Visiting women after a termination

Abstract

This paper describes a small qualitative study exploring the practice of community midwives when making postnatal visits to women who have undergone termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality. Twelve community midwives from two separate NHS trusts were interviewed. It was established that many women did not receive postnatal care as a matter of course after termination for fetal abnormality. The respondents reported the need to address psychological reactions and emotional distress. They attended to physical needs but considered emotional needs to be the greater. Support for the midwives themselves was another important theme of the data. Provision of care for this group of women is clearly needed and trusts should provide education and support for midwives to enable them to supply an effective service.