Product Description

More and more women are choosing not to let being single stand in the way of becoming a mom. In this honest and often hilarious guide, Louise Sloan shares the details of her own funny and heartbreaking journey to single motherhood-including cyberstalking an anonymous sperm donor, dealing with exploding semen vials, and being mistaken for a horse breeder-as well as the experiences of many other women across the country. Knock Yourself Up offers an inside look at the logistical and legal processes of opting for single motherhood, drawing on the personal stories of women who have done it. Addressing a range of topics such as coping with loneliness, financial struggles, complex reactions of family members, and more, Knock Yourself Up covers the emotional and practical issues and provides the kind of intimate answers you won't find anywhere else to questions like:

- When is the right time to decide to have a baby alone?
- How do I choose the right sperm?
- Is this fair to the kid?
- How do I tell my parents?
- How do I tell my dates?
- What's it like to be pregnant on your own?
- If I do this, will I ever have sex-or a life-again?

Informative and entertaining, Knock Yourself Up is a fun-to-read, up-to-date guide for any woman who is considering taking the baby plunge, with inspiring stories from women who have created happy families on their own.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21000 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review
"A thoroughly engaging and informative book about the decision to become a single mother."
--Cynthia Nixon, Emmy award-winning actress, Sex and the City

"The perfect book for any woman considering single motherhood...You'll feel like you've entered the most amazing support group without ever leaving your home."
--Liz Tucillo, coauthor of He's Just Not That Into You

“I knocked myself up 7 years ago-and it's the best thing I ever did. Knock Yourself Up is a rare find-a serious guidebook that's also a great read."
--Camryn Manheim, Emmy-award winning actress

"Title aside, this book is a sober, honest look at the real women who face the decision about whether to have a child before they've been able to find a partner. Anyone who thinks women take this decision lightly, or don't consider men important, should read this for a closer look."
--Mikki Morrissette, author of Choosing Single Motherhood


"This is the right book oat the right time. Knock Yourself Up has terrific ideas and encouragement for all kinds of mothers.
--Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., author of Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love, and the Sensual Years

"A laugh-out-loud, funny, fresh, and fabulous debut!"
--Susan Shapiro, author of Five Men Who Broke My Heart

About the Author
Louise Sloan has written for many publications, including Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Self, Ms., Out, the Chicago Tribune, The Sacramento Bee, and The San Francisco Bay Guardian. The story of Sloan's journey to single motherhood was featured twice on Nightline. She lives in Brooklyn, with her son, Scott, who was born in June 2006.

Customer Reviews

thorough and informative
I thought this book did a great job of going thru each step of the process from making the decision whether or not to become a single mother, to the medical procedures, financial aspects, and reactions from those around you.

I highly recommend this book for any woman thinking about becoming a single mom. Good luck!

Knock Yourself Up
This book was wonderful. It was very informative but also had a personal feel that helped me really relate to the topic and the author. Unlike many related books I have read, this one was not dry and boring. Not only was it enjoyable to read, I like that it focused on being a single mother, not a couple.

Totally a worthwhile read, even if this choice isn't on your table
This book is part memoir, part "how-to", with the bits in between filled in with the stories of other single mothers by choice (SMCs) that the author talked to.

I'm really glad that the author included all of the stories and quotes from interviewing other SMCs, since I think it really helped give the book a more well-rounded feeling. The "how-to" bits are really good places to start thinking, but probably not enough detail for someone to actually use for decision-making and taking steps -- that said, I have a feeling that any book that tried to do this would be out-of-date before it reached the shelves, there's just too much that is changing too quickly.

Totally a worthwhile book to read, even if this isn't a choice on your table.