How to Get Pregnant: The Classic Guide to Overcoming Infertility, Completely Revised and Updated

by Sherman J. Silber

A revised edition provides coverage of the latest infertility treatments, covering everything from the essential basics of conceiving successfully to the most recent tests and procedures, in a guide that also discusses the antral follicle count process for couples who have postponed pregnancy.

Genres: Parenting

512 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 1981

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the main title, this is not a book for people just wanting information about how best to conceive a child - it is for those finding themselves unable to conceive.

I'm not finished with this book yet so I'll have to change the review once I'm done, but more than halfway through the book I can already say that this is by far the best book on infertility and IVF that I have found so far.

It goes into a lot of medical detail about the processes involved in normal conception, then covers what can go wrong and the appropriate and inappropriate treatments. Be warned, most of the content is technical and reads a bit like a textbook. I like that, you may not.

I also appreciate the value judgments. So many books outline the tests and treatments that are available without saying much about their efficacy. Dr. Silber is very, very opinionated and not afraid to say exactly what he thinks about other doctors, the pharmaceutical industry, etc. After absorbing so much occasionally conflicting information from so many sources (and talking to so many women all over the world on different protocols), I'm glad to know what a leading infertility doctor thinks of it all.

I wouldn't recommend this as an introductory book - try reading Toni Wechsler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility and then browse some web sites to get an orientation into the world of infertility. When you still want more, then pick up this book.

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the scientific aspects of IVF and learning more about your body, you will benefit from reading this book. It helped me understand what each of my meds would do during IVF and how my body would respond to treatments. It was a great read before actually undergoing the process and is one of the best and most informational books about infertility I have read. After reading Dr. Silber's book I felt more in control of my own health simply because I knew more and could ask better questions.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot of medical information here that may be useful for providing context, but the author has decided opinions about managing infertility, and he's not that woman friendly. (And a bit set in his ways; he uses "wives" interchangeably with "women" a lot, for example.) He's interested in female reproductive biology, but the only time he really talks about women as people is either specific cases of success or failure (and they're just mentioned in passing as examples). There's very little here about what experiencing infertility is like if you are a patient; it's almost all from the doctor's side. So, for example, in a book that is heavily in favor of IVF, something which the author thinks is a "romantic" procedure, there is only one mention of the injections necessary to get the process going (and only one chemical is mentioned, with no hint of the multi-injection regimen required), something that every other infertility book or site I've read makes clear is arduous, daunting, and painful for most women. I'm honestly not sure who the audience for this book is; it's not friendly to struggling patients (not hostile, but it tends to treat them as problems to fix, rather than people with a high emotional stake in the process), and it's too technical for people not involved in the process, and it's somewhat vague for doctors... maybe it's for people interested in becoming an RE?

[M. H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether it be strictly biological or highly technological the ways in which humans can be impregnated is covered in this book. The science is straight-forward and easy to understand. The book is thorough without being redundant. Who's a good candidate for any type of medical procedure is covered as well as explanations for who doesn't need it, this includes tests that measure fertility. (Though there was one book I read that recommended an AMH hormone level test to check female fertility over antral follicle count by ultrasound).

[Dg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Silber is a genius! If you have ever had a question about infertility this is the place to go! You get a detailed explanation of Mother Nature like you have never read it before. Granted, the book it a little dry, you can easily navigate the book to read the parts relevant to your or your friends story. It's amazing what God inspired medical technology can do!

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting and I wish that I had found it years ago. It really gets right to the point of what is good to do and what isn't. Anyone that is wanting to get pregnant ever in their life should read this and know the options that are out there.

[Britta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written medical book for laypeople, but it basically gives the same message as every other one: Women are best biologically suited to becoming mothers in their early 20s.

[Ayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is the go to book when my friends are thinking of getting pregnant! It has the most clear and useful information, it explains the right time and basal temps all the info on ovulating, etc.