In Australia, midwives care closely for women during pregnancy and birth and the immediate postnatal period. This scoping review aimed to explore the experiences of female maternity healthcare professionals when they return to work following a personal pregnancy loss or neonatal death.
Methodology: A scoping review was carried out on published and unpublished research and grey literature looking at how maternity healthcare professionals who have had a personal perinatal loss experience working in a maternity setting following the loss. A search of the literature was performed between October and December 2018, with no set limitations. A search for relevant references from included papers was also carried out. The literature was analysed thematically. The types of perinatal loss were defined as per Australian guidelines.
Results
10 articles were included in this scoping review. Four themes emerged from the literature and these were: 1) Impact of being asked, “have you got children?”; 2) Impact on professional practice; 3) Impact of pre-existing professional knowledge; 4) Importance of collegial support on return to work.
Conclusions
Return to work in a maternity setting following a personal perinatal loss is emotionally challenging and requires a range of supports. Further research is needed in this area.
Agwu KaluF.CoughlanB.LarkinP. (2018). A mixed methods sequential explanatory study of the psychosocial factors that impact on midwives’ confidence to provide bereavement support to parents who have experienced a perinatal loss. Midwifery, 64, 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2018.06.011
2.
AschenbrennerA. P.HansonL.JohnsonT. S.KelberS. T. (2016). Nurses' own birth experiences influence labor support attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 45(4), 491–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2016.02.014
Ben-EzraM.PalgiY.WalkerR.ManyA.Hamam-RazY. (2014). The impact of perinatal death on obstetrics nurses: A longitudinal and cross-sectional examination (report). Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 42(1), 75. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2013-0071
6.
BewleyC. (2000). Feelings and experiences of midwives who do not have children about caring for childbearing women. Midwifery, 16(2), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.1054/midw.2000.0203
BewleyC. (2008). Midwives' experiences of personal pregnancy related loss. In HunterB.DrearyR. (Eds.), Emotions in midwifery and reproduction (pp. 140–156). Palgrave Macmillan.
9.
BewleyC. (2010a). Midwives' personal experiences and their relationships with women: Midwives without children and midwives who have experienced pregnancy loss. In KirkhamM. (Ed.), The midwife-mother relationship (2nd ed., pp. 190–207). Palgrave Macmillan.
10.
BewleyC. (2010b). Midwives and failed motherhood: Working with midwives who have experienced their own reproductive or pregnancy-related loss. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, 20(1), 7–10.
11.
BurdenC.BradleyS.StoreyC.EllisA.HeazellA. E. P.DowneS.CacciatoreJ.SiassakosD. (2016). From grief, guilt pain and stigma to hope and pride – A systematic review and meta-analysis of mixed-method research of the psychosocial impact of stillbirth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 16(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-0800-8
DahlenH. (2017). Reproductive loss and grief. In ThomsonG.SchmiedV. (Eds.), Psychosocial resilience and risk in the perinatal period: Implications and guidance for professionals (pp. 170–184). Routledge.
16.
deMontignyF.VerdonC.MeunierS.DubeauD. (2017). Women's persistent depressive and perinatal grief symptoms following a miscarriage: The role of childlessness and satisfaction with healthcare services. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 20(5), 655–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-017-0742-9
17.
DokaK. J. (1989). Disenfranchised grief. In Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow (pp. 3–11). Lexington Books/D. C. Heath and Com.
DokaK. J. (2017). Disenfranchised grief and trauma. In ThompsonN.CoxG. R.StevensonR. G. (Eds.), Handbook of traumatic loss: A guide to theory and practice (pp. 377–385). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
20.
DonnolleyN.DahlenH. (2019). Grief and loss during childbearing – The crying times. In PairmanS.TracyS.DahlenH.DixonL. (Eds.), Midwifery preparation for practice. (pp. 1035–1053). Elsevier.
21.
ElmirR.PangasJ.DahlenH.SchmiedV. (2017). A meta-ethnographic synthesis of midwives’ and nurses’ experiences of adverse labour and birth events. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(23-24), 4184–4200. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13965
22.
FenwickJ.JenningsB.DownieJ.ButtJ.OkanagaM. (2007). Providing perinatal loss care: Satisfying and dissatisfying aspects for midwives. Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives, 20(4), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2007.09.002
23.
GandinoG.BernaudoA.Di FiniG.VanniI.VegliaF. (2019). Healthcare professionals’ experiences of perinatal loss: A systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 24(1), 65–78.
JohnsonJ. M. (1972). Stillbirth—A personal experience. The American Journal of Nursing, 72(9), 1595–1596. https://doi.org/10.2307/3422557
27.
Jonas-SimpsonC.PilkingtonF. B.MacDonaldC.McMahonE. (2013). Nurses’ experiences of grieving when there is a perinatal death. SAGE Open, 3(2), 215824401348611. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013486116
KlassD. (1993). Solace and immortality: Bereaved parents' continuing bond with their children. Death Studies, 17(4), 343–368. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481189308252630
33.
KlassD. (1997). The deceased child in the psychic and social worlds of bereaved parents during the resolution of grief. Death Studies, 21(2), 147–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/074811897202056
34.
LangA.FleiszerA. R.DuhamelF.SwordW.GilbertK. R.Corsini-MuntS. (2011). Perinatal loss and parental grief: The challenge of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief. Omega, 63(2), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.63.2.e
35.
LeeC. (2012). ‘She was a person, she was here’: The experience of late pregnancy loss in Australia. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 30(1), 62–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2012.661849
36.
LeinweberJ.CreedyD. K.RoweH.GambleJ. (2017). Responses to birth trauma and prevalence of posttraumatic stress among Australian midwives. Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives, 30(1), 40–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2016.06.006
37.
McCoolW.GuideraM.StensonM.DauphineeL. (2009). The pain that binds us: Midwives’ experiences of loss and adverse outcomes around the world. Health Care for Women International, 30(11), 1003–1013. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399330903134455
38.
McCoydJ. L. M.WalterC. A. (2016). Grief and loss across the lifespan: A biopsychosocial perspective (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
39.
McCreightB. S. (2005). Perinatal grief and emotional labour: A study of nurses’ experiences in gynae wards. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 42(4), 439–448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2004.07.004
40.
McSpeddenM.MullanB.SharpeL.BreenL. J.LobbE. A. (2017). The presence and predictors of complicated grief symptoms in perinatally bereaved mothers from a bereavement support organization. Death Studies, 41(2), 112–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2016.1210696
41.
ModibaL. M. (2008). Experiences and perceptions of midwives and doctors when caring for mothers with pregnancy loss in a Gauteng hospital. Health SA Gesondheid, 13(4), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v13i4.402
Pastor MonteroS. M.Romero SánchezJ. M.Hueso MontoroC.Lillo CrespoM.Vacas JaénA. G.Rodríguez TiradoM. B. (2011). Experiences with perinatal loss from the health professionals' perspective. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 19(6), 1405–1412. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692011000600018
45.
PetersM. D. J.GodfreyC. M.KhalilH.McInerneyP.ParkerD.SoaresC. B. (2015). Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(3), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1097/xeb.0000000000000050
46.
PetersonJ.PearceP. F.FergusonL. A.LangfordC. A. (2017). Understanding scoping reviews: Definition, purpose, and process. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(1), 12–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12380
47.
RoehrsC.MastersonA.AllesR.WittC.RuttP. (2008). Caring for families coping with perinatal loss. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 37(6), 631–639. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-6909.2008.00290.x
48.
RubinS. S.MalkinsonR.WitztumE. (2018). The two-track model of bereavement and continuing bonds. In KlassD.SteffenE. M. (Eds.), Series in death, dying, and bereavement—Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: New Directions for Research and Practice (pp. 17–30). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
49.
SchaapA. H. P.WolfH.BruinseH. W.Barkhof-van de LandeS.TreffersP. E. (1997). Long-term impact of perinatal bereavement: Comparison of grief reactions after intrauterine versus neonatal death. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 75(2), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-2115(97)00127-9
50.
ShoreyS.AndréB.LopezV. (2017). The experiences and needs of healthcare professionals facing perinatal death: A scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 68, 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.12.007
51.
Stanfield-PorterR. (2009). Small miracles: Coping with infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth/Rachel Stanfield-Porter and the Bonnie Babes Foundation. Hachette Australia.
52.
TsengY.-F.ChengH.-R.ChenY.-P.YangS.-F.ChengP.-T. (2017). Grief reactions of couples to perinatal loss: A one-year prospective follow-up. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(23-24), 5133–5142. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14059
