For 2021’s National Book Month: 24 Supportive, Funny & Inspiring Books for Your Family Building Journey & Beyond

Rebecca Hochreiter

CMO of GoStork

October is National Book Month and we’re celebrating by highlighting the books we love, written by authors we admire.

The invention of the printing press in 1439 may have started the whole allure of books, but National Book Month didn’t exist until October 2003. That’s when the National Book Foundation decided that October would be the perfect month to celebrate reading, writing, and just literature in general!

Most people know about the National Book Awards which date back to 1950, but this year we decided to highlight a list of books we, and you, love. These books are written by and for intended parents and the experts who support them. There’s something on the list for everyone struggling with infertility from trying to conceive to IVF warriors to those grieving a miscarriage, moving onto donor conception, navigating surrogacy and even those sharing their children’s conception story with them. Check it out below:

Books on the Fertility Journey

Fighting Infertility by Samantha Busch, IVF Advocate and Co-founder of The Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund @samanthabusch


Hilariously Infertile: One Woman’s Inappropriate Quest to Help Women Laugh Through Infertility by Karen Jeffries from @hilariouslyinfertile


The complete hormone puzzle cookbook: your guide to Decoding Hormones and infertility naturally by Coach Kela Smith, CEO and Program Director of the Hormone Puzzle Society @kela_healthcoach


Hold On Baby!: A Soulful Guide to Riding the Ups and Downs of Infertility and IVF by Lisa White, IVF Mentor and Occupational Therapist @ivf.manifesting.a.miracle


How to Help Friends and Family Through Infertility: How You Can Offer Support, What to Say, and Understanding Infertility by Alex Kornswiet, Mom through IVF and Surrogacy as well as Founder of Our Beautiful Surprise  @ourbeautifulsurprise


Naturally Conceived: How To Get Pregnant, Explain Unexplained Infertility and Prevent Miscarriages By Unleashing Your Reproductive Power Even Over 40! by Pantea Kalhor, PTSD and Fertility Coach @panteakalhorcoach


Warrior: Battling Infertility – staying sane while trying to conceive by Tori Day @toridaywarrior


The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant without Losing Your Mind by Amy Klein @thetryinggame_infertilitybook


‘This Is’ fertility book series. A collection of true-life stories from women and men who have experienced infertility, fertility treatment and the TWW, and pregnancy and baby loss by Sheila Lamb @fertilitybooks


However We Can: A No-Shame Journey to Motherhood by Rena Ejiogu @however_we_can


Books on Loss – and Working Through It

Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss by Dr. Lora Shahine, Board certified OBGYN and REI @drlorashahine


A Womb in the Shape of a Heart: My story of Miscarriage and Motherhood by Joanne Gallant @joannegallantwrites


I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, A Movement by Jessica Zucker, Ph.D. @ihadamiscarriage


A Bump in the Road – A Story of Fertility, Hope and Trying Again by Elle Wright @feathering_the_empty_nest


Books on Donor Conception, Surrogacy, And Sharing With Children

The Happy Together Book Collection by Julie Marie @happytogetherchildrensbook


I Dreamed of You The story of an egg donor baby by Lori Metz, LCSW @lorimetzlcsw


Auston the Magical Egg A child’s introduction to how he was conceived by Stephanie Macri


Catalogue Baby A Memoir of (In)fertility by Myriam Steinberg @catalogue_baby


Surrogacy Helps Make a Family Grow A heartfelt story of a family who decides to help a couple start a family of their own through gestational surrogacy by Sharon LaMothe & Tina Rella


I’m Very Ferris: A Child’s Story about In Vitro Fertilization by Tess Kosow @tesskosow


Books on LGBTQ+ Family Building

If These Ovaries Could Talk The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family by Jaimie Kelton and Robin Hopkins @ovariestalk


Journals to Document Your Family Building Journey

My Lifebook by Lisa Schuman, LCSW @thecenterforfamilybuilding


The IVF Planner: A Personal Journal to Organize Your Journey through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with Love and Positivity by Monica Bivas, Fertility Coach @monicabivas


Her Oven Our Bun: A Pregnancy Journal for Intended Parents Using a Gestational Surrogate by Jaclyn Misch @jaclynmisch


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