Partners in Pain, Two Sides of a Zipper – Midwives’ Experiences With Stillbirth

This study was conducted to explore and understand the experiences of midwives who care for women experiencing stillbirth and the challenges they face in this process. A qualitative study was conducted with 11 midwives using the phenomenological method. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed four main themes: 1) Silent screams in the face of despair (women's reactions to stillbirth), 2) Being a partner in pain, "two sides of a zipper" (midwives' experience of stillbirth), 3) Efforts to cope with the pain, and 4) Just two words: "if only." The impact of stillbirths on midwives should not be disregarded. Emotions such as shock, horror, fear, guilt, and anger experienced by midwives following a stillbirth can adversely affect their mental health. The guilt experienced by midwives can also negatively impact their health and quality of life, as well as cause burnout and distancing from the profession

Affect (linguistics · Anger · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Distancing · Face (sociological concept · Mental health · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Sociology · Clinical Psychology · Communication · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Medicine · Nursing · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Psychology

• Stillbirths

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• Validity and reliability in quantitative studies

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• National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2015, with trends from 2000

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• A Mother’s Voice

  Open Access•Larissa Rossen, Jessica E Opie et al.•OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying•2023

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