In Quest for Conception, Marcia C. Inhorn portrays the poignant struggles of poor, urban Egyptian women and their attempts to overcome infertility. The author draws upon fifteen months of fieldwork in urban Egypt to present moving stories of infertile Muslim women whose tumultuous medical pilgrimages have yet to produce the desired pregnancies. Inhorn examines the devastating impact of infertility on the lives of these women, who are threatened with divorce by their husbands, harassed by their husbands' families, and ostracized by neighbors.

Infertility and Patriarchy explores the lives of infertile women whose personal stories depict their daily struggles to resist disempowerment and stigmatization. Marcia C. Inhorn has produced a unique study of gender, politics, and family life in contemporary Egypt.

This new edition for the twentieth anniversary of the groundbreaking national bestseller provides all the information you need to monitor your menstrual cycle—along with updated information on the latest reproductive technologies Are you unhappy with your current method of birth control? Or demoralized by your quest to have a baby? Do you experience confusing signs and symptoms at various times in your cycle? This invaluable resource provides the answers to your questions while giving you amazing insights into your body. Taking Charge of Your Fertility has helped literally hundreds of thousands of women avoid pregnancy naturally, maximize their chances of getting pregnant, or simply gain better control of their gynecological and sexual health. Toni Weschler thoroughly explains the empowering Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), which in only a couple of minutes a day allows you to: Enjoy highly effective and scientifically proven birth control without chemicals or devices Maximize your chances of conception before you see a doctor or resort to invasive high-tech options Expedite your fertility treatment by quickly identifying impediments to pregnancy achievement Gain control and a true understanding of your gynecological and sexual health This new edition includes: A fully revised and intuitive charting system A selection of personalized master charts for birth control, pregnancy achievement, breastfeeding, and menopause An expanded sixteen-page color insert that reflects the book’s most important concepts Six brand-new chapters on topics including balancing hormones naturally, preserving your future fertility, and three medical conditions all women should be aware of

These essays examine the global impact of infertility as a major reproductive health issue, one that has profoundly affected the lives of countless women and men. The contributors address a range of topics including how the deeply gendered nature of infertility sets the blame on women's shoulders.

The “Jason Bourne of fertility” (The New York Times Book Review) presents a personal and deeply informative account of one woman’s journey through the global fertility industry. On paper, conception may seem like a simple biological process, yet this is often hardly the case. While many would like to have children, the road toward conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy can be unexpectedly rocky and winding. Lawyer Elizabeth Katkin never imagined her quest for children would ultimately involve seven miscarriages, eight fresh IVF cycles, two frozen IVF attempts, five natural pregnancies, four IVF pregnancies, ten doctors, six countries, two potential surrogates, nine years, and roughly $200,000. Despite her three Ivy League degrees and wealth of resources, Katkin found she was woefully undereducated when it came to understanding and confronting her own difficulties having children. After being told by four doctors she should give up, but without an explanation as to what exactly was going wrong with her body, Katkin decided to look for answers herself. The global investigation that followed revealed that approaches to the fertility process taken in many foreign countries are vastly different than those in the US and UK. In Conceivability, Elizabeth Katkin, now a mother of two, exposes eye-opening information about the medical, financial, legal, scientific, emotional, and ethical issues at stake. “A well-researched, informative, and positive account of a very long journey to motherhood” (Kirkus Reviews), Conceivability sheds light on the often murky and baffling world of conception science. Her book is an invaluable and inspiring text that will be a boon to others navigating the deep and “choppy waters” of fertility treatment (Publishers Weekly), and her chronicle of one of the most difficult, painful, rewarding, and loving journeys a woman can take is as informative as it is poignant.

Based on research by leading medical anthropologists from around the world, this book examines such issues as local practices detrimental to safe pregnancy and birth; conflicting reproductive goals between women and men; and miscommunications between pregnant women and their genetic counselors.

Winner of the 2010 American Fertility Association Illumination Award, for making a positive contribution to the world of fertility and family building. Your very own consultation with the world’s leading fertility doctors! The trailblazing fertility program at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center has pioneered many of the procedures that are now standard practices in fertility centers around the world. If you can’t get to New York for a consultation with Dr. Rosenwaks and Dr. Goldstein, A Baby At Last! puts the doctors’ expertise down on paper, offering all the information you need on the latest fertility treatments in order to make informed decisions. In this comprehensive, practical, and up-to-date handbook for diagnosing and treating infertility in both men and women, you’ll get invaluable advice on: • When to seek help: you may not need to wait at all • Finding the right doctors, and knowing the tough questions you need to ask • What tests to have for him and her, when to have them, and why • Whether or not you’re a candidate for advanced treatments, including IVF, ICSI, and beyond Covering everything from the latest technologies to the emotional hurdles associated with infertility, Drs. Rosenwaks and Goldstein share the knowledge and expertise that make the pregnancy success rates for Weill Cornell patients among the highest in the world. Here, as never before, is a book that can help you, too, bring home a baby at last!

Dr. Jeremy Groll is an expert in reproductive endocrinology and fertility treatment. Fertility Foods presents his groundbreaking, noninvasive, nutritionally based method, which increases ovulation, reduces miscarriage, and significantly improves your chances of successfully getting and staying pregnant. Dr. Groll's specialized research has proven that there is a powerful link between a body's insulin resistance and fertility problems. Resistance to insulin increases the body's insulin levels, hindering normal ovulation either by limiting the maturation process of the released egg or by preventing ovulation altogether. High insulin levels can also impede the fertilized egg's ability to attach to the uterus, leading to implantation failure and miscarriage. In fact, women with insulin resistance problems are four to five times as likely as other women to suffer miscarriages -- meaning they have as high as a 50 percent chance of miscarriage. Dr. Groll has developed an insulin-reducing diet based on balancing protein and complex carbohydrate intake to create insulin levels most conducive to ovulation. He combines his nutritional plan -- which includes nutritional charts, food suggestions, and recipes -- with a specific exercise program that enhances insulin metabolism and an emotional support system that you can draw on during your quest to become parents. This three-pronged approach increases the rates of spontaneous ovulation and significantly improves the uterine environment, decreasing the potential for miscarriage. One in every ten couples in America is affected by infertility. Yet, only 5 to 10 percent of patients actually need high-tech procedures such as in vitro fertilization. Whether you are taking your first steps in combating infertility or searching for effective methods to support more advanced fertility treatments, Fertility Foods is your helpful and rewarding guide.

This beautiful German book explains how to use the principles of Kundalini Yoga to fulfill your desire to have a baby. With straightforward advice and beautifully illustrated exercises, Fertility Yoga will help you and your partner increase fertility naturally. In addition to its well-known calming effects, yoga is healing for the whole body. The exercises in this book, selected for both men and women to do individually and as a couple, are designed to boost fertility by improving circulation in reproductive organs and balancing hormones. These exercises, which include yoga, meditation, and breathing, will help you focus your mind, strengthen your body, and let go of worries, as you prepare for conception and pregnancy. Author Kerstin Leppert, who has taught Kundalini Yoga for many years and written four previous books on yoga and health explains the ancient concept of chakras and how they relate to fertility and gives recommendations about nutrition, natural remedies, stress relief, and sexual positions. Fertility Yoga is full of advice you can put into practice right away — whether you are part of a couple taking the first steps toward conception, or are already undergoing medical fertility treatments and want to support that with natural techniques.

MED Personal narratives are an important consumer health resource, and Inconceivable is no exception. At 42, Indichova was told that in vitro fertilization using donated eggs represented her only chance for a second child. The book relates her journey through secondary infertility to a successful, spontaneous pregnancy, which she credits to her use of alternative healing practices from acupuncture to imagery to yoga. This is the first such account written from a patient's perspective. Indichova is a Czech immigrant and a teacher with a theatrical background, which makes for an interesting narrative. Unfortunately, her cafeteria-style approach to alternative medicine is more likely to confuse than enlighten readers who lack experience with this subject. The real value of her account is its stress on personal empowerment. This book will make any reader feel stronger, no matter what her medical politics. Recommended for libraries with strong collections in women's health but not for alternative medicine collections. Catherine Arnott Smith, Ctr. for Biomedical Informatics, Univ. of Pittsburgh-