National Read a Book Day is a couple weeks away on September 6, which makes this the perfect time to grow your book collection. If you are struggling with infertility, you know that it can sometimes be a confusing, isolating, and emotional time without the right resources and support. Luckily, there are a number of books on infertility to help guide you through these trying times. From personal memoirs and humor to professional opinions and scientific explanations, these infertility books touch on many subjects to help you feel more comfortable and prepared when approaching fertility treatments.
The Best Books on Infertility
The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood by Belle Boggs
In The Art of Waiting, Boggs writes expansive contemplation of fertility, choice, and the many possible roads to making a life and making a family. She reports complex, big-picture stories of couples who adopted, LGBT couples considering assisted reproduction and surrogacy, and women and men reflecting on childless or child-free lives.
Conceivability: What I Learned Exploring the Frontiers of Fertility by Elizabeth L. Katkin
This book covers one woman’s gripping journey through the global fertility industry in search of the solution to her own “unexplained infertility”. This fertility book exposes eye-opening information about the medical, financial, legal, scientific, emotional, and ethical issues at stake – proving conception is hardly just a simple biological process.
Empowered Fertility: A Practical Twelve-Step Guide by Claire Hall with Dr. Devora Lieberman
Written by experienced counsellor Claire Hall and fertility expert Dr Devora Lieberman, Empowered Fertility is a practical guide for women to help them cope with their psychological wellbeing, their emotions, family and friends and their attitudes during a very difficult time.
Fueling Male Fertility: Nutrition and Lifestyle Guidance for Men Trying to Conceive by Lauren Manaker
An increasing collection of research confirms that men’s fertility health is just as important as women’s when couples are trying to conceive. Yet, there are only a small handful of resources supporting men trying to expand their family. This guide you will find specific nutrition and lifestyle interventions that have been shown to improve male fertility.
Get a Life: His & Hers Survival Guide to IVF by Rosie Bray and Richard Mackney
Written by couple Rosia and Richard, Get a Life is the perfect down-to-earth guide for anyone thinking of embarking on fertility treatment based on their fertility journey. It’s two books in one: a book of advice for women and a survival guide for men, each chapter mirrored but with very different experience and advice.
It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF by Rebecca Fett
Based on a comprehensive investigation of a vast array of scientific research, It Starts with the Egg reveals a new approach for improving egg quality and fertility. Poor egg quality is emerging as a large cause of age-related infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and failed IVF cycles, and this book offers practical solutions to improve your fertility health.
IVF: A Patient’s Guide by Rebecca Matthews
Many infertility books are written by people who have personally gone through the infertility journey themselves. This guide is instead written by a senior embryologist who provides answers to the most commonly asked questions, along with answers to the critical questions that aren’t asked often enough – some could even save the life of your baby.
Not Pregnant: A Companion For the Emotional Journey of Infertility by Cathie Quillet with Dr. Shannon Sutherland
Maybe you have suffered a miscarriage. Maybe you have been told you cannot have children. Maybe you have followed every bit of advice from every doctor and self-help book, but you still aren’t pregnant. In Not Pregnant, there is a place for women who are experiencing infertility to come together, validate their emotions, and let go of their pain.
Pathways to Pregnancy by Mary Wong
Pathways to Pregnancy is a collection of wide-ranging and relatable stories, shared by an expert who also knows first-hand the pain and joy of the fertility journey from her own experience. Instructional and inspirational to anyone going through it or seeking to understand it, these are real stories of hope, humor, and practical advice.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health by Toni Weschler
For any woman unhappy with her current method of birth control; demoralized by her quest to have a baby; or experiencing confusing symptoms in her cycle, this book provides answers to all these questions, plus amazing insights into a woman’s body. For over 20 years, this book continues to be one of the most popular infertility books available.
The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant without Losing Your Mind by Amy Klein
With advice from medical experts as well as real women, author Amy Klein outlines your options every step of the way on the roadmap to infertility. From questions you should ask to advice on getting your mother-in-law to keep her opinions to herself, this guide is empowering, compassionate, and down-to-earth.
Wanting Another Child: Coping with Secondary Infertility by Harriet Fishman Simons
Parents experiencing infertility experience many of the losses of childless individuals, but have unique issues to confront as well. Often, theirs is an unacknowledged loss which increases their sense of isolation. This book incorporates the narratives of 60 individuals coping with secondary infertility and draws on their experiences.
Going through this journey can be difficult, but look into these infertility books and resources to help guide you through the experience. No one source will have all the answers and support in one spot, but combining the expertise of a fertility specialist with the subject of these books on infertility can provide a well-rounded look into infertility. Book an appointment with a fertility specialist to learn more and take the next steps in your journey.
