Workplace experience of parents coping with perinatal loss: A scoping review

A Mother's Voice: The Construction of Maternal Identity Following Perinatal Loss

BACKGROUND

Maternal identity, a mother's internalized view of self as mother, has not been studied in relation to perinatal loss. This study aimed to investigate how women construct a sense of maternal identity after the loss of a baby.

METHODS

We interviewed 10 mothers who had experienced perinatal loss. A Listening Guide framework for narrative analysis was used to identify patterns of giving voice to the mother's own story.

RESULTS

We identified 12 overarching voices which fell within three distinct groupings: voices of motherhood, voices of grief, and voices of growth. Although bereaved mothers grappled with constructing their maternal identity, they also demonstrated how maternal identity is individually and intuitively created through an honouring and remembering of the child that was lost, resulting in significant growth.

CONCLUSIONS

There is need for a broader definition of what constitutes motherhood to encapsulate diverse mothering experiences, including perinatal loss.

Accommodating Bereaved Parents in the Workplace: A Scoping Review

Helpful workplace support strategies and accommodations (WSSA) for bereaved parents returning to work was assessed via comprehensive search of databases from 1990-1/21/22. 11 of 45 qualitative articles met inclusion. Bereaved parents often felt returning to work provided a coping strategy for and/or distraction from grief; however, some received insensitive comments by employer/coworkers. Helpful WSSA included flexibility on date to return to work and schedule. In conclusion, due to the intensity of their grief, bereaved parents benefit from a workplace offering individualized time off for bereavement & workplace accommodations to address potential difficulty meeting prior productivity demands.