Breaking the Silence of African American Women: Healing After Pregnancy Loss

Abstract

African American women experience pregnancy and infant losses at rates twice those of European American women and women of other recognized ethnic and racial groups. Health professionals, families, and friends tend to avoid discussions of these losses because grief following pregnancy or infant loss is frequently considered insignificant. Bereaved mothers whose grief is unrecognized are likely to have grief responses that are exaggerated in intensity and duration. In this article I reflect part of a larger qualitative study in which I explored the pregnancy-related experiences of 10 African American women. The purpose of this article is to describe the perceived strategies these women used to heal after pregnancy or infant loss. Individual interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the data. The healing strategies used by the participants reflect predominately inner and instinctive processes, resources, and remedies. Culturally appropriate strategies for health care interventions and research activities are offered.

Taiwanese Women's Process of Recovery From Stillbirth: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

“…Reactions to perinatal loss are affected by previous loss, living children, gestational age at the time of loss, marital relationship, social support, and maternal coping style (Bennett et al, 2008;Franche, 2001;Keefe-Cooperman, 2004-2005Swanson, Connor, Jolley, Pettinato, & Wang, 2007). In past qualitative studies, coping strategies included avoiding thoughts about the loss event, expressing emotion, transforming the meaning of death, seeking acceptance of the mother's grief, self-healing, living with the dead child as if it were a living family member, and believing that the child was in a good or a better place after death (McCreight, 2008;Hsu et al, 2002;Van, 2001;Yamazaki, 2010). Mothers engaged in rituals, participated in public ceremonies, sought support, and anticipated subsequent pregnancies (Campbell, 2000;Short, 2004;Tsu et al, 2002).…”

Perinatal Loss in Low-Income African American Parents

“…Experiences of African American mothers following a perinatal loss have been described recently (Van, 2001; Van & Meleis, 2003). In the first study, the healing processes used by 10 African American women after a pregnancy loss were examined (Van).…”

Childbearing History and Self-Reported Well-Being in Later Life

“…It has been suggested that the networks in African American families place demands on women to the neglect of their personal needs (Kasuya, Polgar-Bailey, and Takeuchi 2000). Furthermore, in the African American community, health professionals, families, and friends tend to avoid discussions of losses because grief following pregnancy or infant loss is frequently considered insignificant by others (Van 2001). Therefore, in considering racial differences in the role of social support, we examined whether social support is less effective in mediating the negative impact of aspects of childbearing history on self-reported wellbeing in later life among African American compared with White women.…”