%0 Journal Article
%T The experience of miscarriage and its impact on prenatal attachment during the following pregnancy: A mixed-methods study.
%A Chemouny M
%A Wendland J
%J Midwifery
%V 136
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 19
%M 38945103
%F 2.64
%R 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104072
%X BACKGROUND: In France, miscarriage affects nearly 200,000 women every year. This life event may generate negative effects on the mother-child relationship and the mother's mental health in the following pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of body satisfaction, partner support, resilience and previous experience of a miscarriage on prenatal attachment in pregnant women.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional mixed-methods study. Women answered an online questionnaire in the period between November 2022 to April 2023.
METHODS: 267 French pregnant women who had previously experienced a miscarriage were recruited for this study.
METHODS: Study outcomes included prenatal attachment, resilience, partner support, history of previous pregnancies and miscarriages, the current pregnancy, and questions relating to body experience.
RESULTS: Participants who reported a high investment in the current pregnancy, high partner support and a positive image of their body had higher levels of prenatal attachment. The experience of miscarriage also seems to influence prenatal attachment: pregnancy investment at the time of miscarriage had a positive influence, while medical experience had no significant impact. While the global resilience score was not related to prenatal attachment, sense of control was positively linked to prenatal attachment.
CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the importance of considering miscarriage as a perinatal loss with potential for long-lasting impact on women, which deserves particular attention from professionals. Enhancing partner support and helping women build a positive image of their pregnant body can also have a role in fostering prenatal attachment to the foetus.