I share my childless story and how I dug deep into my experience with yoga and embodiment practices to reconnect with myself, find self-compassion and move towards acceptance of myself and my body.

Even if our journeys to childlessness aren’t the same, I know the mind-body connection is crucial in uncovering the confidence needed to step forward on the childless path.

This article looks at disenfranchised grief and secondary loss. These types of loss describe the childless not-by-choice experience so well. When I heard about these types of grief, I sighed in relief as I found validation of my feelings and my experience.

This article is the third in a series about childless grief, where I look at the 16 types of grief and how they relate to the childless, not by-choice experience.

Grief is a natural and universal human experience. However, the grief of childlessness is complex and multifaceted. It can manifest in various ways depending on the individual, circumstances, and cultural context.

Ever wonder why you feel terrible after significant trigger events, such as Mother's Day, holidays and personal dates of significance?

Apart from the obvious answer that that tentacles of childless grief reach beyond the significant days themselves, you are likely experiencing an emotional hangover.

I know the day and those surrounding Mother’s Day are some of the hardest in the year for childless women. In light of this, and understanding the positive impact of both tender and fierce self-compassion in my life, I have opened free access to the Self-Compassion for Childless not by Choice Women Course.

The grief of childlessness is complex and multifaceted. Depending on the individual, circumstances, and cultural context, it can manifest in various ways.

This post is the first in an ongoing series about childless not by choice grief.

I will look at the 16 types of grief and how they relate to the childless, not by choice experience. This post looks at the first three:

Normal Grief

Anticipatory Grief

Complicated Grief

I really felt that healing my relationship with my body was a huge piece that I was just missing. I hadn't really realized it. And I realized that it wasn't really talked about in any of the support or the literature around pregnancy loss and being childless, not by choice.

I want to help you step out of that dark place of disconnection and lack of self-confidence and into the light of coming home to yourself and your body. I want to help you trust yourself so you can step out into the world feeling like you have choices, that you matter, and that you deserve happiness.

I will be at home without obligations to extended family; I can spend my time how I want.

In the past, all this freedom felt overwhelming. I felt left out, which was another reminder of what I didn't have. But, over the years, as I work to integrate the grief of childlessness, I have become delighted with this freedom.

However, it is grounding to keep elements of my routine the same.

My journey to being childless deeply affected my self-confidence, my relationship with my body and how I felt about myself. Self-compassion practice has been foundational in building myself back up.

The heartbreak that comes with childlessness is vast. At times it feels impossible to live with and that it will always feel this way. I understand these feelings. I also know that a life without the children I wanted can be happy, fulfilling and purposeful.

Here are seven ways to heal childless grief and open up to the possibilities of life.

Being childless often means feeling left out of the usual holiday traditions. This year I am determined to create my own traditions and reclaim the holidays.

The perceived absence of choice adds to the already powerful feelings of being left out and misunderstood. I understand that entirely AND know that it doesn't have to be that way.

Removing the possibility of ever having a child by having a hysterectomy would free up the energy that hope was consuming. It would allow me space to fully grieve as I would no longer feel stuck in the liminal space in-between.