Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Why This Book

Fertility is a billion dollar industry in the United States.

I will give you a minute to let that sink in.

Seriously, it's like every wedding planner out there has a smarter cousin who decided to go to medical school and make the real money. Eight hundred dollars for cake? Phsaw! How about sixteen thousand for one round of IVF -- which might not work? Yep, smarter cousins.

It isn't just doctors making money off malfunctioning naughty parts either. People are selling tests, drugs, herbs, salves, exercise programs, juice regimes, lubricants, and a litany of other things all with the promise of helping couples conceive. Oh, and books, we musn't forget about the books.

I have been trying to get pregnant since the economy was still good and bacon was only for breakfast. In that time I have bought, and discarded, at least a dozen books. Most of them were simply unreadable. Some of them were too cutesy and wanted to infantilize the whole situation. I mean, I don't need to read about "baby dust" before going in for a transvaginal ultrasound. And calling sex the "baby dance"? No. Just no. Then I found "Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility." I expected it to end up on the discard pile as well. It did not.

I feel like this book is different. First off, it doesn't say everyone should be doing the same thing. In fact, it says people should be doing wildly different things depending on what they think is wrong. Second, it wants to treat the person before it treats the infertility. Good health is the main objective, on the idea that good fertility will follow. Third, it tells you how long you should do it: three months. I figure I can do anything for three months.

Of course, the big question is does it work? Well, hell, I don't know yet. I know I would like it to. And I know I am ready to share the journey with you, Erin and Christina.

If nothing else, it only cost me twenty bucks.

10 comments:

  1. good luck, ladies. while i'm not anywhere near your current position in reproduction, i was recently diagnosed with an asshole of a uterus. it will be interesting to see how this project goes.

    also noteworthy- "baby dance" is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

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  2. Thank you, we agree wholeheartedly! And good luck with that wonky uterus...

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  3. Good luck ladies! I will be rooting for all three of you!

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  4. You go, girls! Treat the person before the infertility - that's sound advice!

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  5. Is there a chapter about what to do if you have no uterus? Hmm. Probably not.

    I wish you the best of luck. I am sure Meg would love a little sister or brother to tell what to do. :)

    I'm rooting for you!

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  6. I am a lurker at Libby Logic (sorry about that Libby) and came on over, and just want you all to know that I bought that book July 2009 ... and my ten month old daughter (born April 2010, 10 months later ...) is trying her best to prevent me from writing this. Was it the book? The few things I tried from it? (B Vitamins and Acupuncture, for the record) I can't tell you for sure. But she's here.

    Wishing you all the best of luck.

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  7. Genie, that is SO encouraging!!

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  8. I am rooting for you. So hopeful this is the best $20 you'll ever spend!

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  9. Just stumbled across this blog.....Can it be? Ladies discussing trying to conceive and making sense to me? Finally! I am right smack dab in the middle of the boat with you...Just read the book in March '11, I'm 34, my name is Erin, and I'm Tired and Stuck.

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  10. Erin - Welcome! You're in good company. Maybe we can make this work for all of us.

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