Impact of Time on Patients’ Lived Perinatal Loss Experience

Miscarriages and intrauterine fetal demises may have a negative impact on bereaved parents, with reports of grief, guilt, and a sense of isolation. Utilizing Bowlby’s Caregiving Theory as a framework, this study examined the impact of time spent with the baby on the patient’s lived perinatal loss experience, a phenomenon with limited investigation. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, data were gathered retrospectively through interviews with mothers from 2 inpatient facilities at 3 and 6 weeks postpartum. Four major themes were identified: a sense of hopefulness, lack of support (follow-up care) from nursing/health care providers, importance of time with baby, and the need as parents to protect, nurture, and socialize (honor) their baby. Five additional minor themes identified and unique to individual facilities included a perceived lack of anticipatory guidance, need for communication in the moment, importance of mementoes, personhood related to baby, and the perception of abandoning baby at the time of discharge. All but one of the participants spoke about the significance of time with their baby. Most parents have the need to parent even in death, and health care professionals greatly impact whether mothers are given the opportunity to parent while in the hospital.