MHPG Resources for Adults
This list was revised by the MHPG Education Resources Committee, Summer and Fall 2021. Contributors (in alphabetical order): Carrie Eichberg, PhD, Stephanie Lane-Hicks, LPC, ATR-BC., Jen Noonan, LPC, Katharine L. Rowny, PsyD
Please note that the following resources are intended for educational purposes only, and are not a substitute for the advice or guidance of a licensed healthcare professional. The presence of any particular item on this list does not represent an official endorsement or opinion of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) or the ASRM’s Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG). Links for the online material listed below are periodically reviewed to ensure that the site remains operational.
The categories, books and online resources below are listed in alphabetical order. An asterisk indicates the book was written by a current or former member of the MHPG.
Adoption
Cranshaw, M., & Balen, R. (2010). Adopting After Infertility: Practice, Research and Personal Experience. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Creating a Family https://creatingafamily.org/adoption/resources
This is a website about the joys and challenges of adoption and includes a useful multi-resource guide for planning and managing finances throughout the adoption journey.
Johnston, P.I. (2008). Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families. Perspectives Press.
Pavao, J. (2005). The Family of Adoption: Completely Revised and Updated. Beacon Press.
For a list of books on adoption for parents and children, see the resources listed on the Pact website: www.pactadopt.org
Child Free Living
Carter, J.W., & Carter, M. (1998). Sweet Grapes: How to Stop Being Infertile and Start Living Again. Perspectives Press.
Day, J. (2016). Living the Life Unexpected: How to find hope, meaning, and a fulfilling future without children. Bluebird.
Live Childfree https://livechildfree.com - A Place for Adults Without Children.
Mahoney Tsigdinos, P. (2009). Silent Sorority: A Barren Woman Gets Busy, Angry, Lost and Found. BookSurge Publishing.
Manterfield, L. (2010). I’m Taking My Eggs and Going Home. Steel Rose Press.
Scott, L. (2010). Two is Enough: A Couples Guide to Living Childless by Choice. Seal Press.
Endometriosis
Kerin Orbuck, I., & Stein, A. (2019). Beating Endo: How to Reclaim Your Life from Endometriosis. Harper Wave.
Murnane, J. (2021). Know Your Endo: An Empowering Guide to Health and Hope With Endometriosis. Avery.
Seckin, T. (2016). The Doctor Will See You Now: Recognizing and Treating Endometriosis. Turner.
The Endometriosis Association https://endometriosisassn.org
The Endometriosis Association provides information, recent research and resources for women and teens managing endometriosis
General Fertility/Infertility
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists www.acog.org
ACOG provides fact sheets on many different women’s health issues, including aspects of infertility, such as evaluating infertility, treating infertility, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine www.reproductivefacts.org
Information for patients from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
* Bergman, K. & Petok, B. (2021). Psychological and Medical Perspectives on Fertility Care and Sexual Health. Elsevier.
Psychological and Medical Perspectives on Fertility Care and Sexual Health is a first-of-its-kind book for clinicians and provides reproductive health care specialists with tools to identify sexual problems, provide treatment if they are able or make appropriate referrals, and coordinate care for more specialized and specific needs as part of the patient's overall reproductive medical management. The text identifies common sexual problems/dysfunctions presented by infertility patients and describes interventions for these problems. It includes material on diverse populations typically left out, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals, women and people of color. Also identified are resources for appropriate treatment of sexual dysfunction This reference explores the intimate interface of sexuality and fertility, male and female sexual function, cultural influences on women, Eastern medicine, and more.
Blitzer, B. (2011). The Infertility Workbook: A Mind-Body Program to Enhance Fertility, Reduce Stress, and Maintain Emotional Balance. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Charlesworth, L. (2004). The Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization: Everything You Need to Know to Maximize Your Chances of Success. Da Capo Press.
Currier Nadeau, J. (2007). The Empty Picture Frame: An Inconceivable Journey Through Infertility. Outskirts Press.
Daniluk, J. C. (2001). The Infertility Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Cope with the Challenges While Maintaining Your Sanity, Dignity, and Relationships. New Harbinger.
* Domar, A.D., & Lesch K. (2008). Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free From the Perfection Deception. Harmony.
This book is aimed at women who struggle with achieving perfection in many areas of their life, including body image, parenting, their home, and their relationships.
* Domar, A.D., & Lesch K. (2004). Conquering Infertility: Dr. Alice Domar's Mind/Body Guide to Enhancing Fertility and Coping with Infertility. Penguin Books.
This book is aimed at women struggling to get pregnant, whether or not in treatment. It contains dozens of patient stories as well as numerous cognitive-behavioral and relaxation strategies. It is a very hands-on skills acquisition book.
* Domar, A.D. (1997). Healing Mind, Healthy Woman: Using the Mind/Body Connection to Manage Stress and Take Control of Your Life. Delta.
Although this is not a book exclusively for individuals with infertility, there is one chapter devoted exclusively to infertility and there are numerous examples from Alice’s infertility patients. The focus of the book is teaching mind/body skills, including cognitive-behavioral and relaxation strategies.
*Domar, A.D. (2001). Self-Nurture: Learning to Care for Yourself as Effectively as You Care for Everyone Else. Penguin Books.
This is aimed at all women who struggle with meeting their own needs. There are numerous stories of women included as well as many cognitive-behavioral strategies.
*Domar, A.D. (co-authored with Drs. Barbieri and Loughlin) (2001). Six Steps to Increased Fertility: An Integrated Medical and Mind/Body Approach to Promote Conception. Atria Books.
*Elster, N., Horowitz, J.E., & Paley Galst,J. (2010). Ethical Dilemmas in Fertility Counseling. American Psychological Counseling.
*Flemmons, J. (2018). Infertility and PTSD: The Uncharted Storm. Create Space.
The book provides fictional case examples of trauma and PTSD. The book provides trauma psychoeducation, information about the neuroscience of trauma and its impact on changing cognitions and regulating anxiety. The book provides research about the changing physiology with chronic trauma while providing practical evidence-based suggestions and treatment pathway considerations for trauma-informed therapy. The published research studies about infertility and PTSD are also cited/credited in the book.
Ford, M. (2009). Navigating the Land of If: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Options. Seal Press.
*Jaffe, J., & Diamond, M. (2010). Reproductive Trauma: Psychotherapy with Infertility and Pregnancy Loss Clients. American Psychological Association.
This is a handbook for therapists working with this population, and provides theoretical constructs as well as practical advice from clinicians.
* Jaffe, J., & Diamond, D. & M. (2005). Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility. St. Martin’s Griffin, NY.
Kinsey, D. (2011). Journey to Destiny, Travelling Through Infertility. iUniverse.
* Flores Lock, A. (2021). Body Betrayal: Understanding and Living with Infertility.
Madeira, J.L. (2017). Taking Baby Steps: How Patients and Fertility Clinics Collaborate in Conception. University of California Press.
In Taking Baby Steps Jody Lynee Maderia takes readers inside the infertility experience, from dealing with infertility-related emotions to forming treatment relationships with medical professionals and confronting difficult medical decisions. Based on hundreds of interviews, this book investigates how women, men, and medical professionals negotiate infertility's rocky terrain to create life and build families--a journey across personal, medical, legal and ethical minefields that can test mental and physical heal, friendships and marriages, spirituality, and financial security.
Orenstein, P. (2007). Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night, and One Woman’s Quest to Become a Mother. Bloomsbury.
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association www.resolve.org
RESOLVE provides information, education and resources for supporting those who are experiencing or impacted by infertility.
Society for the Study of Male Reproduction https://ssmr.org
An online resource that includes research about male infertility as well as a patient education forum.
Swire-Falker, E. (2004). The Infertility Survival Handbook. Riverhead Trade.
Waits, K. (2010). Every Drunken Cheerleader: Why Not Me? Endurance Publishing.
LGBTQ
Aizley, H. (2006). Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All. Beacon Press.
American Psychological Association (2005). Lesbian and Gay Parenting. Available through the American Psychological Association.
Ball, C.A. (2012). The Right to Be Parents: LGBT Families and the Transformation of Parenthood. University Press.
Bernstein, R.A. (2005). Families of Value: Personal Profiles of Pioneering Lesbian and Gay Parents. Marlowe and Company. An Imprint of AvalonPublishing.
Brill, S., & Sacks, P. (2006). The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth. Alyson Publications.
Brodzinsky, D.M. (2011). Adoption by Lesbians and Gay Men: A New Dimension in Family Diversity. Oxford University Press.
Clifford, D. (et al., 2007). A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples. Nolo Press.
Golombok, S. (2020). We are Family: What Really Matters for Parents and Children. Scribe.
Hatch Egg Donation & Surrogacy http://www.hatch.us
Lev, A.I. (2004). The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide. Berkley Trade Paperback.
LGBT Perinatal Wellness Center https://lgbtqperinatalwellnesscenter.org
A website for LGBTQ family building. Provides resources as well as a list of agencies and services for LGBTQ community.
Miller, A.K. (2010). She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood. Beacon Press.
Pepper, R. (2005). The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself from Preconception Through Birth. Cleis Press.
Parenting After Infertility
Sarasohn Glazer, E. (1998). The Long-Awaited Stork: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility. Jossey-Bass.
Parenting Over 40
London, N. (2001). Hot Flashes Warm Bottles: First-Time Mothers Over 40. Celestial Arts.
Parenting Over 40: A podcast Http://parentingover40.com A podcast focused on parenting advice for moms and dads who want to start a family.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Grassi, A., & Mattei, S. (2009). The PCOS Workbook: Your Guide to Complete Physical and Emotional Health. Luca Publishing.
PCOS Awareness Association https:// www.pcosaa.org
The PCOS Awareness Association is devoted to providing education and awareness to important issues related to PCOS, a medical condition that can impact fertility.
Vliet, E.L., (2006). The Savvy Woman’s Guide To PCOS. The Savvy Woman’s Guide Publishing, Inc.
Pregnancy After Infertility
*Domar, A.D., & Curry Oakes, S. (2016). Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom. Penguin Random House.
Although not aimed specifically at women who have conceived after infertility, the book is meant for women who are experiencing anxiety or distress while pregnant. It is comprised of numerous stress reducing strategies, with a cognitive-behavioral focus.
Pregnancy After Loss
Ciruli Lanham, C. (1999). Pregnancy After a Loss: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death. Berkley Trade.
Cox, F. (2012). Celebrating Pregnancy Again. Kindle e-book.
Douglas, A., & Sussman, J.R. (2012). Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy after Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss. Taylor Trade Publishing.
Pregnancy Loss
Abortion
DePuy, C., & Dovitch, D. (1997). The Healing Choice: Your Guide to Emotional Recovery After an Abortion. Fireside.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2000). Unspeakable Losses: Healing from Miscarriage, Abortion, and Other Pregnancy Loss. Harper Collins.
Torre-Bueno, A. (1997). Peace After Abortion. Pimpernel Press.
Miscarriage, Pregnancy Loss & Infant Death
Allen, M., & Marks, S. (1993). Miscarriage: Women Sharing from the Heart. Jon Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cohen, J. (2007). Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth About Miscarriage. Rutgers University Press.
Climb Support climb-support.org
Centers for Loss in Multiple Birth is a support organization for families that have
experienced the loss in multiple pregnancy from conception through birth, infancy and
childhood. Support includes resources and personal stories.
Davis, D. (1996). Empty Cradle, Broken Heart, Revised Edition: Surviving the Death of Your Baby. Fulcrum.
Helping After Neonatal Death www.handonline.org
Helping after Neonatal Death is an organization with direct support in California and resources including peer support groups, a book list, newsletters, and a resource list of related websites and support.
*Kluger-Bell, K. (2000). Unspeakable Losses: Healing from Miscarriage, Abortion, and Other Pregnancy Loss. Harper Collins.
Kohn, I., & Moffitt, P. (2000). A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss—Guidance and Support for You and Your Family. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
McCracken, E. (2008). An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir. Little, Brown and Company.
Mombaby: www.mombaby.org
Mombaby is a website from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine focusing on maternal and infant health. This site includes patient resources on support for those who have experienced miscarraige and pregnancy loss.
Share Pregnancy & Infant loss Support http://nationalshare.org
Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support is a national non-profit organization with over 75 chapters in 29 states. It’s mission is to provide support for anyone who experiences the tragic death of a baby. Their services include bed-side companions, phone support, face- to-face support group meetings, resource packets, private online communities, memorial events, and training for caregivers.
Taylor, Z. (2010). Pregnancy Loss: Surviving Miscarriage and Stillbirth. Kindle e-book.
Through the Heart www.throughtheheart.org
Through the Heart is a resource for pregnancy loss and includes Comfort Kits free of charge to individuals or couples who have suffered a pregnancy loss. Resources and discussion boards are also provided for coping with loss.
Vredevelt, P. (2009). Empty Arms: Hope and Support for Those that Have Suffered a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Tubal Pregnancy. RandomHouse.
Zucker, J. (2021). I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement. The Feminist Press at CUNY.
Pregnancy Termination / Fetal Anomaly
Brooks, C. (2008). Our Heartbreaking Choices: Forty-Six Women Share Their Stories of Interrupting a Much-Wanted Pregnancy. iUniverse, Inc.
Ilse, S. (2005). Precious Lives Painful Choices: A Prenatal Decision-Making Guide. Wintergreen Press.
Mayer-Whittington, N. (2007). For the Love of Angela. Saint Catherine of Siena Press
Secondary Infertility
Fishman Simons, H. (2007). Wanting Another Child: Coping with Secondary Infertility. Jossey-Bass, Incorporated Publishers.
* Noonan, J. (2015). In Due Time. A Journey Through Infertility, Loss and Embracing the Unknown. Mission Bay Press.
In Due Time chronicles Jen’s initial difficulty to conceive her son followed by the most physically and emotionally demanding time trying to expand her family. Intimate details of infertility testing and medication through failed attempts at pregnancy, in vitro attempts and embryo transfers are divulged. An emotional mixture of hope, defeat, success, and loss depicts her lengthy struggle to embrace the unknown.
Books in the “General Infertility” section (above) that also have good chapters on secondary infertility include: The Long Awaited Stork: Parenting After Infertility, by Ellen Sarasohn Glazer; and Conquering Infertility, by Alice Domar.
Single Parent by Choice
Brockes, E. (2018). An Excellent Choice: Panic and Joy on My Solo Path to Motherhood. Penguin Press.
Choice Moms www.Choicemoms.org
The mission of Choicemoms is to create a supportive, welcoming, educational environment for single women who consciously decide to become mothers without a partner; creating both print and online tools of communication, for Choice Moms and their children as well as providing connections that bring women together via the website, special events and activities designed to help single mothers celebrate their journey to motherhood, be able to share their struggles and concerns with other mothers to help them be the best moms that they can be.
Enber, A. (2006). The Complete Single Mother: Reassuring Answers to Your Most Challenging Concerns. Adams Media.
Hertz, R. (2008). Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice: How Women are Choosing Parenthood Without Marriage and Creating the New American Family. Oxford University Press.
Kramer, W. (2013). Finding Our Families. Avery. On searching for and finding donors and donor half siblings.
Mattes, J. (1997). Single Mothers by Choice: A Guide for Single Women Who are Considering or Have Chosen Motherhood. Three Rivers Press.
Morrissette, M. (2008). Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Parents Without Partners www.parentswithoutpartners.org
Parents Without Partners provides single parents and their children with an opportunity for enhancing personal growth, self-confidence and sensitivity towards others by offering an environment for support, friendship, and the exchange of parenting techniques.
Passley, J. (2006). Single Parenting in the 21st Century and Beyond: A Single Mother’s Guide to Rearing Sons Without Fathers. Trafford Publishing.
Sidel, R. (2006). Unsung Heroines: Single Mothers and the American Dream. University of California Press.
Single Mothers By Choice (SMC) www.singlemothersbychoice.org
Founded in 1981, the primary goal of SMC is to provide support and information to single women who are considering, or have chosen, single motherhood. Members connect through local chapters all over the US, and in Canada, Europe, and beyond, and/or through their online private discussion Forum and Newsletter. As the needs of the members have expanded, so has the organization’s services and resources; including resources about Donor Insemination, Adoption, and Parenting concerns and questions.
Sloan, L. (2007). Knock yourself up: No Man? No Problem: A Tell-All Guide to Becoming a Single Mom. Avery Trade.
Third Party Reproduction
Donor Conception
Daniels, K. (2004). Building a Family with the Assistance of Donor Insemination. Dunmore Press.
Davis, L.J. (2009). Go Ask Your Father: One Man’s Obsession with finding His Origins Through DNA Testing. Bantam Dell.
Ehrensaft, D. (2005). Mommies, Daddies, Donors, Surrogates: Answering Tough Questions and Building Strong Families. Guilford Press. Highly comprehensive book. Written for both a professional and a general audience.
Friedman, J.S. (2007-2nd edition). Building Your Family Through Egg Donation – What You Will Want to Know About the Emotional Aspects, Bonding, and Disclosure Issues. Jolance Press. Available through the author.
*Gatlin, M., & *LieberWilkins, C. (2019). Let's Talk About Egg Donation: Real Stories from Real People. Archway Publishing.
This book was written by, for, and about families built through egg and embryo donation. It takes the reader on a journey from infertility diagnosis, to pregnancy, to how to talk to your child about egg donation. Let's Talk About Egg Donation tells true stories of real families who are parenting via egg and embryo donation. Their stories are woven throughout the book to craft an informative, easy-to-read narrative that focuses on positive language choices. This is the first book written by mothers through egg donation that gives age-appropriate scripts which engender confidence in parents in talking to kids and others about donor conception.
Glazer, E.S., & Sterling, E.W. (2005). Having Your Baby through Egg Donation. Perspectives Press. Available through www.perspectivespress.com.
Lorbach, C. (2003). Experiences of Donor Conception: Parents, Offspring, and Donors Through the Years. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Surrogacy
*Bergman, K. (2019). Your Future Family: The Essential Guide to Assisted Reproduction (What You Need to Know About Surrogacy, Egg Donation, and Sperm Donation). Red Wheel.
This book provides guidance on the complex process of using donor egg, donor sperm, donor embryo, and surrogacy to have children. The book guides parents to seek reputable experts (medical, mental health, legal, financial) they need to help them through the process and includes stories of real people who have successfully navigated the process of third party reproduction.
Donor Conception Network. (2012). Mixed Blessings: Building a Family With and Without Donor Help. Available from the Donor Conception Network website: www.dcnetwork.org.
Donor Conception Network. Talking and Telling. Available at www.dcnetwork.org or http://www.infertilitynetwork.org. For parents of children 0-7, 8-11, 12-16, 17-adult.
Ehrensaft, D. (2005). Mommies, Daddies, Donors, Surrogates: Answering Tough Questions and Building Strong Families. Guilford Press. Highly comprehensive book. Written for both a professional and a general audience.
Griswold, Z. (2006). Surrogacy was the Way: Twenty Intended Mothers Tell Their Stories. Nightingale Press.
Zeigler, S. (2004). Pathways to Parenthood: The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy. Brown Walker Press.