Bereavement & Grieving After Spontaneous Abortion

A spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage, occurs when a pregnancy ends on its own at less than 20 weeks of gestation. According to the American Pregnancy Association, anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of clinically recognized pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion.

Bereavement

Parents-to-be who lose a baby due to spontaneous abortion experience a sense of loss and they often grieve. Grieving individuals sometimes find that those around them don’t understand their loss, however. People may tell them they can just have another child.

Stages of Grief

Psychiatrist and author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified five stages of grief, including denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Individuals may experience these stages of grief after suffering a miscarriage.

Seeking Support

Parents-to-be who lose a baby due to spontaneous abortion may benefit from attending a support group. Many hospitals hold support groups for parents who have lost babies.

Memorials

Some would-be parents appreciate the opportunity to do something in memory of their baby. They might hold a memorial service, plant a tree in their child’s honor, or donate money to a charity as a memorial.

Trying Again

Most of the time, having a miscarriage does not prevent a woman from getting pregnant again. In some cases, though, a medical problem occurs that prevents future pregnancy. In that case, the expectant parents must grieve the loss of the ability to have children of their own someday as well as the loss of this particular child.