Research Commons
      • Browse 
        • Communities & Collections
        • Titles
        • Authors
        • By Issue Date
        • Subjects
        • Types
        • Series
      • Help 
        • About
        • Collection Policy
        • OA Mandate Guidelines
        • Guidelines FAQ
        • Contact Us
      • My Account 
        • Sign In
        • Register
      View Item 
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

      “I thought I was going to jinx myself every time I told someone”: Exploring how women communicate in a pregnancy subsequent to loss.

      Tremain, Chelsea
      Thumbnail
      Files
      thesis.pdf
      1.018Mb
      Citation
      Export citation
      Tremain, C. (2021). ‘I thought I was going to jinx myself every time I told someone’: Exploring how women communicate in a pregnancy subsequent to loss. (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/14273
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/14273
      Abstract
      Miscarriage is one of the most commonly occurring types of pregnancy loss; it is estimated that one out of every three women will experience a miscarriage and one out of 200 will experience a still birth. Loss of a pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of experiencing elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and distress which can persist for prolonged periods of time and into a subsequent pregnancy. Furthermore, social support has been found to mitigate distress associated with pregnancy loss and increase women’s ability to cope through the traumatic loss of pregnancy. However, little research has been done into how currently pregnant women with a history of pregnancy loss communicate about a subsequent pregnancy to others and if this plays a role in eliciting social support.

      The aim of this study was to explore the differences between women with and without a history of pregnancy loss in terms of their distress and worry, and to begin to explore the experience of communicating a pregnancy and whether this related to their perception of social support.

      The current study used an online survey to explore this topic in a convenience sample of 187 pregnant women, 42.7% of whom had experienced a prior pregnancy loss.

      This study found that women with a history of pregnancy loss were more distressed and worried about the health of the foetus than their counterparts with no history of loss. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of when they first communicated about their pregnancy to someone outside of their relationship and both groups perceived themselves as being highly socially supported.

      The findings add to the literature on women’s mental health after loss and highlight implications for professionals. Consistent compassion, reassurance and validation may be needed by others to help women reduce their distress and worry in pregnancies subsequent to loss.
      Date
      2021
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Name
      Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)
      Supervisors
      Barber, Carrie Cornsweet
      Publisher
      The University of Waikato
      Rights
      All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
      Collections
      • Masters Degree Theses [2411]
      Show full item record  

      Usage

      Downloads, last 12 months
      54
       
       

      Usage Statistics

      For this itemFor all of Research Commons

      The University of Waikato - Te Whare Wānanga o WaikatoFeedback and RequestsCopyright and Legal Statement