View source for Precious Babies: Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting after Infertility by Kate Brian

{{infobox1
|title=Precious Babies: Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting after Infertility
|author=Kate Brian
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=Home and Family
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0749954017
|pages=304
|publisher=Piatkus Books
|date=October 2011
|website=http://katebrian.co.uk/index.php
|summary=Full of expert advice and personal stories, this is an excellent, accessible guide to dealing with the challenges of pregnancy, birth and parenting after struggling with infertility.
|cover=0749954019
|aznuk=0749954019
|aznus=0749954019
}}

There are lots of avenues of support for those dealing with infertility, but what happens if you do finally get pregnant?  You're still dealing with the scars, both emotional and physical that infertility can leave behind, but it might seem callous to ask for help from other friends from your support network who themselves aren't yet pregnant.  This book aims to be a helpful guide that discusses everything from pregnancy to birth to parenting after birth in the light of your history with infertility.

This book deals with a wide range of issues, taking you through all the fears and worries there may be throughout the pregnancy, dealing with miscarriage, different birth situations etc.  I thought the section on the early days with your new baby was very good, helping mothers see that it's okay to find things difficult; even when this is a baby that they've longed for for years, they shouldn't feel that they can't admit to having difficulties with bonding or just with coping on a day to day basis.  It looks also at post natal depression, the questions of trying for another baby or raising an only child, dealing with multiple births, having a donor baby and even looking at the future teenage years with your child.

Although I fortunately haven't had to go through any infertility treatments myself I did experience two miscarriages before having my daughter, so I have an inkling of some of the feelings women experience.  I remember the schizophrenic feeling of being both pleased and utterly devastated when a close friend announced her pregnancy, and on seeing pregnant women seemingly everywhere I went I found that each one was a painful reminder of what it felt like my body was unable to do leaving me liable to cry in supermarkets, on the train, in the street.  I struggled through the pregnancy with my daughter with fears that I would once again lose the baby, and I worried incessantly about what might have gone wrong before and what could go wrong again.  I think the clear, calm nature of the writing in this book is very helpful to anyone experiencing fears and concerns in the light of their infertility treatment or pregnancy difficulties.

The style of the writing is very accessible and honest, and I liked the format of having the author's text interspersed with comments from experts (doctors and counsellors) as well as comments from those who themselves have been directly involved in the situations being discussed.  It isn't at all judgemental and various different scenarios are discussed equally with no prescriptions about the way you should deal with things.  There's always the very helpful sense that it's different for every woman, every time, and there are no invalid feelings to have, and having had children herself through IVF Kate Brian is writing from first-hand experience of some of the emotional turmoil that's involved.

I'm sure this would be a very useful guide for those who have experienced infertility and are now pregnant and wondering just quite how to deal with the many emotions involved, as well as giving pointers on what to expect in the future with your baby and as your very precious, much-wanted child grows up.

For those wanting to learn more about IVF then look no further than Kate's other book [[The Complete Guide to IVF by Kate Brian]].   If you're looking for a present, you might find [[What to Give the Parents of a Newborn with a Limited Budget|this]] helpful.

{{amazontext|amazon=0749954019}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=0749954019}}

{{commenthead}}

[[Category:Lifestyle]]