Meant to Be

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It was so easy to empathise with her on her journey to motherhood and she describes what she went through to get there in an easy to understand but well written way. I wanted the everyday things I saw mums do: finding a high chair in a cafe, putting the pushchair in the car. At this moment Billie was in the shared care of the local authority and her birth mother; we were simply the foster carers until all the court assessments were completed. Just a few days later I was at work, suffering the worst cramps and pains, and then collapsed on the floor. She was always chatting, using a language that she had made up, mixed with a few real words and sounds, always pointing to things and asking what they were.

When Lisa Faulkner learned that she wouldn't have biological children, her plans and expectations for her life were derailed. If anyone reading this is struggling to have children please pick up this book it will give you courage and their is help available out their.Thoroughly moving book and a brave and honest account of the epic journey some women face to become a mother. For anyone who has ever found themselves facing the unexpected in life – whether that’s infertility, adoption, grief or any other personal challenge – this is an uplifting and honest account of finding love in unexpected places, and building your life on your own terms. I would get used to these meetings and they would become almost second nature over the coming months, but for now, it was all so new to me and I was terrified to put a foot wrong. It covers some really powerful topics such as miscarriage and the struggles of those who are trying to have a family. We recently went to see the film Instant Family, which is about adoption, with a friend who has two adopted children, too.

The things that I utterly relate to are that she always felt on the outside and that the grief never leaves you .

Excellent book for anyone thinking about adoption and asking themselves whether they are right for it. In hospital, we found out it was an ectopic pregnancy; it was in a fallopian tube, rather than the womb. In a raw and inspiring story of one woman's journey through motherhood, family life and self-discovery, Lisa explores the many forms that family can take, and discovers the power of embracing your Plan B. I understood looking at her how important the routine must be and how vital it was that she had her familiar sheets and teddies around her.

By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Over two years, my then-partner Chris and I went from trying to get pregnant naturally to having our fertility tested (everything looked normal) and going through IVF three times. I had made dinner, we had kept her safe, we hadn’t done anything to overstimulate her and she had very happily gone to bed, and more importantly to sleep. I think the grief was so acute because the minute the test is positive, you map out your whole life with that child.

I realised what was most important: to love unconditionally, to nurture and mould, to watch a child grow and flourish. Nobody batted an eyelid; there was too much paperwork to get through and too many questions to be answered concerning Billie’s wellbeing. Having experienced infertility before going on to have my own children, I felt a strong bond with Lisa and hope that others will be able to take comfort from her story. Exactly the same as Lisa; I did not share everything I went through during my IVF journey, which is now a blur, as I could not cope with the scrutiny or expectation of IVF, so my husband and I kept the burden to ourselves. When cookery author and TV presenter Lisa Faulkner learned that she wouldn’t have biological children, her plans and expectations for her life were derailed.

Thank you Lisa for being so honest with your experience, this book really helped me and I related to everything she went through with ivf. This book is good for anyone who has been through this, or, equally, for those who haven’t, to gain an understanding of this difficult journey. She had seemed to settle so easily and didn’t seem at all disturbed by the fact that she was coming to stay with us, though I knew from the work we had done that it would all be in her head somewhere. The weeks before had been so intense, and we were – and would continue to be – under such watchful eyes.Lisa’s words are beautiful and so many sentences could only be truly understood by those who have gone through the same journey. We gave Billie lunch and dinner and bathed her with her new bath toys and wrapped her in a new pink snuggly towel. I would recommend this book to anyone who is experiencing infertility as it will remind you that you are not alone in your feelings, even on those darker days. I found myself drawn to it all given that I can relate to the very early stages of Lisa’s desire to want a baby.