Two babies switched before birth…
An IVF mix-up leads to a heated battle between two couples: should they switch babies so they can raise their genetic child, or should each keep the baby the mother nurtured inside her for nine months?
Cameron and Andy have the perfect marriage, apartment, and jobs in New York City. The only thing missing is a baby. Unable to get pregnant, Cameron turns to in vitro fertilization in hopes of becoming mother. When the positive pregnancy test comes back, she thinks she can finally have it all. That is, until she gives birth and realizes her baby’s blood type is not compatible with her own.
There is just one explanation: a mistake at the IVF clinic. An investigation reveals that the baby is genetically related to Avery and Graham, another couple who went through IVF at the same clinic. They also recently had a baby—who happens to be Cameron and Andy’s genetic child.
When the mix up is discovered, a heated battle ensues: should the couples switch babies so they can raise their genetic child, or should each keep the baby the mother nurtured inside her for nine months?
The ethical and legal dilemma plays out in the character’s personal lives and the courtroom where multiple questions are raised: Does nature or nurture make someone a mother? What is better for the babies?
My Heart from Inside is an emotional page turner with unexpected twists and turns. It will make you think about the meaning of motherhood, and what you would do in the characters’ shoes. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate, and Liane Moriarty.
I came up with the idea for this book because it was my biggest fear.
I spent more than a year trying to get pregnant. During that year, my husband and I did every test and everything came back fine. But for some reason, my body just didn’t want to do what it was biologically programed for. I felt like a failure as a woman. Through IVF, I was lucky enough to become pregnant.
During my pregnancy, my husband and I had many hypothetical debates about what we would do if we found out they transferred the wrong embryo to my uterus. We also debated what we would do if we found out that our embryo was transferred to someone else’s uterus. The debates often became heated and emotional, neither of us able to agree on what was the ‘right’ thing to do. After our baby was born, we again asked each other those questions. But at that point, we realized that what each of us thought was ‘right’ was ever grayer than what we thought before.
Infertility is something that affects about 15% of couples, yet it is something that is rarely talked about. Women who are unable to get pregnant after a year of trying are often left feeling like there is something wrong with them, or like everyone else around them is suddenly pregnant.
