BookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxFilledCheckBoxCircleBumpCheckedFilledMedical

This Picture Book Wants to Teach Kids That IVF Is Completely Normal

“I’ve come to realize from firsthand experience just how in depth pregnancy is, and how much it truly can be a miracle to carry a baby and to deliver a baby, and have a healthy baby.”
save article
profile picture of Nehal Aggarwal
By Nehal Aggarwal, Editor
Updated December 5, 2019
new parents happily holding their newborn baby
Image: iStock
We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.

The journey to motherhood isn’t always easy, and it comes in many different forms. Now, author Tess Kossow is trying to teach kids born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) that they’re “completely normal” through her children’s book I’m Very Ferris: A Child’s Story About In Vitro Fertilization.

The picture book celebrates the birth of Kossow’s son, Ferris, and is told from the point of view of a child. “I wanted to go with something that would resonate [with little children] and get across the point of IVF,” the author told PEOPLE in an interview. “It’s a rhyming book. The pictures speak a thousand words.”

Image: Courtesy Outskirts Press

The book also acknowledges how difficult of a journey IVF can be and aims to both educate and encourage expectant parents. With all the misinformation out there on miscarriage and infertility, it can be hard to tell fact from fiction. With her book, Kossow hopes to tell women who have miscarried, “It’s not your fault. There’s nothing you could have done.”

Kossow herself struggled in her journey to motherhood. “We had problems on both sides,” she told PEOPLE in an interview. “We were completely caught off guard that we were candidates for IVF.” She and her husband, Dan, married in 2014 and had been trying to conceive for a year, after which they were told they had less than one percent chance of natural conception. Learning that IVF could increase their chances to 73 percent, the couple tried it. They had two viable embroyos, and Kossow devastatingly suffered a miscarriage after the first was planted. The second led her to Ferris, who was born in April 2018, PEOPLE reports.

“I’ve come to realize from firsthand experience just how in depth pregnancy is, and how much it truly can be a miracle to carry a baby and to deliver a baby, and have a healthy baby,” Kossow told the outlet.

With her book, which is on sale on Amazon, Kossow wants to tell couples trying to conceive that IVF can be successful and kids conceived through IVF are no different than the rest. “I can’t believe that I actually did this,” Kossow told PEOPLE. “Often Dan and I will say, ‘We made him. We had some help, but we made him.’”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

save article
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

dads denied ivf by insurance write children's book "you come from love"
Dad Initially Denied IVF by Insurance Pens Children’s Book
By Wyndi Kappes
bravo tv star writes book for children explaining infertility
Bravo TV Star’s New Book Wants to Teach Kids IVF Is Totally Normal
By Nehal Aggarwal
adoption and surrogacy books gif
The Best Children's Books About Adoption and Surrogacy
By Elizabeth Narins
ADVERTISEMENT
How (and When) to Tell Your Child They’re Adopted
How (and When) to Tell Your Child They’re Adopted
By Lisa Milbrand
mother and baby crawling on floor at home
It’s Baby Safety Month: Here Are All the Sales You Don’t Wanna Miss
By Wyndi Kappes
build a bear donating bears to classrooms for national teddy bear day 2023
Build-A-Bear Is Donating Stuffed "Learning Buddies" to Schools in Need
By Wyndi Kappes
little sleepies disney nightmare before christmas pajamas on baby with Hemangioma
Little Sleepies Ad Shines a Spotlight on Babies With Hemangioma
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoo pals plates
Everyone’s Favorite Zoo Pals Plates Are Back
By Wyndi Kappes
Elisabeth Anderson-Sierra
Mom Sets World Record After Donating Over 422 Gallons of Breast Milk
By Wyndi Kappes
HATCH Collection's Highly-Anticipated Top Drawer Sale Is Here
HATCH Collection's Highly-Anticipated Top Drawer Sale Is Here
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
lisa frank posh peanut collab restock
The Sold-Out Lisa Frank X Posh Peanut Collab Is Back
By Wyndi Kappes
rihanna savage x fenty maternity collection
Rihanna Drops New Soft and Sexy Savage X Fenty Maternity Collection
By Wyndi Kappes
hanna andersson launches hanna baby line
Hanna Andersson Launches Hanna Baby Designed for the Fourth Trimester
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
snoo smart sleeper bassinet on sale rental 2022
The Best Time to Get a Deal on the Cult-Favorite SNOO Smart Bassinet
By Nehal Aggarwal
lindsay lohan postpartum mirror selfie
Lindsay Lohan Jokes She's 'Not a Regular Mom, I'm a Postpartum Mom'
By Wyndi Kappes
mother breastfeeding baby while browsing on laptop
Can't-Miss Sales in Celebration of National Breastfeeding Month
By Wyndi Kappes
Jamie Lee Curtis takes Lindsay Lohan's hands as she talks to her during an after party at the Annex following the premiere of the Disney film Freaky Friday August 4, 2003 in Hollywood, CA
See the Adorable Baby Gift Jamie Lee Curtis Sent Lindsay Lohan
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
bluey tv show taking a break after season 3
Bluey Is Going on a Break: Writers Plan Hiatus After Season Three
By Wyndi Kappes
lindsay lohan nestig collaboration
Lindsay Lohan Shows Off Her Serene Ocean-Inspired Nursery
By Wyndi Kappes
show me your mumu barbie workout mommy and me outfit
The Best Barbie-Inspired Outfits for Kids
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.