Miscarriage and grief
[7] Grief is a profound, intensely personal sadness stemming from irreplaceable loss, often associated with sorrow, heartache, anguish, and heartbreak.
[19] A miscarriage can affect the women, husband, partner, siblings, grandparents, the whole family system and friends.
[26] A factor that can affect grief for men is finding help in an environment that is traditionally women-focused for maternity care and support.
[28] Disbelief, depression, anger, and yearning, are described as being a part of the normal grieving process.
[32] Some women are able to complete the grieving process a few weeks after the miscarriage and start anticipating their next pregnancy.
[1][31][16][33] Unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF) can also elicit a similar grief response in women.
[18] Pregnancy loss, including induced abortion is a risk factor for mental illness.
[37][6] The trauma can be compounded if the miscarriage was accompanied by visible and relatively large amounts of blood loss.
[29] Women experiencing miscarriage are at risk for grief reactions, anxiety or depression.
[medical citation needed][38] Primary maternal preoccupation is also considered a consequence of miscarriage.
This condition can occur if a woman who develops a close bond "with her baby" experiences the loss of the pregnancy.
[11][medical citation needed] Different grieving "styles" can exist and vary between individuals.
The grieving process associated with other events such as the loss of a spouse or parent is expected to decline in predictable and steady rate.
[39] Even if relatively low levels of stress occur after the miscarriage, symptoms of PTSD including flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, dissociation and hyperarousal can later develop.
[11] Some women engage in activities that are believed to aid in recovery such as therapy, religion and art.
[1][13][32] Despite the lack of studies that describe effective interventions for those with grief after a miscarriage, some clinicians still offer counselling and follow-up to help women recover and adapt to the loss.
[44] Recommendations to help recover from the event include: Generally, the impact of experiencing miscarriage is underestimated.
[6][37] Other methods used to promote recovery are relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and "thought-stopping".
[38] Women who have miscarried report that they were dissatisfied with the care they received from physicians and nurses.
[12] One observer highlights the insensitivity of some health care providers when they approach the grieving mother "...by playing down her emotion as somehow an irrational response..."[33][42] Clinicians may not recognize the psychological impact of the miscarriage and can "expect parents to move on with their lives.
[46] One emotional response to miscarriage is the strong apprehension that can develop anticipating a subsequent pregnancy.
Children can also need help, understanding and the ability to make sense of the event.
[50] Conversely, the lack of recognition that the miscarriage has occurred by family and friends can be troubling and add to the trauma of the event.
External symptoms of grief differ in non-Western cultures, presenting increased somatization.
"[56] Native American women have cut their long hair following the death of a family member.
