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bookofcinz's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Belle Boggs is a writer. I felt every single word she put on this page. I could not get enough of her writing, even though it was a subject I thought I had no interest in. Fertility and Motherhood is the furthest thing from my mind, yet Boggs brought it so close to home.
Thanks for opening up my world on this subject and congrats!!!!
Belle Boggs is a writer. I felt every single word she put on this page. I could not get enough of her writing, even though it was a subject I thought I had no interest in. Fertility and Motherhood is the furthest thing from my mind, yet Boggs brought it so close to home.
Thanks for opening up my world on this subject and congrats!!!!
8little_paws's review
4.0
part memoir on infertility treatments, part essay on "plan b" families: those who use assisted means to have a child (fertility treatments, adoption, surrogacy), those who choose a single parent home, couples who opt out of parenting. I wish she had written more on some of these scenarios, but what is here is really well researched and studied, and gave me lots of new considerations on the class and race issues relating to plan b families. highly recommend.
catincaciornei's review against another edition
4.0
Long-form essay about couple's wish to conceive, coming to terms with infertility and finding medical treatment for it (IVF). Mrs. Boggs' writing is both objectively fact-filled and subjectively sentimental - she explains what goes on medically, legally, socially as well as emotionally for those deemed infertile but who choose to explore all means available for procreation.
This book may be very important for those exploring these themes personally - it probably answers long-held questions and humanly acknowledges that you are far from alone in this quest.
This book may be very important for those exploring these themes personally - it probably answers long-held questions and humanly acknowledges that you are far from alone in this quest.
davidhillreads's review against another edition
5.0
Compelling
This was a great read. As a father who has never experienced the challenges of infertility, I found Boggs writing to be incredibly engaging. As a physician, I learned more about infertility than I was taught in medical school.
This was a great read. As a father who has never experienced the challenges of infertility, I found Boggs writing to be incredibly engaging. As a physician, I learned more about infertility than I was taught in medical school.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
“The life an infertile person seeks comes to her not by accident and not by fate but by hard-fought choices. How to put together the portfolio of photographs. How to answer at the home study. What clinic or doctor or procedure. Donor egg or donor sperm or donor embryo. Open or closed adoption. What country, what boxes to check or uncheck. What questions to ask, and ask again. When to start and when to stop. What to say when her child says, Tell me my story.”
I was extremely lucky when my husband and I decided to have children. I got pregnant right away. Which made me so grateful for the pill – we couldn’t have afforded children before that time. I did miscarry with my first pregnancy but was able to get pregnant again as soon as I was ready to begin again. We went on to have two beautiful children who are very wonderful adults.
Our daughter-in-law was not so lucky, but after some trials and tribulations, she and our son have two lovely children that we all adore. I do wish that I had been more open about my miscarriage. Maybe they would have been willing to be more open about the trials and tribulations. I don’t know.
Our daughter and son-in-law have one baby who is only 3 months old so time will tell if they have more children. I hope so, but it isn’t my business.
All this is to say that I am not sure why I am so interested in stories about pregnancy loss and infertility. Maybe because I am a mom and I hope that no woman would find motherhood hard to achieve. For whatever reason, women don’t share many stories about how hard pregnancy can be for some women.
Boggs does a great job of sharing her story. I hope that the women that need to hear how others work out the issues of IVF, testing, shots, etc., get to read this book. And those of us that found our way to motherhood with few trials and tribulations, need to be aware of the heartaches some women go through. I am very grateful to Boggs for this book.
I was extremely lucky when my husband and I decided to have children. I got pregnant right away. Which made me so grateful for the pill – we couldn’t have afforded children before that time. I did miscarry with my first pregnancy but was able to get pregnant again as soon as I was ready to begin again. We went on to have two beautiful children who are very wonderful adults.
Our daughter-in-law was not so lucky, but after some trials and tribulations, she and our son have two lovely children that we all adore. I do wish that I had been more open about my miscarriage. Maybe they would have been willing to be more open about the trials and tribulations. I don’t know.
Our daughter and son-in-law have one baby who is only 3 months old so time will tell if they have more children. I hope so, but it isn’t my business.
All this is to say that I am not sure why I am so interested in stories about pregnancy loss and infertility. Maybe because I am a mom and I hope that no woman would find motherhood hard to achieve. For whatever reason, women don’t share many stories about how hard pregnancy can be for some women.
Boggs does a great job of sharing her story. I hope that the women that need to hear how others work out the issues of IVF, testing, shots, etc., get to read this book. And those of us that found our way to motherhood with few trials and tribulations, need to be aware of the heartaches some women go through. I am very grateful to Boggs for this book.
mollyeg's review against another edition
3.0
Is it strange to say that this book might have been more interesting if she had not ended up getting pregnant? I'm still so interested in exploring the innate emotions wrapped up around such an intense desire for children.
ginkgotree's review against another edition
This was a hard read, but good and important. I appreciated that Boggs discusses LGBT+ parenthood and the challenges LGBT+ people face in creating families, although a mention of trans people would, as always, have been welcome.
itsjunghan's review against another edition
3.0
[3 stars] The essays here were mixed and I thought many of them could've gone deeper. I also struggle with any framing of adoption - domestic or intracountry - as being left with no other choice, especially given the immense ethical concerns at play.
caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition
3.0
This book was beautifully written and very personal, but Boggs also took the time to really expand her scope, looking not just at her personal experience with infertility, but at other experiences couples may face including adoption and same-sex couples.
That made it a little more disappointing that she briefly mentions opposition to IVF from some quarters without taking the time to understand where that opposition might be coming from, but the book is ultimately still a solid depiction of the struggles of infertility from a couple who did successfully undergo IVF.
That made it a little more disappointing that she briefly mentions opposition to IVF from some quarters without taking the time to understand where that opposition might be coming from, but the book is ultimately still a solid depiction of the struggles of infertility from a couple who did successfully undergo IVF.
janet's review against another edition
5.0
Boggs' book is a collection of exquisitely written and researched essays, strung together chronologically so the entire book can be viewed as a memoir. The essays are highly personal and moving, yet chock full of fascinating stories from other people's lives and fertility struggles. I loved this book.
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