Mothers' experiences and perspectives of neonatal death: A qualitative retrospective inquiry

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand mothers' experiences and perspectives concerning neonatal death. In-depth interviews with eight mothers were conducted. Data were collected using a retrospective method based on semi-structured interview guidance, and analyzed according to Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenology approach. Four themes evolved: (1) Puzzlement on the brink of neonatal death: neonatal death, as an unpredicted event, constitutes a puzzle for mothers; they tend to seek the cause of the mishap, and in turn, fall into a dilemma about whether to try to save the newborn. (2) Chaos in the wake of the loss of babies: mothers' experience of physical, mental, and behavioral changes which might stymie their original positive attitude toward the role of being a mother, and further cause a divergence of expectations between the husband and wife. (3) Adjustments in the wake of the loss: when mothers try to adjust themselves, common approaches, such as good-will pep-talk and emotional utterance/sharing, are not really helpful. Certain factors also play a part, ether positively or negatively, in the mental adjustment process; they include responsibility for the household, intentional mood-diversion, prohibiting the mother from participating in funerals for the babies. (4) Professional guidance: mothers expect to receive professional guidance to help them to face the fact of death, especially in the moment of separation; providing memorabilia and personalized follow-ups for mothers are beneficial. In conclusion, it is suggested that mothers experiencing neonatal death should be encouraged to express their grief through appropriate emotional channels, and receive professional follow-up to rebuild physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually, rather than suppressing their mourning.