Infertile but Fruitful: Finding Fulfillment When You Can't Conceive

Those suffering from infertility too often do so in silence, isolation, and even shame. Some married couples find the suffering so raw and intimate that they are unable even to lean on each other. By sharing her story, Leigh Snead aims to encourage open, informed, and generous dialogue about infertility among infertile men and women, the subfertile, the secondarily infertile, those with normal fertility, and the robustly fecund.

You are not alone. In the darkness and pain there is hope, healing, and life.

“This is the book I wish I’d had as a young Catholic bride in her twenties, facing unexplained infertility, and aside from my husband’s unfailing and loving support, feeling so very alone,” reflects Snead.

“Using my journey, I discuss the emotional difficulties that can come from infertility, the spiritual challenges it can present, what the Church teaches us, and our choice to adopt children and all the decisions that can entail. Through the many years we tried, failed, and ultimately succeeded in building our family, I share the lessons we’ve learned, the sorrows we endured, and the many blessings bestowed upon us.”

This candid yet caring book is a help for those struggling with infertility — wives and husbands — but it’s also a tremendous resource for priests, physicians, counselors, and the loved ones of anyone bearing the cross of infertility. In these engaging and accessible pages, Snead reveals:

• How to find comfort through the tangle of emotions experienced with infertility
• The ins and outs of seeking quality health care, fertility testing, and treatment options
• Practical tips on treatments gleaned from scientific research and personal experience
• The Church’s teaching about the dignity of the human person, and the two ends of married love
• What to consider regarding Artificial Reproductive Technologies (ART)
• Ways to prepare for welcoming a new child, whether biological or adopted

This powerful book also includes stories of other women who, struggling with infertility, embraced God’s plan of love and life, and either adopted, eventually conceived children, or made the world a better place as spiritual mothers. Snead’s “Lessons Along the Way” at the end of each chapter offer real—life suggestions to help guide and support you on your journey.