Experience of Late Miscarriage and Practical Implications for Post-Natal Health Care: Qualitative Study

Healthcare

Milda Kukulskienė¹  Nida Žemaitienė¹ 

[1] Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania;

关键词: miscarriage;    spontaneous abortion;    reproductive health;    women’s wellbeing;    qualitative research;    thematic analysis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/healthcare10010079

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Miscarriage is the most common reason for pregnancy loss, affecting around one in four pregnancies. It is classified as a traumatic event, associated with an increased risk for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, alcohol dependence, somatic symptoms, sexual dysfunction, suicide, and complicated grief. This study aimed to analyse experiences of late miscarriage and to describe practical implications for post-natal health care based on characteristics of pregnancy loss revealed in a qualitative study. Seven women who had late miscarriages participated in in-depth biographical interviews. A phenomenological thematic analysis was applied. Experiential characteristics of late miscarriage were described by four themes and 13 subthemes: the initial splitting state (Dissociation, An Opened Void, An impaired Symbiosis, and The Body is Still Pregnant while the Psyche is Mourning); Betrayal of the body (Symbolic Experience of Internalised Death, Shocking Materiality of the Ongoing Miscarriage, Lost control of the Body, and Confusing Body Signals); Disconnecting (Depersonalising Medical Environment, Guilt Falsifies perception, and Retreat as a means of Self-Preservation); and Reconnecting (Collecting Shatters and Reinterpretation of Maternal Identity). Based on the results of the experiential analysis, another four themes represent practical recommendations for post-natal health care: Informing, Opportunity for Goodbye, Attention to Emotional Wellbeing, and Respectful Hospital Environment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown