Sharon Perkins - Getting Pregnant For Dummies

Getting Pregnant For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020930130

ISBN 978-1-119-60115-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-60119-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-60123-4 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Introduction Introduction If you’re dealing with infertility, you may feel alone, confused, and depressed over the potential loss of the dream you’ve cherished since childhood: the dream of having a baby of your own. Infertility is a medical problem for 6–8 million Americans. Deemed a disease by the World Health Organization but debated as a symptom by many professional organizations, insurance companies often deny coverage for its diagnosis and treatment. Many people (the “just relax and you’ll get pregnant” crowd) don’t understand its biological origins, and a few (the “take this magic pill and you’ll get pregnant, guaranteed!” group) even exploit those suffering from it. There is good news on the infertility front, however; not only are medical treatments for infertility making great gains, but there’s also more awareness of the emotional and social effects of infertility. In fact, most reproductive medicine centers like to call themselves fertility centers now. Getting Pregnant For Dummies was conceived by combining Jackie Thompson’s knowledge of infertility from a patient’s viewpoint, Lisa Rinehart’s wealth of information as an infertility nurse and reproductive law attorney, and Dr. John Rinehart’s 40 years of clinical practice in reproductive medicine. We wrote this book so that patients dealing with infertility will know that they’re not alone and what they may be up against. We hope it finds its way to the bookshelves and nightstands of all the patients who need it to help find the road to their baby. About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

3 Part 1: Are We There Yet? Wondering Why You’re Not Pregnant Chapter 1: Where, Oh Where, Can My Baby Be? Defining Infertility Looking at Infertility Statistics Shaking Down the Family Tree Seeing What Causes Infertility Diagnosing Infertility Recognizing Why Getting Pregnant Seems Harder Today Calculating the Cost of Infertility Chapter 2: What Does Anatomy Have to Do with It? Reviewing the Female Anatomy In Sync: How Female Reproductive Parts Work Together Hanging Out with the Guys Putting Male and Female Parts Together Conceiving a Baby: How Sex Should Work Figuring Out How Often to Have Sex Chapter 3: Blame It on My Genes! The Role of Genetics and Family History Grasping Genetics Basics Inheriting Infertility — Really? Inheriting Diseases that May Impact Fertility — Different Story! Shaking the Family Tree for Information Finding Out What’s in Your Genes Looking at What’s on the Horizon Chapter 4: Before the Baby: Exploring Lifestyle and Behavioral Factors Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes Understanding Common Infections That Can Cause Uncommon Results STIs May Cause PID: More Than Just a “Pain in the Derriere” Exploring Specific Lifestyle Choices and Busting Some Common Myths Getting Checked Out from Top to Bottom Chapter 5: It Worked the First Time! Tackling Secondary Infertility Facing Secondary Infertility Wanting an Heir and a Spare? Facing Secondary Infertility Looking for What’s Different This Time Around Dealing with the Emotional Pain Planning Treatment for the Second Time Around

4 Part 2: Taking the Initiative Chapter 6: DIY Methods to Increase Your Chances Reading Your Body’s Signals and Signs — An Incomplete Story Keeping a Fertility Chart Predicting Ovulation: Kits, Sticks, and Software Getting through the Two-Week Wait Looking for a Positive with Home Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) Chapter 7: Considering Special Circumstances Calculating Your Fertility Odds as an “Older” Mom Calculating Your Fertility Odds as an “Older” Dad Living with Diseases That Affect Fertility Cancer and Fertility: The News Is Cautiously Optimistic Chapter 8: Harnessing the Power of Modern Medicine: Finding a Doctor and More Exploring Your “Doctor” Options Moving Up to Dr. Specialist Getting Help from National Organizations Going Online for More Resources and Information Discussing Dollars with the Doctor Understanding What Your Doctor Says Knowing When to Switch Doctors Keeping Your Own (Hit) Records Facing the Stranger in Your Sex Life — Treatment and Your Loss of Privacy Chapter 9: Improving Your Odds with Diet, Supplements, and Exercise Eating for Fertility The Controversy over Estrogen Considering Supplements — Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, and More Exploring Alternative Medicine from China and Beyond Chanting Your Way to Conception: Meditation and Yoga Seeking Help from On High Putting Your Body in Motion: The Benefits of Exercise Chapter 10: Are We Having Fun Yet? Managing Your Emotions and Relationships Holding Your Relationship Together during Treatment Healing Your Relationship: Band-Aids and Longer-Term Solutions Dealing with Buttinskies (a.k.a. Friends and Relatives) Getting Professional Help for Very Personal Hurts Taking a Break from Your Fertility “Job” — You Deserve It