The Everything Getting Pregnant Book: Professional, Reassuring Advice to Help You Conceive

by Robin Elise Weiss

Overview

For many couples, getting pregnant can be a harrowing and emotionally draining experience. In fact, one in every six couples of childbearing age has a problem conceiving. The Everything Getting Pregnant Book is a one-of-a-kind fertility book that outlines the steps to follow when planning for a pregnancy, such as discontinuing birth control methods, exercising, and eating well. This exhaustively researched guide also provides explanations of a wide-range of fertility treatments available today, what they entail, and their success rates - allowing parents to choose their treatment wisely.
The Everything Getting Pregnant Book helps readers understand:

• Assisted Reproductive Technology
• Fertility surgery
• Low-tech fertility aids
• Male and female factor infertility
• Medication therapy
• Menstrual cycle basics

Whether couples are thinking about pregnancy and want to plan ahead or are already trying and have not yet met with success, The Everything Getting Pregnant Book will have them getting up for 3 A.M. feedings in no time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440522796
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	03/08/2004
Series:	Everything® Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Robin Elise Weiss, L.C.C.E. I.C.C.E. -C.P.E. C.D. is the program assistant for the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (The Fertility Center) at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health at the University of Louisville's School of Medicine. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Newsweek, Working Mother, the New York Times, and American Baby.
An Adams Media author.

Table of Contents

	Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy	x
	Foreword	xi
1	Deciding to Have a Baby	1
	Are You Emotionally Ready?	2
	Physical Fitness: A Whole New Definition	5
	Fiscal Responsibility: Family Style	6
	Taking Family Medical/Maternity Leave	8
	What Will Your New Baby Need?	9
	Only Child or More?	11
2	Body Basics: Preparing for Pregnancy	13
	Acting Pregnant	14
	Avoiding Alcohol	15
	Nicotine and Smoking	16
	Caffeine's Common Effects	17
	Chemical and Workplace Hazards	17
	Enjoying Yourself	18
	Physical Readiness: Not Just for Women	22
	Pre-Baby Checkup	23
3	Menstrual Cycle Basics	25
	Understanding Hormones	26
	Putting Them All Together	27
	The Ovulation Process	29
	Determining Gender	30
	Four Phases of the Menstrual Cycle	31
	Tracking Your Cycle	32
	Lifestyle Effects on Your Cycle	34
4	Sex: Procreative Recreation	37
	Sex--Conception and Myths	38
	Getting Physical: Positioning	40
	Positioning for Special Situations	44
	Location, Location, Location	46
	It's All About Timing	47
	Talking About Sex with Your Partner	48
	Getting Out of the Birth Control Mentality	48
	Keeping the Romance Alive	49
5	Boosting Your Odds of Conception: Fertility Charting	51
	How Pregnancy Occurs	52
	Listening to Your Body's Signals	53
	Checking Your Cervical Mucous	53
	The Position of Your Cervix	55
	The Consistency of Your Cervix	56
	Taking Your Temperature	56
	Charting the Data	58
	Natural Family Planning	61
	Confusing Your Body's Signals	62
6	Low-Tech Fertility Aids	63
	Ferning Testers	64
	Herbal Aids	65
	Home Fertility Testing Kits	67
	Fertility Charting as a Diagnostic Tool	69
	Charting Software	71
	Fertility Monitors	71
	Using Information Wisely	72
7	Am I Pregnant?	73
	Signs You May Be Pregnant	74
	Pregnancy Tests	75
	When to Test	77
	Blood Tests	78
	Using Ultrasound for Confirmation	79
	Pregnancy Symptoms	80
	Sharing the Good News	82
8	Facing Fertility Problems	85
	What Is Infertility?	86
	Measures of Infertility	87
	Talking to Others	88
	Deciding to Get Help	90
	Where to Go from Here	92
9	Male Factor Infertility	93
	How It Should Work	94
	Sexual Dysfunction	96
	Sperm Production	97
	Structural Defects	99
	Endocrine Problems	102
	Other Causes	103
	Vasectomy Reversal	105
10	Female Factor Infertility	107
	Menstrual Disorders	108
	Ovulation Disorders	109
	Endometriosis	111
	Tubal Factor	113
	Uterine Anomalies	115
	The Endocrine System	116
	Other Medical Issues	116
11	Pregnancy Loss	119
	Miscarriage	120
	Bleeding in Pregnancy	124
	Blighted Ovum	126
	Molar Pregnancy	126
	Ectopic Pregnancy	128
	Stillbirth	131
	Repeated Loss	132
	Emotions	133
12	Secondary Infertility	137
	What Is Secondary Infertility?	138
	Getting Your Doctor to Listen	139
	Causes of Secondary Infertility	140
	Fitting in Between Two Worlds	142
	Dealing with Family and Friends	143
	Talking to Your Children	144
13	Choosing a Fertility Specialist	147
	Who Cares for Fertility Patients?	148
	Specialist Training	149
	Getting Recommendations	151
	Services Offered	151
	Treatment Facilities	152
	Who's Who at the Infertility Clinic	153
	Questions to Ask	156
14	Your Fertility Workup	157
	Self-Help Tools	158
	Hormone Levels	158
	Ultrasound	161
	Cervical Mucous	163
	Post Coital Test (PCT)	163
	Semen Analysis	164
	Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)	165
	Endometrial Biopsy	166
	Laparoscopy	166
	Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)	167
	Unexplained Infertility	167
15	Insemination as Treatment	169
	Who Benefits from Inseminations?	170
	The Collection Process	170
	Washing the Specimen	172
	Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)	173
	Intracervical Insemination (ICI)	175
	With or Without Medications	176
	Super Ovulation	176
	Donor Insemination	178
16	Medication Therapy	181
	First Line Medications	182
	Ovulation Induction Medications	183
	Medications for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)	184
	Supplemental Medications	187
	Medications for Men	188
	Administering Meds	190
	Medication Emergencies	193
17	Fertility Surgery	195
	Hysteroscopy	196
	Laparoscopy	197
	Laparotomy	199
	Myomectomy	200
	Fallopian Tube Reconstruction	201
	Lysis of Adhesions	202
	Endometriosis	203
	Uterine Repair	203
	Male Surgeries	204
	Preparing for Surgery	205
18	Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)	207
	Is Advanced Treatment for Me?	208
	In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)	209
	Assisted Hatching	212
	Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injections (ICSI)	213
	Frozen Embryos	214
	Other Alphabet Soup Treatments	215
	Emotional Aspects of ART	216
	Unsuccessful Cycles	217
19	Egg Donation	219
	Who Can Benefit?	220
	The Egg Donation Process	220
	Selecting a Donor	221
	Cycle Synchronization	225
	Shared Cycles: Divvying Up the Eggs	227
	What It Takes to Become an Egg Donor	227
20	Third-Party Reproduction	231
	Egg Donation	232
	Sperm Donation	233
	Surrogacy	233
	Embryo Adoption	235
	Infant Adoption	236
	Ethical Debates	239
21	Financing Fertility	241
	Health Insurance	242
	Shared Risk	244
	Special Programs	245
	Shopping Around	246
	Loans	248
	Choosing the Right Options	249
22	Fertility Support	251
	Staying Sane	252
	Living Your Life	252
	Keeping the Love Alive	253
	Peer Support	254
	Support Groups	255
	Internet Support	256
	Counseling/Therapy	258
	Living in a Fertile World	259
23	Congratulations! You're Pregnant!	261
	Emotional Roller Coaster	262
	Who's Who in the Birth World	263
	What to Look for	265
	Multiples	268
	Asking for Referrals	269
	Your Outlook on Pregnancy	269
	Your First Prenatal Visit	270
Appendix A	Resources	274
Appendix B	Basal Body Temperature Chart	283
	Index	284