We wanted to write this book to answer many of the questions and concerns we hear daily from you in our offices. Most of all, though, we wanted to write this book to reassure you that most of you will be able to conceive.
from the introduction
Yes, you probably can get pregnant -- and the really good news is that most of you can conceive naturally, without expensive high-tech intervention, using the information offered in this six-step fertility enhancement program from Harvard Medical School.
In the past decade, researchers on fertility and conception have made tremendous strides in their quest to help previously infertile couples conceive. While the headlines have been concerned with breakthroughs in high-tech interventions, other studies -- such as Harvard's ongoing Nurses' and Physicians' Studies and groundbreaking research at Harvard's Mind/Body Center for Women's Health -- have been quietly and steadily gathering information that is even more exciting. It shows how everyday lifestyle factors such as stress, exercise, and nutrition affect conception and how simple lifestyle changes can give nature a better chance for a successful pregnancy.
Here is the latest research gathered together and presented as a step-by-step program to empower you to make all the right moves and decisions to optimize your chances of getting pregnant...before considering high-tech intervention. You'll find out about the remarkable Mind/Body Program for Infertility that has more than a 30 percent success rate for conception, here described fully for home use. You'll learn surprising facts about the effect of weight and exercise -- both too much and too little -- on your chances of conceiving; about foods and supplements that enhance fertility and common medications that can inhibit it; about better ways to regulate and target ovulation cycles. You will be led step by step through some simple diagnostic tests to find out what might be the problem and given low-tech treatment options to solve it. And if extra steps are needed, you will be guided toward finding the best specialists and shown how to make the most of the current technology.
Each of the authors of this book is an expert in a particular area affecting fertility. Dr. Barbieri specializes in physical problems women have getting pregnant, Dr. Loughlin in physical problems men have in conception, and Dr. Domar is an expert on how the mind and emotions affect conception. Together they present a team approach that brings together leading-edge research in medicine, biology, and psychology, offering new promise for increased fertility.
