| Abstract [eng] |
In recent years, around 3 thousand of spontaneous abortions have been registered in Lithuania each year. Due to progress in medical technology and prenatal diagnostics, missed abortion (pregnancy complication when dead embryo or fetus is retained in the womb) has been diagnosed with increasing frequency. However, the research of the women’s psychological experience of missed abortion is still scarce. The goal of this research is to describe the experience of women who have experienced a missed abortion and to disclose the psychological aspects of the experience of missed abortion. Eight women aged from 30 to 42 years old who were diagnosed with missed abortion have participated in the survey The women received different ways of treatment: medical, surgical, and expectant management. The survey data were collected during semi-structured interviews (duration up to 1 hour) and were analysed by inductive thematic analysis method. In the narratives of the women, five major themes occurred: emotional response to the news that the little heart is no longer beating, waiting for the abortion, experience of the unborn child as a person, the importance of human relations and the pregnancy after the miscarriage (the desire to get pregnant and the fear of repetitive loss). This research may serve as a starting point for further psychological research of the experience of missed abortion and contribute to development of effective aid model for women who have experienced miscarriage due to missed abortion. Keywords: missed abortion, pregnancy loss, curettage, expectant management, thematic analysis. |
