Making Babies the Hard Way

How far would you go to have a baby? Making Babies the Hard Way is a frank account of one couple's discovery that they cannot have children of their own, and their ensuing struggle through four years of fertility treatment.One in six couples worldwide seek assistance to conceive and 80 per cent of couples undergoing fertility treatment are currently unsuccessful.Writing with humour and honesty, Caroline Gallup describes the social, emotional, spiritual and physical impact of infertility on her and her husband, Bruce, including feelings of bereavement for the absent child, the unavoidable sense of inadequacy and the day-to-day difficulties of financial pressure. As well as telling her own moving story, she also offers information and guidance for others who are infertile, or who are considering or undergoing treatment.This courageous and poignant book will be of interest to couples who cannot conceive and those who are undergoing treatment, as well as their families and friends.

Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. `It doesn't make you any less of a man you know.' 2. `When am I going to be a grandma?' 3. `You may feel a little uncomfortable for a few days.' 4. Chauffeur driven to Fertility Central. 5. `And how do you feel about that?' 6. Do we need another man in our lives? 7. Treasures of the heart. 8. The first insemination. 9. Trials and traumas. 10. Footprints in the sand. 11. Good omens and then... 12. Constructive communication. 13. Am I forcing Mother Nature? 14. `I don't mind what we do, as long as we decide something.' 15. `Have you thought about adopting?' 16. In sickness and in health. 17. `I don't know how to tell you this...' 18. This could be the last time... Epilogue: Past, present and future. Glossary and abbreviations. Useful addresses. Further reading. Index.