This book examines the representation of infertility, assisted reproduction, miscarriage, adoption and surrogacy in a wide range of media, including blogs, vlogs, social media posts and factual programming. In so doing, it illustrates how pregnancy loss, involuntary childlessness and non-traditional mothering are being depicted across the media landscape. Whilst the topic of motherhood has emerged as a significant area of academic debate, narratives of unsuccessful or unconventional mothering have remained largely absent, even at a time when there is a growing conversation about infertility online. Timely, pertinent and original, the book demonstrates the importance of a broader and more informed cultural discussion about fertility and family building.
A compelling debut novel exploring postpartum depression—for readers of suspenseful women’s fiction and fans of Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. They say motherhood changes you. As a driven advertising executive, Lara James has always put her career before any plans for a family, preferring professional chic to stay-at-home style. But after her father’s death, she realizes she’s ready. More than ready, in fact. Yet pregnancy—something other women seem to accomplish effortlessly, even accidentally—doesn’t come easily to Lara. What began as an adventure quickly becomes a nightmare as she and her husband endure endless IVF treatments, hormone therapy, and devastating miscarriages. When Lara at last becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter, Auden, she believes their determination has paid off. But Auden cries day and night, ear-shattering screams that strip Lara of her nerves and energy. Her life as a sleep-deprived new mother is unrelenting, and, guiltily, Lara can’t help but mourn for what she once had. With her marriage crumbling, Lara is increasingly driven to alarming thoughts and destructive actions she would never have imagined possible before now. Hanging on by a thread, it’s only in her darkest moment that Lara will discover the true depths of her love and devotion—and what she’s willing to face for the family she’s so desperately sought. At times disturbing, The Unprotected is a bold, unflinching novel for anyone who’s ever wanted children—and wondered what they might have to sacrifice along the way.
At some point, society decided that infertility and miscarriage were taboo topics that no one should be talking about. I want to bust that door open at the seams and bring them right out into the open! In my book Infertile Myrtle: Why Can't I Get Friggin' Pregnant? I will shine a light on the topics and give a look into the life of someone who's gone through it. I get real and raw, and I do so completely unapologetically! I want you to laugh with me, cry with me, and shout a "F**k yeah!" in solidarity! I hope this book can help those of you who are going through these issues to realize you're not alone. I also hope it will be entertaining for those who just love a good story and hopefully provide a way to help everyone understand what it's like to live with these struggles.I tell my story about infertility and miscarriage in a way that's never been done before. I use the five stages of grief to describe how it feels and to share what I personally went through during my journey. It's a fresh perspective that shows the reality (sometimes ugly, sometimes sad, sometimes funny) of living with these two issues. So, buckle up, grab your tissues and a glass of wine (or whiskey, if you're like me), and let's do this!
You probably have your favorite blogs to visit each day, but there are countless other blogs that you could never find on your own and that could potentially be added to the top of your favorites! Blogosphere: Best of Blogs is a collection of the blogs you’ve heard about and the ones still waiting to be discovered. Organized into sections based on interests and moods, you’ll find a listing of the best blogs out there, along with the reasons why they’ve made the list. Complete with searching tips and strategies, Blogosphere will help you find the greatest voices in the blogging universe.
A memoir that looks at the authors relationships as seen through the art of Claude Monet. The Color of the Sunset makes a gesture toward Impressionism and toward impressions of a life viewed near the end of middle age. Marie Masters successfully braids her own history with Monets legacy of beauty, love and light. These two elements contrast each other, creating an energy that wouldnt exist if either were presented alone. For anyone who has ever wondered about life beyond divorce and failed relationships, here is a realistic but hopeful story about trying again. * Explore how relationships factor into lifes metamorphosis. * See how art expresses the most fleeting, transformative moments. * Experience the heartache and the bliss of searching for love. This memoir presents the authors relationships to various men and to the paintings of Claude Monet in thoughtful and interesting ways. Masters awakens insights into herself and courageously reveals some of her own flaws as well. Daniel Minock author of Thistle Journal: And Other Essays
This book, titled Hilariously Infertile, is on a mission to make others who have struggled with infertility, laugh (perhaps while their feet are still in the stirrups and their vaginas are enjoying the fresh air of the fertility clinic). It is a comedic, self-deprecating, look into the harsh, scary, and often sad world of infertility. Hilariously Infertile will make you laugh out loud while wishing you could have a glass of wine with the author and discuss how you relate to her story is. The author pokes fun at the infertility world, with jokes, such as, equating the constant gynecological exams to her sluttiest days in college, and wondering if her husband will be home in time to stick it (the IVF ass shot) into her butt. We follow the author's journey from trying to conceive on her own, discovering she is infertile, getting pregnant, and then doing it all again for her second child. The entire journey is marked with uproarious scenes that any woman who has ever been to the gynecologist can identify with. At times, the author's candor will surely lead the reader to conclude that the outlandish stories cannot be true. But they are, all of them. Included in the journey is a chapter on being a new mom. This chapter is funny and real. It does not boast about being a parent, to those who still may be on that path; rather, it speaks candidly about the adjustment to a new life that the author worked hard to achieve, via fertility treatments, and yet still was not ready for. There is no filter for the author of Hilariously Infertile. This book tells it like it is, from sex, to infertility, to being a mother and a wife. If you have thought it somewhere deep down inside, this book says it aloud.
Trying to conceive is an exciting (read: excruciating) time in women's lives, but there is no more daunting a task during her cycle than the two week wait. It's a time when wanna-be mommas can find themselves anxious and emotionally wrecked. Enter The Two Week Wait Challenge: a handy guide to navigating the time between potential conception and the day you're able to test for pregnancy. Chock-full for easy, inexpensive self-care practices and positive affirmations, the challenge encourages women to take time for themselves (while simultaneously speeding up the 14 days) and allows their partners to be a part of the process in a loving, supportive way. Add a dash of sass and humor to help you survive and you've got a recipe for a successful (less painful) two week wait.
