Pregnancy concerns and the fear of miscarriage : a miscarriage-specific implication or a social fear of failing in terms of womanhood?
Part of : Hellenic journal of psychology ; Vol.3, No.3, 2006, pages 197-226
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Pages:
197-226
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Abstract:
Little is understood regarding the sources of women's concerns particularly duringa pregnancy subsequent to a miscarriage. The aim of this paper is to elucidate theexperience, concerns and meanings that expectant mothers ascribe to an ongoingpregnancy. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 17 British expectant motherswith various past reproductive histories, including that of miscarriage. The resultantverbatim transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).Two themes emerged. The first, named "uncertainty of pregnancy", highlights theapprehensions and worries experienced by women regarding their pregnancy's course andtheir attempts to remain in control of such uncertainties. The second, named "the dualnature of pregnancy" portrays the meanings that women attached to their ongoingpregnancy: this represented a means of establishing their feminine identity and ofexperiencing an ultimate goal in life, that is, motherhood. IPA revealed that concerns andfears during pregnancy revolve around the fear of miscarrying. This fear and resultantconcerns was experienced irrespective of a prior adverse reproductive history, but was moresalient amongst women who had previously miscarried or had experienced difficulties withconceiving. It is proposed here that potential sources of pregnancy concerns for expectantmothers, and particularly for those with adverse reproductive histories, stem from fear ofmiscarriage, which, like infertility, may pose a serious threat to a woman's feelings offemininity and cause considerable frustration.
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Subject (LC):
Keywords:
fear of miscarriage, femininity, pregnancy concerns
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