Infertility and Difficult Conception Book List

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Deciding whether to have a child is tough. So, sometimes, is conception. These books cover a gamut of issues that couples trying to conceive will be hungry to read about, from fertility basics to alternative treatments and emotional challenges.

Conceptions & Misconceptions

In Conceptions & Misconceptions: The Informed Consumer's Guide Through the Maze of in Vitro Fertilization & Assisted Reproduction Techniques, authors Arthur Wisot and David Meldrum give readers the right questions to ask and the means to interpret the answers. The compassionate tone may have been gained through personal experience (coauthor Wisot and his wife Claudia have quadruplets, achieved through ovulation-inducing drug therapy in the early 1970s) as well as the two doctors' years of successfully helping infertile couples have babies.

The book includes a detailed review of the reproductive cycle of both female and male, discussion of the causes of infertility, and an explanation of reproductive testing, treatments, and techniques. It also discusses the high risks associated with both in vitro pregnancy and multiple births, and addresses the future of assisted reproduction. Conceptions & Misconceptions is not light reading, yet it's exactly what the doctor ordered for those with questions about assisted reproduction. Rarely is hard-core science successfully explained in such a clear, friendly, informational tone.

—Amazon review

Conquering Infertility

One reader reviewing Conquering Infertility: Dr. Alice Domar's Mind/Body Guide to Enhancing Fertility and Coping with Infertility on Amazon wrote:

If you are looking for a book to give you a cure for infertility this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a book on how to deal with the emotional ups and downs of infertility this is the book. It teaches many relaxation techniques which are necessary when on the emotional roller coaster of infertility. It also gives great advice on how to cope with difficult situations like friends' pregnancies, family, and the work environment. If you want to learn how to better handle infertility emotionally, this is the book for you.

Experiencing Infertility

This book is "a must read for those who are experiencing infertility and who wish to create a family, whether through adoption or through medical treatment," wrote Aaron Britvan, counselor at law, co-chairperson of the adoption committee of the New York State Bar Association, in an Amazon review. "Thorough, thoughtful, sensitive.... Experiencing Infertility: An Essential Resource is filled with valuable insights and is written with emotional understanding by two very empathetic individuals who have lived through it all."