The Complete Guide to Female Fertility by Kate Brian

It's tempting to say that every woman over the age of puberty should have access to Kate Brian's The Complete Guide to Female Fertility. The truth is that they should all have their own copies and they should read the book until it's dog-eared and falling apart, because I really can't think of a better way to understand why some women are more fertile than others or some women have difficulty in conceiving.

If you want to avoid pregnancy on a long-term basis then this is probably not the book for you. The various methods of contraception are covered and there's a clear explanation of how each works along with the long-term effect on fertility. On the other hand if you want to avoid becoming pregnant in the short term only, then this book will help you to make informed choices in the knowledge of how future fertility is likely to be affected. It's always sad to meet a woman who wants to become pregnant but who is still suffering from the effects of her previous method of contraception.

There's a clear and simple explanation of how the female reproductive system works. It's never patronising but all the words which you never quite understand when the doctor says them are explained – and this applies throughout the book. It's not assumed, either, that every woman wants to be pregnant right now and there's a sympathetic chapter about the circumstances and mindset of wanting to become pregnant. I've too often heard the advice (from professionals too) that a woman shouldn't delay pregnancy, but this book takes a more balanced view point.

Boosting fertility naturally is obviously preferable to other methods and Kate Brian gives sound advice on what you should be giving up completely, what you should moderate and other methods by which you can improve not just your chances but your health. It's realistic and certainly isn't looking for every woman to live a saintly life deprived of any pleasures. As the author says – it can take quite a while to become pregnant!

There's a certain irony in the fact that the majority of women spend most of their adult life trying to avoid pregnancy only to find that it's rather more difficult to achieve once they decide that's what they want. The second half of this book is devoted to the options open to women who fail to conceive within a reasonable length of time. It's worth the cover price just for the explanation of the various fertility treatments, and also for the chapter on pregnancy loss.

It's rare for a book with so much medical content to be able to convey the information clearly and also to remain sympathetic to the target audience, but Kate Brian achieves this admirably. Many of the points are illustrated by quotes from women who are, for instance, pregnant in their teens or suffering from a medical condition and it's this that makes the book more personal than it might otherwise have been.

Most books which claim to be 'complete' are anything but – this book is the exception and it comes highly recommended for any woman with an interest in her own fertility.

I'd like to thank the author for sending a copy along to The Bookbag.

For a very personal story about one family's experience of fertility treatment we can cautiously recommend Baby Next Time by Nicole Klieff although we would stress that it provides personal experience rather than medical advice.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Complete Guide to Female Fertility by Kate Brian at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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