With Woman in Perinatal Loss

Lynlee Spencer, RM

ABSTRACT
This paper explores how women experience perinatal loss, and how midwives can be supportive under these circumstances. It examines both the features of perinatal loss that unite women into a subculture of bereaved mothers, as well as some sociocultural issues, such as poverty, that can compound their grief. It also addresses the limited professional training that midwives receive in this area, and offers suggestions for how to better prepare them.

KEYWORDS
midwifery, perinatal loss, stillbirth, miscarriage, grief, bereavement, cultural competence, education