THE MISCARRIAGE EXPERIENCE IN THE FAMILY: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF MALES

Abstract

The aim of this study was to reveal the experiences of men after a miscarriage experienced by a partner. Research methods. The study included 8 men aged 28 to 41, whose partners had a miscarriage not earlier than three months before the study and not later than a year ago. The data was collected by a semi-structured interview. The data was processed by an inductive thematic analysis. Results. The study revealed that men’s response to a partner’s miscarriage was characterized by the reluctance to talk about the loss, suppressed emotions, and when assuming the role of wife’s supporter, leaving their emotional experiences aside. The primary response to the loss is sadness, anger, and tearfulness. The experience of loss was facilitated by the need to talk and share feelings, usually initiated by the female partner, and this stimulated the feeling of closeness between the partners thus strengthening the relationship in the couple. Work and making plans for the future helped the men to accept the fact of loss. It is noticeable that the emotional suffering could be alleviated by the caring attitude of health care professionals and psychological counselling.