Conceivability

April 1, 2018
A chronicle of the great lengths one woman went through to conceive and birth two children.Denver-based lawyer Katkin was sure she wanted children. Like many women, she assumed it was much harder to avoid pregnancy than to become pregnant. However, after her first miscarriage, she began to realize that becoming a mother wasn't as easy as she originally thought--but she wasn't going to give up. As the years progressed--years filled with more miscarriages, hormone injections, in vitro fertilizations, and so many doctors' appointments that she lost track--her determination to have children only grew stronger. In her debut memoir, the author shares the various methods she and her husband used to finally have two healthy children in their lives. She thoroughly examines the medical side of her treatments, giving readers an in-depth accounting of hormone shots, the way the female body functions pre/during/and post pregnancy, the role a healthy uterus plays in keeping an embryo viable, and the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese medicine alongside IVF. Katkin discusses the inadequacies found in the United States when it comes to helping women deal with infertility issues and how patients become consumers, "shopping" for the best clinic when there are few standards, lax regulations, and almost no data on success rates to help patients make informed decisions. She shows how other countries around the world have far better information and rates of success than the U.S., which will lead some readers to question if they should look outside the U.S. for help with similar matters. Katkin also incorporates the stories of other couples, giving a wide-angle look at the pros and cons of medical intervention, the use of surrogate mothers, and the extreme measures many will go to in order to have a baby.A well-researched, informative, and positive account of a very long journey to motherhood.

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April 16, 2018
Lawyer and debut author Katkin shares her trying experiences with fertility treatment in this in-depth memoir of her obstacle-ridden journey to motherhood. “Driven to share” the information she collected, Katkin takes readers on a relentless, 10-year quest to conceive two children; in the process, she spends $200,000, weathers seven miscarriages, and visits six countries and numerous physicians. Katkin interweaves research with her personal struggles; while her writing is replete with technical terms (“most IVF protocols rely on an injection of HCG 36 hours prior to egg collection”), she personalizes her research with anecdotes, such as the birthday she spent flying to Moscow for timely egg retrieval. Katkin perceptively explores the emotional pain of miscarriage and shares her feelings about adoption (which she and her husband considered) and surrogacy (their eventual choice.) Her story reveals the importance of becoming a savvy, educated consumer, questioning fertility protocols, and investigating different options. She also examines the ethical questions surrounding egg and sperm donation, and helps readers unpack confusing and sometimes conflicting laws. Katkin’s lawyerly thoroughness has resulted in an invaluable and inspiring text that will be a boon to others navigating the deep and “choppy waters” of fertility treatment. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, MacKenzie Wolf.