Abstract

Stillbirth is recognised as one of the most challenging bereavements and is a professional reality for all obstetricians. This study sought to explore the impact of stillbirth on consultant obstetrician gynaecologists in a larger tertiary maternity hospital. Prior to this study there was limited awareness of the lived experiences of the impact of stillbirth on obstetricians. Using an in-depth qualitative methodology (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis), this study identified that stillbirth was amongst the most difficult professional and personal experiences for obstetricians. The two main themes in the data were the human impact and personal response from the obstetrician and the weight of professional responsibility and burden when a stillbirth occurred leading to medic-legal fears that the obstetrician might be to blame. The study highlighted that no participating consultant had received training in perinatal bereavement care. The study recommends improved education and training for consultant obstetricians in the area of stillbirth and the provision of support for them to address the personal impact of stillbirth.