"What I Thought I Knew" is the almost unbelievable true story of what happened after Alice was told she was infertile in her 30s, became pregnant at 44 and didn't know it until over halfway through her high-risk pregnancy. Her book tells the story of her metamorphosis from a woman struggling with infertility to one struggling with having a baby she didn't know about -- and frankly wasn't sure she wanted. 

Alice Eve Cohen: The first six months of my pregnancy were a disaster, in terms of prenatal care and lack thereof. I had been diagnosed as infertile many years earlier, and told never to attempt pregnancy with fertility treatment, as I could never carry a baby past six months. When I started to feel sick, doctors attributed my ailments to early menopause and other conditions related to aging. Six months, numerous X-rays, CAT scans, prescription hormones and a slew of doctors later, I was raced to an emergency CAT scan for a large abdominal tumor -- which turned out not to be a tumor at all. I was six months pregnant. My first reaction was shock, followed by the fear that I would deliver the baby prematurely, which would result in severe disability. I was terrified that I had already injured the fetus by subjecting it to so many terrible risks. 

AEC: Short answer? I don't recommend it. Nine months of preparation sounds positively luxurious, but with both my daughters I've had very little prep time. [I had] two months to prepare for Julia's adoption; three months to prepare for Eliana's birth. Since I was on bedrest for those three months, I had lots of time lying in bed on my left side to think, fantasize, worry, obsess, hope, rage, dream. Act II of my book draws from those highly saturated three months of pregnancy.

AEC: As every parent knows, raising a child is infinitely complex. Adoption contributes a layer of complexity to the parenting equation, but there are countless other variables. Each of my daughters came into the world with a unique prenatal resume: Julia's backstory includes adoption; Eliana's backstory ... well, hers is the inciting incident of my book. Julia, now 18 years old, has always had very positive feelings about her adoption. This spring, her adoption story came full cycle when she found her biological mother and visited with her for several days. My daughters have both asked me about the relative merits of adoption and biological parenthood. In response, I sing the praises of motherhood -- by any method -- but readily admit that physically it's a hell of a lot harder to give birth at age 45 than to adopt. Ultimately, adoption doesn't change how or how much you love your child. Here's an excerpt from my book on the subject. This is the "What I Know" list where I finally get it right: 

For more information about Alice Eve Cohen, check out her website or follow her on Facebook. To buy her memoir, click here.