Description:

SUMMARY: Before turning to high-tech fertility treatments, the 15 percent of all couples who experience fertility problems might consider reading and trying the many conception tips in Winifred Conkling's highly helpful Getting Pregnant Naturally: Healthy Choices to Boost Your Chances of Conceiving Without Fertility Drugs. Conkling, an experienced medical and natural health writer and mother of two children (one who took a long time to conceive), differentiates between "infertile" and "subfertile" couples, and asserts that more than half of all couples who have failed to conceive in a year or more of trying can go on to get pregnant and have healthy babies. Her book describes how. Conkling begins with a clear description of the complicated mechanics of conception and the basics of enhancing conception chances. Combining accessible and straightforward information with simple checklists, she then presents dietary suggestions (men should avoid cottonseed oil, a natural antifertility agent), herbal remedies, homeopathy, acupressure (complete with pressure-point maps), and stress-reduction techniques (including enjoying good orgasms, biofeedback, meditation, visualization, massage, and refraining from adopting a child as a means to reduce infertility stress). For each suggestion and remedy, a complete, easy-to-follow description is provided. Getting Pregnant Naturally concludes with lifestyle suggestions such as losing weight gradually (if needed) and avoiding bicycling (for men), as well as quitting smoking and recreational drugs, minimizing air travel, and limiting computer use (there may be a link between computer use and miscarriage). A 27-page appendix listing resources rounds out this highly helpful guide. --Ericka Lutz