Miscarriage Women's Experiences and Needs [Paperback]

Approximately one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage but for each woman the experience is unique. This sympathetic and helpful book explores the many different ways in which women physically experience miscarriage and emotionally react to it. Drawing on the experiences of over 350 women, it will help every woman who has miscarried make sense of her loss and find her own way of coping with the confusion that frequently follows.

Many aspects of miscarriage are covered including difficult issues that are often avoided:

* the nature of the loss: tissue, embryo, foetus or baby?
* guilt about an earlier abortion
* explaining miscarriage to other children
* the effect of miscarriage on a relationship
* returning to work after miscarriage
* coping with repeated miscarriages.

The text also provides a set of guidelines to good practice for professionals, based on what women say they find helpful. Professionals who want to evaluate their own practice or develop the service they offer will find this an invaluable reference.Introduction  Section One: The Miscarriage, Jean's Story - Part One  1. 'Then I Knew It Was All Over': Realising You Are Miscarrying  2. 'Where's All The Blood Coming From?': The Physical Process  3. 'What Did I Lose'  4. 'I Gave Birth': Late Miscarriage  5. 'It Was A Baby To Me' Section Two: The Medical Response  6. Miscarriage on the NHS  Section Three: After The Miscarriage, Jean's Story - Part Two  7. The Physical Aftermath  8. 'It's OK to Grieve': Your Emotional Reaction  9. Sharing the Miscarriage Section Four: When it's More Difficult  10. When it Happens Again and Again: Repeated Miscarriage  11. Added Misery Section Five: Family, Friends and the Wider World  12. Relationships with Others  13. The WorlÓ"