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This book explores 1) the history of motherhood from mythology through development of Western religions. 2) the acceptable social meaning of motherhood vs. actual meaning of the average rural wife/mother, and 3) the psychological implications of untimely death on future generation s fertility. The hypothesis: negative meaning of motherhood developed as a result of premature death, secondary loss, and unresolved grief; such meaning was further impacted by the social systems of the time, i.e., religious, economic, educational, legal and political; and ultimately affected the author s fertility and inability to carry a pregnancy full-term. The study concludes that the evolving negative family meaning of motherhood tacitly influenced four failed pregnancies, and validates Bowen s perspective that the level of human reactivity is a product of evolutionary development, endless struggles of individuals to survive and mate, and experiences within extended family that are then transmitted through a family projection process (M. Kerr, 1988).

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Vicki is an Internationally Certified ADEC Thanatologist and Life Transition Coach in private practice in California. She specializes in infertility, divorce, chronic illiness and end of life issues. In addition she is active in hospice work, facilitates grief support groups and conducts workshops on resilience.

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