Jean M. Twenge - The Impatient Womans Guide to Getting Pregnant

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Jean M. Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than one hundred scientific publications and two books based on her research, Generation Me and The Narcissism Epidemic. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and National Public Radio. She received a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a PhD from the University of Michigan. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and three daughters.

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One summer day when I was six months pregnant with my second child, I was swimming laps when an idea popped into my head: Why dont I write a book called The Impatient Womans Guide to Getting Pregnant ? Over the previous four years, Id read countless journal articles about fertility, worried constantly, and wished I could snap my fingers and get pregnant right now. I knew there were other women who felt that way, too.

I already had a call scheduled with my agent, Jill Kneerim, to discuss my ideas for my next book. I started with my Big Academic Idea, with lots of evidence (most of it depressing), and by the end of my recitation, Jill and I agreed that the ideas were solid, but it might be tough to sell. Then, as almost an afterthought, I mentioned The Impatient Womans Guide, saying I wanted to write a girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice book that was fun to read. She said, Tell me more about that one, and sure enough, here we are. So my first thanks are to Jill, for seeing the potential in the idea of a neurotic research-psychologist mom writing a fertility book. Jills assistant, Caroline Zimmerman, was also indispensable, summarizing other books in the area so that we could make it clear that this one was definitely different.

The crack editorial team of Leslie Meredith and Donna Loffredo ably guided the project from proposal to a final manuscript, catching my overuse of acronyms and my occasional bad joke. (If worse jokes remain, the fault is mine.)

My biggest debt of gratitude is to the women who shared their stories with me, either through my survey at www.jeantwenge.com or through our personal connection. Your insights brought the topic of fertility exactly where it should be: about real women and what they experience. Thanks as well to friends who referred others to the site, especially Cara Fairfax, Deborah Johnson, Nicole Kalian, Amy Tobia, and Sarah Kilabarda. Andrew Chapman and Brian Cowell provided crucial webpage design.

Four friends read chapters and provided amazing feedback and material. Amanda Davis, a certified nutrition educator, read Chapter 2 on food and kept me from making several embarrassing newbie mistakes, as well as enlightening me about whole grains, organic versus local food, and the joys of steel-cut oats. Jeff Green imparted the guys perspective with some awesome jokes. Jody Davis and Benita Jackson helped immensely as both psychology experts and readers from the target demographic. Jeff and Jody also recommended my new favorite show, I Didnt Know I Was Pregnant.

Thanks to Keith Campbell for being my foxhole buddy in everything from academic debates to helicopter rideslooking forward to the next book. My eternal gratitude goes to friends who patiently listened to my irrational worries, especially Sonia Orfield and Stacy Campbell. Thanks as well to those who provided friendship and support, including Ken Bloom, Lawrence Charap, Cara Fairfax, Craig Foster, Deborah Johnson, Mike and Kelly Johnson, Darlene and Rich Kobylar, Claire Murphy, Nell Newman, Adam Shah, Susan and Alistair Steele, Amy and Paul Tobia, and May Yeh. A big hug to Rita Pandya and her family (including Mona and Nisha) for taking such good care of Elizabeth.

My parents, Steve and JoAnn Twenge, provided crucial babysitting, lots of grandma and grandpa love, and many Sunday dinners. We are happy to have you here in paradise. All of us look forward to video visits from Grammy Susie, Papa Jud, and the chicken. Dan Twenge, Kendel Neidermyer, and Alex Berman, thanks for comingyou can play monster with us in the pool anytime. Aunt Pat and Papa Bud, thanks for the boat rides, the tubing, and the snacks. Marilyn and Ray Swenson; Jane, Brian, and Roxanne Moening; Sarah and Dan Kilabarda; Anna, Dusty, Henry, and Miles Wetzel; and Brian, Kim, Abby, Owen, and Evan Chapeau, I love you all and always love seeing you. Thanks to Roxanne Moening for sending me our family tree, and to Mark, Kathy, and Katie Moening for the horses and for the inspiration.

My daughters are the reason I wrote this book. All of the worry and craziness of fertility happens for one big reason: We long for our children even before they are conceived. Kate, Elizabeth, and Julia, you are more than worth it. Elizabeth, thank you for your oddball creativity (where did the knock dance come from?) and your budding organizational skills. Kate, I am charmed every day by your joy in learning, even if I do take too long to explain some things. (Kate at three years old: Mommy, whats reelection? Me: Talk for about a minute, using simple words but probably still too long. Kate, the second I stop talking: Mommy, sometimes people poop in their underwear.) Julia, I got pregnant with you while writing the first edition of this bookI basically owe your existence to my overly extensive knowledge of fertility monitor dynamics. Your smile could launch ships. Best of luck becoming the dictator of all water polo coaches.

And to my husband, Craig, thanks for enduring my fertility crazinessthree timesand not losing it, and then enduring a modified version when I was creating this book. An Impatient Woman needs a patient man, and Im lucky to have found that in you.