Using his own journey as inspiration, writer Jon Waldman offers this heartfelt and funny guide for men and couples struggling with infertility.
Take a moment to scroll through the contacts on your phone or your friends on Facebook. One in six of them is struggling with infertility. The affected women have most likely reached out to family, close friends, support groups, or online communities. They ask for the help they need, and often get it on behalf of themselves and their partners.
But men don't always handle infertility well. Regardless of the underlying cause, the inability to conceive naturally can be extremely painful. The resulting feelings of inadequacy, shame, and isolation can change how a man acts towards those closest to him. But Jon Waldman wants to change that.
In Swimming Aimlessly, Waldman shares his family's infertility story, a years-long, crazy expensive, physically and emotionally exhausting ride. He also speaks with other couples, doctors, and fertility experts, providing not only the latest science, but more intimate advice about the ups and downs of trying to conceive, keeping the partnership healthy, and dealing with the inevitable losses that come—even when the journey ends in a baby.
