The Long-Awaited Stork

After 2 and a half years of trying to conceive, with many fertility procedures, tests, and pregnancy losses on the way, my 3r4d IVF was successful. Despite the joy I feel, there is a ton of fear, among other emotions. This book makes me feel so NORMAL! I was concerned it would not be for the pregnancy period, but it is. It has many true-life stories included, and I can relate to so many of them. I know I will refer to this book for years to come. I highly recommend it. I plan to share it with some close friends and family as well... to help them "understand" where I am coming from.

After years of infertility, and all the unsettling emotions I experienced, I had hoped that getting pregnant would let me be "normal" again. I was amazed that even though I finally made it to the pregnancy world, I still had some of those old infertility feelings surface at the most unexpected times. Reading this book helped me realize I'm experiencing something normal for those of us who have lived the IF experience. I can see this being a reference for me for years to come.

Many infertile couples are so focussed on trying to get pregnant, they often lose sight of the fact that the real challenge - that of bringing up their child - arises only after they achieve their goal and have a baby ! This book is a very helpful guide on parenting for all infertile couples , and discusses issues which most books on infertility ( and most on parenting ) do not touch.

The Long Awaited Stork is the book that I wish I'd found three years ago when my twins were born! Like many other infertility veterans, I thought that my struggles were over when I became pregnant and delivered two healthy baby girls. Indeed, things are great but I still find that infertility is part of my life. I loved it when Ms. Glazer referred to the "cameo appearances" that infertility makes. It's a great description for those waves of feeling that come back when I least expect them. This book is a GREAT gift for anyone who is newly pregnant or for a new adoptive parent.

There aren't many good books out there about infertility and adopting, especially compared to ordinary parenting books, but there are even fewer about parenting after infertility. This book really is required reading. Perhaps its most important contribution is to acknowledge that years of suffering don't just dissolve without effects once you've ``solved'' the problem by having a child. My only regret is that it doesn't go into still more detail -- here's hoping it sparks some imitators. Because it discusses emotional and psychological issues rather than purely medical ones, it is unlikely to go out of date any time soon.