I’m super excited to announce the launch of my upcoming book “My PCOS Pregnancy: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Pregnant with PCOS.”
Why write a book?
Writing a book has been on my to-do list for many years. I actually started writing a book on integrative fertility a few years ago titled “The Naturopath’s Guide to Getting Pregnant”. I had every chapter laid out and then life got in the way. To this day, it sits untouched on my computer. Fast forward to April 2020 when our first IVF cycle was cancelled due to COVID-19. I was beyond frustrated and angry, all that hope of ever having a baby was taken away in an instant. This was obviously not my fertility clinic’s fault, but it was a bitter pill to swallow.
In the past, I’ve found writing and blogging very therapeutic to help me cope during difficult times. My initial thought was to write a blog post, which ended up being published on Healthline. Once that was complete, I figured hey why stop here, I still had so much more to write. I envisioned a series of blog posts for my website and that quickly spiralled into a full book!
As my practice slowed down because I was limited to virtual consults, I took this opportunity to get serious about writing. I do plan on publishing another book on unexplained infertility and/or integrative approaches to fertility or maybe a cookbook in the future….stay tuned :)
What do I want to accomplish?
I want others who are struggling with infertility and PCOS to feel inspired. Despite the fact there is a two-year waitlist for funded IVF in Ontario, infertility is incredibly lonely and isolating. I spend my day treating infertility, and I still felt alone in my journey. Our friend group was experiencing an explosion of babies, and I would often cry in bed feeling like a complete failure.
I want other women to read my book and feel hopeful, to hang onto that “what if”. I want them to believe they are capable of getting pregnant, carrying to term and trusting in their body. I experienced so much doubt and shame during my infertility and it is important to know that you are not alone.
What’s in the book?
My book is really about helping patients with PCOS get pregnant and more importantly stay pregnant. It is for anyone for is trying to conceive, whether that is natural or medicated cycles, IUI or IVF. It focuses on proper diagnosis and assessment, key lab testing, critical dietary and lifestyle changes and the best-researched supplements. It also provides support for those going through IVF, how to deal with triggers and how to cope during this incredibly stressful and overwhelming time. I want you to be comfortable advocating for yourself and feel empowered on your journey. The goal is to help optimize your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Why include my personal story?
It was very important to me that I was honest with my feelings and really connect with my readers. As much as I’m open about the terrible sadness and pain I experienced, I also wanted there to be some humour in the book. There is nothing sexy about making a test tube baby and my husband and I had a lot of laughs along the way. At one point my ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) was so bad I looked like I had swallowed a basketball. Despite being in horrible discomfort, we found a way to laugh at how ridiculous I looked. I think it is important to try and find the good in every situation, as difficult as this sounds. I’m grateful for my experience because I know it will help so many others who are struggling with infertility and don’t know where to turn.