Options for Approaching Life without Children

Because you have not been able to have children . . .

Do you feel isolated from some celebrations of family or friends?

The ACCESS Options for Approaching Life without Children group provides contact with people who are considering ceasing all treatments and accepting life without children. The format of the Options for Approaching Life without Children is to be determined by you.  If meetings are preferred, people may want to involve parents, offspring, donors and counsellors meeting together on an informal basis.  The groups would be formed to reflect the following differences:

• People who have just been told there are no more treatments that can help them conceive.
• People who are wanting to come to terms with the end of treatment and the beginning of life without children.
• People who want to meet others who are working towards a positive outlook without children
  

Some of the concerns raised include the following:

Coming to terms with life without children:

Are you experiencing grief for the loss of children you hoped would arrive? Do you need coping strategies to process this grief? Would you like to talk to others about how you can begin to accept life without children?

Self-Esteem:
Do you sometimes feel that your value has been defined in terms of your ability, or not to have children? Would you like contact with others who have shared these experiences?

Feeling Isolated:
Do you feel excluded when conversations with friends centre around children? Do you find it difficult when some close friends or family members seem unable to accept that you will remain childless? Have you been hurt when family memorabilia or an inheritance has been given to siblings who do have children?
This group provides contact with childless people to talk about how to approach living without a child after efforts with medical treatment have failed. Contact can be via email, mail or phone, as you wish. You can also meet up socially with others who live in your city.

An ACCESS Member writes:  "Talking with others who share my experience, allows me to think that some good comes out of the pain."

This group provides contact with childless people to talk about how to approach living without a child after efforts with medical treatment have failed. Contact can be via email, mail or phone, as you wish.

You can also meet up socially with others who live in your city.

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