Waiting: A Diary of Loss and Hope in Pregnancy [Paperback]

Ellen Judith Reich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 1992

Waiting is an honest, in-depth account of one woman's experiences of pregnancy and miscarriage. Author Ellen Judith Reich's journal, kept through her third pregnancy, reflects upon two previous miscarriages. She explores not only the terror that can accompany the prospect of becoming a mother, but the loss of innocence and fear of future loss that haunt any woman who has miscarried. Reich focuses on grief and hope and on learning to cope with change and loss of control. She has recorded her thoughts and expectations about motherhood, children, being in control, and being betrayed by her body. She reveals much by examining the vivid dreams she had during pregnancy and recounting conversations with family, friends, health care professionals, and other grieving parents.

This poignant and personal book should be read by every woman contemplating motherhood, particularly career women who, having postponed childbearing to establish their careers, face a greater likelihood of miscarriage and/or infertility. And any woman who has already experienced miscarriage will come away from Waiting with a sense of renewed optimism and a feeling of not being so alone with her pain. This insightful book should also be required reading for obstetricians and family practitioners and their staffs and medical students who can glean an enormous amount of information about the emotional aspects of miscarriage and help them to better understand their patients’needs and concerns. Counselors and therapists will also benefit from reading this valuable book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ellen Judith Reich is an attorney who instead followed the path of writer and mother. Married for more than 20 years, she lives with her husband, two sons, two dogs and two cats in Charlotte, NC. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, is a published poet and leads writing workshops. She is certified as a workshop leader in the Amherst Writers & Artists method, is a graduate of Vassar College and George Washington University, and is pursuing her MFA at Goddard College. More information about the author is available at www.EllenJudithReich.com. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (March 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0918393884
• ISBN-13: 978-0918393883
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,380,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help and Hope for anyone who has ever suffered a miscarriage or lost a baby, December 31, 2008

By 

Debbie E. "Cdncarolina" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waiting: A Diary of Loss & Hope in Pregnancy (Paperback)

After losing my first pregnancy at 16 weeks I was hard pressed to find a book that really spoke to me in a way that helped me deal with the mixed feelings of grief, fear for any future pregnancies and guilt that I was experiencing. This book was recommended to me by a friend and I finally found in it the words that I could not find anywhere else. In places I broke down reading this book because Ms. Reich's feelings and thoughts were so similar to my own that I felt that she had climbed into my mind. For anyone who has lost a baby - particuarly anyone who has done so before ever having had a successful pregnancy (this was my first pregnancy) - this book is a quiet comfort telling you that you are not alone and that good things are still possible in the future. Knowing this, of course, is not a panacea to the overwhelming feelings that accompany the loss of a pregnancy, but it is a tremendous gift to believe that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. I plan to give a copy of this book to another friend who recently suffered a miscarriage. I hope to never have to buy another copy for anyone else, but I'll do so without hesitation if the sad need ever arises again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Rhythyms of need, March 9, 2009

By 

B. A. Campbell "Bobbi Campbell" (Cornelius, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waiting: A Diary of Loss & Hope in Pregnancy (Paperback)

Cycles of loss and hope in pregnancy are shared by millions of women, yet few find fellow travelers to communicate with during this journey. Ellen Reich's book offers a reader connection with another who expresses herself with an honesty that rings true to the conflicting emotions of both trying to protect a pregnancy while realizing the immense cost emotionally to be on an uncertain journey to birth following miscarriages. What rings true in this book is Ms. Reich continuing on other journeys at the same time: balancing home vs. career choices; experiencing inner conflicts about parenting goals; changing relationships with her spouse and friends. All of these are countered nicely with the rhythym of nature observed outwardly as she travels through her private inward journey.

5.0 out of 5 stars Melissa B, January 20, 2009

By 

M. Berens (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Waiting: A Diary of Loss & Hope in Pregnancy (Paperback)

This book is a "must read" for anyone suffering from the inexplicable grief that accompanies miscarriage and it would be helpful for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of what miscarriage does to a woman. I read Ms. Reich's book years after suffering from multiple miscarriages and I felt as if she had read my mind during those dark days of grief. It was a wonderful gift to see my hopes and fears explained in the eloquent words of Ms. Reich. Healing from the loss of a pregnancy is a very personal and complex journey that even well-intentioned people may not understand. I wish I had read this book when I felt that I was all alone in the world. "Waiting" touched my heart.