Joann O'leary Phd

Pregnancy After Loss: a Descriptive Phenomenological Study of Parenting a Subsequent Baby Following a Perinatal Loss Joann O'leary Phd

While there is an abundance of literature speaking to the effect of perinatal loss on parents there is little research on the subsequent pregnancy, in spite of pregnancy rates of 59 to 86 % being reported. In addition, previous studies suggest children born after a loss are more at risk for attachment disorders. This book provides insight as to how the parents' previous loss impacts a subsequent pregnancy. Parents move into a "protective" role, describing a hypervigilence in response to the physiology of pregnancy and the baby's movements. Grief and attachment are described by both parents as occurring simultaneously and viewed as a normal parenting response, suggesting there is a need to further research prenatal attachment and investigation of parenting the subsequent child. The father's overt behavior of staying strong for their partner contradicts their inner state of stress and vulnerability. Content in this book suggests there is a need for a collaborative effort between education and health to provide therapeutic/educational intervention during pregnancy for families after a previous loss.