cover image Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story

Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story

Matthew M. F. Miller. Health Communications, $14.95 (298pp) ISBN 978-0-7573-0748-5

For as long as he could remember, Miller had wanted to be a father, ""wanted something better for something that would be a part of me."" Based on a blog of the same name, this memoir charts the ups and downs as Miller and his wife, Constance, attempt a conception. In broad but deft strokes, Miller chronicles their faithful attempts at baby-making, writing about their decision finally to forgo birth control, the string of negative pregnancy tests, the promise and frustration of fertility treatments, the grasping for answers: ""Nine months and nine menstrual cycles had now passed... we knew that morning intercourse could no longer be deemed a fail-safe solution for our inability to conceive."" Miller's anxiety to become a father-as opposed to anxiety over having to be a father-is refreshing, and he generates significant sympathy. As in life, however, month after month of unsuccessful attempts can become repetitive and discouraging for readers, who probably could use a tighter edit.