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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Involuntary childlessness : the lived experiences of three women Mordell, Alison Mary Lindsay

Abstract

Grief is a universal experience. The way people make sense of their world and process their grief is an individual process. For women experiencing involuntary childlessness, their grief involves multiple, significant, tangible losses, as well as intangible and symbolic losses. A qualitative multiple case study design (using a phenomenological analysis) resulted in the exploration of the lived experiences of three women who were confronted with the grief of involuntary childlessness. The stories of their intense struggle and investment to reach their goal are shared, as well as the devastating and tragic losses they experienced. Part of the process of grieving their losses included healing transformation with the severing of hope, their reinvestment in living and the creation of new meaning in their lives. In-depth interviews were audio taped. The co-researchers described their experiences from the onset of their hopes and plans for children, to their lives years later, where they have processed grief and reconstructed their sense of themselves, including their identification and role as mothers. A phenomenological analysis was conducted to uncover the thematic commonalties. The themes were validated by the co-researchers. The results were compared and contrasted with specific themes related to this study and specific themes identified in Claspell (1984) and Cochran & Claspell (1987) . This study builds on the existing body of research for involuntarily childless women, including their grieving and resolution processes. The findings in this study also add to the existing theoretical frameworks of grief and resolution such as " The Meaning of Grief: A dramaturgical approach to understanding emotion" by Cochran & Claspell (1987). These women's stories also provide greater understanding for therapists working with involuntarily childless individuals.

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