This is the art of others that I consume to educate myself and heal my pain. To make this list, the book, blog or podcast has to meet at least one of these criteria:

1. There is helpful information shared from a reputable source.
2. It makes me laugh out loud.

These criteria are not mutually exclusive.

Books

If At First You Don’t Conceive
By William Schoolcraft
My acupuncturist recommended this book. She can make a migraine disappear in 20 minutes, so as far as I’m concerned she walks on water and anything she says is gospel.

Instant Mom
By Nia Vardalos
The writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding endured 13 (13!) rounds of IVF on her path to motherhood. Her story is heartbreaking, hilarious and triumphant.

The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood 
By Belle Boggs
This book looks at fertility from every angle – medical, psychological and political. It’s equally hopeful and poignant.

Blogs

The Bloggess
Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, is quirky and transforms the mundane into the fascinating. She likes taxidermied animals. If that’s not enough to draw you in, I don’t know what will.

Podcasts

The Fertility Podcast
Host Natalie Silverman is kind, compassionate and curious. She interviews a range of experts about fertility issues. (Sidebar: Her English accent is lovely.)

Matt & Doree’s Eggscellent Adventure
Matt Mira, a veteran podcaster, and his wife Doree Shafrir, a writer, are trying to have a baby. They are smart and funny, and I’m rooting for them. You should, too.

Waiting for Babies
Steve Mavros, an acupuncturist turned storyteller, gets at the heart of the fertility experience with its highs and lows by interviewing his former patients. As he notes, “their stories needed telling.”