PhD defence: Mette Eklund
Losing a child Late in Pregnancy: New PhD project explores parental grief and midwives’ experiences of meaning when caring for parents affected by loss
Info about event
Time
Location
Aula, Regional Hospital Gødstrup
On Friday 20 November 2026 at 14:00, Mette Eklund defends her PhD dissertation entitled “Late pregnancy loss: Parental grief responses and midwives’ experiences of meaning in be-reavement care”.
Late pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomaly, can have profound consequences for parents and presents unique challenges for healthcare professionals. In a new PhD project from Aarhus University, PhD student Mette Eklund explored both parents' grief reactions and midwives’ experiences of caring for families affected by loss.
The project comprises three studies. The first was a qualitative study exploring meaning in work among midwives employed in a specialised unit for late pregnancy Loss. Findings indicate that care in this setting allows midwives to fulfil meaningful professional values through time, presence, and holistic care. In cases of termination of pregnancy, some midwives described ethical ambiguity while emphasising the importance of providing non-judgmental care.
The second and third studies drew on longitudinal questionnaire data from the Danish Life after Loss cohort. Study 2 explored parents grief reactions during the first year after termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomaly. The findings demonstrated considerable heterogeneity in grief responses, with persistent grief observed in a subgroup of parents. Study 3 investigated guilt-related feelings during the first year after late pregnancy loss. The findings indicated that feelings of guilt and self-blame were common and persistent across different types of pregnancy loss. Women were more likely than men to report higher levels of grief and guilt-related feelings.
The project contributes practice-oriented knowledge that can inform the development of targeted support for bereaved parents and sustainable working conditions for midwives and other healthcare professionals.
The summary is written by the PhD student.
The defence is public and takes place in Aula, Regional Hospital Gødstrup. Please see the press release for more information.
Contact
PhD student Mette Eklund
Mail: metteeklund@clin.au.dk
Phone: +45 23987290