[EdnCy]

Do any of you know of any pre-adoption support groups? There was a blog posted to the site recently about a group called Parents-In-Waiting. Something like that would be very helpful to me. I have searched the internet, and have not found a single website that directs me to a support group in my area. I live near Louisville, KY. The best I can find is adoption agencies that say they provide counseling while you are going through the process with them. I would like to stay away from general infertility support groups. I'm really looking for a group of future parents who have also decided to stop IF treatments and are looking to move forward with adoption.

I really thought that I was ready to start the adoption journey, but lately, I'm not as strong as I thought. I still have these dreams of magically getting pregnant sometime. I also break down every time someone we know has a baby - not just a few sad tears, but I totally loose it. There have been two new babies born to friends or family members of ours in the last six weeks, and just this afternoon, my husband came home and told me that his cousin's wife Madelyn had gone into labor earlier today. I instantly started crying, I'm just so sad.

I feel like I need the help of a counselor or support group in order to move on emotionally before I can begin the adoption process. My husband doesn't feel like this is necessary. He thinks we should just be able to rely on our family and good friends, none of whom have suffered from infertility. I know he loves me and wants to be supportive, but the fact that he would brush off my cry for help so carelessly shows me that he does not understand this situation from my perspective.

[SchmennaLeigh]

Please head over to our sister site, Adoption Forums, and post a request for a local support group (say, real life one, not just online) for Louisville, KY in the Louisville, KY forum. The local forums over there are a great way of meeting people who have been there, done that. Even if you only find one mom (or dad) that you can have lunch with on a regular basis during your journey, it can be a great help in the end.

Best of luck in your journey.

[SunshineState]

Hi, you may also want to look at the Resolve website. It's an infertility support group. I went to a local meeting once and found it very helpful to hear that I could relate to everyone's fertility issues. But also there are people who attend, usually the leaders of the meeting, who have lots of info on adoption. Hopefully they have meetings in your area. Good luck!

[solyluna]

Hello
I am understand you perfectly because we decided to stop the fertility treatment and we are going for adoption.
I pray a lot to be strong enough and it is helping me but we stil need to joing to support groups. We live in Vancouver and we are making also reaserches about it.
The best of luck for you.

[Murphette]

I agree it took a lot of talking with people and family to start to get over the grieving process from my last failed IVF cycle. I'm lucky in that my boss and his wife have also suffered through infertility. They recently adopted a little girl from china. I get lots of time to talk with his wife who has been where I am and understands what we deal with (and is a mental health counselor as well) and it's been interesting to talk with him about it (he's very open) because he gives me information from his perspective (which had definitely helped me with dealing with my DH).

We decided to adopt through the State. When we started the required parenting classes we met quite a few couples in our class that have also gone through the pain of infertility. So we've started our own support group.

Good luck to you. I know it's so hard to deal with and to start trying to feel normal and make plans for the future, but remember to take as much time as YOU need to heal.