Living with stillborn babies as family members: Japanese women who experienced intrauterine fetal death after 28 weeks gestation
Abstract
My purpose in this qualitative research was to describe the meaning of fetal death in the lives of Japanese women in a local community by interviewing women who experienced intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) after 28 weeks of gestation in chronological order from the time they were told of the fetal death to the present day. The study included 17 women who had experienced fetal death and who raised the dead child through "the development process of becoming a parent" and "the grieving process after the loss of a child," comprising a year-long grieving process.
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Perinatal grief is a complex and relational experience whose intensity and meaning are deeply influenced by the quality of bonds formed after the loss.
“The studies included in this theme contributed to the understanding that perinatal grief is a complex and relational experience, whose intensity and meaning are deeply influenced by the quality of the bonds formed after the loss (30–38, 40, 45, 46).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
A lack of recognition and empathy can intensify suffering in perinatal grief.
“They also address the importance of social support, emphasizing how a lack of recognition and empathy can intensify suffering (29–31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 42, 45, 46).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
The journey toward acceptance is marked by emotional ruptures, social silences, and gradual adaptation, in which re-signification of grief becomes possible.
“Thus, the journey toward acceptance is marked by emotional ruptures, social silences, and a gradual process of adaptation, in which the re-signification of grief becomes possible (33, 38).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Social expectations regarding male behavior intensified the disparity in grief expression, especially pressure for emotional self-control and early return to work, contributing to invisibility of paternal grief.
“Social expectations regarding male behavior were pointed out as one of the factors that intensified this disparity, especially due to the pressure for emotional self-control and the early return to work, elements that contribute to the invisibility of paternal grief (33, 37).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Social support played an essential role in the grieving process and helped reduce anxiety.
“In this process, social support played an essential role in the grieving process (33), even helping reduce anxiety (32).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Perinatal grief transcends individual pain and constitutes an emotional and symbolic journey marked by rupture, silence, and ongoing search for meaning ('motherhood interrupted').
“The studies also showed perinatal grief transcending an individual pain, constituting an emotional and symbolic journey marked by rupture, silence, and the ongoing search for meaning in what was conceptualized as ‘motherhood interrupted’ (33, 37, 38).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Women after perinatal bereavement face intense internal emotional struggles marked by pain, anger, and self-blame.
“Women faced intense internal emotional struggles, marked by pain, anger, and self-blame (29, 32–34, 36, 40, 45), in a context where perinatal bereavement is often silenced and socially neglected (30, 32, 37, 38, 40).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Memory of the child, recognized as a meaningful presence within the family, strengthened reconstruction of meaning and adaptation to the new reality.
“The memory of the child, recognized as a meaningful presence within the family, strengthened the reconstruction of meaning and adaptation to the new reality (33).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
The discrepancy in grief expression generated feelings of misunderstanding and loneliness.
“This discrepancy generated feelings of misunderstanding and loneliness (33).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Women expressed emotions more frequently and verbally, while men tended to remain silent, internalize suffering, or prioritize emotional support for partners.
“Whilst some women expressed their emotions more frequently and verbally, men tended to remain silent, internalize their suffering, or prioritize the role of emotional support for their partners (29, 33).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
Emotions such as guilt, powerlessness, deep sadness, and effort to maintain emotional balance are mediated by the quality or absence of connections with partners, family, healthcare professionals, and support networks.
“Emotions such as guilt, powerlessness, deep sadness, and the effort to maintain emotional balance are mediated by the quality or absence of connections with partners, family members, healthcare professionals, and support networks (29, 32–34, 36, 40, 45).”
From Experiences and long-term repercussions of perinatal grief in women after perinatal bereavement: a meta-ethnography (2025) · cites this paper as [33]
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- Authors
- Yamazaki, A.
- Affiliations
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Yamazaki, Akemi
- ORCID
- Yamazaki, Akemi
- Venue
- Health Care For Women International
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-09-16
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 921-937
- ISSN
- 0739-9332 (ISSN-L)
- 1096-4665
- OpenAlex
- W1992741733
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Care For Women International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Keywords
- intrauterine fetal death, stillbirth, Japanese women, grief, bereavement, parenting processes, lived experience, postpartum adjustment
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Bereavement, Culture, Family, Female, Fetal Death, Gestational Age, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Japan, Mothers, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, Second, Qualitative Research, Stillbirth
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