting to simultaneously relax and determine how the hell you're going to manage to conceive a child under the duress of ill-functioning internal organs.
So to you, I present my personal infertility library. These books hold a revered spot in my bedroom.
They are not on my regular, downstairs bookshelves, as I never achieved the confidence to discuss it all as cocktail party conversation with folks who might be perusing my bookshelves. And the bedroom just seems right. Since the babies were not to be made as per the ususal method (i.e., in the bedroom), the proximity seems somehow appropriate. Contemplative reading is best done in bed or bath. Note to the right of the books, the very large husband-stole-from-a-wedding-receiption-back-in-his-college-days-extra-large-goblet full of all the spare change. Very necessary when embarking on IF treatment with minimal insurance coverage.
A Few Good Eggs ... I liked this one a lot. Straight-out woman's perspective. Not too much total depth, but a good primer in easy going language.
Love and Infertility ... While not totally my style, I was glad to find a book that talked directly about how infertility affects your relationship with your husband/partner.
Girlfriend to Girlfriend: A Fertility Companion
Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility
Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics ... Wow. This woman's story is awe-inspiring in many ways. I didn't necessarily take the same paths she did, but she did inspire me to keep at it.
The Baby Trail ... Okay, it's chick lit. But it's entertaining, a story I could somewhat relate to, and kept me occupied when the last thing I wanted to do was dwell on my most recently failed IUI.
Conception Chronicles: The Uncensored Truth about Sex, Love and Marriage when You're Trying to Get Pregnant ... Cool format, very "chatty with the girlfriends" and good basic info.
Conquering Infertility ... The author is somewhat of a mind-body infertility guru. After reading this book, my only consolation to my infertility woes was that if they continued, I was going to get myself up to Boston for one of her workshops.
In Vitro Fertilization: The A.R.T.* of Making Babies ... Such a clever, clever title. Gag. The edition I read had some pretty outdated information, and I found it condescending and annoying in general. Perhaps a newer edition?
The Infertility Survival Handbook ... I loved this book. It reassured me, and gave me some coping techniques, along with information for which I was starving.
Knocked up: Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-Be ... Another chick-lit guilty pleasure to give me hope. Although I did keep the front title hidden while reading in public.
Not on the shelf, but another goodie:
The Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization: Everything You Need to Know to Maximize Your Chances of Success ... The only one I found that even attempted to speak to the man in the relationship. Not that he read it anyway.
Any other nominees? Favorites? Most despised? Ones you would like to read? Books you wish someone would write?
2 comments:
Good recommendations. I think I skimmed one of your chick lit books in the book store once and jumped ahead to the ending :-)
Here are some of my "collection"....They are all neatly stacked under my bed, hidden from view of our living room
"Beyond Jason and Jennifer" --this is a bit presumptuous to be reading this, but I love reading baby name books!
"When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden: Encouragement for Couples Facing Infertility" This is my all time favorite IF book, as it offers a pretty current view of IF treatments, but more importantly does a pretty good job of addressing the emotional and spiritual aspects of IF as well.
"Empty Womb, Aching Heart: Hope and Help for Those Struggling With Infertility"
This book highlights couples who have endured IF.
I enjoyed *some* of the stories, but I felt depressed after reading it overall. Many of the couples featured in the vignettes never achieved their dream of parenthood, which was very distressing to me at the time.
"Taking Charge of your Fertility" This book was my very first IF book purchase, and I remember being so sure that charting would work for me! I recently opened it up again for a refresher course.
I also have a guilty "chick lit" book stashed in my bureau drawer... "Diary of a Mad Mom-To-Be." Again, I purchased this when I was so sure it would "only be a few more months" til I could relate to the character in the book. (Ironically the main character starts freaking out after 2-3 months of not getting pregnant right away!)
Wow, I have read *all* of those, although most out of the library. I recently passed along some of my collection to a friend doing IVF and it was actually hard to let them go. I would add:
"The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies" (similar to "Inconceivable" by Julia Indichova, but not a personal story)
"Infertility Sucks" - as lighthearted as it sounds. Sometimes that's helpful.
"Adopting After Infertility" of course.
and then I read a bunch of condition-specific books:
"The PCOS Diet Book"
"What to Do When the Doctor Says It's PCOS"
"Overcoming Male Infertility: Understanding Its Causes and Treatments"
etc.
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