In high school, they warned, "It only takes one time." But age, health problems, and the anxiety that often builds around an inability to conceive can turn that early admonition into a mocking refrain. Today, about 20 percent of couples find themselves riding the cyclone of fertility frustration, alternately flying high on hope, then plunging into despair as each month passes without a positive pregnancy test. For anyone who's been trying to get pregnant for at least a year (the current definition of infertility), Six Steps to Increased Fertility is a must-read. Written by the Harvard Medical School team Robert L. Barbieri, M.D., Alice D. Domar, Ph.D, and Kevin R. Loughlin, M.D., Six Steps guides you through the conception process, explaining what can derail it and detailing the vast range of treatment options for boosting conception odds--from simple lifestyle adjustments to fertility drugs to more aggressive therapies like in vitro fertilization. Along the way, there are supportive tales of couples who've survived the infertility ordeal and checklists of questions for your doctor. A medical glossary and a list of organizations that deal with infertility, mental health, miscarriage, and adoption are tucked in the back.
But what makes this book so appealing is the authors' refreshing six-step philosophy, one that melds natural methods with conventional medicine. Their perspective: technology can be wonderful, but it should rarely be the first step. Oftentimes, depending on one's age and health, changes in diet, exercise routine, and stress levels can make all the difference. Indeed, the cornerstone of the book is the do-it-yourself version of the successful Harvard Behavioral Medicine Program for Infertility that includes easy-to-master relaxation exercises and other stress-reduction techniques. In study after study, research has definitively shown that as stress, anxiety, and depression levels go down, pregnancy and birth rates rise. Six Steps offers sensitive advice and coping strategies meant to help couples understand that while being "infertile" can be all-consuming, it is not the sum total of their lives. --Norine Dworkin