Books To Read if You’re Struggling With Infertility or Pregnancy Loss

There is no right or wrong way to cope when you're trying, and struggling, to conceive. Some people, when faced with an infertility diagnosis, crave stories from others who've been through it. Others need to know that what they're feeling — the shame, the grief after a miscarriage, the particular loneliness of it all — is not only valid but normal. Some want to be held up by the people who love them, if only those people knew what to say. And for LGBTQ+ readers and anyone building their family outside of conventional paths, finding books that actually reflect your experience isn't a nice-to-have. It matters.

Then there are the researchers among us, the ones who need to understand everything about their fertility in order to feel any semblance of control. The ones who stay distracted through work, or humor, or both. The ones who are already ten steps ahead, mentally mapping out the next plan before this cycle even ends.

Best books about infertility: Our picks for every part of the journey

There's no sugar-coating it: infertility is all-consuming. A miscarriage changes you. The only silver lining is the community of people who've turned their pain into something that helps others: the writers, advocates, and authors who decided to put it all on the page. Below, we've rounded up some of the best books on fertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, donor conception, and more. We hope at least one of them meets you exactly where you are.

Why read books on infertility at all?

When you're already living inside this journey — the appointments, the two-week waits, the hope and the grief cycling on repeat — picking up a book might feel like the last thing you have capacity for. But there's something different about someone else's words at 2am, when the apps are closed and the group chats feel like too much. A book is quiet. It's at your pace. It doesn't need anything from you.

This list is organized by what you need right now, not by ranking, because there's no hierarchy when it comes to surviving this. Some of these will make you cry. Some will make you laugh in a way that feels almost inappropriate given the circumstances, but that's the point. Some will hand you the language you've been missing for your next appointment. We've also added newer titles to reflect more recent voices and more diverse family-building paths, because this community is bigger and broader than it's ever been, and the books on your nightstand should reflect that.

To feel less alone: books on infertility that get it

The Trying Game by Amy Klein
From the author of "Fertility Diary" for the New York Times Motherlode blog, this is a reassuring, no-nonsense guide to both the emotional and practical realities of trying to get pregnant — written with the smarts, warmth, and honesty of someone who has actually been in the trenches.

Fighting Infertility by Samantha Busch
Samantha uses her platform to break the silence and stigma that still surround infertility. She writes honestly about her IVF experience, her miscarriage, a failed cycle, and the grief and depression that came with all of it. It's the kind of memoir that makes you feel less alone at every turn.

Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard by Melanie Dale
Humor-forward but genuinely emotional, this one doesn't flinch from the hard stuff, and it uniquely includes a partner's perspective at the end of every chapter. Readers describe it as "the funniest book you'll ever read about the worst thing that's ever happened to you." It could easily live in the humor section too. Either way, it belongs on the list.

To grieve openly: books about infertility and pregnancy loss

I Had a Miscarriage by Jessica Zucker
Drawing on her background as a psychologist and her work as the creator of the #IHadaMiscarriage campaign, Jessica Zucker wrote the book that so many people needed and couldn't find. It's heart-wrenching and validating in equal measure, a reminder of what happens when we stop pretending pregnancy loss is something to get over quietly.

The Baby Loss Guide by Zoe Clark-Coates
Written by one of the world's leading baby loss experts, this is a practical and deeply compassionate guide through the darkest part of the journey. It's full of real stories from people who've been there, honest answers to the questions you're afraid to ask, and actual guidance for what comes next, including whether, and when, to try again.

Not Pregnant by Cathie Quillett
After four miscarriages and years of infertility, Cathie Quillett wrote the book she needed when she was stuck and alone in her grief. It's a space to come together, feel your feelings without apology, and eventually (when you're ready) let some of the weight go.

Infertilities: A Curation edited by Maria Novotny and Lori Jakiela
A 2023 anthology of personal essays, poetry, and art that intentionally pluralizes the word "infertility" — because there isn't one story, and there never was. Especially resonant for anyone who has looked at mainstream narratives and not quite seen themselves reflected back.

To share with your people: infertility books for friends and family

How to Help Friends & Family Through Infertility by Alex Kornswiet
The people in your life want to show up for you. Most of them just don't know how. This book gives them the roadmap: what to say, what not to say, and what infertility actually looks like from the inside. Consider leaving it on the counter. Or just sending it directly. Your people will be grateful you did.

To find your community: books on infertility for LGBTQ+ family builders

Family-building looks different for everyone, and the resources you reach for should reflect your actual path, not just the one that gets talked about most.

Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood by Eric Rosswood
A genuinely comprehensive resource that covers adoption, foster care, assisted reproductive technology, surrogacy, and co-parenting — with real stories from couples and individuals woven throughout. It also gets into the legal considerations that most fertility books skip entirely, which makes it especially useful as a starting point.

To know your body: the best infertility books for getting informed

The Lucky Egg: Understanding Your Fertility and How to Get Pregnant NOW by Dr. Lucky Sekhon
Dr. Lucky Sekhon is a reproductive endocrinologist & infertility specialist who makes complicated fertility science feel like a conversation with someone who actually has time for you. From what your AMH level really means to navigating egg freezing, IVF, and embryo genetic testing, she covers all of it with warmth, specificity, and zero condescension. 

The Fertility Formula: Take Control of Your Reproductive Future by Dr. Natalie Crawford
Dr. Natalie Crawford is a double board-certified REI and the host of the As a Woman podcast, and her debut book reads like the best episode she's ever recorded. It's a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to understanding how hormones, lifestyle, and daily choices affect your fertility, not just when you're actively trying, but long before that. 

Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss by Dr. Lora Shahine
An REI who specializes in recurrent pregnancy loss, Dr. Lora Shahine wrote this book for patients who are exhausted from not getting answers. It covers the full picture — causes, testing, treatment, Eastern and Western approaches, emotional support — and it was written specifically to help you advocate for your own care, no matter where you live. 

To understand the process: infertility books on the science of IVF

IVF can feel like something that's happening to you rather than with you, especially when the protocol moves fast and the terminology is dense and no one has time to explain the why behind any of it. The right book won't replace your care team, but it can help you feel like a participant instead of just a patient.

Conception: A Fertility Doctor's IVF Memoir by Dr. Kaylen Silverberg
Written by a reproductive endocrinologist who has been practicing since IVF's earliest days, this one offers something rare: historical context, clinical depth, and a genuinely personal lens all at once. For the readers who want to understand not just what is happening, but why.

To actually LOL: the funniest books about infertility

Hilariously Infertile by Karen Jeffries
Exactly what it sounds like: a comedic, self-deprecating look at the harsh, scary, and often absurd world of fertility treatment. (Yes, including scenes from the stirrups.) Karen's Instagram is still very active if you want an ongoing community to go along with the book.

Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard by Melanie Dale
Dark humor, quirky ovary illustrations, and a husband's perspective at the end of every chapter. If it's not living in your "feel less alone" section, this is where it belongs.

To stay busy: infertility books for the two-week wait

Distraction is a legitimate coping strategy. Anyone who tells you otherwise has never done a two-week wait.

IVF Two-Week Wait Coloring Book by Sarah Shockley
Fourteen IVF-inspired designs, one for each day of the wait. Low stakes, genuinely calming, and something to do with your hands when the internet is not helping.

To keep going: books on infertility for moving forward

Moving forward doesn't mean one thing. It might mean another cycle. It might mean a different path to parenthood. It might mean something that doesn't involve children at all. Whatever it looks like for you, it's valid, and it deserves to be honored.

Why I'm Glad My Eggs Didn't Work by Victoria Nino
Victoria Nino holds both things at once: the pain of infertility and the possibility of what comes after it. Her ebook isn't about data or clinical outcomes. It's personal. It's about finding purpose and joy on a path that didn't go the way you planned.

To read together: infertility books for your (future) kids

I'm Very Ferris: A Child's Story About In Vitro Fertilization by Tess Kossow
Told from a child's point of view, this beautifully illustrated rhyming book explains IVF in a way that's gentle, age-appropriate, and genuinely sweet. Families are made every day, in many ways, and this one shows that.

Whirlwinds to Rainbow by Mark Morrison
Written through a grateful father's eyes, this is an uplifting story about the long and difficult road to building a family and the women who fight that road every day. A hopeful read, for you and for them.

Also worth looking into: I Dreamed of You, a RESOLVE-recommended title for egg donor families that can help start the conversation about donor conception with young children.

How to choose the right book on infertility for your journey right now

Not sure where to start? Here's the short version:

Need to laugh — Hilariously Infertile
Just had a loss and can't talk to anyone — I Had a Miscarriage
Your partner needs to understand what you're going through — How to Help Friends & Family
Want the science — The Lucky Egg
Need to feel less alone at 2am — The Trying Game
Want to cry and then feel held — Not Pregnant

Wherever you are in this journey, you're not reading alone.