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Summary: Now I am Depressed!
Review: A year ago, my partner and I started the process of getting pregnant- we bought all the books we could find, did tons of research and, miraculously, we are due in three weeks. This book did nothing but scare us into believing that hospitals hate you, your sex life is over for good, and that lesbian parenting is frought with more drama than we could handle. And while there was oodles of information on the conception side of things, (however vauge), there was little of substance on pregnancy, labor, and birth.
... I am sad for all of you who have to rely on this book to get the facts on pregnancy.
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Summary: Some helpful pregnancy advice but too alternative
Review: Broad spectrum of issues addressed, deals with mental, physical and emotional. Amazing resource for Lesbians trying to have babies. Well written and extremely informative.
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Summary: Grlz Doing it for themselves
Review: Broad spectrum of issues addressed, deals with mental, physical and emotional. Amazing resource for Lesbians trying to have babies. Well written and extremely informative.
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Summary: You go Girls!
Review: I am so grateful that Stephanie Brill and Kim Toevs wrote this book. It is an excellent book written directly to lesbian, bisexual, transgender and single people who want to have children. It is an excellent resource and a lovely read!
It covers foods, herbs, sexuality, fertility, self-empowerment, mental health etc.
I live in a very rural area, and am unable to locate local support. This book is like receiving that support in the mail. Most books focus on donor insemination from a heterosexual infertile perpective. I appreciate being spoken to as a lesbian directly. This book is a bold step towards the liberation of life and true family! If you are even thinking about conceiving through some form of alternate insemenation, this book will cover all grounds! Congratulations to the authors for their hard work, tenacity, humor and love that has been invested into this book!
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Summary: Outdated viewpoints with little substance backing them
Review: I would have given this book zero stars if I could. I recommend *against* reading this book.The authors express a mistrust for modern medicine that throws the baby out with the bath water. While I agree with them that many aspects of the standard hospotal birth are based on (male) doctors' convenience, these authors do not acknowledge any positives coming out of that knowledge base. The authors also paint the vast majority of sperm banks as homophobic, which I simply don't think is the case. Additionally, I find it disturbing that the authors promote a variety of alternative parenting arrangements (co-parenting with 3 or 4 adults involved, for instance) without discussing the many different ways it affects the child. If they were going to tackle such complex child-rearing topics, I would prefer that they had a child or family therapist consult with them on the book.
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Summary: wonderful is an understatement
Review: thanks for the easy to read material in this book. it is non-biased and very informative, giving excellent information on western and alternative methods - something generally not given by fertility doctors. clear that the book is written by midwives who know what they are talking about.
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Summary: A disappointing lack of concrete information
Review: The current reading list for lesbian parents and [potential] parents is short and light on substance. I applaud the authors of _The Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth_ for boldly stepping into these relatively unchartered waters. Unfortunately, the end result- a 489 page tome- lacks the substance to help real women make real decisions about their baby-making plans. The tone is warmly accepting of all lifestyles, just as one would expect from a modern midwife team. However, this "anything goes, do what's right for you" acceptance seems to prevent the authors from giving meaningful advice about difficult decisions. There's a decidedly and unsurprising anti-Western medicine bent, but the authors fail to substantiate their distrustfulness. For example, the couple of pages devoted to clomiphene (Clomid) give vague, almost paranoid warnings, without providing real information about observed benefits and risks of the drug. The authors also fail to cite any research that might buoy their opinions. They carelessly use loaded phrases like "often," "many women," "usually," or "seldom." In this respect the authors sound to the careful reader like religious proselytizers or used car salespeople. For example, the authors insist that most women inseminate too early, which is very bad news for women who have familiarized themselves with the available literature on the matter. The evidence the authors provide seems to be based solely on their collective hunch. Women who rely on this book to sort through the miasma of conception issues may feel unprepared to make the important decisions they will face.
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Summary: Appropriate for lesbian, bisexual & aspiring single mothers.
Review: The Essential Guide To Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, And Birth is jointly written by the co-founders of Maia Midwifery and Preconception Services, Stephanie Brill (a lesbian mother of three) and Kim Toevs (member of the California Association of Midwives, and the Midwives' Alliance of North America). Designed specifically for the non-specialist general reader, the authors have effectively collaborated to present information on how to plan and create an ideal family; decide between the many sperm-donor options; choose a co-parenting situation; legally protect family and custody rights; create a healthy, fertile lifestyle through nutrition, exercise, and herbal remedies; select a method of insemination; track fertility cycles and recognize fertility signals; diagnose and treat infertility; and handle both the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and birth. The comprehensive, "reader friendly" text of The Essential Guide To Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, And Birth is wonderfully enhanced with easy-to-understand charts and illustrations, checklists, up-to-date fertility information; and personal exercises especially appropriate for lesbian, bisexual, and single mothers. Unique and very highly recommended.
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Summary: Great Lesbian Conception-How-to Book!
Review: This book is very informative, though not boring or difficult to read. It covers many topics of the whole lesbian conception process, ranging from how to begin the whole "baby making process" to the actual birth. It also gives many resources for sperm banks, products, and even examples of legal documents necessary for parenting. The pictures (geared of course towards lesbians, partners, and children) add some coziness to a topic that can be very overwhelming. It's nice to see an all around great book that encompasses every aspect of lesbians choosing, planning, and becoming parents.
Rating:
Summary: Great Lesbian Conception-How-to Book!
Review: This book is very informative, though not boring or difficult to read. It covers many topics of the whole lesbian conception process, ranging from how to begin the whole "baby making process" to the actual birth. It also gives many resources for sperm banks, products, and even examples of legal documents necessary for parenting. The pictures (geared of course towards lesbians, partners, and children) add some coziness to a topic that can be very overwhelming. It's nice to see an all around great book that encompasses every aspect of lesbians choosing, planning, and becoming parents.
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