PROS:
A really useful book with an empathetic tone that is full of practical and compassionate advice. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone experiencing infertility at any stage in the process. The author has both personal and professional experience of infertility. She also makes it clear when what she is saying is backed up by research studies and what is her personal opinion, which I found very reassuring.
She introduces a "toolbox of coping skills", including relaxation and breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness, guided imagery, autogenic training and yoga, as well as cognitive restructuring, journaling, self-nuture, and group support. I found this book helpful in two ways - practising some of the relaxation techniques and cognitive restructuring has been good at helping me feel a bit less stressed and reading through some of the chapters about different aspects of infertility (in particular relating to career, religion and adoption) has helped me gain a different perspective on how to deal with it and has made me feel much more positive and in control.
CONS (none of them bad enough to dock a star!):
This is an American book and the chapter on financial issues is geared up for the American health care system.
It is directed unashamedly at women, although lots of the content is still relevant to men.
I don't like the way the book markets itself. I really dislike the expression "Mind/Body Guide", which sounds horribly "new age", and I really dislike the way the book claims to "boost [infertile women's] chances of becoming pregnant". I don't think this is an appropriate way to sell this to women who are probably feeling pretty desperate. However, I'm really glad that I did buy it because the tone of the book is not like that at all.
