| View Larger Image | Creating Life Against the Odds: The Journey from Infertility to Parenthood | Paperbackby FACOG Ilona Laszlo Higgins MD (Author)
| List Price: | $21.99 | | Price: | $19.79 | | You Save: | $2.20 (10%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Xlibris Corporation | | Page Count: | 240 Pages | | Publication Date: | November 03, 2006 | | Sales Rank: | 110,509th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Creating Life Against the Odds Most prospective parents, when arriving at the decision to have children, presume their journey will be an exciting and rewarding one, resulting in the birth of a healthy baby. When those dreams are shattered because they cannot conceive or miscarry, they ask, "Why me? What did I do wrong?" The trauma of infertility is as devastating to one's self-esteem as any other life crisis, it can destroy intimate relationships--or it can bring out the best in us. In her book, Creating Life Against the Odds, Dr. Higgins, an obstetrician/gynecologist, describes her own experience becoming a mother by ovum donation. She also shares the first hand accounts of dozens of others who have turned to assisted reproductive technology (ART) in order to realize their dreams of becoming parents. These are stories Dr. Higgins has heard from her patients and from hundreds of women (and men) she has counseled or communicated with through confidential Internet support groups. The stories of these courageous individuals became the inspiration for Creating Life Against the Odds. Dr. Higgins takes us along on their journeys as they struggle with infertility, as they explore the options that medical science now offers, as they meet obstacles, and as they adjust to repeated loss. She also takes us into the minds and hearts of sperm and ovum donors, surrogates, and gestational carriers, looking at what makes them want to lend such an intimate, helping hand. Are they like organ donors? Do they do it for financial gain? When ART enters the picture and donors or surrogates are used, how should we describe their relationship to the children they helped create? And what about the children? Are they like adoptees? How do they understand their birth origins? And what should their parents tell them? Dr. Higgins' wisdom as a well-traveled physician, who has delivered babies and counseled patients from many cultures, allows her to tackle tough practical and ethical questions from a global perspective. These questions are answered honestly, with deep compassion and respect for those courageous men and women who have sought the help of ART and who belong, as a result, to a special group of parents whose success in family-building is due to an extraordinary commitment and a selfless expression of love. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 14 reviews)
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Just what I needed to know! by CJ Petersen  5 Stars
June 22, 2009
I really enjoyed this book and found that I could relate to the author's points so well. It certainly gave me some food for thought and I enjoyed reading the case studies from different people who had been through the fertility process. I would highly recommend it.
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Someoene does understand by M (San Francisco, CA United States) 5 Stars
June 12, 2009
This book helped me realize that I am not alone in feeling all of the horrendous emotions that come with infertility. With real life anecdotes, this author conveys what most of us have probably felt and dealt with in our struggles. It is filled with relevant experiences written in an honest and relate-able tone, while also sensitively conveying some very important information and factors to consider. Highly recommended for women over forty trying to form their family.
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Unique perspective to view infertility by Judith Sbarra 5 Stars
April 21, 2009
This book is well researched and documented. However, it is not just a clinical synopsis but a well balanced combination of medical data and personal stories. This particular publication has the unique perspective of being written by a board certified obstitician/gynecologist who is also the patient herself. Therefore, the medical facts, tests and statistics take on a palpable human quality.
This is a must read for all with questions regarding infertility and the myriad of options.
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Beautiful story with loads of educational information! by Lesa Browning (Pacific Palisades, CA United States) 5 Stars
April 21, 2009
I have worked in pre and post natal education for a decade and have read many books of the subject of baby making. Dr. Higgins tells a lovely story of how her family came to have a beautiful baby via egg donation. Along with this story of love and family the reader finds a great deal of factual information and an easy explanation of how Artificial Reproductive Technology and donor egg IVF specifically works. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking to use an egg donor or for anyone looking to understand more about the subject in general.
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Personal and Professional- the perfect combination by Penelope (Nantucket, MA) 5 Stars
June 08, 2007
Dr. Higgins' personal experience with ART and her professional experiences as an obstetrician/gynecologist, artfully threaded through her informative text, bring this book alive and make it accessible to all readers. Essential reading for all infertile couples considering ART, I would also highly recommend this book to their adult family members to help them understand the journey.
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