Original articles
The meaning of “being present” in midwifery practice during perinatal grief care
2025 Volume 39 Issue 1 Pages 166-176
Details
2025 Volume 39 Issue 1 Pages 166-176
Objective
To elucidate the meaning of the midwifery practice of “being present” (soba ni iru) during perinatal grief care.
Subjects and Methods
Midwives with at least 5 years of experience in maternity wards were asked to recall a scene of “being present” in their practice and were interviewed using a non-structured format. Data were analyzed using Benner's interpretive phenomenological approach.
Results
The research participants consisted of eight midwives with 6 to 24 years of experience. Four themes emerged as the meaning of the midwifery practice of “being present” in perinatal grief care: 1. Preserving Authenticity: “Being present” meant accepting the bereaved mother without judgment. Rather than trying to elicit her thoughts, the midwives prioritized accompanying the mother on her emotional journey. They sought to blend into the environment, essentially erasing their own presence. 2. Protecting Overflowing Emotions: By “being present” with the mother, midwives built a relationship of mutual understanding. This presence created a space where the mother could express her deepest emotions, with midwives providing constant support by accepting every feeling that welled forth. 3. Honoring Life and Its Beginnings: The midwives believed that both the mother and her child were precious, regardless of whether the child survived. By compassionately “being present,” they sought to convey that the child's life remained significant and connected to the future, even in death. 4. Affirming the Deceased Infants' Existence: The midwives recognized that society often struggles to comprehend the depth of a mother's grief after perinatal loss. By “being present” with the mother, the midwives etched her experiences and emotions in their memory, affirming the existence of the deceased infant. This played an important role in the mother's grieving process.
Conclusion
The practice of presence in perinatal grief care was seen as a means to honor the mother's true self and affirm the value of the life that existed, supporting her path forward.
