Melissa Harris’s dream of being a mother again shatters when a fertility doctor tells her she may never have another child due to a physical anomaly in her uterus. Determined to persevere, she undergoes nine surgeries and a year of fertility treatments until she finally gets a positive pregnancy test—only to miscarry both twins within the first fifteen weeks.

When what she’s decided will be her last attempt results in her finally becoming pregnant, she’s told that this baby, Sam, is also at risk. While lying in a hospital bed for six days, trying to get to the golden standard twenty-four-week gestation mark, Melissa makes a decision—she will give this baby every chance to live, no matter what it takes.

One Pound, Twelve Ounces is the journey of one mother’s determination to give her micro-preemie a fighting chance, and the story of that baby’s remarkable battle to survive.

2022 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Finalist in Non-Fiction (Women’s)
2022 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Book Awards Finalist
2022 Eric Hoffer da Vinci Eye Award Finalist

“Written with candor, Melissa Harris’s memoir One Pound, Twelve Ounces is both harrowing and joyful in covering at-risk pregnancies and the experience of mothering a micro-preemie child.”
—Foreword Reviews

“An articulate, poignant, and gritty family account. . .”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Melissa Harris, the author of One Pound, Twelve Ounces, is perhaps one of the strongest women I have ever encountered in my life. Her determination and bravery in showcasing her darkest moments and intense fears deserve to be applauded a million times over. One Pound, Twelve Ounces is the story of a mother’s love and desperate desire for her baby to have his best chance at life, even when there was only a 20% chance of hope.”
—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review

“One Pound, Twelve Ounces is a gem of a book, filled with suspense, and humor, and heart.”
—Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book of Dead Birds

“What Melissa went through to become a mother again and what Sam endured in his first year will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. It’s through stories like this that we humanize one another. A must read.”
—Aaron Wright, award-winning author of Thirteen Doors