Women’s Experience of Infertility and Disenfranchised Grief

Infertility grief often takes an emotional and mental toll on the affected woman. This phenomenological study examined women’s experiences of infertility grief and how their grief has been disenfranchised by other people in their lives. Interviews were conducted with eight women who met criteria for infertility and were U.S. residents. The women were asked to share aspects of their grief associated with infertility and findings were categorized into the three domains of disenfranchised grief. Findings provided a greater understanding of how women experienced invalidation from others and how invalidation further complicated their grief. Implications included how to increase support for infertile women and provide validating counseling services