Childfree After Infertility: Moving From Childlessness to a Joyous Life [Paperback]

Heather Wardell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2003

There are many books on infertility, and on being childfree. Childfree After Infertility: Moving from Childlessness to a Joyous Life puts the two together, focusing solely on the formerly infertile, and how they have created happy, childfree lives. Including the stories of many who have made this transition, the book shows the infertile man or woman that it is possible to put infertility aside, and choose to live childfree, not childless. The book's upbeat tone leads the reader through what can be a difficult transition with grace and humour.Infertility can be devastating, affecting all facets of life. Readers of Childfree After Infertility will learn how their infertility has affected their lives, and how choosing to release their infertility and become childfree can open up a vast array of possibilities and opportunities that might never have existed had they remained childless.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Heather Wardell has been writing about life after infertility since 1998, and revived the Toronto, Ontario, chapter of No Kidding!, a social group for childfree adults. An elementary school teacher, Heather is a voracious reader, swimmer, and novice belly dancer. She lives with her husband and two cats near Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 82 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595274382
• ISBN-13: 978-0595274383
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,121,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only If You're Looking to Reaffirm Your Childfree Decision, June 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Childfree After Infertility: Moving From Childlessness to a Joyous Life (Paperback)

I just could not relate to this author. I'm happy that childfree worked for her, but there is a huge difference between making the decision to live childfree before you exhausted your treatment options and making the decison after coming to the logistical end of treatment (whether it be due to the insurance, finances or probability of success running out...). This book speaks to the former group of decision-makers; people who I would argue are closer to being childless by choice rather than chance.

My husband and I are nearing the end of our fertility treatment options and, in all honesty, are leaning more toward childfree than adoption, but not because we haven't seriously considered the latter. If you have no interest in adoption whatsoever, then you may be able to better relate to this book. If, however, you are struggling between the two, I think you'll find this book a little too one-sided and simplistic to be of much assistance. A better book would be "Sweet Grapes: How to Stop Being Infertile and Start Living Again" by Jean and Michael Carter.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat misleading title, June 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Childfree After Infertility: Moving From Childlessness to a Joyous Life (Paperback)

A better title or this rather slim and somewhat melodramtic book might "Childfree Instead of Fertility Treatment" since that was the choice the author made and the one she is best qualified to talk about.

Everyone must make their own choices in this area and what works for one person may not work for another. However, potential purchasers should be aware that the author decided to terminate fertility treatment before trying either IUI or IVF and never seriously considered adoption. This suggests that choosing the childfree option was perhaps less of a struggle than for someone who has exhausted fertility treatment options and is now trying to decide between adoption (or egg/embryo/sperm donation) and childfree. Such a person may be better served by the book "Sweet Grapes: How to Stop Being Infertile and Start Living Again". That book has the added advantage of being written by a couple for couples.

On the other hand, the book does raise some good points and given the seriousness of the decision being made, buying both books would not be a complete waste of money.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "Moving On" Book, November 2, 2003

By 

Barbara A. Breuer (Staten Island, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Childfree After Infertility: Moving From Childlessness to a Joyous Life (Paperback)

I do wish that I had had this book years ago, as it is an excellent book for those in the infertility maze who are trying to find their way to acheiving some sort of resolution.

I tend to find many books about regarding the infertility issue very depressing, focusing on "making do" or pushing the reader off to the adoption route without seriously considering the childfree route.

The author tells her own story and explains to the reader in detail about how she arrived at her own choice to be childfree.

This book contains heartfelt case histories and helpful quotes from various women throughout. Each woman has a unique story, so the reader is bound to find someone to whom she can relate.

The author also includes helpful responses to those well-meaning (or not such well-meaning) people who will try to question the reader's positions and choices.

A definate must-read!