A Birth, a Death
The Grief Experiences of Mothers Who Lose One of Their Twins after Birth
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24225360 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Esra Kilic Ceyhan (0000-0002-9853-5788, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University), Cicek Nilsu Varliklar Demirkazik (Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University), Sukran Kolay Cepni (Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 302228261494519-302228261494519 |
| Publication date | 2026-10-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228261494519 |
| PMID | 42858149 |
| OpenAlex | W7221331431 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 41 |
This study explores the unique grief experiences of mothers who have lost one of their babies after a twin pregnancy. It aims to provide an in-depth understanding of their emotions, the challenges they faced, and their coping strategies. The data were analyzed using six-phase thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with seven mothers in Türkiye who experienced this loss. The analysis revealed that mothers experienced an intense emotional duality characterized by simultaneous grief and attachment to the surviving infant. Mothers described feelings of shock, guilt, emotional conflict, overprotective parenting, and disenfranchised grief shaped by societal minimization of their loss. Interactions with healthcare systems, funeral practices, spouses, and social environments significantly influenced the process. The study highlights the need for trauma-informed psychosocial interventions for bereaved families and emphasizes the importance of legitimizing the grief of mothers who lose one of their twins.
bereavement support · Disenfranchised grief · funerary practices · Guilt · maternal grief · neonatal loss · parental overprotection · stillbirth · trauma-informed interventions · Twin Pregnancy · Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning · Global Maternal and Child Health · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy
Complicated grief after perinatal loss
Coping style use predicts posttraumatic stress and complicated grief symptom severity among college students reporting a traumatic loss.
Grief Therapy and the Reconstruction of Meaning
Grief and the Search for Meaning
The Emerging Meanings of Religiousness and Spirituality
The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement
Perinatal Loss and Parental Grief
A Mother’s Voice
The Continuing Process of Parental Grief
Coping With Death and Loss
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Naturalistic inquiry
Assessing coping strategies
| Highly cited | No |
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