A Study to Assess the Level of Grief Perceived by the Women with Late Pregnancy Loss and its Associated Factors Before and After Bereavement Counselling

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy loss is the traumatic life event in which the women undergo lot of physical and emotional turmoil. Grief is the common reaction to bereavement. During the grieving process the Nurse- Midwives make difference in meeting their needs to prevent grief related complications. The main objective of the study is to assess the level of grief and its related problems among women with pregnancy loss.

Materials and Methods: The study design was descriptive. The setting was Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward of Christian Medical College, Vellore, South India. The population was primi and multi para women who delivered stillborn babies after 22 weeks of gestation. Computer generated Random Sampling was done and the instrument used was Perinatal Bereavement Grief Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done to analyze the data.

Results: The findings of the study revealed that the level of grief was severe and moderate in 22% women and mild in 56% of women. Grief was highly significant (p-value <0.01) in women with gestational age between 29-37 weeks and working women compared to house wives. The kinds of grief experienced were physical, psychological and social. The symptoms of physical grief were sleeplessness, feeling of having empty space and wishing to hold the baby. Some of the psychological feelings were longing for the baby, feel guilty and upset. Social grief expressed as others may not respect, Uncomfortable to face husbands and in laws.

Conclusion: Women with pregnancy loss were found to have grief in different level. Counseling the women as early as possible can reduce the complicated grief related problems.