I first heard of Alice Domar and the Harvard Mind-Body Institute's Infertility Program in an article which highlighted a research study that found that infertile women who underwent a relaxation program had a higher rate of pregnancy than a control group. Living nowhere near Boston, I was very interested to discover that Dr. Domar had written a book. The book is wonderful and I recommend it to people going through infertility all of the time. I am not one to go for touchy-feely stuff, and this is not at all like that. Rather, it is a down to earth, medically-based, normal, and intelligent approach to getting our lives together. It is a very important companion to anyone undergoing infertility treatment.

This book was recommended to me last spring by members of my infertility support group. I love this book! It was the first book to acknowledge the amount of stress, pain and depression infertile women go through. I use the relaxation techniques not just for infertility, but for every crisis in my life. The advice is practical, simple, and easy to use throughout the day. And it does seem as if the book was written just for me! The audio tapes are helpful as well. The book is a true gift. I just donated a copy to a friend going through infertility, with the stern instruction that I wanted it back. Of the 5 books I gave her, this was the only one that's on loan!

After 2 miscarriages (on Clomid) I was a wreck. A friend gave me this book and without Clomid I got pregnant and delivered a healty happy boy. We're now pregnant again with #2 (another boy!) and I have re-read 2 of her chapters at least 25 times each. I wish I could meet Alice and tell her what a life changing book this was for me.

When I was asked to review this book, I didn't give it a second thought. I myself have a personal connection with this subject. When my daughter was almost 3 years old, after being pregnant for the first time since she was born, I had a miscarriage.

There are so many questions surrounding the reasons for miscarriages - what causes them; can they be prevented; is there a way to lower the risks of having another...? Answers to these and other compelling questions are best discussed in the book, "Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks," by Henry M. Lerner, M.D. I thought I had known all there was to know about miscarriages, but this book truly opened my eyes and gave me much more information.

Miscarriages are a common occurrence, happening in 1 out of 5 pregnancies, and for a number of reasons. Some of what this book discusses: what exactly is a miscarriage; reasons miscarriages occur; the role of infections and the environment in causing miscarriages. It discusses past and current research studies and its results, and even answered a few myths I had believed to be true (see pg 53 for timing sex for a boy or girl; and pg 120 for microwave oven exposure).

MyParenTime highly recommends this book -- besides personally answering some questions I had about my own miscarriage, this informative book touched upon so many areas and explained the topic of miscarriage in terms we can all understand. To anyone who has experienced the devastation of a miscarriage, and to those just looking for information...this book has it all.

Even if there is no need for emergency surgery afterward, a miscarriage leaves behind quite a bundle of mostly negative feelings on the part of the mother and even that of the father. Most people when hearing of a miscarriage react with sympathy towards the parents. However, the parents, especially the mother, guiltily wonders if something she did caused this traumatic event. The mother and to a lesser degree the father is the target that author Dr. henry G. Lerner wants to help. He responds to the self-incriminating questions often asked such as what did I do wrong? Dr. Lerner with contributions by Dr. Domar provide practical advice on how to reduce the odds of preventing a miscarriage from happening again and how to cope with the depression that is sure to come if a miscarriage occurred.

This book is lucid and well written for a wannabe parent to understand yet treats mothers and fathers as intelligent people just lacking information on a "taboo" subject that no one wants to talk about. Dr. Lerner provides insightful information on avoidance and as important how to deal with the deep guilt that will follow if a miscarriage happens. The key to this enlightening nonfiction work is the advice provided to both parents for the forgotten father will feel doubt, depression, and lack of confidence as to what to do for his ailing spouse and his own psyche. MISCARRIAGE: WHY IT HAPPENS AND HOW BEST TO REDUCE YOUR RISKS--A DOCTOR'S GUIDE TO THE FACTS is a strong insightful guidebook.

Harriet Klausner

This is an excellent guide to preventing, coping with, and surviving miscarriage. Dr. Lerner covers all of the important information, and even includes a chapter on the emotional repercussions of miscarriage. I would recommend it for anyone who has had a miscarriage.

I found this book to be very informative. There are two books that I would recommend to every person experiencing infertility. This one and the new book, What to Expect When You're NOT Expecting. ... I hope this review will make a difference and that's you'd read both books and be on your way to coping with infertility.

I'm not the most avid reader in my house, that title belongs to my husband. This book was definitely the exception! To use my husband's words, I completely devoured this book!

Every issue I had dealing with PCOS and with Trying To Conceive was dealt with in this book. The book is very easy to read, very easy to understand, and is incredible! You can really tell that Alice Domar knows exactly what she's talking about, and really has been counseling couples dealing with these same issues - they were the exact same issues we had been dealing with, and for someone to put it into words as wonderfully as she has...it was very enlightening.

Everyone who is trying to conceive and has PCOS MUST read this book as soon as possible.

Thanks millions Alice!!!

What an incredible book. It is filled with tips, information, and advice for the woman facing infertility. It covers all aspects of the emotional struggle that women must cope with when they can't get pregnant--everything from advice on how to cope when everyone else but you gets pregnant, to information about how husbands and wives handle infertility in very different ways. It taught me so much. I also liked the clear, thorough descriptions of how to do relaxation exercises. And I loved reading the stories from real people who have coped with infertility. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is having trouble getting pregnant.

This is such a supportive, warm, helpful, penetrating book. It helps enormously for me to rethink my life in terms of this concept of self-nurturance. What is great is how Dr. Domar takes you through so many different aspects of life and gives you practical and spiritual and psychological ways to nurture yourself in all these different areas--relationships, family, creativity, work, play, and faith. (I hate to admit it, but it also gives me confidence to know that she's a Harvard Med. School person.) I never fully realized just how exhausting and draining it can be to be so focussed on everyone else's needs. This book is giving me permission to really take time for myself, and it's giving me all sorts of ideas on how to use that time wisely, for my health, well-being, and capacity for joy. The stories are engaging, and there's something of value on every page. What a gift! I'm telling all my friends that this one is a must.

Dr. Alice Domar's book on Self-Nurturing is a must-read for both men and women! To say that this book is simply a woman's book and has no application to men is like saying we really don't want to understand the lives and experiences of over 50% of our population. Self care is what stress management and Mind/Body Medicine are all about, and this book sheds light and understanding on these important issues. Recommend this book to women AND men everywhere! . . . Gary L. Flegal, Ph.D., Professional Stress Management Services.

This is an amazing book. Lots of women that I know (myself included) have trouble taking time for themselves, yet they put in incredible amounts of time helping their female friends. This book helps you deal with that problem. I was also lucky enough to hear Alice Domar when she was on National Public Radio a few weeks ago. I found the interview fascinating. Dr. Domar talked about how you need to take time for yourself; so many of us feel guilty when we give ourselves time to relax. She has helped me realize that doing nice things for yourself is something that women need to do more of, and that we shouldn't feel guilty for doing it. I HIGHLY recommend this book to any woman.

I was following along with my wife teh advice in this book, when I was surprised to find myself - a man pregnant. I am now in a government lab - hooked up to all kinds of machines and getting "probed" about 3 times a day.

I don't know how I can give birth.

If you had problem with conception for some time, chances are that you already did your 'homework' and read about all possible causes and treatment on the Internet, or discussed it with your doctor. This book is a very general summery of infertility problems, and mainly a big ad for the authors' treatment plan that is available, I assume, in the hospital where they work. I would not recommend this book to anybody - you can definitely find more useful info online, and definitely cheaper!

I never write book reviews, but I owe the birth of my daughter to the advice given by this book! After 6 years of no contraception, my husband and I finally decided that we were going to REALLY TRY to have a child, so I bought this book, as a starting point to figure out what we--both over 35-- needed to do to get pregnant. In our case, the changes in lifestyle recommended in the book were all we needed; I got pregnant 3 months after putting its advice into practice. This is the perfect book to start with if you want to create a lifestyle that gives you the best chance for getting pregnant, without starting with the infertility drugs. Note that the medical options are also discussed in the book, as well as how much time is reasonable for trying to get pregnant "naturally." Good Luck!