The Baby Chase: An Adventure in Fertility

Im not over 40 and childless for no reason, writes Holly Finn. I smoked in my twenties. I preferred red wine to sparkling water. I ate too much milk chocolate. I liked limericks. I know all the wrong Ive done. But also, more than any of that, Ive always longed for children. Yet there she was: successful, social, mostly happy, and not a mother. Knowing that her chances of becoming pregnant naturally were quickly fading, Finn decided to gamble: shelike some 85,000 other women in the U.S. each yearwould attempt in vitro fertilization. Almost three years later, shes still trying, and in the process has become an accidental pioneer (and, at times, a guinea pig) in the ever-evolving science of IVF.The Baby Chase is a primer for anyone contemplating or undergoing IVF. More than that, its a story of longing, hopeand hormonesthat will appeal to all parents, present and future.Finns engaging and honest account sheds light on a subject that few people who undergo IFV are willing to talk about: what happens when the science doesnt work. Usually, its only the people who come out on the other side, beaming, with a baby on one hip, who speak up about IVF, she writes. We never hear from those IVF has failed its too crushing to talk about. We dont hear from men and women in the middle of treatment, either.... People like me.In this Byliner Original from the new digital publisher Byliner, The Baby Chase: An Adventure in Fertility chronicles what its like to go through the IVF process at a time of rapid changes in fertility medicine. Finn takes readers on her intrepid, at times comical, journey through the IVF frontierfrom her selection of a fertility clinic to her first hormone shot to her most recent experiments with new treatment methods (testosterone gel, anyone?). Candidly, and with good humor, she discusses dream-date sperm donors, nightmare boyfriends, and rampant emotions. And she addresses thorny issues such as adoption, egg donation, and the loneliness and social ostracism associated with IVF. Will her story end with a baby? Only time and technology will tell.Byliner Originals are digital nonfiction stories told by some of the best writers working today. Longer than a magazine article but shorter than a book, a Byliner Original can be read in a single sitting. For more great nonfiction stories, go to www.byliner.com.. . .Early praise for The Baby Chase:Anyone wanting a baby but putting it off should read Holly Finns The Baby Chase now, or should probably have read it already. But even if you dont think youre interested in fertility, this thoughtful, witty, breathtakingly honest essay will tell you things you didnt know about your friends, your colleagues, and possibly your own body. Finn has been to the frontier of reproductive technology and sent back a generous and harrowing report. Maile Meloy, author of Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It