The experiences of women who delivered fresh stillbirths at a hospital in Waterburg district, Limpopo Province

Abstract

Background: When pregnant women deliver fresh stillbirths, their expectations and happiness are heartlessly substituted by mourning for their loss. The consequences are psychosocial and physiological. Mothers begin to search for answers while feeling guilt and shame; some accept blame for their babies‟ death. Their experiences are determined by the care they received from healthcare workers during delivery and grieving period. They complain that doctors and nurses care about the fact that the baby has been delivered and do not care about the emotional trauma that the mother is experiencing. Objectives: To identify, explore and describe experiences of women who delivered fresh stillbirths at a public hospital. Methods: A qualitative and descriptive phenomenological study was conducted using an in-depth phenomenological interview technique to collect data. Due to data saturation, nine purposively selected mothers participated. Interviews were conducted in the local language, and field notes were also collected. Interview recordings were transcribed and translated and analysed using open coding thematic analysis. Results: Some women experienced feelings of guilt, sadness, hurt, sense of failure, shock and self-blame. Some needed counselling whereas others were doing fine without it. Some experienced lack of sympathy from healthcare workers. Conclusions: Giving birth to a stillborn baby is a painful experience for women and their families. Healthcare workers should care for such mothers after delivery. Keywords: Stillbirth; postnatal care, phenomenological study design, field notes