Tuesday, January 13, 2009

ICAN and me..

I posted this to my email list for ICAN. I am a member of the "International Cesarean Awareness Network" and have attempted to start up a local chapter here in the seacoast New Hampshire area. The focus is to inform women of their birthing rights, to work with women to allow the freedom of birth choice, hospital, home, birth center, VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), repeat cesarean with a more mom-centered approach, etc.

However, I have found it difficult, as I have outlined in the post below.

I have a question for other chapter leaders.
I have not been very good at getting my chapter started, so I am a chapter of one. Part just being overwhelmed, and then mainly my life being an emotional rollercoaster hell ride. SO my question is this..
How do you answer the emails that come in from local women, looking for information, begging for help, when you yourself need someone to rescue you? (OK, a little dramatic) I just feel empty, drained, going through infertility, feeling like I may never get a chance to VBAC, and then now trying to stay afloat while waiting for the loss of my sixth baby to happen?
I have these two emails in my inbox, from women looking for me to be the source of information, encouragement, and honestly, I just do not know if I can write back. How can I be what they need when I cannot even be what I need? If I only had more people around here, in this area, an actual chapter, then maybe I could have asked someone more capable to handle this at the moment.
But what should I do? I need to help these women, I need to somehow pull it together and help, but I just feel so overwhelmed. Maybe I should just dissolve my hopes of a local chapter, but then who would be here?
Thanks for listening, and any suggestions would be great.


Well, and the responses.... NOT A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT! One person told me to just keep on going, to answer these email pleas of help. With what?!? How can I give encouragement, help, when I myself feel helpless?

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