Fathers’ Lived Experiences of Miscarriage

Wagner, Nathaniel J.; Vaughn, Colin T.; Tuazon, Victor E.

doi:10.1177/1066480718770154

Cited by 26 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…One major aspect that influenced their perceptions was witnessing the first signs of life usually through a techno‐mediated relationship, for example seeing an ultrasound or hearing a heartbeat. Men who perceived the pregnancy as an irreplaceable infant expressed stronger grief responses and had greater difficulties in coping . In comparison, men who did not conceive the pregnancy yet as an individual child but rather as the loss of a potential child expressed feelings of shock and disappointment; however, this was not sustained over a period of time .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…These conflicting but intertwined social positions and responsibilities can be a source of stress and turmoil, hindering men's willingness to request help from others. In contrast, the few men who received positive reinforcement from hospital staff, friends, family or employers, felt that their sense of loss was validated and enabled them to express their grief to others . This suggests that health professionals, usually being the first people to have contact with couples experiencing perinatal loss, have a role in validating men's grief experiences, which could potentially mitigate negative consequences in the future.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Men's lived experiences of perinatal loss: A review of the literature

Nguyen

Temple-Smith

Bilardi

2019

Aust NZ J Obst Gynaeco

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Background: Perinatal loss is often considered an emotionally and physically traumatic event for expectant parents. While there is strong evidence of its impact on women, limited research has independently explored men's lived experiences.Aim: This scoping review will examine current literature on the lived experiences of men whose partner has experienced a still-birth or miscarriage. Material and Methods:The scoping review identified relevant articles by systematically searching through four electronic databases utilising a PRISMA search strategy. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to articles. The articles' reference lists were further scrutinised until no further articles that met the criteria were located. Fifteen articles were located including 14 qualitative studies and one non-peer reviewed academic article. Articles were thematically analysed. Results:The review identified three major themes that are particularly pertinent to shaping the lived experiences of men whose partner has suffered a perinatal loss: (1) pregnancy attachment and the aftermath; (2) supporting their partner and being supported; and (3) impacts upon future pregnancies. Conclusion: Perinatal loss can have negative implications for men's psychological and social well-being. Across the studies men had different levels of attachments to the pregnancy, influencing their emotional responses to the loss. Men perceived their primary role as being a supporter to their partners but received limited support themselves. Men often reported that their safe and trusting attitudes toward pregnancy had forever changed. Further areas of research are recommended in hopes of enhancing support for men, and consequently their partners and families, who experience perinatal loss. K E Y W O R D S abortion spontaneous, male, pregnancy loss, qualitative, still-birth Journal Country Study design Participants Aim Key findings

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's lived experiences of perinatal loss: A review of the literature

Nguyen

Temple-Smith

Bilardi

2019

Aust NZ J Obst Gynaeco

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“…The data indicated that grief and other emotional responses to miscarriage were influenced by different perceptions of the ended pregnancy and future parenthood, listed in Box 1. • Pregnancy as unseen and unreal [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] • Pregnancy as inert biological tissue without emotional implications 2-5,8,11 • Miscarriage as a temporary impediment to parenthood [1][2][3]6,[11][12][13][14][15] • Pregnancy means a new and unique person who is beloved as a member of the family 1,2,4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12]14,[16][17][18][19][20][21] • Non-parenthood means social exclusion 1,4,5,7,8,10,11,14,15,18,19,21 • Parenthood means responsibility 6,7,10,14,19,21,22…”

Section: Uncertain Transition To Parenthoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men and Miscarriage: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis

et al. 2019

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Miscarriage is common, affecting one in five pregnancies, but the psychosocial effects often go unrecognized and unsupported. The effects on men may be subject to unintentional neglect by health care practitioners, who typically focus on biological symptoms, confined to women. Therefore, we set out to systematically review the evidence of lived experiences of male partners in high-income countries. Our search and thematic synthesis of the relevant literature identified 27 manuscripts reporting 22 studies with qualitative methods. The studies collected data from 231 male participants, and revealed the powerful effect of identities assumed and performed by men or constructed for them in the context of miscarriage. We identified perceptions of female precedence, uncertain transition to parenthood, gendered coping responses, and ambiguous relations with health care practitioners. Men were often cast into roles that seemed secondary to others, with limited opportunities to articulate and address any emotions and uncertainties engendered by loss.

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“…Men's experiences of pregnancy loss and neonatal death have been under-explored in comparison to women. However, a growing body of research has highlighted the importance of investigating men's perspectives, given potential gendered differences concerning grief, help-seeking and service access [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. For example, quantitative studies comparing heterosexual couples' experiences following pregnancy loss and neonatal death suggest that men typically experience less intense and enduring levels of grief than women [18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Broader research on grief also demonstrates potential differences in grief styles for men and women, with a general classi cation made between instrumental (action-focused coping) and intuitive (emotionfocused coping) styles [27]. Following pregnancy loss and neonatal death, studies suggest that men may engage in more instrumental grieving styles, which includes using activities, distraction or problemsolving approaches to grief, as opposed to intuitive styles which use emotion-focused approaches including outward displays of crying, talking about grief, or seeking social support [9,16,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Obst

Oxlad

Due

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Historically, men’s experiences of grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal death have been under-explored in comparison to women. However, investigating men’s perspectives is important, given potential gendered differences concerning grief styles, help-seeking and service access. Few studies have comprehensively examined the various individual, interpersonal, community and system/policy-level factors which may contribute to the intensity of grief in bereaved parents, particularly for men. Methods: Men (N = 228) who had experienced an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly, or neonatal death within the last 20 years responded to an online survey exploring their experiences of grief. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the factors associated with men’s grief intensity and style. Results: Men experienced significant grief across all loss types, with the average score sitting above the minimum cut-off considered to be a high degree of grief. Eight factors significantly contributed to men’s grief: type of loss experienced, their age at the time of loss, loss history, marital satisfaction, availability of social support, acknowledgement of their grief from family/friends, time spent bonding with the baby during pregnancy, and feeling as though their role of ‘supporter’ conflicted with their grief process. Factors contributing to grief also differed depending on grief style. Intuitive (emotion-focused) grief was associated with viewing an ultrasound during pregnancy, ethnicity, and support received from healthcare professionals. Instrumental (activity-focused) grief was associated with time and quality of attachment to the baby during pregnancy, availability of social support, acknowledgement of men’s grief from their female partner, supporter role interfering with their grief, and tendencies toward self-reliance.Conclusions: Following pregnancy loss and neonatal death, men can experience high levels of grief, requiring acknowledgement and validation from all healthcare professionals, family/friends, community networks and workplaces. Addressing male-specific needs, such as balancing a desire to both support and be supported, requires tailored information and support. Strategies to support men should consider grief styles and draw upon father-inclusive practice recommendations. Further research is required to explore the underlying causal mechanisms of associations found.Trial registration: N/A

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Fathers’ Lived Experiences of Miscarriage

Cited by 26 publications

References 13 publications

Men's lived experiences of perinatal loss: A review of the literature

Men's lived experiences of perinatal loss: A review of the literature

Men and Miscarriage: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

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