Of all the issues related to women’s health, fertility is certainly one of the most emotional and personal. Inability to conceive, or conceiving at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons, can cause both physical and psychological damage. Dr. Northrup sums up the issue when she states: ‘women must learn to manage their fertility well and learn how to conceive consciously.’
One of Dr. Northrup’s key themes throughout the book is the fact that physical health is linked to emotional and psychological health. As she puts it: ‘It is the meaning surrounding an event or procedure that gives it its charge and potential to harm or heal.’ This is particularly important in her discussion on the highly sensitive subject of pregnancy termination. Here, she examines the many factors that may affect each individual woman’s choices and her well-being afterward. An important observation here is that research suggests a link between stress and infertility, as well as a link between emotions and hormones in women who have had multiple miscarriages.
As in other chapters, there are insights that may surprise many readers. For example, in her overview of contraception, she explains that that one of the most effective forms of birth control is Fertility Awareness, a natural method that teaches a woman how to identify the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. She also observes that ‘many health care practitioners do not present birth control methods objectively’ and that there is a tendency to push oral contraceptives over other options.
Dr. Northrup begins her discussion with pregnancy termination, then moves to contraception, infertility and miscarriage, and finally to adoption. And along with a wealth of medical information about these topics, she also introduces a number of ideas that are more spiritual than medical. She sums up the chapter well by opening the door to discussion when stating that our attitudes about fertility and childbirth reflect our attitudes about women and their place in society.
Please feel free to share your thoughts about this chapter by replying to this blog.
Next week, I’ll discuss the chapter on Women’s Wisdom Program for Vibrant Health and Healing (page 605).
Dr.Ray
