THE
EVERYTHING
FERTILITY
BOOK
All you need to know about fertility, conception,
and a healthy pregnancy
Nicole Galan, RN
Foreword by Richard V. Grazi, MD
Copyright 2011 Simon and Schuster All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
Contains material adapted and abridged from The Everything Getting Pregnant Book by Robin Elise Weiss, copyright 2004 Simon and Schuster,
ISBN 10: 1-59337-034-2, ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-034-3.
ISBN 10: 1-4405-0546-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0546-1
eISBN 10: 1-4405-0547-0
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0547-8
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Galan, Nicole.
The everything fertility book / Nicole Galan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4405-0546-1 (alk. paper)
1. Infertility Popular works. 2. Fertility, Human Popular works. 3. Conception. I. Title.
RC889.G28 2011
616.6'92 dc22 2010039120
This book is intended as general information only, and should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. In light of the complex, individual, and specific nature of health problems, this book is not intended to replace professional medical advice. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions in this book are intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained medical professional. Consult your physician before adopting any of the suggestions in this book, as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
THE EVERYTHING FERTILITY BOOK
Dear Reader,
While conceiving a baby can certainly happen unexpectedly, it quite often requires a great deal of planning and preparation. The decision to have a baby is often one that brings great joy and happiness to everyone surrounding the couple.
Every year, however, thousands of couples face the heartache and confusion that accompanies the moment they recognize that this may not be the easy, natural process they envisioned. Unless you know someone who has struggled with infertility, you may be filled with fear and anxiety when beginning treatment. Is there something wrong with me? With my partner? Will we ever have children?
As an infertility nurse, I've worked with hundreds of couples in the same situation as you. I've shared their joys, their sorrows, and the uncertainty in between.
I hope this book gives you the information you need to make informed decisions about your care. I hope the little tips I've shared make the process just a bit easier for you. And most of all, I hope that the end of this journey brings you the little bundle of joy you have been wishing for.
Best of luck!
Welcome to the EVERYTHING Series!
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.
You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you're done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!
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PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITOR Jacob Erickson
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katrina Schroeder
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EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everythingseries at www.everything.com
To my Tommy: thank you for always pushing and encouraging me to work toward my dreams.
Acknowledgments
The journey infertility forces some to take is infinitely personal and private. Therefore, I must thank the countless patients who have shared their struggles with me on a daily basis.
To the incredible staff I work with I have never seen such a dedicated group of professionals who care so deeply about their patients. Without the work that you do, thousands of families would be incomplete.
Dr. Grazi and Dr. Seifer thank you for sharing your depth of knowledge with me. The autonomy, respect, and recognition you provide your employees in general and your nurses in particular is second to none.
To the nursing staff, and especially Joanne, Natalya, Erica, Toby W., and Rosa thank you, thank you, thank you for teaching me everything you know about infertility. I could not have learned as much as I have without your endless knowledge, patience, and unique ability to truly advocate for your patients.
My mom and dad thank you for being amazing parents and teaching me how to reach for my dreams. Thank you also for teaching me how to be an incredible mom. I love you both so much.
For my sister Jenn, who is always there to listen and be my partner in crime, be it with pints of ice cream or trips to the spa.
For Carmela; you make me proud to be a nurse.
Thank you to my entire family, and Maria in particular, for the extra babysitting hours you've put in. I could not have done this without your support.
For Jackson, my own little miracle. I am so eternally grateful and blessed to be your mamacita. I love you in a way that I didn't know was possible until I met you.
And finally, for Tommy. You've stood with me when I needed help and pushed me to walk by myself when I needed to find my own strength. You've been my partner, my support, and my coach. Your endless perseverance has been a source of inspiration to me and I am so incredibly lucky to be sharing this journey of life with you. Thank you a thousand times over. I love you.
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