Gail's Recommended 2020 Reading List

Happy New Year!

I’m so excited to start not just this new year, but also the new decade. It’s time for new beginnings and a time for planning. Regardless of where you are in your family building, I wanted to offer some tips on managing that and help you to create balance as you start this next chapter of your life.

I know how overwhelming the process of egg donation and surrogacy can be. I also know how it can consume your life.

Let’s start with your 2020 reading list:

New on the shelves this year is Dr. Kim Bergman’s book, Your Future Family, an essential ‘how-to’ guide to ‘third party fertility’.

I also really encourage you to read the personal stories of other parents via egg donation, Let’s Talk About Egg Donation. It was written by two of my good fertility friends, Marna and Carole, who are leading the way through their own personal experiences and helping others through the egg donation process.

Experiencing Surrogacy, is a new book written by Emily Dubin Field, a mom via surrogacy, and Melissa Fleck, the surrogate who carried her baby.

You can pre-order Amy Klein’s new book The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant Without Losing Your Mind. Amy is a prolific writer who writes frequently about her own journey to parenthood and the struggles she faced.

Consider taking up restorative yoga. It will not help you to get pregnant but it may help your state of mind. What I like best about yoga is suspending judgment and the opportunity to relax. Nothing is more stressful than fertility treatment. We can be very hard on ourselves and our bodies particularly when faced with fertility issues.

I recently read an insightful article in the Parenting section of the New York Times, entitled What to Say to Someone Struggling with Infertility. You may want to share it with your friends and family, and I guarantee it will help them understand just a little more about what you’re going through.

Take time to take care of yourself even if it’s just taking a quiet moment for a cup of tea or a peaceful walk.

Spend time with friends and family who can let you talk when you want to but respect the silence when you need someone to just be with you.

Focusing outward can help create balance. Why not volunteer at your local church or synagogue, help an elderly neighbour. Helping others has been proven to help us - and it may also help you to get your mind off your own troubles.