Swedish Women’S Emotional Experience of the First Trimester in a New Pregnancy after One or More Miscarriages: A Qualitative Interview Study

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate how Swedish women describe their emotional state of being during the eighth week through the eleventh week after they have become pregnant again after suffering a previous miscarriage. Method: A qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach has been used to analyze fourteen interviews that served as the data base for this study. The content analysis resulted in the development of five categories which evolved into one primary theme. Findings: The five categories identified were Worry and preoccupation; Distance; managing their feelings; Mourning what is lost; Guarded happiness and expectations. These categories were compiled into a main theme, "Worry consumes a lot of energy, but on the other side lies happiness". This theme focused on whether the women could feel any happiness about being pregnant again despite their concerns with the previous miscarriage. Conclusions: The emotional states of the women when they get pregnant again are typically characterized by anxiety, worry and concerns about their current pregnancy. The women have a tendency to distance themselves emotionally from their pregnancy but also strive to find the joy of being pregnant again. During the new pregnancy they find themselves in need of support from their family and friends as well as in need of support from the healthcare system.

Quality of life and psychological distress in women with recurrent miscarriage: a comparative study

“…However, after the actual evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss remain unexplained in 60% of cases [ 2 ]. Qualitative studies indicated that a history of miscarriage could harm women and be associated with feeling anxious, development of psychological disorders, and affecting quality of life in this population [ 3 ].…”

Women’s Word Use in Pregnancy: Associations With Maternal Characteristics, Prenatal Stress, and Neonatal Birth Outcome

“…Furthermore, they may regard their pregnancy loss as a personal failure accompanied by feelings of their own guilt ( Wong et al, 2003 ; Adolfsson et al, 2004 ). It could also be argued that women who have had to deal with a pregnancy loss in their past are emotionally distancing themselves from their unborn child due to fears of another pregnancy loss ( Adolfsson et al, 2012 ). However, studies on the impairment of prenatal attachment in subsequent pregnancies after a pregnancy loss provided mixed results ( Tsartsara and Johnson, 2006 ; Alhusen, 2008 ).…”

The EKC-Model Provides Empathy, Knowledge and Care for Women that Encounter Health issues During the Reproductive Life

“…This can be a very emotionally distressing event in a woman's life who has had high expectations of giving birth to a baby and then losing those hopes and dreams. The miscarriage can also be physically demanding with the resulting pain and bleeding [4,11,12].…”