Support Groups
Posted on December 11, 2008
The RESOLVE chapter in Arizona has started a couple new support groups, one for men and one for pregnancy & beyond. The infertility support groups have been very successful in Phoenix. We have three locations for the IF support groups through-out the Phoenix Metro area and they seem to be well attended most of the time. A good showing for a support group is fairly small, around 5-8 people. Too many more and it’s hard for everyone to ask questions and get answers.
The decision was made to offer only one Pregnancy & Beyond support group, centrally located, to gauge interest level before creating multiple locations. Two of us expressed an interest in leading the group and this could be a great arrangement where if one of us cannot attend the other could fill our spot for the night.
Last night was the first Pregnancy & Beyond support group meeting. Attendance was very light and the co-support group leader didn’t show. I think the idea of a support system to help women transition from infertility to pregnancy is a nobel cause. I wonder though, how many women would truly be interested in this type of support. Please provide your comments so that I can help the local RESOLVE chapter grow this new group into something that provides value to the community it’s trying to serve. Thanks!
P.S. Leave a comment and enter to win a copy of hope for the flowers by Trina Paulus! Contest ends Dec. 19th.
» Filed Under Infertility, Resources, pregnancy
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6 Responses to “Support Groups”
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if you can get the message out and there is enough of a demand, this is a great thing. you are doing an awesome job marketing yourself kelly! You’re going to be very successful in this endeavor, because i and others feel your passion
A support group for pregnancy after infertility and loss would have been something I totally would have been interested in! Even when my pgs went normally for the most part, I still didn’t feel like I could relate to the typical, pg woman. My pgs had not been simple conceptions and my history of loss left me feeling uncertain most of the time. Many of my friends and the women around me didn’t understand my fears and worries. They didn’t understand why I didn’t want a baby shower before the baby was born; the restrictions I was under, etc. Talking to other women who had been there/done that made it so I didn’t have to justify my feelings on top of trying to sort through them.
I agree with you – I think this kind of support group is a fabulous idea; I hope it takes off for you!
Hi Kelly,
I won the last book giveaway
thank you! Tiny Toes is so fabulous, and the extra little book was such a treat. You’re the best!
I’m not angling for another book, but I do want to comment! I’ve often wondered about women who struggled with infertility for years and then finally got pregnant….are they overwhelmed with the reality of pregnancy and childbirth? Does the dream of having children set you up for disappointment, because having kids can be really hard?
We’re struggling with infertility, and I’ve never been pregnant, and I often wonder if being pregnant and giving birth and raising kids will be harder than I think….
So, I don’t know how exactly this support group could help because I haven’t been in that position, but I do see the potential.
Thanks for listening!
Laurie
Kelly,
I started an endometriosis support group in 2001. I have written about it quite a bit on my blog but this article in particular may help you:
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Endometriosis Blog: Obituary Of An Endometriosis Support Group Or Beginning Of A Better System?
Turnout was an issue. A local IF group has struggled with turnout issues too. The endo groups on either side of me closed prior to my group’s “transition” to its current state. A local fibromyalgia group near me has pretty low turnout too… as does a local interstitial cystitis group.
There are many reasons for this, as I covered in detail in my blog post outlining 7 years as a group leader of an endo support group.
People may be too sick to attend, have scheduling conflicts, be working at the same time as meeting, be too exhausted etc.
Between the ability for local group members to call/email me when in need and all of the above, it was hard to keep meetings going monthly.
Also, online support seems to have decreased in-person support.
My post gets into more detail. My blog has a bunch of stuff about support groups and self-help groups…
See the link to the self-help clearinghouse in my blogroll. They are very helpful!
Hope this helps!
Jeanne
Sounds like a great idea for a support group. I wish there was one here for dealing with Infertility after having kids in our area!
Good luck
Thank you for your comments. I know in-person groups can be challenging to build and sustain because our lives are so busy. It’s good to know there is an interest. However, I appreciate it will take a lot of effort to make it work.