Nov 25
It looks like this group is likely closing after the December meeting but the need for infertility support goes on. In case you haven’t heard via the blog, I (Lily) have personally developed an infertility e-class to support women over this holiday season. Lori LeRoy, the great speaker on humor and infertility is also involved plus another great blogger. Together we hope to grow this into ongoing e-classes to give women support, a way to work through their emotions and have some good times along the way.
I know many of you wanted to come to the group but it never worked out for your schedule or you lived too far away. Or maybe it was just too hard for you to come. Trust me, I understand. This private online environment will allow you ongoing support (not just once a month) and structure to tackle some of the hardest feelings that come up – but from the privacy of your own home. If you think this sounds like it might be good for you, check out the site at:
www.infertilityeclass.com
Class starts on Monday, November 30th so if you want to sign-up, you need to do so asap. I hesitated to write about it directly because there is a fee involved since we have costs to cover. However, a couple of you have signed up and I felt like I needed to reach out to the women who truly inspired this idea. While I couldn’t go on doing the in-person meetings, I knew I wanted to continue to offer support.
Lastly and most importantly, I wish each of you all the best on your fertility journey. And in the spirit of Thanksgiving – let me say Thank You. Thank you for those who did come to the group, those who poured their hearts out and those who bared their pain. Even if I only met you or heard from you once, I assure you I will carry you with me forever. Infertile women are special women, brave women and incredibly loving women. You are all wonderful nuturing souls in my book and I hope you find a way to share your gifts whether in traditional motherhood or other amazing ways.
Sincerely,
Lily
infertilemind@gmail.com
Sep 21
There seem to be many blogs available to hear about the woman’s side of the infertility journey but not many from the man’s side. So, I am intrigued by this new blog, In The Name of the Father, which discusses the fertility journey from the husband’s angle. Thought it might intrigue some of you others, as well.
Check it out at: http://fertilityguy.blogspot.com/
Sep 11
Some time ago we posted about another group, the HOPE Pregnancy Loss Support Group, that also meets at St. Luke’s UMC. One woman actually attended the meeting last Tuesday and had some great comments, which are shared below. If you’ve suffered a miscarriage you might also consider this as another way to work through your grief. While my miscarriages were a few years ago, I’m still considering going now. Anyway, here’s the feedback:
“As for the HOPE group, I loved it. I really wish I had known about it months ago. There were about 15 women there and based on what was said it’s a pretty regular group with a few people coming and going each month. At the beginning of the meeting we went around the room and shared our stories and the discussion just sort of flowed from there. Most of the women have children at home, some have experienced infertility*(*please note that infertility is not the focus of this group), and others had their losses many, many years ago and still come to the meetings. Overall, the group seems to be very compassionate. The December meeting is actually an informal memorial service for the babies. They’ve also recently built a small garden as a memorial to the babies. You can buy a plaque and inscribe it with whatever you want and then it goes on the wall. I was just really impressed with these things. They don’t minimalize your pain or the life of your babies. If anything, the group affirms that your pain is real and acknowledges the existence and importance of the babies which were lost. Depending on what you’re looking for I can see the group being a really great thing. It was incredibly comforting and therapeutic to know that other women have experienced similar things, have struggled with the same feelings of pain, loss, anger, etc. The only downside I can see is that it’s difficult to listen to the experiences of the other women–they are truly heart breaking. In some ways it opened up old wounds and hurt, but I’m not entirely sure that’s a bad thing. I think that talking about it with other women may actually be beneficial in the long run.” - Recent Group Attendee
If you think this could be for you, please contact Rev. Marsha Hutchison at 317.846.3404 ext. 315 for additional details. They also offer one-on-one support.
Sep 09
Where Babies Come From Education Then and Now - From 22 pages to 457 pages
Not long ago I found the old book “Where Did I Come From?” my mom used to teach me about where babies come from in the 80’s. Then I was going through some of our books in the Resolve library and the one titled “How to Get Pregnant” stuck out to me because it is SO thick. After thinking about the two I had a good chuckle at how simple the original teaching was when I was probably 7 and how complex the teaching became in my 30s. I thought someone else might appreciate the irony so I’m posting a photo of the two books and their “stats”.
“Where Did I Come From?” by Peter Mayle – approx. 22 pages with big text and lots of illustrations (still available, by the way)
“How to Get Pregnant” by Sherman J. Silber, MD – 457 pages, small text and very few photos
When did baby making get so complicated?
