cover image Having a Baby...When the Old-Fashioned Way Isn't Working: Hope and Help for Everyone Facing Infertility

Having a Baby...When the Old-Fashioned Way Isn't Working: Hope and Help for Everyone Facing Infertility

Cindy Margolis. Perigee Books, $22.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-399-53385-3

Tackling a delicate issue with courage, wisdom and generosity, model Margolis (Celebrity spokesperson for ""National Infertility Association"" Resolve) shares the personal, emotional story of her long journey to pregnancy using in vitro fertilization. An oft-avoided subject, this guide to pursuing assisted reproductive therapies (ARTs) is meant to address the ""biggest hurdle"" in Margolis's own story, ""the lack of readily available information and resources"" that leaves couples facing the emotional and practical challenges of infertility with little support. Aside from a step-by-step look at the in vitro methods that eventually yielded Margolis a successful pregnancy, the authors provide a chapter on practical concerns (""Figuring out Costs, Insurance, and What Is and Isn't Covered"") and, thoughtfully, stories from couples using an array different methods (surrogacy, adoption, etc.) for dealing with infertility; further, she sprinkles her text with the addresses and web sites of helpful organizations. Personal, easy to read and possessed of a warm, welcome sense of humor, Margolis's book makes an excellent introduction for anyone facing fertility issues, putting a hopeful face on a distressing topic, providing much-needed support and pointing the way forward.