Customer Reviews

Expecting Miracles: On the Path of Hope from Infertility to Parenthood

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I believe this book is inspirational and written from the heart of a doctor who cares about his patients. Each story was touching. I laughed and I cried. Dr. Zouves is a wonderful doctor and I am proud to say, I was one of his lucky patients. Dreams can come true.

Expecting Miracles captures the physical, emotional and financial struggle of couples undergoing infertility. The book is outstanding! We couldn't put it down. We are a `success' couple of Dr. Zouves-having struggled with infertility for over 7 ½ years. We have read numerous books on infertility-this is by far the best. The book captures Dr. Zouves' success in helping patients achieve a family. It also shows his compassion as a doctor and a human being. He is always honest with his patients and truly cares. The book explains various infertility diagnoses and treatments in easy to understand terms. It provides hope for couples that have given up on achieving a family. Dr. Zouves is a true miracle worker. Expecting Miracles is a must for anyone who has struggled with infertility, worked with infertility patients, knows of anyone undergoing infertility treatment or is struggling with infertility and has given up hope. We have recommended this book to both health care workers and friends.

"Expecting Miracles" is a warm, compassionate and uplifting description of the experiences of a dozen or so couples who sought help in conceiving a child from the author's infertility clinic. Each chapter tells one couple's story, as a sort of a mini-character study or "case study"; we learn about the patients' medical histories, their relationship with their significant others, their personalities, and the impact that their difficulty in conceiving & carrying to term has had on them & their families. Interspersed with the human stories are clear & succinct explanations of the science and medical technology used to help infertile couples conceive. Dr. Zouves' reverence for the spirituality and mystery inherent in the reproductive process was particularly refreshing.

As someone currently undergoing the initial stages of fertility treatment, I found the scientific information very helpful in understanding more about the delicate reproductive process (and how today's medicine can assist). I also found myself responding very emotionally to the plight of these couples. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear at some of these beautiful, yet painful, stories! Nearly all of the stories have happy endings, though, and while that certainly does make for a less depressing book, it probably represents an unrealistic cross-section of infertility patients. Not everyone can be helped (sadly, I have several dear friends who fall into this category) and I imagine relatively few couples have the resources to pursue the kind of cutting-edge treatment Dr. Zouves describes - flying to the West Coast constantly, staying in hotels, paying for surrogates, not to mention the cost of the treatment itself (rarely covered by insurance). On the other hand, the book may well provide the necessary hope for those who are just barely hanging on in the midst of the physically and emotionally grueling treatment.

This is one of those books that you just don't want to end. I read this in preparation for starting my own IVF cycle with Dr. Zouves, and I was so incredibly moved by the amazing perserverence of his patients that are profiled and also by Dr. Zouves's skill, experience and compassion. I feel so fortunate that I found him and that he will be the physician to perform this procedure on me. It's not so much a factual how-to about IVF, but it's loaded with very useful and helpful information and would be extremely informative for any couples who may be thinking of undergoing IVF. I was so moved by these people's stories, and I feel prepared for what is to come.

I read this book while in California under the care of Dr. Zouves. The book truly reflects the expertise and compassion that I have seen first-hand. He tells it like it is. It was the perfect book to read while experiencing in vitro. I couldn't put it down. Dr. Zouves has accomplished a hefty goal by capturing the struggle of infertility and explaining it on paper for family and friends. On our bookshelf, are many infertility books filled with medical jargon. This book is the exception. It answers the one question that most infertile couples yearn to have answered, "Does anyone understand?" Yes, the author understands.

One of the best information sources about in vitro fertilization. Very well written with sensitivity and compassion by an experienced doctor who has successfully helped many overcome infertility with IVF. Although IVF is not for me and my husband, after reading Expecting Miracles I am much more informed about those who travel down this journey to parenthood. An excellent recommendation for friends and/or family members of (as well as) those attempting IVF.

This book is an accurate and amazing portrayal of the intelligence, skill and compassion of Dr. Christo Zouves. I am one of his patients. I was told by other physicians that there was no known cause and no treatment for my continued pregnancy losses. Dr. Zouves discovered and treated the cause and the result is my son. I endured extensive treatment to moderate my immune response to pregnancy and complete successfully one cycle of in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
The ordeal of infertility diagnosis and treatment is discovered by the reader in a fascinating manner through the true stories of individual families. You will be surprised at what people will endure to have a child. This book is informative and compelling reading. When he is old enough, I plan to give it to my son to explain how much he was wanted and how hard we and Dr. Zouves worked to bring him into our family.

I really enjoyed this book and found it so inspirational. I loved the format---basically all stories (I called them case studies in the title, but that's really too dry a term---they are warm and complete stories) of people going through treatment for infertility, and the outcome of these treatments. I think almost every possible kind of case is covered! The book is very honest about how tough it can be to go through the treatment---I really had no idea how much was involved in assisted reproduction, and I gained new respect for what some families go through to have children. I did think once or twice that the book might have been more balanced if there were one or two more cases in it where the technologies were not successful, to make the book more like the statistics of how often such treatments really do work. But I know this was a book about successes, and I think it would be very inspirational to a lot of people, in addition to being well written and a great read.

I am a new patient of Dr. Zouves and this book helped set my expectations for the IVF journey ahead. Dr. Zouves is an excellent storyteller. In addition to sharing the touching stories of his patients, he also clearly explains complex infertility issues, medications and the IVF procedure. This book gave us hope as we embark on IVF. I encourage anyone suffering from infertility to read it as well..

Each chapter in this books tells the story of one couple and their struggle with infertility, and all are eventually successful. Dr. Zouves is clearly an exceptional doctor whose varied and sometimes poignant personal history is woven skillfully through the chapters. He clearly goes the extra mile for his patients, many of whom have been unsuccessfully battling infertility for many years before they meet him. I couldn't put the book down.