This helpful guide from Canadian certified doula and fertility support practitioner Laine Halper Zisman is aimed at “people who are trying to build families in a world that often doesn’t make space for them.” Zisman asserts, however, that “This is not your typical ‘how to make a baby book.’” Instead, it offers ways to figure out your wants and needs on the journey, how to communicate them, and how to understand the politics, obstacles—and yes, joys, along the way. A main goal of the volume is “to name systems of oppression, identify gaps in medical training, and help families navigate systems that weren’t made for them.”
The book does include some “how to” information, however, at least enough to give readers a sense of what their options are. (If you want even more physiological details, try Baby Making for Everybody and Queer Conception.) Additionally, there is material on how to find community and support for the family building process; how to make decisions like which method, donor, or clinic to use; dealing with loss and grief; and much more. The book also includes many questions and journaling prompts for self-reflection, as well as suggested questions to ask potential providers, donors, and others.
The bulk of the material was written by Zisman, with several other contributors offering sections on their particular areas of expertise. As a Canadian publication, the legal and financial information in it is specific to Canada, making it best for readers living there, but readers in the U.S. and elsewhere will likely still find much value in the conversational and supportive material it provides on other topics.
