Official Review: Fertility and Pregnancy: The Infertility...

TLGabelman · Post by **TLGabelman** » 09 Jan 2015, 20:14

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fertility and Pregnancy: The Infertility Survival Handbook" by Stephanie Coldwell.]

1 out of 4 stars

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This non-fiction book is written for couples who are dealing with infertility. The message is positive and Coldwell writes to encourage both men and women who are discouraged with their infertility diagnosis. Through this short book Coldwell discusses many different topics that pertain to infertility including: causes, diet, disease, ovulation and sex. The information provided is quite basic, along with Coldwell’s personal opinions on the subject matter.

Right from the Introduction, I could tell Coldwell was well meaning although not particularly suited for the task of dealing with a mammoth of a topic such as Infertility. She attempts to adopt a ‘girlfriend’ tone but it reads more uneducated. Immediately, she makes a hostile statement regarding insurance companies “According to these insurance companies, infertility isn't a disease - it's a state of mind, which means if you relax, you'll get pregnant!” This is strange mostly due to the fact that one of the clearest messages in her book is not to stress since it can greatly affect your chances of conceiving.

Coldwell’s attempts to seem like an expert on infertility are diminished by her constant need to use cutesy terms throughout the entire book. These include but are not limited to her reference to a pregnant belly as a “happy bump” and referring to having sex to conceive as “baby sex.” Much of the information she does convey is outdated, stating that “some people blame genetics,” when in reality genetic conditions play a very big role for many people dealing with infertility. Additionally, she is inconsistent switching from fractions to percentages and providing little explanation for either. The diet portion of the book is completely useless, more suitable for a person who wants to know what food groups cause weight gain. With statements including “you can still have those delicious cupcakes once in a while.”

Chances are if a couple is dealing with infertility they have already assembled a mass of information on the topic, and are probably able to spout off percentages and ovulation predictions in the drop of a hat. The information Coldwell shares is more suited as Infertility 101, providing very basic facts and definitions combined with her individual assessments. Further Coldwell’s list of causes of infertility is far from all-encompassing completely leaving out infertility caused by medicine, birth defects, hormone imbalances, and obesity just naming a few. To further discredit her expertise she denies age is a factor, sharing two random examples of women over fifty who have given birth. But don’t despair, Coldwell personally guarantees couples will be successful in their attempts to conceive stating: “I’ve got the answer to your question, “Am I ever going to have a family of my own?” Yes. You most definitely can have the family you’ve always dreamed of. You just need to be patient.” Wait, what?

I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. While I truly believe Coldwell has the best intentions hoping to provide hope to couples who are facing infertility I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

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Fertility and Pregnancy: The Infertility Survival Handbook
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Kappy · Post by **Kappy** » 10 Feb 2015, 21:51

Excellent review. I think that the author's "cupcake" statement in itself is enough to prevent the book from getting more than one star.

ejcogan · Post by **ejcogan** » 10 Feb 2015, 22:17

Great review! Very thorough and informative. I'm glad you took the time to read this book so that others will know in advance not to purchase something that is not going to help them in a situation such as this. It must be so heart wrenching for couples to be having infertility struggles and the last thing they need is the extra frustration of putting in the time looking for answers that aren't going to be there. Thank you TLGabelman, you did a great job!

TLGabelman · Post by **TLGabelman** » 11 Feb 2015, 09:38

Thank you both! I have over 5 years of experience in the field and in dealing with people who are struggling which is why I chose this book to review. I was so disappointed and I hope the author takes the criticism and completely revamps the book!

Post by **bookowlie** » 11 Feb 2015, 09:50

Great review. You brought up some interesting points. It is mind-boggling that the author denied that age is a factor, using two random examples of women over 50 giving birth.