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

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
family looking at laptop at kitchen table together
22 Family-Favorite Brands Offering Big Saving Events This Week
By Wyndi Kappes
snoo smart sleeper bassinet on sale, snoo for rent, best bassinet for baby
How to Get 25 Percent Off the Cult-Favorite SNOO This Weekend
By Wyndi Kappes
mom fastening toddler into car seat
How to Save Big During Target's Popular Car Seat Trade-In Event
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
happiest baby snoo sale
How to Save Almost 50 Percent Off the Cult-Fave SNOO This Weekend
By Wyndi Kappes
little girl playing with toys in play room
Amazon Releases List of the Hottest Toys for 2024
By Wyndi Kappes
paris hilton monica + andy kids clothing collection at walmart
Paris Hilton Teams Up With Monica + Andy on New Kid’s Collection
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen with their two children arriving at the Trocadero ahead of the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Her Son’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
By Wyndi Kappes
parents feeding baby in high chair, the bump best of the bump awards 2024 winners
Announcing the 2024 Best of the Bump Award Winners
By Wyndi Kappes
Wiz Khalifa and Aimee Aguilar at the premiere of "Spinning Gold" held at the Directors Guild of America on March 29, 2023 in Los Angeles, California
Rapper Wiz Khalifa and Aimee Aguilar Welcome Baby Girl
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon with their son Dawson
Bachelor Stars Ashley Iaconetti & Jared Haibon Welcome Baby No. 2
By Wyndi Kappes
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are seen on June 23, 2024 in New York City; pregnant hailey bieber wearing a silk dress
Get the Look: Hailey Bieber's Best Maternity Outfits
By Wyndi Kappes
gerber baby 2024 sonny mcleod
Meet 2024 Gerber Baby and Chief Growing Officer Akil "Sonny" McLeod
By Wyndi Kappes
Rihanna postpartum hair
Rihanna Didn’t Expect This Part of Postpartum Hair Loss
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Jenna Dewan baby nursery with Crate & Kids
Jenna Dewan Shares Her Best Pregnancy Advice and 4 Nursery Must-Haves
By Wyndi Kappes
gabourey sidibe and brandon frankel welcome twins
Precious Star Gabourey Sidibe Welcomes Twins With Brandon Frankel
By Wyndi Kappes
Sarah Landry walks the runway at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show during Miami Swim Week 2024 at W South Beach on June 01, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida
Sarah Landry Embraces Her Postpartum Body on Sports Illustrated Runway
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.