Indy Resolve » Resources

Support for dealing with a miscarriage in Indianapolis….

Lily — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:23:03 +0000

Dealing with a miscarriage is an incredibly emotionally and physically draining experience. Don’t be afraid to reach out to resources available to help you (or a loved one) to work through this tremendous loss. Thank you to Amy, current group leader, for compiling these resources.

Support Groups

St. Vincent Child Loss Group
1st Thursday 7-9
8550 Naab Road
Contact: Kathy Carroll (317) 415-7494

Community Health Network Child Loss Group
3rd Thursday 7-9 PM
7250 Clearvista Dr. Conf. Room A
Contact: (317) 621-5275 for more information

HOPE – A Pregnancy Loss Support Group
2nd Tuesday of each month
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Spiritual Life Center
100 West 86th Street
Contact: Rev. Marsha Hutchinson (317) 846-3404 x315

Memorial Service for all cremated babies from St. Vincent is held at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery

Leppert Funeral Home does cremations at little or no cost.

Most cemeteries have a baby land. While the land may be free, the cost of opening the grave and a vault can run about $700.

Sometimes a baby can be buried with a loved one in an existing plot. Contact cemetery directly for more information.

Hope in the Midst of Loss class in Indy

Lily — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:27:09 +0000

Hope in the Midst of Loss

Leader: Dr. Adolf Hansen, St. Luke’s Theologian-in-Residence
Meets: 6 Thursdays, April 8th – May 13th, 7-9PM, Classroom N101-102.
Pre-registration required. Class limited to 20 participants.

Everyone experiences loss, whether it’s the breakup of a relationship, the loss of a job, a divorce, the loss of a home, a death, or some other loss; but not everyone experiences hope when they are dealing with a loss. This class is designed to help you experience hope in the midst of loss! It will provide insights that will enable you to understand a) your own attachments, b) the breaks that have taken place in your attachments (that is, your losses), and 3) the resources you have to get you through them! It is led by Dr. Adolf Hansen, our Theologian in Residence, who is the author of Responding to Loss: A Resource for Caregivers, a book that is the text for this class (available through our bookstore).

If you are interested, you can register on the St. Luke’s website, www.stlukesumc.com, or call DeAnna Moran at St. Luke’s, 317-846-3404.

Cade Foundation Family Building Grant Begins….

Lily — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:56:21 +0000

In case you aren’t familiar with the Cade Foundation they offer family building grants for those wishing to pursue infertility treatment or domestic adoption. Meghan sent me an e-mail with information today announcing those interested can get a head start before the April 1 registration. Here’s what she sent:

This year, the grant will consist of 2 portions – one that involves online registration, and one that involves downloading the application from our website from April 1st through June 15th.

The online registration is open NOW for anyone who wants to get started before April 1. To get started, visit:
https://www.123signup.com/servlet/SignUpMember?PG=1533369182300&P=153336900

Remember- you MUST fill out and submit BOTH portions of the application for your application to be considered complete.

Need support over the holidays? And a note of thanks….

Lily — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:30:53 +0000

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

Could you use some Fertility Socks?

Lily — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:43:42 +0000

As I have been working on the www.infertilityeclass.com personal project, I had a woman named Emily contact me to ask for permission to post information about the upcoming class. (FYI – Pre-registration has begun!) I thought this was beyond cool but what she does is also beyond cool. Emily’s site is www.fertilitysocks.org and she wants to give infertiles fun socks as a way to look forward to their journey. She’s doing this on her own dime while trying to become an actual non-profit. So, if you want to know more, here’s the scoop. Want some socks yourself? Click here to sign up. Want to donate socks? Click here. Read her story below:

“What in the world do socks have to do with infertility?

There are no magical socks that can cure infertility, but they can lift the spirit of those struggling with the challenge. I started the Fertility Socks movement as I was dealing with my own fertility problems.

When discussing an upcoming procedure I was going to have, my nurse said to me, “Wear fun socks. It’s a good conversation starter.”

She is so right. As an infertile woman, my feet spend a lot of time up in stirrups – much more than the average woman. They are the highest point in the room during an exam, so my feet may as well be entertaining to all those present.

So I asked my friends for fun socks for all of my future procedures. They knew I was suffering, so they liked giving me a gift that made me smile. I liked taking a symbol of my friends support with me to the hospital… and my feet looked great.

Now its your turn. Infertile? Let us send you a pair of socks to brighten your procedure. Want to offer support? Donate a pair of socks, and we’ll send them to an infertile woman in need of humorous footwear and a smile.

Best Wishes,
Emily (www.fertilitysocks.org)

Would you take an infertility e-class?

Lily — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:02:01 +0000

999 Reasons to Laugh at Infertility is trying to find out whether women would take an infertility e-class specifically dealing with the emotional ups and downs of the holidays. Take the short survey and share what you think about this idea!

Forward to your friends…10 things not to say to you….

Lily — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:57:08 +0000

Here are two posts that I came across discussing things we do NOT need to hear and remind us all to think before we speak.

http://eyeheartinternet.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/10-things-not-to-say-to-your-infertile-friend/

and then an additional one inspired by the first one….

http://zenpeacekeeping.typepad.com/zen_and_the_art_of_peacek/2009/09/10-things-you-probably-shouldnt-say-to-a-friend-who-doesnt-have-children.html

A man’s perspective….

Lily — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:46:29 +0000

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/

A new test for infertiles to obsess over…

Lily — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:31:49 +0000

Could this finally be the test with all the answers?

Well, apparently the Church & Dwight Co., owners of First Response, aren’t getting enough of the almighty infertile dollar. Now there’s a new “fertility test” to obsess over even before you start trying this cycle. According to the product page, ”this an accurate test of FSH level to assess ovarian reserve (egg quantity and quality) – one of the leading single indicators of a woman’s ability to get pregnant.” Buy a 4-pack at CostCo for $18.99. 2 pack seems to run in the $20-$25 range. So, good luck this cycle and try not to be too depressed if you don’t “pass” this test the first time around!

HOPE Pregnancy Loss Support Group – an attendee’s perspective…

Lily — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:42:27 +0000

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.