The Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth

This was the best resource out there for me and my partner. It was an excellent reference book, with the most useful information being about the process of conceiving, tracking your cycles, and issues like how to time insemination if you're using frozen sperm vs. fresh sperm, etc. Although there's info out there on artificial insemination, pregancy using sperm from a male partner, etc. this book puts all the information female couples need into one resource. Other books on these topics are for heterosexual couples and either don't address the decisions or don't address the various medical implications of those decisions for lesbian couples. And, overall, it was just nice to have a book that was written for me and my honey. There was a place for her and a place for us written into those pages that meant we didn't have to translate all of the time into our own needs and experience.(BTW- I didn't read anything that seemed negative in the book, so I was surprised to see that in other reviews. It's more that the authors take the approach of describing how to be healthily involved in getting the info you need to give birth to a healthy little one.)Hope this is helpful. Good luck to you!

thanks for the easy to read material in this book. it is non-biased and very informative, giving excellent information on western and alternative methods - something generally not given by fertility doctors. clear that the book is written by midwives who know what they are talking about.

This book is very informative, though not boring or difficult to read. It covers many topics of the whole lesbian conception process, ranging from how to begin the whole "baby making process" to the actual birth. It also gives many resources for sperm banks, products, and even examples of legal documents necessary for parenting. The pictures (geared of course towards lesbians, partners, and children) add some coziness to a topic that can be very overwhelming. It's nice to see an all around great book that encompasses every aspect of lesbians choosing, planning, and becoming parents.

The Essential Guide To Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, And Birth is jointly written by the co-founders of Maia Midwifery and Preconception Services, Stephanie Brill (a lesbian mother of three) and Kim Toevs (member of the California Association of Midwives, and the Midwives' Alliance of North America). Designed specifically for the non-specialist general reader, the authors have effectively collaborated to present information on how to plan and create an ideal family; decide between the many sperm-donor options; choose a co-parenting situation; legally protect family and custody rights; create a healthy, fertile lifestyle through nutrition, exercise, and herbal remedies; select a method of insemination; track fertility cycles and recognize fertility signals; diagnose and treat infertility; and handle both the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and birth. The comprehensive, "reader friendly" text of The Essential Guide To Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, And Birth is wonderfully enhanced with easy-to-understand charts and illustrations, checklists, up-to-date fertility information; and personal exercises especially appropriate for lesbian, bisexual, and single mothers. Unique and very highly recommended.

I am so grateful that Stephanie Brill and Kim Toevs wrote this book. It is an excellent book written directly to lesbian, bisexual, transgender and single people who want to have children. It is an excellent resource and a lovely read!It covers foods, herbs, sexuality, fertility, self-empowerment, mental health etc. I live in a very rural area, and am unable to locate local support. This book is like receiving that support in the mail. Most books focus on donor insemination from a heterosexual infertile perpective. I appreciate being spoken to as a lesbian directly. This book is a bold step towards the liberation of life and true family! If you are even thinking about conceiving through some form of alternate insemenation, this book will cover all grounds! Congratulations to the authors for their hard work, tenacity, humor and love that has been invested into this book!