Saturday, March 12, 2011

Grieving your infertility

I just agreed to teach a class for Families Supporting Adoption about grieving your infertility. What does one say about grieving your infertility? "This is how one grieves?" Make it into a support group is out of the question in my mind because...well, I don't want to. The people attending can connect with each other and create a support group if they need one. For me personally, if I'm grieving I don't want to open up to a bunch of strangers unless I've decided to let them in. I don't want to be forced to.
Shall I read to them some lines I read about infertility?

Tell them they are created this way for a special purpose-for the children that will need a home.

Emphasis that they were created not "broken"

Would it be too difficult to hear that there is a birth mother out there who is grieving too, over the choices she's made and the difficult journey ahead?

Is it too soon to hear that this is likely not the end of their grieving. If they ever experience a failed adoption they will grieve their infertility all over again? They will grieve as if over the death of a child that will never be a part of their family

They may never had that large family, or have children with your husband's red hair.

One thing I think I should teach a class is to tell people what you need. Tell people if you need space, time, understanding, appropriate language concerning adoption, a hug. Well intentioned people will say some unwittingly hurtful things. Be prepared to teach others how to be sensitive to your situation.

Those are my only thoughts for now. Hopefully I can fill an hour and a half class with it.