Facing Infertility - Catholic Approach

Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz
$12.95
Item Code
163246
EAN/UPC
9780819827029
Publisher
Pauline Books & Media US

More than 1 out of 10 couples experience infertility, finding themselves in a "desert"-lost and abandoned, hungering and thirsting, praying and waiting-for a child.

Navigating through the "desert" of infertility is an especially painful experience. It can lead to a sense of failure and a feeling of hopelessness. Couples may feel that they have nowhere to turn-especially Catholic couples who feel that there are not sufficient infertility resources to help them.

Author Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz understood this predicament perfectly. As a Catholic woman who personally struggled with infertility and who heard a woman's prayer group discussion on the lack of such resources, she was inspired to write Facing Infertility: A Catholic Approach.

This spiritual companion and resource offers the direction, nourishment, and faith to find the way out of the "desert." Infertile Catholic couples, family members, friends, family life offices, and support groups will find this book to be both informative and comforting.

Drawing upon her personal struggles with infertility as well those of other Catholic women, Dimech-Juchniewicz evokes a heartfelt, tangible honesty. While she operates from a highly supportive standpoint, she is also realistic and practical in acknowledging that some couples will never deliver a child of their own into this world. Yet, an overriding sense of comfort and hope prevails, affirming that the "Divine Physician" has a plan for each of us-a plan which may involve "bear[ing] fruit in the desert" in a way other than childbearing.

Blending Catholic teaching with the best that medical science has to offer, this book offers a path to healing in a sensitive and gradual manner. Dimech-Juchniewicz is deeply grounded in Catholicism, and explains the morality or immorality of various infertility treatment options in context of the Church's teachings. You will discover that help is available from doctors who share your Catholic faith and are at the cutting edge of infertility treatments with effectiveness that rivals IVF. You will learn about Natural Procreative Technology (NaProTECHNOLOGY), the natural method for treating infertility. This exciting, new approach seeks to identify the underlying causes of infertility through monitoring menstrual and fertility cycles to determine safe and effective remedies. Fully in accord with Church teaching, it has success rates up to 70%!

In addition to the religious, Dimech-Juchniewicz considers the emotional, psychological, medical, biological, cultural, and financial aspects to dealing with infertility, offering a comprehensive overview. Each chapter contains a Scripture passage, a reflection from a Catholic woman who has been struggling with infertility, commentary, discussion questions, tips for friends and family, and a prayer from the Book of Psalms.

Format:
Paperback
Pages:
192
Dimensions(Inches):
5.30 x 8.00
Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz has served as a lay ecclesial minister in the Catholic Church since 2001. After studying at St. John's Seminary and Boston College, she earned an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from the latter institution. Firmly rooted in the Catholic tradition, she has lectured on matters of theology, liturgy, morality, and spirituality. She currently works as an educational consultant, facilitates a parish-based support group for Catholics struggling with infertility, and is blessed to be a stay-at-home mom to her three little miracles.
Overall a good resource for Catholic couples struggling with infertility. The book offers an approach to treating infertility that the Church desperately needs--supporting couples and offering ways to try and make sense of the unfortunate reality of what seems to be an empty vocation. I understand why the author feels compelled to include it, but the discussion of what you can't pursue under Catholic teaching is too beaten over the head of infertile couples. That is the only part that I skipped over because frankly, it's the only information I ever find on Church sites. The rest of the book was a welcome respite from that and I found it very helpful to read.
Mar B., Amazon Review

Facing Infertility: A Catholic Approach is a must-read for any Catholic going through infertility. It will also prove invaluable for friends and loved ones of couples struggling with infertility and for priests and pastoral staff who work with married couples in their ministry. Facing Infertility compassionately explains the Catholic perspective about the experience and treatment of infertility in a way that is prayerful, emotionally supportive, and faithful to Catholic teaching.

The author's personal story and the stories of many other women provide the reader with first-hand accounts of the very private aspects of infertility. As you read it you sense not only the desert these women are crossing but also the loving hand of God leading them in their lives. The author provides sound medical information about an approach to the treatment of infertility that actually finds the root of the problem and seeks to restore and heal it in order to help couples conceive. One example of this approach--NaPro Technology--has better results than IVF! You will also see more clearly how detrimental many current reproductive technologies such as IVF can be. These options--typically offered to women trying to conceive--lead to a whole host of difficulties. Facing Infertility is needed today more than ever as a guide and friend to those suffering and lost in the desert of infertility.
M.L., Amazon Review

Rooted in deep fellowship, the author takes you on a personal journey through the "desert" of infertility. The chapters begin will very real and personal stories that make you feel like you are not alone and that there is hope. It breaks down the many different problems, symptoms, and gives you detailed information about natural ways you can help yourself with the unfaltering support of the Church. It is a heartfelt, well thought out and highly referenced spiritual guide. Even though I did not experience these infertility challenges, it is a must read to help support friends and family. The common thread weaved through the pages of this book were based in faith and devotion. I highly recommend this book to everyone willing to enhance and inspire their empathy and compassion. "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand." Philipians 4
J. Mason, Amazon Review

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