When it comes to enhancing your chances of conception through lifestyle changes or wellness tips, there’s no shortage of literature available. However, a comprehensive, independent guide that answers all your queries during IVF treatment is hard to come by. Recognizing this gap, friends Emily Parker and Sarah Lawson, both of whom experienced the trials of IVF, decided to create what they call “the ultimate handbook for IVF.”
To ensure this guide is packed with reliable, expert insights, Emily and Sarah enlisted contributions from leading authorities in the field, including experts from the HFEA and Professor Mark Smith, the Medical Director at Oxford Fertility.
Curious about their journey, we caught up with Emily and Sarah to learn more about their book:
What inspired you to write this book?
Having undergone a combined total of 15 IVF cycles both domestically and internationally, we faced an overwhelming amount of information at every step. Our goal with this book is to streamline that often confusing process for others, providing them with all the essential facts in one place. Ultimately, we aimed to create a resource we wished we had during our own journeys.
What are your backgrounds?
Before and after starting families, Emily had a fruitful 20-year career in corporate marketing, working with several top brands. Sarah, on the other hand, is a fully certified Nutritional Therapist (MSc) focusing on fertility, in addition to being a qualified science educator. Our diverse experiences enable us to present complex medical topics in an engaging and accessible manner. We also reached out to world-renowned specialists to ensure the information is top-notch. Each of our eight chapters features insights from a leading expert, including the HFEA’s inaugural contribution to a publication of this nature.
How long did it take to complete the book?
The writing process itself took about two years, but from the initial concept to holding a finished book, it spanned nearly three years.
If you could recommend just one chapter, which would it be?
That’s a tough call since each chapter offers valuable information! The book isn’t meant to be read sequentially; it’s meant for readers to dive into the sections that are most relevant to their current stage. If you’re just starting out and considering your options, Chapter One, “Choosing a Fertility Clinic and What to Expect,” would be an ideal starting point. If you’re exploring donor-assisted IVF, then Chapter Seven would be pertinent. However, we must highlight Professor Smith’s chapter on “The IVF Process and Different Treatment Types” as a particularly insightful read!
You can find “IVF: Everything You Need to Know” available for purchase on Amazon, WHSmith, and Waterstones. Also, if you’re interested in surrogacy after facing challenges, check out this one of our other blog posts for more insights.
In summary, this book serves as a valuable resource for anyone navigating the complexities of IVF, offering expert advice and practical information all in one place. For more information on insemination options, you can visit Make A Mom for their at-home insemination kit. If you’re looking for a deeper understanding of IUI and similar methods, Healthline provides an excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination.