Appendix B
Additional Resources
Fertility-Related Organizations
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) (formerly the American Fertility Society)
1209 Montgomery Highway
Birmingham, AL 35216-2809
(205) 978-5000
www.asrm.org
ASRM provides patient and physician information. They also help govern and provide guidance for fertility programs both in training and in ethical situations. You will find great handouts on various positions from ASRM here; also available in Spanish.
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART)
1209 Montgomery Highway
Birmingham, AL 35216
(205) 978-5000 x109
www.sart.org
SART runs the statistical information processing that will help you compare fertility clinics. It is the place you'll find the most information, and should be consulted when trying to decide what program is right for you.
The International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination, Inc. (INCIID)
P.O. Box 6836
Arlington, VA 22206
(703) 379-9178
www.inciid.org
Great information for support purposes. They offer chats with professionals for the layperson on various forms of fertility questions.
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
1310 Broadway
Somerville, MA 02144
(888) 623-0744
www.resolve.org
Primarily an organization for persons interested in receiving support for various fertility issues. There are some great leadership positions filled in this organization by professionals in the field as well as parents.
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC)
330 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20447
(703) 352-3488 or S(888) 251-0075
www.calib.com/naic
Information on adoption of any type in the United States and in foreign countries.
Organization of Parents Through Surrogacy (OPTS)
www.opts.com
Information to help connect people who have become parents via surrogates or who are interested in information on surrogacy.
Pregnancy-Related Organizations
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
409 12th Street, SW
PO Box 96920
Washington, DC 20090-6920
www.acog.org
ACOG is the premier organization for obstetricians and gynecologists. They manage the postmedical school training and certification of this specialty. These physicians are trained in the care of the woman during all stages of life.
The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS)
PO Box 2346
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32004
(888) 282-CIMS or S(904) 285-1613
www.motherfriendly.org
Established in 1996, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) is a collaborative effort of numerous individuals and more than fifty organizations that represents more than 90,000 members. Their mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. Here you will also find a lot of good information on choosing pregnancy practitioners.
Doulas of North America (DONA)
PO Box 626
Jasper, IN 47547
(888) 788-DONA
www.dona.org
DONA is the leading organization that certifies birth and postpartum doulas. A doula can assist the family before, during, or after childbirth. Using a doula has been shown to decrease the incidence of many complications of labor and postpartum, including Cesarean section and postpartum depression.
International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA)
PO Box 20048
Minneapolis, MN 55420
(952) 854-8660
www.icea.org
ICEA trains childbirth educators as well as prenatal fitness instructors throughout the world. Their website offers a search to help you find local instructors.
Lamaze International
2025 M Street, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036-3309
(202) 367-1128
www.lamaze.org
Lamaze International is the leading certifying organization for childbirth educators. Promoting normal birth is the core of their philosophy as they train educators worldwide. Their site offers a directory, articles, and other interactive features.
Books on Fertility and Pregnancy
The Complete Guide to Fertility, ASRM, Ed.
Sandra Carson, MD, and Peter Casson, MD
This book was written and supported by members of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). It is a very technical book, but well worth the read.
The Everything® Pregnancy Fitness Book
Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, ICCE-CPE, CD (DONA)
This book is a great overview of exercises for each trimester. The photos are clear and the text succinct. It includes special chapters on exercising in special situations like bed rest and includes a postpartum workout as well.
Getting Pregnant Naturally
Winifred Conkling
This book focuses on low-tech ways to help you get pregnant, including homeopathy, acupressure, nutrition, lifestyle changes, and more.
Overcoming Infertility: A Guide for Jewish Couples
Richard V. Grazi, MD
This book is a great resource for observant Jewish couples and the unique challenges they face when pursuing infertility treatment.
The Pregnancy Book
William Sears, MD, and Martha Sears, RN, IBCLC
This doctor/nurse, husband/wife team tells it like it is about pregnancy and birth. They lay it on the line about the choices you have and the healthiest approach to pregnancy. It is laid out in a convenient month-by-month format to help you find the information you need, when you need it.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
Toni Weschler, MPH
This is an excellent manual for learning about charting your natural fertility cycles. It goes into very great detail about symptothermal testing and charting your basal body temperatures.
Websites
About Adoption Guide
Nancy Stanfield's guide to all types of adoption has you covered from the decision to the execution. She has a great website on dealing with the emotional and financial issues of adoption.
http://adoption.about.com
About Infertility Guide
Infertility from diagnosis to high-tech assistance. Includes a personal touch with lots of opportunities for loving support from others in your situation. A great place to look for cycle buddies.
http://infertility.about.com
About Pregnancy Guide
Pregnancy-related articles including a pregnancy calendar, ultrasound photos, community support, belly gallery, and other pregnancy-fitness related resources.
http://pregnancy.about.com
Childbirth.org
This pregnancy website is dedicated to helping you maintain a healthy pregnancy. There are many informative articles on all aspects of pregnancy, and fun programs including the boy or girl quiz and birth plan creator.
www.childbirth.org
The Maternity Center Association (MCA)
This website offers consumer sections, including access to the electronic version of the book A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. It also contains many tools to help you the consumer you choose the right care. It also includes a section on the rights of the childbearing woman.
www.maternitywise.org
Fertility Plus
A great site for patient-and consumer-driven information, including many Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) files and downloads like a basal body temperature chart.
www.fertilityplus.org
Couple to Couple League — Natural Family Planning
The Couple to Couple League provides trainings, in various locations across the United States, about how to use your body's fertility signals to help you achieve pregnancy and diagnose your cycle variability. This can be used to help achieve or avoid pregnancy with great accuracy. Their website includes information on finding local classes.
www.ccli.org
SHARE
SHARE is an organization dedicated to helping you grieve the loss of your child, no matter when your child died. Through a monthly paper newsletter that is free for the first year, to conferences held all over the United States, SHARE has support at heart.
www.nationalshareoffice.com
