This is an incredibly comforting book in the isolating world of infertility. I loved that it didn't have medical advice or "fertility tips". Sometimes when you're going through something like this, you just consume all the information you can and it just gets exhausting. This felt like a breath of fresh air. It read like a best friend was writing to you. The artwork was beautiful. The advice was helpful and not pushy. I would 100% recommend this book for anyone navigating infertility and loss.

This book has the power to shift how we talk about infertility and loss. It’s the kind of companion you want beside you during fertility struggles or pregnancy loss, one that helps you feel seen, steady, and a little less alone. The authors blend personal stories, research, and simple, thoughtful exercises in a way that informs without overwhelming. What stands out most is the deep sense of humanity running through the pages. The book makes it clear that your experience matters and that your grief whether it shows up as anger, sadness, or numbness is real and valid. There’s no forced optimism, no pressure to “just stay positive.” Instead, the guidance feels gentle and realistic, centered on self-compassion, honesty, and moving through healing at your own pace. More than anything, this book offers a steady, understanding presence. It reminds readers that even in the uncertainty and heartbreak, they are not alone.

This is one of the most important books I have ever read. Infertility and pregnancy loss is a topic that still feels taboo even though there are so many people that struggle with it. I have personally endured both pregnancy loss and secondary infertility; I have witnessed how hard it can be to have conversations about these topics, but this book is such a good resource for anyone who is touched by these challenges. I love how the authors organized this book and that it leaves so much space for reflection and processing your own feelings. This will be a book that I not only purchase for myself, but also others who are attempting to better understand the struggles of infertility.

The stories are tragically beautiful. I appreciate how it shows various forms of family building and the difficulties that come with it. No one family is same and while we tend to either lump together or, more often than not, not discuss pregnancy loss, child loss, and infertility, each journey is just as unique.

The illustrations are remarkable. They are poignant while not overstating in their grief. They are relatively simple while still being able to add to or convey their own message. The colors are beautiful and give a sense of calm, even in the most harrowing of moments.

I would definitely recommend this beautiful book to anyone that needs.

A supremely useful and successful guide, is my guess, for this look at what happens when the stork fails to deliver. Failed pregnancy, miscarriage, IVF programme after IVF programme – the imagery here is generally water-based, of the woman not waving but drowning, or the wannabe parent on a boat of waiting-for-it, only seeing friends and colleagues board, come to term and get straight off.

This, with the help of the author's own experiences, guides us through all the issues of the matter. This is a grief that is seldom talked about, and one that – when it doesn't happen, when the baby is born or handed over – brings by contrast a huge amount of joy. So the friends with the wrong things to say or the bad idea when it comes to advice are going to be very rocky stepping stones in getting you across this river. And too often you won't be your own best friend, either, with the "why me?" questioning and the worry, and the self-pressure with the ovulation windows, etc etc.

To some this will be a less than ideal book. It does like to factor in its design, but luckily doesn't seem to do that to the detriment of its advice and information. But it is a bit of a melange – an authorial statement here, an artfully arrayed quote here, a reportage from a questionnaire-filler-in there. It's not always obvious where the chapters start, if you don't go back to the contents page.

But it wants to be a best friend in these circumstances and not a lecturer. I am sure it does talk – and I am sure very successfully – to many women who have wanted a child, and not gained such through infertility, chromosomal abnormality or late-term still-birth. It is informational, and a very balanced self-help, that I am sure many will be most unfortunate to return to copiously. Knowing no alternative book and not seeing – from a non-breeder, layman's position – any fault on these pages, it gets five stars.

Before I got my now 5 years old son, I had to wait for almost 5 years and 1 miscarriage. This book is so relatable with me. Reading this book brought out the memories of when I doubt myself of not getting pregnant and blamed myself when I had miscarriage. Though now I have my son, reading this book was like opening the old wounds.

I nodded along when parts of the book were so relatable. I cried when I read other mothers' stories. I cried for them and for myself too.

I almost never reading self-help book(s), but for me this book is not only self-help book. This book is more than that. I wish I already read this book when I went through waiting for pregnancy and when I had miscarriage. I bet this book would be like a warm blanket that could easily support me and make me not feeling alone.

Very moving, motivational, and uplifting book.

Thank you to Liz Swenson, Alessa Martin, Familius, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book felt like a warm hug from a supportive friend 💗 I desperately needed this as I approach 4 years of TTC and the start of IVF. I loved that they mark chapters that detail loss so you can skip if needed. Also loved that this isn’t a "how to get pregnant and here’s all the crazy shit we tried" but focused solely on the emotional side of this journey. Despite a lot of the content being things I’ve heard already from various TTC creators on social media, this was still a valuable resource. I felt seen and understood, having stories from other people voicing exactly what I couldn’t put into words was healing.

I also loved the illustrations and use of colors to convey their messages. It was also a plus to see some queer representation as our community isn’t always given a voice in fertility books!

Everyone’s journey is different so I didn’t agree with all of the advice or find all of it helpful, and that’s okay! For instance the chapter on sex felt more targeted towards people still trying without timed intercourse while us folks going through IUI or IVF maybe have “zero reason” to have sex and miss the spontaneous act while trying to get pregnant without sex (if that makes sense).

I did still find some sections super helpful. The two that helped me the most for how I can take small steps in this process include: the feelings wheel because I struggle to identify my specific emotions sometimes. Pyramid of needs because I often struggle to ask for help and when someone offers it I have no idea what I even need 🥲

This is one of the few books I’ll reference back to when I need it AND that I would feel comfortable gifting to others. A sorely needed guide to the emotional process without offering a magic fix or toxic positivity. Thank you thank you thank you 🥹💗

4.75 stars rounded up


TW/CW: infertility, stillbirth, miscarriage