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Conceivability: What I Learned Exploring the Frontiers of Fertility
The “Jason Bourne of fertility” (The New York Times Book Review) presents a personal and deeply informative account of one woman’s journey through the global fertility industry.On paper, conception may seem like a simple biological process, yet this is often hardly the case. While many would like to have children, the road toward conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy can be unexpectedly rocky and winding. Lawyer Elizabeth Katkin never imagined her quest for children would ultimately involve seven miscarriages, eight fresh IVF cycles, two frozen IVF attempts, five natural pregnancies, four IVF pregnancies, ten doctors, six countries, two potential surrogates, nine years, and roughly $200,000. Despite her three Ivy League degrees and wealth of resources, Katkin found she was woefully undereducated when it came to understanding and confronting her own difficulties having children. After being told by four doctors she should give up, but without an explanation as to what exactly was going wrong with her body, Katkin decided to look for answers herself. The global investigation that followed revealed that approaches to the fertility process taken in many foreign countries are vastly different than those in the US and UK. In Conceivability, Elizabeth Katkin, now a mother of two, exposes eye-opening information about the medical, financial, legal, scientific, emotional, and ethical issues at stake. “A well-researched, informative, and positive account of a very long journey to motherhood” (Kirkus Reviews), Conceivability sheds light on the often murky and baffling world of conception science. Her book is an invaluable and inspiring text that will be a boon to others navigating the deep and “choppy waters” of fertility treatment (Publishers Weekly), and her chronicle of one of the most difficult, painful, rewarding, and loving journeys a woman can take is as informative as it is poignant.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2018
35 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 3, 2019
Last year I ventured into the frontiers of fertility treatments. And this book made me glad I didn't go any further than I did. I don't think that was necessarily the point of the book since the author herself went as deep into fertility treatments as it is possible to go. But that is how I felt after reading the book.
I wonder if this book would be interesting to anyone who isn't going through infertility. Having researched the topic a lot myself, it was interesting and helpful to have a lot of procedures and concepts and studies all put together in one place. And then you tie that in with vignettes from the author's own personal experience with infertility, and it made for a very intriguing read.
The author did end up using a surrogate mother to have her two kids. Surrogacy and third party reproduction in general is really troubling to me. It's really, really hard to not have as many kids as you want (the fertility situation I find myself in.) I'm sure it is even harder to not have any kids at all. But having a child or having another child is not a basic human right. I think as a culture we too often reduce children into being a vehicle for adult fulfillment. And that's wrong. It's not wrong to want kids. It's not wrong to spend money trying to get medical help to have kids. But I personally draw the line when you have to bring in a third-party (on a reproductive level--not talking about adoption) to make it happen.
This author painted a pretty rosy picture of surrogacy. She talked tough about some of the other ethical issues in the fertility business but then kind of glossed over all of the terrible things happening with surrogacy all over the world. I'm not an expert on the topic, but what I've read definitely gives me pause.
http://www.cbc-network.org/
http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleCassle...
I wonder if this book would be interesting to anyone who isn't going through infertility. Having researched the topic a lot myself, it was interesting and helpful to have a lot of procedures and concepts and studies all put together in one place. And then you tie that in with vignettes from the author's own personal experience with infertility, and it made for a very intriguing read.
The author did end up using a surrogate mother to have her two kids. Surrogacy and third party reproduction in general is really troubling to me. It's really, really hard to not have as many kids as you want (the fertility situation I find myself in.) I'm sure it is even harder to not have any kids at all. But having a child or having another child is not a basic human right. I think as a culture we too often reduce children into being a vehicle for adult fulfillment. And that's wrong. It's not wrong to want kids. It's not wrong to spend money trying to get medical help to have kids. But I personally draw the line when you have to bring in a third-party (on a reproductive level--not talking about adoption) to make it happen.
This author painted a pretty rosy picture of surrogacy. She talked tough about some of the other ethical issues in the fertility business but then kind of glossed over all of the terrible things happening with surrogacy all over the world. I'm not an expert on the topic, but what I've read definitely gives me pause.
http://www.cbc-network.org/
http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleCassle...
November 18, 2020
"Conceivability: What I Learned Exploring the Frontiers of Fertility"
by Elizabeth Katkin
I write this book review laying in my bed at 4pm, having just arrived home from a day procedure with general anaesthesia. My fertility specialist Dr. Kee One in the Gold Coast, Australia has just performed a laparoscopy on me in the hopes of finding endometriosis, which would explain my 7 years of not being able to get pregnant.
I am very happy that I have had the fortune to see some of the greatest fertility specialists, OB/GYNs, embryologists, genetic specialists and nurses in Australia, Indonesia and America. Recently, my husband and I have been on two cycles of IVF, with one cancelled cycle due to producing only two follicles and a second cycle with no viable blastocysts to transfer into my body.
Reading this book has opened up my eyes to the incredible stories of many other women in my same position, those wanting to create families of their own. Unlike me, though, many of these women are far more into the idea of having a child, doing whatever they can to have a child no matter what it takes (legally and ethically, that is). I learned about couples who have tirelessly endured over 20 cycles or year after year of IVF, gay couples needing to use surrogacy, single mothers who have chosen to use sperm donors, women in attempts to use egg donors, people who have been through multiple miscarriages and keep on keeping on.
This book is well-researched, informative, raw, and personal. Katkin has told her own story along with stories of people she had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing. She includes other books that she has read and summarises ideas from them. She mentions about her own medical issues and doesn't hold back from seeing specialists in many different countries. The author writes about her treatment with different doctors, and even challenges them. I found it interesting how she mentioned that she was on the highest doses of certain ovarian stimulation medications, and that this approach may actually be detrimental to the egg quality. It doesn't matter if these drugs can help you produce over a dozen follicles. What good are these eggs if they are not of high quality? Also, these ovarian stimulation drugs may have some major side effects in the long run, too, like cervical or ovarian cancers.
Katkin is a lawyer who did not leave any questions unanswered. If she didn't know the answer, she did everything she could to educate herself and find them. Thank goodness for human beings like her who share their knowledge with the world.
This book has a lot of information and Katkin was able to share it without being too scientific, bias, or use too many statistics. She explored different avenues for anyone wanting to explore the idea of having children with assistance. I particularly like the few chapters in the end where she mentions about bioethics of using donors or surrogate mothers. I loved learning about fertility tourism and how other couples traveled to different countries in search of quality, more affordable treatment.
I can not stress enough how much reading this book has opened my eyes to the possibilities available and the stories of other couples were very inspiring. We are very fortunate to live in a time were assisted reproductive options are available. For anyone struggling to understand infertility and wanting to learn more about ways to have children, this is a fantastic book and a must-read. I would highly recommend reading every word of it. If you only read one book about conceiving, make this be that one book.
by Elizabeth Katkin
I write this book review laying in my bed at 4pm, having just arrived home from a day procedure with general anaesthesia. My fertility specialist Dr. Kee One in the Gold Coast, Australia has just performed a laparoscopy on me in the hopes of finding endometriosis, which would explain my 7 years of not being able to get pregnant.
I am very happy that I have had the fortune to see some of the greatest fertility specialists, OB/GYNs, embryologists, genetic specialists and nurses in Australia, Indonesia and America. Recently, my husband and I have been on two cycles of IVF, with one cancelled cycle due to producing only two follicles and a second cycle with no viable blastocysts to transfer into my body.
Reading this book has opened up my eyes to the incredible stories of many other women in my same position, those wanting to create families of their own. Unlike me, though, many of these women are far more into the idea of having a child, doing whatever they can to have a child no matter what it takes (legally and ethically, that is). I learned about couples who have tirelessly endured over 20 cycles or year after year of IVF, gay couples needing to use surrogacy, single mothers who have chosen to use sperm donors, women in attempts to use egg donors, people who have been through multiple miscarriages and keep on keeping on.
This book is well-researched, informative, raw, and personal. Katkin has told her own story along with stories of people she had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing. She includes other books that she has read and summarises ideas from them. She mentions about her own medical issues and doesn't hold back from seeing specialists in many different countries. The author writes about her treatment with different doctors, and even challenges them. I found it interesting how she mentioned that she was on the highest doses of certain ovarian stimulation medications, and that this approach may actually be detrimental to the egg quality. It doesn't matter if these drugs can help you produce over a dozen follicles. What good are these eggs if they are not of high quality? Also, these ovarian stimulation drugs may have some major side effects in the long run, too, like cervical or ovarian cancers.
Katkin is a lawyer who did not leave any questions unanswered. If she didn't know the answer, she did everything she could to educate herself and find them. Thank goodness for human beings like her who share their knowledge with the world.
This book has a lot of information and Katkin was able to share it without being too scientific, bias, or use too many statistics. She explored different avenues for anyone wanting to explore the idea of having children with assistance. I particularly like the few chapters in the end where she mentions about bioethics of using donors or surrogate mothers. I loved learning about fertility tourism and how other couples traveled to different countries in search of quality, more affordable treatment.
I can not stress enough how much reading this book has opened my eyes to the possibilities available and the stories of other couples were very inspiring. We are very fortunate to live in a time were assisted reproductive options are available. For anyone struggling to understand infertility and wanting to learn more about ways to have children, this is a fantastic book and a must-read. I would highly recommend reading every word of it. If you only read one book about conceiving, make this be that one book.
January 24, 2018
Fascinating, eye-opening and well-researched book examining the fertility treatment industry and fertility treatment options available today. A thorough must-read for anyone considering fertility treatment options to start their family or wanting to learn more about how to navigate the bumpy road of using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Very accessible read and great resource. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 days -- even read all of the footnotes!
The author, lawyer Elizabeth Katkin, shares what she learned from her 9-year roller-coaster journey of trying to start her family with the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility," through 7 miscarriages, 10 IVF cycles, 10 doctors across 6 countries and costing her $200,000 in addition to much emotional capital and health risks. Katkin covers topics such as fertility drugs, the range of fertility treatment options including IVF, donors and surrogacy, the pain of miscarriage, genetic testing and other promising diagnostics, the highly unregulated nature of US fertility treatment due to lack of government oversight and regulation, the shocking commercial/business side of the fertility treatment industry, ethical and legal issues, and "fertility tourism" (traveling to foreign countries to receive fertility treatment).
Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, Katkin advises people who are considering the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to do their due diligence when selecting clinics and doctors and deciding on treatment protocols and plans.
I hope more honest stories about people's mixed experiences with the fertility treatment industry will be forthcoming after this courageous and hopeful book.
Disclaimer: I received a free advance reader copy of this book from Simon Schuster via NetGalley
The author, lawyer Elizabeth Katkin, shares what she learned from her 9-year roller-coaster journey of trying to start her family with the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility," through 7 miscarriages, 10 IVF cycles, 10 doctors across 6 countries and costing her $200,000 in addition to much emotional capital and health risks. Katkin covers topics such as fertility drugs, the range of fertility treatment options including IVF, donors and surrogacy, the pain of miscarriage, genetic testing and other promising diagnostics, the highly unregulated nature of US fertility treatment due to lack of government oversight and regulation, the shocking commercial/business side of the fertility treatment industry, ethical and legal issues, and "fertility tourism" (traveling to foreign countries to receive fertility treatment).
Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, Katkin advises people who are considering the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to do their due diligence when selecting clinics and doctors and deciding on treatment protocols and plans.
I hope more honest stories about people's mixed experiences with the fertility treatment industry will be forthcoming after this courageous and hopeful book.
Disclaimer: I received a free advance reader copy of this book from Simon Schuster via NetGalley
May 19, 2018
This stared off good, and as a maternal-child health person, I was happy to see the research. But then there were parts where I felt she relied too heavily on “anecdata,” and mixing up things like eggs and follicles (perhaps this will be caught by an editor before the final printing, as I had an ARC), and the overuse of descriptors that give certain parts a decidedly anti-choice feel. I would have liked a more objective take on things, but I realize this is a hybrid memoir-reportage book.
August 6, 2022
I really connected with this book as I have experienced a very similar path to parenthood as the author. I liked the combination of personal story/memoir with evidence-based data and the clear delineations in chapters of their topics and additional subtopics. Not much was new to me (I’ve been in the IVF gauntlet since 2018) but it was helpful nonetheless to read more about non-US options and the author’s experiences. There were some sections that seemed a bit preachy, and the tone surrounding reproductive immunology and these treatments was more dismissive than I believed necessary. Admittedly, while these treatments are controversial, they demonstrably do help a subset of patients, those patients find success, and the treatments do not typically have risks all that different from the plethora of IVF drugs. It was slightly off putting and there are some terminology errors pervasive through the book that are quite annoying to me (mixing up follicles and eggs, calling embryo transfers “implantations”) but I was able to overlook them, and it’s entirely possible that these terminologies were used when the author was undergoing treatment herself and they are now out of favor.
September 22, 2020
Part memoir, part reference, Elizabeth Katkin’s book explores many areas of infertility that are often set aside when you are in the midst of fertility treatments, especially given the toll it takes on your emotional and mental health. She tackles complex policy and citizenship questions; ethical dilemmas involving donor egg and donor sperm; the fact that assisted reproductive technologies, in the U.S., are actually only available to relatively well-off couples; the consumer driven nature of infertility; and more. Since it is part memoir, she doesn’t touch on every possible cause of infertility, but there is enough breadth to her story that you are likely to benefit from the details of at least one of her diagnoses. My only criticism is that the jury is really still out regarding her take on using lower doses of meds to improve egg quality - though personally I hope there is some truth to it. And my only regret is I did not discover this book earlier in our journey. However, as I told a friend last night and as Katkin discusses in her book, people seeking fertility treatments often want less information at first because they are overwhelmed by navigating this new territory. Unfortunately, it would be most helpful to read these stories/memoirs/references at the beginning of one’s journey in order to be as informed as possible before traveling down the path of fertility treatments.
March 22, 2019
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, which the author of this book very boldly states she has, and for the first time I had to face the fact that biological children may be something I will never be able to have, or will need to undergo rigorous medical trials in order to have them at all. Am I ready to have kids today? Of course not! But I always assumed I would one day. So "Conceivability" arrived in our bookstore at just the right time for me.
Reading all of the things Elizabeth Katkin had to go through medically in just her attempts to have children made my stomach churn. This book contains methods and facts regarding the fertility industry I had no clue about - and things I am incredibly grateful to learn. It was heart-wrenching, hearing of her struggles and the struggles of so many other prospective mothers as they tried everything they possibly could to wind up with just one child. It's infuriating, but also comforting, to know that you're not the only person who will ever have to deal with this.
Some of the medical jargon lost me at places, but the parts of the book that were memoir were wonderfully done, and I would read an entire memoir written by Katkin about her fertility struggles if she wrote it.
Reading all of the things Elizabeth Katkin had to go through medically in just her attempts to have children made my stomach churn. This book contains methods and facts regarding the fertility industry I had no clue about - and things I am incredibly grateful to learn. It was heart-wrenching, hearing of her struggles and the struggles of so many other prospective mothers as they tried everything they possibly could to wind up with just one child. It's infuriating, but also comforting, to know that you're not the only person who will ever have to deal with this.
Some of the medical jargon lost me at places, but the parts of the book that were memoir were wonderfully done, and I would read an entire memoir written by Katkin about her fertility struggles if she wrote it.
February 28, 2022
Mama, how is a baby made?
Well.....
This was a great introduction to the many options that are out there when it comes to fertility treatments. I have been lucky to find a fertility clinic that I have found success with but others have to go through so much more to create a family. This book was eye opening and gives some good advice to people going through infertility. It also raises some basic questions about the ethics behind certain procedures and about the regulations that are or aren't available in the US and internationally on various forms of fertility treatment.
Infertility is a Pandora's Box and it's time the US steps up and starts to realize that the issue is here to stay. I would be interested to learn how the facts and statistics in this book have changed in the 4 years since it was first published.
Well.....
This was a great introduction to the many options that are out there when it comes to fertility treatments. I have been lucky to find a fertility clinic that I have found success with but others have to go through so much more to create a family. This book was eye opening and gives some good advice to people going through infertility. It also raises some basic questions about the ethics behind certain procedures and about the regulations that are or aren't available in the US and internationally on various forms of fertility treatment.
Infertility is a Pandora's Box and it's time the US steps up and starts to realize that the issue is here to stay. I would be interested to learn how the facts and statistics in this book have changed in the 4 years since it was first published.
March 31, 2021
This book is lovely! It outlines the many different problems and scenarios people struggling with infertility face (IUI, IVF, sperm or egg donation, surrogacy, etc.) It is very educational in that it explains the different types of fertility treatments and the vast differences between treatments in the United States versus abroad. The personal story of the author as well as examples of other people are helpful in getting a grasp at what the reality of infertility looks like. I think this gives good insight and may help to be educational to those unfamiliar with infertility.
*I listened to this as an audiobook.
*I listened to this as an audiobook.
June 23, 2018
Elizabeth Katkin is obviously a strong, determined woman. Because of this and her incredibly long and tortuous journey to have her two children , Ms Katkin is a perfect author for this book. It is a very knowledgeable look into the fertility industry and yet presented through the prism of her own pain and experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it highly.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.
September 23, 2020
This is a very informative book. It is not just a memoir but also has well researched data on the various fertility treatments that a woman can opt for. This is a good book to read for anyone who is intending to go through ART ( assisted reproductive treatment ). It is not easy to accept one’s experiences of infertility but books like these help so many women through their journey towards parenthood.
October 11, 2018
Very well-written, fascinating account of the author's journey to have her two children. While I'm done having kids, I find a lot of the science so interesting, and this is not really a how-to book - it's more of a memoir. I would probably recommend it to families who are on this path, however. Katkin handles the often-painful subject with depth and grace.
January 31, 2019
I learned so much from this book and I think this is a must-read for anyone thinking about having kids (whether or not they've had fertility issues). It's eye-opening and extremely frustrating and really shows to me that many aspects of the healthcare system are not designed with the patient in mind. Definitely recommended.
December 30, 2019
Finally, a well researched book on infertility
I’m so glad I came across this book that is very well written and written first-hand. Infertility is such a taboo subject that no one wants to talk about, until someone speaks out then the embarrassment fades and more people open up.
I’m so glad I came across this book that is very well written and written first-hand. Infertility is such a taboo subject that no one wants to talk about, until someone speaks out then the embarrassment fades and more people open up.
January 24, 2018
Very informative! It definitely was not a dry read, however there was a time or two that all of the technical jargon made me go a little cross-eyed. I appreciated this very eye opening and inspiring book!
May 20, 2021
Perhaps a narrative of quite some value to people who are just finding out they have problems with conceiving. It listens a bit like a novel in that it is told as a very personal story - not purely sciences and technology.
August 1, 2021
Well written and narrated book. This book is very informative. The author describes the many years of navigating fertility, the tests, success rates, and ethical issues, etc. I think it is a great read for those ready to “take charge” of their care and be conscious of options and medicines.
March 7, 2025
This was one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is so well researched and provides scientific information mixed in with anecdotes in an easily digestible format. I wish she would release an updated version for 2025!
July 1, 2018
Really interesting and well-written, and thankfully, it has a happy ending
September 20, 2018
Very informative. Why wait until you are confronted with fertility problems to educate yourself on the complicated industry?
August 28, 2021
Eye-opening, I learned a ton from this. I didn't know about mini-IVF or that other countries have different IVF philsophies.
July 16, 2025
Great read on the challenging and heartbreaking journey of recurrent pregnancy loss, infertility, and IVF.
January 4, 2023
This is a worthwhile read if you have any interest in infertility! If you plan to have kids it's certainly a nerve-wracking read because the book covers a multitude of things that can go wrong on the path to conception, pregnancy, and birth. The author has MULTIPLE issues that cause infertility so as soon as she's diagnosed with one thing another pops up. She has PCOS which I knew can make conceiving a challenge but then as soon as she has that sorted it turns out there's an autoimmune issue (if I'm recalling correctly) that causes infertility and THEN after all that it turns out there's a physical (shape of the uterus) issue that prevents pregnancy. It's a wild ride. I was definitely was aware of how grueling and difficult the infertility journey can be but it was interesting to learn more details about the fertility industry and various treatment options and procedures. I was especially fascinated (and horrified) by the idea that the fertility drugs most commonly given to women undergoing IVF might actually HARM the quality of eggs. This is very disturbing and I'm curious to learn about where the science stands today. I was also intrigued by the bits about Eastern and Russian schools of thought that posit egg quality can be improved (with things like diet, etc.) which pretty much directly contradicts the Western assumption that egg quality inevitably and steadily declines from birth. If this is true it would be pretty world-shattering.
The author is obviously super privileged and (sometimes) acknowledges this and the fact that the average person in her position would never be able to afford hundreds of thousands of dollars and traveling all over the world over the course of a decade to have kids. But I appreciate that she brings up some of the ways that the fertility industry is very unethical and incredibly under-regulated. It sounds like you really do have to be your own advocate and researcher because the industry is sadly for-profit and leans towards one-size-fits-all approaches. It's interesting to get snippets of how different the laws governing treatments and assisted reproductive technologies differ in countries around the world. I thought she glossed over the ethics of surrogacy (the option she eventually went with but which is banned outright in many countries) a wee bit. But I do understand the way that people who have spent thousands of dollars and years of their life become obsessed and refuse to give up. This was a good introduction to fertility and infertility for me but I'm curious to read other books on the topic so I have a better basis to compare!
The author is obviously super privileged and (sometimes) acknowledges this and the fact that the average person in her position would never be able to afford hundreds of thousands of dollars and traveling all over the world over the course of a decade to have kids. But I appreciate that she brings up some of the ways that the fertility industry is very unethical and incredibly under-regulated. It sounds like you really do have to be your own advocate and researcher because the industry is sadly for-profit and leans towards one-size-fits-all approaches. It's interesting to get snippets of how different the laws governing treatments and assisted reproductive technologies differ in countries around the world. I thought she glossed over the ethics of surrogacy (the option she eventually went with but which is banned outright in many countries) a wee bit. But I do understand the way that people who have spent thousands of dollars and years of their life become obsessed and refuse to give up. This was a good introduction to fertility and infertility for me but I'm curious to read other books on the topic so I have a better basis to compare!
October 9, 2019
I found this comforting. Hearing about another person's struggles through the fertility system. She documents experiencing an unregulated industry where there is no feedback to doctors or incentives for them to do a good job. It also seems to be something where you need to be wealthy to partake. Her journey is sad and privileged. At points I wondered whether she should focus on acceptance instead of persisting on trying for a baby. But it the end I was left hopeful and with a much better understanding of all the tools at our disposal.
December 9, 2022
I found her story inspiring and interesting, but I did think it became repetitive as it went on. As someone interested in working in the field of fertility, I do think hearing all the science, as well as the legal aspects truly paint a comprehensive picture of what people are willing to go to have their own children. That being said, I don't think this story would sit well with many people who are struggling with having children. The author and her husband are extremely wealthy and can afford every possible option for treatment, as well as traveling the world to see doctors.
August 23, 2018
Extremely informative book, on a misunderstood subject matter. Katkin is brave enough to disclose her own trials and tribulations (and misguided notions / foolishness) as a lesson to readers. She layers it up with legal and administrative issues that circle conception, IVF, surrogacy and adoption.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
Read
February 8, 2020The chapter about cost and (dim) outcomes really should have been at the beginning and not the end, because it by all rights should color everything you read.
May 19, 2021
Had to stop - the tone of the author is awful - entitled and condescending - all about "What I did right and everyone else is dumb."
November 15, 2022
4.5/5 stars
July 16, 2023
Definitely informative but she is rich, like really rich, and this colors her experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews