1. Contraception and Abortion in 19th-Century America by Janet Farrell Brodie (Cornell University Press). You might be surprised to learn that abortion was a common — and legal — method of reproductive control in early America. Women looking to limit the size of their families used several forms of contraception, including pessaries, herbs intended as abortifacients, and remedies sold as “menstrual regulators” for late periods — all found in newspaper ads, self-help literature and mail-order catalogs. Brodie cites a variety of sources, perhaps the most interesting being the diaries of Mary Pierce Poor, who documented her menstruation and sexual activity from 1845 to 1868. You'll also read about the criminalization of abortion during the late 1800s, sparked by lobbying from the American Medical Association.

2. The Empty Cradle: Infertility in America from Colonial Times to the Present by Margaret Marsh and Wanda Ronner (Johns Hopkins University Press). Was it the will of God, work of the devil (as colonists believed) or a medical condition that prevented many couples from having children? American society has long expected couples to procreate, and those who couldn't suffered the anguish of childlessness. Marsh and Ronner cover the history and causes of infertility — considered a woman's problem until the 20th century — in great depth. Although we can safely say that none of your female ancestors was barren (otherwise you wouldn't be here to read this!), some of your relatives may have had to deal with this common problem.