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Don't Tell Her to Relax: 22 Ways to Support Your Infertile Loved One
Zahie El Kouri, author
"In clear and candid prose, Zahie El Kouri has written a valuable how-to guide for family members and friends of women dealing with fertility issues. With practical advice on a multitude of topics, she demystifies the emotions surrounding conception difficulties and provides us with tools that enable understanding and compassion." --Melissa Hart, Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family "Don't Tell Her to Relax is an invaluable and powerful resource for the millions of friends and family who wish to support their loved one through the crisis of infertility. I am grateful that Zahie El Kouri has chosen to bring forth purpose from her own painful journey to provide such a meaningful, much needed guide on this topic. It is simply a MUST READ!" -Dustyn Williams, LMHC Founder of Infertility Counseling Center of Jacksonville "So often, people experiencing infertility are overwhelmed and overstressed; they do not have the mental and emotional energy to educate their friends and family about what they are experiencing, and perhaps more importantly, what they need. This book does an excellent job of explaining it all for them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be supportive of someone struggling with infertility, and I plan to use it as a resource in my clinical practice." --Lisa Rouff, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, former member of Board of Directors for Illinois Chapter of Resolve, member of Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. "A concise, easy-to-read book, providing valuable first-hand experience on how to approach and emotionally support your loved one going through fertility treatment." --Dr. Michael L. Freeman, Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine
Reviews
Having had her own experiences with infertility—defined by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as “the failure to achieve a successful pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse”—El Kouri is a knowledgeable and sympathetic host in this how-to guide, which outlines ways to support an infertile loved one (ILO). El Kouri shares advice and things to say (and not to say) when an ILO is making the hard choice of medical treatment (which El Kouri underwent, successfully), adoption, or living child-free. Above all, El Kouri stresses that infertility is a medical condition. She urges readers to be sensitive to hormone-driven mood swings during treatment and to be available for emotional support, especially during tricky social situations and at-home medical procedures. She suggests simpler means of support as well, such as making care packages or offering to drive to and from appointments. El Kouri admirably gets straight to the point, except every so often when she makes unsuccessful attempts at levity. Short and sweet, this is a handy guide to helping ILOs navigate emotionally and financially draining waters. (BookLife)
