Australian heterosexual women's experiences of healthcare provision following a pregnancy loss

Abstract

Despite increased awareness of the psychological impact of pregnancy loss, a lack of recognition continues with regards to women's experiences. Healthcare professionals have an important role to play in supporting women following a pregnancy loss, yet to date only a relatively small body of research has examined women's experiences with healthcare providers.This paper seeks to contribute to the literature on women's engagement with healthcare professionals by exploring the experiences of an Australian sample.Fifteen heterosexual women living in South Australia were interviewed about their experiences of pregnancy loss. A thematic analysis was undertaken, focused on responses to one interview question that explored experiences with healthcare professionals.Three themes were identified. The first theme involved negative experiences with healthcare providers, and included four subthemes: (1) 'confusing and inappropriate language and communication', (2) 'the hospital environment', (3) 'lack of emotional care', and (4) 'lack of follow-up care'. Under the second theme of positive experiences, the sub-themes of (1) 'emotionally-engaged and present individual staff', and (2) 'the healthcare system as a whole' were identified. Finally, a third theme was identified, which focused holistically on the importance of healthcare professionals.The paper concludes by discussing the importance of training for healthcare professionals in supporting women who experience a pregnancy loss, and the need for further research to explore the experiences of other groups of people affected by pregnancy loss.