'An important book' Edwina Dunn, Founder of The Female Lead
The path to parenthood is deeply personal. When that journey twists and stalls, it can feel impossibly lonely. Yet connection, courage and hope can be found, often in the stories of those who have taken the road before us.
The Waiting Room exists because too many people experience infertility, loss and longing in silence. Every day in the UK, there are hundreds of miscarriages, about seven stillbirths, ten terminations for medical reasons and five neonatal deaths. Around 1 in every 80 pregnancies in the UK is ectopic. Globally, 1 in 6 couples face infertility at some point in their lives. Yet, the silence around the hospital visits and heartbreak remains.
What happens after the negative pregnancy tests, the first miscarriage, the failed round of IVF, the ectopic pregnancy or the stillbirth? What is it like to pursue adoption, surrogacy or donor conception, or come to terms with a life without children? Drawing on dozens of honest, hopeful, bravely shared accounts, Audrey Ward curates a selection of stories - including her own - from those whose journeys to (or away from) parenthood were anything but simple, to help answer all these questions, and more.
So, join us in The Waiting Room, a place of comfort, advice and connection, for anyone who has ever felt that parenthood is painfully out of reach.
'Shines a light on experiences too often hidden or misunderstood' Sharon Martin, Interim CEO, Fertility Network UK
| ISBN: | 9780008781781 |
| Publication date: | 21st May 2026 |
| Author: | Audrey Ward |
| Publisher: | Harper Thorsons an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 320 pages |
| Genres: |
Infertility and fertilization Women’s health Reproductive medicine Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss Parenting |
'An important book' Edwina Dunn, Founder of The Female Lead
The path to parenthood is deeply personal. When that journey twists and stalls, it can feel impossibly lonely. Yet connection, courage and hope can be found, often in the stories of those who have taken the road before us.
The Waiting Room exists because too many people experience infertility, loss and longing in silence. Every day in the UK, there are hundreds of miscarriages, about seven stillbirths, ten terminations for medical reasons and five neonatal deaths. Around 1 in every 80 pregnancies in the UK is ectopic. Globally, 1 in 6 couples face infertility at some point in their lives. Yet, the silence around the hospital visits and heartbreak remains.
What happens after the negative pregnancy tests, the first miscarriage, the failed round of IVF, the ectopic pregnancy or the stillbirth? What is it like to pursue adoption, surrogacy or donor conception, or come to terms with a life without children? Drawing on dozens of honest, hopeful, bravely shared accounts, Audrey Ward curates a selection of stories - including her own - from those whose journeys to (or away from) parenthood were anything but simple, to help answer all these questions, and more.
So, join us in The Waiting Room, a place of comfort, advice and connection, for anyone who has ever felt that parenthood is painfully out of reach.
'Shines a light on experiences too often hidden or misunderstood' Sharon Martin, Interim CEO, Fertility Network UK
The Waiting Room features in the following genres: Infertility and fertilization, Women’s health, Reproductive medicine, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Parenting
The Waiting Room is available in Hardback
The Waiting Room was written by Audrey Ward and published by Harper Thorsons an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Waiting Room has 320 pages
£19.80