Pregnancy Guide for Impatient Women
SDSU researcher Jean Twenge delivers a guide for hopeful moms that uncovers misconceptions about getting pregnant.
When a woman decides she wants to have a baby, it begins a cycle of planning, predicting and pretending to know what to do (outside of the obvious).
For many women, the process from decision to actually conceiving takes much longer than they would like, so they turn to books and websites for help.
That is just what SDSU psychology professor Jean Twenge did when she was first trying to conceive. Disappointed in what she found, Twenge turned to research studies published in medical journals and discovered a lot of what she read online and in books was wrong.
In her new book “The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant,” Twenge shares what she discovered, which she credits for helping her get pregnant naturally – despite being more than 35 years old.
“I wanted to make this scientifically rigorous and very helpful information available to all women in a way that was also fun to read,” said Twenge, now a mother of three.
One example of the false information Twenge corrects in her book is a commonly cited statistic which states “one-third of women over 35 will have fertility issues.” But Twenge discovered that statistic is based on a study of birth records from the 1600s in France.
“Obviously, studies with more modern women show much better success rates,” Twenge said. “It’s this kind of misinformation that causes much more stress and worry than necessary.”
More topics covered in the book
Twenge also looks at the psychological elements associated with getting pregnant and why it is so anxiety-producing. She gives practical advice to help women keep from getting overwhelmed by the process.
Other chapters reveal ways to predict ovulation, what to eat when trying to conceive and even how to increase the odds of having a boy or a girl.
Published this month, “The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant” is already getting positive reviews. Publisher’s Weekly calls it a “manageable, informative, and entertaining guide.”
More information about “The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant” is available on the book’s website at www.impatientwoman.com.
Twenge will sign books at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla at 7:30 p.m. on May 9.
About Twenge
Twenge is the author of more than 90 scientific publications and two books based on her research, Generation Me and The Narcissism Epidemic. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, NBC Nightly News, Fox and Friends, Dateline, and National Public Radio. She received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
