{"id":86,"date":"2016-09-22T21:35:38","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T03:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/?p=86"},"modified":"2025-12-11T22:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T05:28:47","slug":"support-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2016\/09\/22\/support-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Support Group"},"content":{"rendered":"

About a year ago a friend suggested I find an infertility support group. She thought it might be helpful\u2026 I hadn\u2019t thought of a support group until then, and I was glad she had suggested it. That said, at that time I wasn\u2019t ready for one, but I did keep it in mind. Shortly after that conversation with my friend, we scheduled my laparoscopy. With the treatment of my endometriosis and the thoughts from the doctor that he was optimistic my fertility would improve, we carried on for a few more months alone. However, when that train ran out of track and Dr. 1 sent me away to Dr. 2, we were ready for a support group. Being told that he was out of options for me and that I needed to go see someone else was hard to swallow. Plus, time was ticking away. We had been trying for over a year and half by that time and infertility was taking its toll on us.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had found the website for <\/span>Resolve<\/a>\u00a0months earlier and remembered that they had a section of their website for <\/span>support groups<\/a>. I went back there and quickly found what I was looking for: a support group right here in town. After some phone calls and a face-to-face meeting with the group facilitator who is a therapist, Matt and I were invited to join in at next meeting. <\/span><\/p>\n

The meetings are probably a little bit like you\u2019d imagine. I had never been to a support group before, so I only had movies and TV to guide my expectations\u2026 but they weren\u2019t too far off. I\u2019d say the big differences are that we meet in the living room of an old house that\u2019s used for therapists\u2019 offices, not a church basement or community center; we sit on couches and comfy chairs, not folding chairs; we don\u2019t have a podium, we speak from our seats; and we don\u2019t respond with monotone voices… But we do go around the circle giving updates about how we\u2019re doing, developments in our journey since our last meeting, and what we\u2019d like to talk about that night. We share tips on how to handle an upcoming procedure or what can be done to help our sore injection sites on our tummies and hips. We talk about tough situations with family and friends. We talk about how hard it can be to see other people\u2019s babies and pregnant bellies. We share our fears, our frustrations, our disappointments. We share our anger. We share our grief. We share silence. Sometimes there is no perfect thing to say and just listening, being present, and accepting each other is the comfort we need. Many times we cry together. We hope for each other. We understand each other and support each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"surround_yourself\"Until I went to support group I felt very alone. None of my close friends or family have been through this, so no one seemed to get it. At my support group though… they get it. They understand. All of our stories are different — no one\u2019s journey is exactly the same, but the underlying love, hopes, and dreams are similar. The fear, frustration, and grief are similar. Because we are all familiar with the <\/span>roller coaster of infertility<\/a>, we can support one another and validate each other\u2019s experiences on a deeper level. And the power of validation is enormous. Feeling understood, feeling accepted, and feeling that my emotions and reactions are normal has been so meaningful. Meeting others face-to-face, hearing their stories, and sharing with them has been so healing for me. I know for sure now that I am not alone — at group I feel surrounded with love and support from people who *get it*.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading about infertility has been helpful for me, yes, and I know it will continue to be helpful, but joining our support group and being in the presence of people who understand has been one of the very best things Matt and I have done for ourselves during our infertility journey. It connected us with people who understand what this journey is like, and for that I am so grateful. I am so thankful for our facilitator who guides us with understanding, wisdom, kindness, and love. And I am full of gratitude and love for the brave souls in our support group who open their hearts and share with us their stories. Thank you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About a year ago a friend suggested I find an infertility support group. She thought it might be helpful\u2026 I hadn\u2019t thought of a support group until then, and I was glad she had suggested it. That said, at that time I wasn\u2019t ready for one, but I did keep it in mind. Shortly after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,7],"tags":[19,36,37,44,17,18,20,21],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coping","category-resources","tag-acceptance","tag-healing","tag-isolation","tag-self-care","tag-support","tag-support-group","tag-understanding","tag-validation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7UmuL-1o","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":256,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2016\/11\/08\/support\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":0},"title":"Support","author":"Jenna","date":"November 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"While Matt and I have been lost in the terrible land of infertility, we\u2019ve been the ones guiding our loved ones through it at the same time. As I\u2019ve mentioned before, not many of our loved ones \u00a0have experience with infertility and loss, so they are often unsure of what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Awareness"","block_context":{"text":"Awareness","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/awareness\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"support","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/support-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":230,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2016\/11\/01\/looking-for-rainbows\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":1},"title":"Looking for Rainbows","author":"Jenna","date":"November 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"At support group once we were talking about how we are not our infertility and how we can identify ourselves separate from our infertility\u2026. And I understand that on a rational level, but I argued that it\u2019s not how it feels. I may not *be* my infertility, but it *is*\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Coping"","block_context":{"text":"Coping","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/coping\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"looking for rainbows","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/rainbows-300x294.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":404,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2017\/04\/24\/isolation\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":2},"title":"Isolation","author":"Jenna","date":"April 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I was looking for an infertility book at my local big box bookstore the other day and came up empty handed... again. \u00a0Over the course of my infertility journey, I have repeatedly visited this store in person or looked online for local availability searching for specific books and I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflections"","block_context":{"text":"Reflections","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/infertility_is_isolation-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":204,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2016\/10\/27\/october-the-awareness-month\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":3},"title":"October: The Awareness Month","author":"Jenna","date":"October 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Most people in the US probably know that that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We\u2019ve all seen the hot pink yogurt lids, hot pink jerseys on athletes, and the messes of hot pink ribbons, lanyards, shirts, and buttons in the grocery store. The hot pink items for breast cancer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Awareness"","block_context":{"text":"Awareness","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/awareness\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"october","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/october-300x275.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":313,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2017\/01\/28\/mixed-emotions\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":4},"title":"Mixed Emotions","author":"Jenna","date":"January 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As we prepare to begin the stimulation phase of IVF in a few weeks, I have been thinking hard about all of the things I\u2019m feeling\u2026 and it\u2019s certainly a mix. Many people assume that I\u2019m feeling very excited and optimistic, and while I certainly do feel those things right\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflections"","block_context":{"text":"Reflections","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/mixed_emotions-243x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":453,"url":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/2020\/10\/24\/in-the-waiting-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":86,"position":5},"title":"In the Waiting Time","author":"Jenna","date":"October 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It is an honor to have my writing included in Emily R. Long's book In the Waiting Time: Messages from Infertility Warriors. My letter posted below is one of 22 letters included in the book --letters written for, and by, individuals with infertility. I hope that our messages and our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Coping"","block_context":{"text":"Coping","link":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/category\/coping\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IWT-Book-Announcement.png?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions\/89"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.iamhalfhope.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}