Bereavement in Obstetrics - Reaching Out To Anyone Struggling

Miscarriage

Miscarriages are very common, and most women will experience at least one miscarriage in their lifetime. There are all sorts of reasons that miscarriages happen, and some are still unknown to us. However, knowing it is a common occurrence is not a comfort to those who experience it. A is still a bereavement, and people going through this should be offered the same kind of support that other grieving people are offered.

 Empathy

It's important to try and show empathy to anybody experiencing loss. All too often, a person experiencing a miscarriage will be expected to 'just get on with it'. This is unhelpful and does not help the person to process their grief. Sometimes, this lack of empathy is even seen coming from doctors, which is the worst place for it. In our programme, 'Bereavement in Obstetrics', we explore the best way for medical professionals to approach treatment for a person who is having a miscarriage. 

'Lockdown Babies' And Social Media

The pandemic over the last year has meant that social media has been a very popular form of communication between families and friends. It also meant that many people were out of work and fending off boredom at home. People were posting more about their personal lives to their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other websites. For those who at the time were struggling with infertility or miscarriage, this will have been difficult. Most people do post about their family lives on social media, and there is nothing wrong with this. However, to someone struggling with infertility, their feeds might have been full of pregnancy scans and announcements. These are easier to avoid when you are working full-time and have other things to do, but during the pandemic and various lockdowns, it would have been harder to avoid for a lot of people. Somebody going through a miscarriage would be seeing the journey that they themselves were expecting to make. It can be hard for someone to feel happy for others who announce they're expecting when they are struggling or unable to live that dream themselves. This can have a big impact on their mental health.

 

Feelings of Failure

Feelings of failure are a huge part of low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Many people struggling with infertility and recurring miscarriages have a feeling of failure associated with this. Most people would agree that you have not 'failed' if you have a miscarriage or struggle to conceive, but for the person going through it, especially if it is their dream to have children, it is harder to believe. Be mindful of this.