"The Infertility Companion for Catholics" by Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría
One in every six U.S couples experiences infertility, but Catholic couples face additional confusion, worry and frustration as they explore the medical options available to them. Filling a major void in Catholic resources, "The Infertility Companion for Catholics" describes the Church's teaching on reproductive technologies and provides a rich spiritual perspective on the emotions and faith involved in embracing the cross of infertility. The authors both experienced periods of being unable to conceive and they walk in solidarity with readers, compassionately coaching them through the challenging landscape of infertility.
"Facing Infertility: A Catholic Approach" by Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz
More than 1 out of 10 couples experience infertility, finding themselves in a "desert" -- lost and abandoned, hungering and thirsting, praying and waiting – for a child. Navigating through the "desert" of infertility is an especially painful experience. It can lead to a sense of failure and a feeling of hopelessness. Couples may feel that they have nowhere to turn -- especially Catholic couples that feel that there are not sufficient infertility resources to help them. Author Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz understood this predicament perfectly. As a Catholic woman who personally struggled with infertility and who heard a woman's prayer group discussion on the lack of such resources, she was inspired to fill this void. This spiritual companion offers the direction, nourishment and faith to find the way out of the "desert." Blending Catholic teaching with the best that medical science has to offer, readers are provided with a path to healing in a sensitive and gradual manner. The morality or immorality of various infertility treatment options are explained in context of the Church's teachings. But this resource also extends into the emotional, psychological, medical, biological, cultural, and financial aspects to dealing with infertility, offering a comprehensive overview. Each chapter contains a Scripture passage, a reflection from a Catholic woman who has been struggling with infertility, commentary, discussion questions, tips for friends and family and a prayer from the Book of Psalms.
“Breakfast With the Pope” by Susan Vigilante
A Christian “Eat Pray Love,” Susan Vigilante, an average Catholic wife from Long Island, woke up one morning in the romantic Italian hillside near the ancient village of Castel Gandolfo and had breakfast with Pope John Paul II. How did she get here? “Breakfast With the Pope” is the funny, endearing, searing and relentlessly honest story of a woman on a pilgrimage, a woman who has failed for years to become the writer she longs to be, who yearns for the children she is unable to bear, who seeks to find the promised God of love amidst the wreckage of failed human relationships. This is a book you will never forget, an often funny, always deeply moving spiritual memoir about seeking faith in the midst of doubt, compassion in the midst of suffering and, above all, choosing love even knowing that it never comes without pain.
“Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong – and What You Really Need to Know” by Emily Oster
Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most pro found, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. Pregnant women are told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee without ever being told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are similarly unexplained. Moms-to-be desperately want a resource that empowers them to make their own right choices. When award-winning economist Emily Oster was a mom-to-be herself, she evaluated the data behind the accepted rules of pregnancy and discovered that most are often misguided and some are just flat-out wrong. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, “Expecting Bettering” is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.
“The Impatient Woman's Guide to Getting Pregnant” by Jean M. Twenge
Comforting and intimate, this “girlfriend” guide to getting pregnant gets to the heart of all the emotional issues around having children—biological pressure, in-law pressures, greater social pressures—to support women who are considering getting pregnant. Trying to get pregnant is enough to make any woman impatient. This book is a complete guide to the medical, psychological, social, and sexual aspects of getting pregnant, told in a funny, compassionate way, like talking to a good friend who’s been through it all.
“Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics” by Julia Indichova
A memoir of hope for the thousands of women struggling with infertility, from one who beat the odds by simply tuning in to her body and tapping her well of sheer determination. At a time when more and more women are trying to get pregnant at increasingly advanced ages, fertility specialists and homeopathic researchers boast endless treatment options. But when Julia Indichova made the rounds of medical doctors and nontraditional healers, she was still unable to conceive a child. It was only when she forsook their financially and emotionally draining advice, turning inward instead, that she finally met with reproductive success. “Inconceivable” recounts this journey from hopeless diagnoses to elated motherhood.
