YES, YOU PROBABLY CAN GET PREGNANT
...and the really good news is that most of you can conceive naturally, without expensive high-tech intervention. The six-step mind/body fertility enhancement program from Harvard Medical School could give you the answer.

• How can I relax when I'm worried sick about getting pregnant?
  
• Can antidepressants affect my fertility?
  
• Is there some medicine I can take to increase my sperm production?
  
• Does being a vegetarian increase or decrease my chances of conception?

Start to help yourself by learning the newest information on how simple lifestyle changes affect fertility.

A complete and up-to-date guide for those men (and their partners) concerned about preventing and overcoming impotence. Does increasing age inevitably lead to a sexual decline in men? What are the links between heart attack, stroke, and impotence? Can vasectomy cause sexual dysfunction? Richard Milsten and Julian Slowinksi answer these and numerous other questions in this clear and comprehensive guide to maintaining lifelong sexual health. The authors bring together the two critical areas of expertise--medical and psychological--to explain healthy male sexual function and the problem of sexual dysfunction. With an emphasis on prevention, they discuss the medical and psychological causes of impotence and all available treatment options. Topics include what questions to ask a doctor, what to expect from treatment or therapy, information for women about their partners' health, and a self-evaluation questionnaire. "The Sexual Male" provides important knowledge for men and women of any age.

Get Your Body Ready for the Marathon of Labor!

If you're newly pregnant, you're probably watching your diet carefully, getting plenty of rest, and preparing for the arrival of your new baby. You're also thinking about the big day itself and what the experience of labor will be like. Even if you're following a regular fitness program, you'll want to do everything you can to strengthen and prepare your body for the rigors of labor.

Maternal Fitness features clearly illustrated exercises that focus specifically on the muscle groups you'll use throughout labor, especially the transverse abdominals -- the stomach muscles that play a critical role during delivery. A powerful set of transverse abs can speed labor and delivery and make for a quick recovery. By learning how to strengthen your abdominals and relax your pelvic floor muscles, you'll be able to push more effectively.

While the Maternal Fitness program is designed specifically for the big moment, it also has other benefits, from minimizing backache and fatigue to giving you a welcome head start on getting back into shape after childbirth. Developed by a professional trainer who is also a registered nurse and childbirth educator, the Maternal Fitness program is safe for you and your baby and easy to do. Once learned, it can be incorporated into any workout.

..". extremely valuable. This book] addresses exactly the right questions in a balanced, nuanced way." Journal of the American Medical Association

"Cohen s book is a major contribution to the literature of the inevitable." Medical Humanities Review

"This book provides readers with an insightful overview of the practice of oocyte donation, the broader issues raised by this innovative yet problematic technology and, given the recommendations of NABER, how these issues mights be resolved.... Well written, structured, researched, and thought-provoking, this book makes a timely, important, and worthwhile contribution to the growing body of reproductive technology scholarship." Doody s Health Sciences Book Review Home Page

"Detailed notes; extensive references; comprehensive research... Recommended..." Choice

Leading scholars investigate the difficult ethical, legal, and policy issues that surround egg donation and the new reproductive technologies as a whole. In addition, the book describes procedures at four egg-donation centers and presents a new set of guidelines from the National Advisory Board on Ethics in Reproduction."

Controversies about abortion and women's reproductive technologies often seem to reflect personal experience, religious commitment, or emotional response. Laura M. Purdy believes, however, that coherent ethical principles are implicit in these controversies and that feminist bioethics can help clarify the conflicts of interest which often figure in human reproduction. As she defines the underlying issues, Purdy emphasizes the importance of taking women's interests fully into account. Reproducing Persons first explores the rights and duties connected with conception and pregnancy. Purdy asks whether conceiving a child or taking a pregnancy to term can ever be morally wrong. She challenges the thinking of those who feel the prospect of disability or serious genetic disease should not constrain conception or justify abortion. The essays next look at abortion from a variety of angles. One contends that killing fetuses is not murder; others emphasize the moral importance of access to abortion. Purdy considers the conflicting interests of women and men regarding abortion, and argues against requiring a husband's consent. The book concludes with a consideration of new reproductive technologies and arrangements, including the controversial issue of surrogacy, or contract pregnancy. Throughout, Purdy combines traditional utilitarianism with some of the most powerful insights of contemporary feminist ethics. Her provocative essays create guidelines for approaching new topics and inspire fresh thinking about old ones.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, nearly thirty million legal abortions have been performed in the United States. Every year hundreds of thousands of women choose to have abortions. Yet a veil of secrecy is drawn across abortion sites, disturbed only by protest demonstrations and violence outside clinics. For years the antichoice movement has loudly condemned the abortion procedure. Opponents use such words as "baby-killing", "murder", and "blood-dripping abortionists" to describe what goes on in an abortion clinic - highly charged words that are intended to frighten women who are facing one of the most important decisions of their lives. What does - and does not - go on inside an abortion clinic? Why do women seek this procedure? Why would a physician specialize in this service? Why I Am An Abortion Doctor provides a unique, firsthand look at the life and work of a leading abortion provider. With compassion and courage Dr. Suzanne T. Poppema shares the intimate details of her private and professional struggle - including a view from the abortion clinic operating room as well as a recollection of her own fifth-month abortion - to promote better understanding of the reality of abortion and the violent forces that threaten a woman's right to choose. Dr. Poppema's journey has led her from a Catholic upbringing in rural New Hampshire to professional training at Harvard Medical School, where she made a critical career decision to forgo the fame and fortune awaiting those who enter lucrative medical specialties in favor of becoming a family physician. She has traveled to some of the poorest places on earth, where she observed the expendability of human life and thesubjugation of women. Dr. Poppema's work has brought her a world-wide reputation as an authority on abortion. She served as a member of an international panel in Paris to discuss the French abortion pill, RU 486. Her own clinic was chosen as one of the few U.S. test sites for this controversial drug. Why I Am An Abortion Doctor is a compelling, informative book for readers on both sides of the controversy. It is a groud-breaking work that puts a human face on abortion and tells precisely what the procedure involves, who it helps, and why women seek to terminate their pregnancies.

There is a forgotten history to our current debates over reproductive technology - one interweaving literature and science, profoundly gendered, filled with choices and struggles. We pay a price when we accept modern reproductive technology as a scientific breakthrough without a past. Babies in Bottles retrieves some of that history by analyzing the literary and popular science writings of Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, Charlotte Haldane, Aldous Huxley, and Naomi Mitchison - writings that include representations of reproductive technology from babies in bottles to surrogate mothers. It is to these images, fantasies, practices, and narratives of scientific intervention in reproduction that we must look if we want to understand what acts of ideological construction have been carried out, and are currently being performed, in the name of reproductive technology. Susan Merrill Squier shows how the imaginative construction of reproductive technology helps to shape our contemporary practices. Susan Merrill Squier is Julia Gregg Brill Professor in Women's Studies and English at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park. She is the author of Virginia Woolf and London: The Sexual Politics of the City, editor of Women Writers and the City: Essays in Feminist Literary Criticism, and co-editor of Arms and the Woman: War, Gender, and Literary Representation.

A Guide for Women and Those Who Love Them
Revised Edition

The most up-to-date and authoritative guide for women on the change of life. Includes the latest information on hormone replacement therapy; cancer and heart disease; sexuality in the menopausal years; nutrition; exercise; and much more.

Here is a comprehensive guide to the changes, in lifestyle as well as in body, that menopause brings. When the first edition of the book was published in 1983, reviewers hailed it as the most authoritative and accessible bolume ever written on menopause and the general health and well-being of menopausal women.

Now in paperback for the first time, the completely updated Revised Edition includes several new chapters exploring such crucial women's health topics as the importance of good nutrition and exercise, overcoming smoking and obesity, and improving cardiovascular health. Information on the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as well as advice for women who cannot take hormones, is included, as is advice on osteoporosis and on when surgery such as hysterectomy is and is not warranted. Throughout the book, in their own candid words, menopausal women relate their experiences going through this transition. Menopause is a guide to living a long, health life and understanding the natural course of the female body.

"Extraordinary depth of information that is beautifully easy to read. A necessity for every health care provider or woman who is approaching menopause."—Isaac Schiff, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Harvard Medical School

"Provides readable information and anticipates many of the questions that a woman might ask or should ask . . . Practical and useful, it is a wonderful book."—Florence P. Haseltine, M.D., National Institutes of Health

For counselor Nancy Wainer Cohen, this book is the sibling to "Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean "(Bergin & Garvey, 1983) her critically-acclaimed expose on America's growing reliance on cesarean sections. "Open Season "provides fresh insights and new information on the subject, offering guidance to childbearing couples, educators, health professionals, and scholars who value the natural path of childbirth.

Readers will find this book timely, informative, shocking, irreverent, and extremely readable. Cohen's intimate writing style presents a compendium of knowledge on childbirth in the fashion of a personal letter. Her aim is to lower America's alarming reliance on cesarean section, which is currently at 25 percent of all births, and to return the responsibility for childbirth to women by encouraging them to choose the kind of birthing experience they wish to have. In addition to cesarean section, Cohen discusses many other generally unnecessary interventions performed on women during pregnancy and childbirth--such as fetal monitoring and routinized hospital procedures.

Take control of your hormones and feel happier and healthier, with this practical guide to re-balancing your body and getting your life back on track ____________ Hormones play a crucial role in our health and well-being, yet few of us understand the toll they take on our bodies when we don't achieve a balance. Whether you're riding the roller coasters of puberty, pregnancy or the menopause, we're all a slave to our hormones at some point in our lives, and they can leave you feeling tired, low and irritable. In It Must Be My Hormones, leading specialists in women's health Dr Marion Gluck and nutritionist Vicki Edgson, show you the role that each of our major hormones plays, how a deficiency can affect our well-being, and what we can do to restore the balance. In this book you'll discover: * How to keep the weight off with thyroid boosting mega-foods * Vitamins which work wonders for your skin * How herbs and spices can give you a caffeine-free energy kick * Which aromatherapy herbs are actually beneficial * Ways to improve cognitive function through mineral supplements From boosting fertility to easing symptoms of PMS, this practical, easy-to-implement guidance will restore mental and physical well-being. Filled with inspiring personal stories, nutritional suggestions and advice on bio-identical hormone therapy, this book will help you regain control of your hormones and your life.

..". glimpses of intriguing changes in social arrangements and cultural understandings in relation to surrogacy. Disturbing motherhood indeed." New Scientist

"Larry Gostin has put together the definitive collection of essays on one of the most perplexing and titillating topics in contemporary medical ethics. This book includes contributions from some of the leading scholars on the legal, ethical, and social aspects of surrogacy, as well as several critical perspectives on the famous Baby M case must reading for understanding the surrogate motherhood controversy." Robert M. Veatch

"Highly recommended... " Choice

..". a valuable resource for those concerned with an exceedingly difficult ethical, legal, and political problem." Ethics

"There is a wealth of information here on the current status questionis in the United States, and anyone involved in the surrogacy debate, in the U.S. or otherwise, will find working through this material very worthwhile." Canadian Philosophical Review

..". an excellent sample of some of the best and most varied thinking so far on the numerous conceptual, moral, social, and policy questions raised by contract motherhood." The Journal of Clinical Ethics"

The creation of 'test--tube babiesa acted as a spur to public debate about the implications of research on embryos, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and the whole range of technologies concerned with human reproduction. The scope of reproductive technologies examined in this volume -- from techniques for the medical 'managementa of childbirth, to genetic engineering -- is such that few women in the western world, and smaller and smaller numbers in the third world, escape their influence. What then is their impact: on the process of reproduction, on family life and particularly on women? 'Reproductive Technologiesa is a remarkable collection of original essays which attempts to place the current controversy over reproductive technologies in a political, legal and economic context. Contributors -- including Lesley Doyal, Ann Oakley, Ros Petchesky, Carol Smart, Hilary Rose, and Naomi Pfeffer -- examine systematically the technologies that have sparked off these debates. They explore the problem of infertility which is used to validate reproductive technologies; the way assumptions about the family and about biological parenthood continue to structure the arguments for and against; the impact of the medicalization of childbirth; the way debates are embedded in changing conceptions of paternal rights, maternal rights and embryo rights; the problems of providing adequate health care for women; and, above all, the urgency with which these issues raise problems about the accountability of science.

It is the book for every woman who hopes for VBAC. In fact, many first-time cesareans could be avoided if this book were read first. It is thorough, it is compassionate. "Esther Zorn, Cesarean Prevention Movement"

A] landmark book. . . . These VBAC stories are inspiring, as well as very informative about the nature of labor and current U.S. obstetric practice. "Ina May Gaskin, The Birth Gazette"

This is not a dry text book remote from reality, but a powerful manual' that burns the knowledge women need in an indelible way on heart and mind. "AIMS Quarterly Journal"

Here for the first time are intimate stories of the VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) experience, as told by mothers, fathers, midwives, obstetricians, labor coaches, and others whose lives have been affected by VBAC. The stories demystify in a powerful way the idea of once a cesarean, always a cesarean. By example, each story is a telling critique of birthing practices in general and the cesarean outcome in particular, as well as a primer for mothers, fathers, and professionals on the VBAC experience.

The bible of cesarean prevention. Wall Street Journal A landmark event, which will change the course of obstetric care by giving parents the informtion they need to make the decisions that are best for their own families. Comprehensive, highly readable, sensitive . . . should be read by everyone who cares about someone. Marian Tompson Director, Alternative Birth Crisis Coalition American Academy of Medicine Required reading for all childbirth professionals and prospective parents. Journal of Gynecological Nursing

Are assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) a medical issue or a matter of public policy, subject to restrictions? Francesca Scala employs the concept of boundary work to explain the protracted debates that ensued when Canada appointed a royal commission in 1989 to settle the issue. She reveals that both sides of the debate attempted to secure their position as authorities by challenging, defending, or blurring the boundaries between science and politics. This compelling account contributes to our understanding of the interaction between science and politics, the exercise of social control over science and technology, and the politics of expertise in policy making.

Engage with practical and active solutions to day-to-day issues of reproductive medicine and the use of artificial reproductive techniques (ART), occurring in clinical and laboratory environments. Authored by leading experts in the field, this user-friendly guide is invaluable for any IVF practitioner and embryologist, facing everyday hands-on issues, through to high-pressure laboratory problems, efficiency ratings and ensuring cost-effective delivery of care. With the strict governance of regulatory bodies worldwide, the success of any fertility centre depends on successful problem solving, all day every day. Based on a wealth of experience, identify commonly occurring problems, and fresh perspectives of problem-solving, with 'must-have' protocols, patient information sheets and suggested equipment. This go-to companion tackles operational, organisational, clinical and laboratory issues to financial and clinical governance, with a focus on quick and effective solutions for the busy practitioner.

The theme of this BRP is the right to procreate in the Israeli context. Our discussion of this right includes the implementation of the right to procreate, restrictions on the right (due to societal, legal, or religious concerns), and the effect of the changing conception of the right to procreate (both substantively and in practice) on core family concepts.

Am I the Reason I'm Not Getting Pregnant? gets women struggling with infertility ready to unleash unshakable confidence and certainty on the road to motherhood. Am I the Reason I'm Not Getting Pregnant? reveals the secret to trading that fear for the unwavering confidence and certainty that women are truly doing everything they can. Rosanne Austin is the coach women around the world turn to when they want success on their fertility journey. In Am I the Reason I'm Not Getting Pregnant? Rosanne shares: The genius hack for getting back on the road to fertility success, regardless of age, past "failures," and scary statistics The secret to making fertility decisions like an expert, so women improve their chances of getting pregnant immediately and don't waste time or resources How to create the perfect Bump Squad, so women can finally get the support they really want - even from people they think won't "get" it What it takes to crush fear, doubt, negativity, and spinning in "what-ifs", so women don't wreck their results or set themselves up for soul-searing regret Daily practices that empower women to never have to utter the words, "What should I do," ever again

Fertility Fuel is an integrative approach to understanding and overcoming infertility. While most fertility clinics thrive on scary statistics and over-medicalized interventions, it is possible to create your family without fear and desperation. Laying out five steps to get one's body in the best possible state to say YES to fertility, Fertility Fuel examines widely accepted western medicine protocols as well as the integration of adjunct therapies to improve fertility results. It discusses options and possible treatments that may not be on the patient's current radar and helps couples separate facts from scare tactics in their fertility quest. Founded in clinical experience as well as current exposure to modern integrative practices, Fertility Fuel is a patient advocate handbook for helping couples create a family.

Sexualfreundliche Sexualerziehung soll und muss sein, aber wem nutzt eine pro-aktiv sexualisierende Sexualerziehung und warum loest sie Widerstand aus? Ist die aktuell diskutierte Sexualpadagogik mit ihren Zielen und Methoden kindgerecht oder bedient sie Interessen von Erwachsenen? Diese Streitschrift bietet Interessierten und an Erziehung Beteiligten Informationen und Analysen, sowie persoenliche Einschatzungen der Autorin, die nachdenklich machen. Das Buch reflektiert alternative Herangehensweisen an das Thema Sexualitat in Kita und Schule und erklart, warum sich religioes begrundete und "moderne" sexual-padagogische Konzepte ahneln. Die Autorin nimmt die Leser mit in die Fragestellung und Besorgnis, ob die derzeit propagierte Sexualerziehung darauf hinauslauft, Kinder mit padagogischer Legitimation in die sexualisierte Erwachsenenwelt hineinzuziehen. Es oeffnet die Augen fur die Thematik und gibt Hinweise wie Kinder und Jugendliche motiviert werden koennen, sich vor dem Einfluss von Pornografie zu schutzen.

Infertility can have devastating physical, emotional and financial effects on people affected. It is a common problem, but can be hard to talk about, and hard to understand. In this concise book, Dr Kovacs, a reproductive gynaecologist who has spent the past 40 years working with patients facing fertility problems, focuses on and unpicks key misconceptions. In his clear explanations, he covers the basic physiology of conceiving, and describes the areas that have to be explored for those who have not yet been able to conceive. Specific chapters cover the three major problem areas: lack of releasing eggs, sperm problems, and abnormalities of the female passages. Treatment options are discussed for each of these areas, including technical details and a brief readable overview of their history. The many ways of parenting which are now available are also detailed. This is a recommended read for couples wanting to conceive, their friends and families, and anyone who wants to understand fertility.

This book provides comprehensive information on Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), its clinical considerations, outcomes and potential health effects. Male and female infertility is increasing all over the world. The basic techniques of assisted reproduction like ovulation control and intrauterine insemination are ineffective if the sperm quality or number is inadequate. The advanced fertilization techniques are in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and ICSI. In 15% cases of infertility, IVF results in total failed fertilization; therefore, ICSI must be used. Some clinics exclusively use ICSI for all infertility patients due to its reliability of fertilization outcome or to avoid total fertilization failure. ICSI was first used in humans in 1992. Since then, tremendous advances have been made in assisted reproductive technology. ICSI has enabled even those men who have rare sperm in their testes to father a biological child. If no sperm are observed in the ejaculate, in almost all cases, they can be recovered from the testicles. Such retrieved sperm can only be used by ICSI. Therefore, its understanding is essential not only for medical staff but also for patients suffering from infertility. This book is highly recommended for patients suffering from infertility or currently undergoing infertility treatment. It explains the factors affecting ICSI success rate. In ICSI, the embryologist picks a sperm for injection to fertilize oocytes whereas in intrauterine insemination and IVF, one sperm penetrates naturally. This manual selection of sperm has raised concerns especially in those patients suffering from severe male factor infertility. The nature of sperm defects varies and could be congenital, acquired or genetic. Children born through ICSI are, therefore, considered at higher risk of carrying the defect. Many investigations have been carried out to compare incidence of the defects between children conceived naturally and conceived through ICSI. Additional technologies have been developed to ensure the birth of a normal child. These include pre-implantation genetic testing and non-invasive prenatal testing. This book addresses these concerns and explains the health effects on children born through ICSI. This book is very useful for medical students, andrologists, embryologists, nurses or anyone else interested in learning basic or advanced knowledge of assisted reproductive technology, especially ICSI. The authors of the chapters of this book are highly experienced and from different parts of the world. Many of them are directing very busy ART laboratories at leading infertility clinics in the United States of America, Canada and the Middle East.

The development of the placenta was a pivotal event in evolution. Without it, we would still be laying eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring. It represents the critical link between the foetus and the mother, but its character is extraordinary - it is, in effect, a foreign tissue that invades the mother's body. Compared to many other animals, the human placenta represents a particularly aggressive body. But how is it managed and controlled? How did such an organ evolve in the first place? And why is it tolerated by the mother? Y.W. Loke explores the nature of the placenta and what it can tell us about evolution, development, and genetics.