This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Carrie Cormack about coping with grief after miscarriage. Dr. Cormack is a Distinguished Professor in Palliative Care and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the MUSC Advanced Fetal Care Center.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. When families receive difficult news during pregnancy, whether it's a diagnosis that puts the pregnancy at risk or the need to deliver a baby too early, during pregnancy, they often experience intense grief. Doctor Carrie Cormack is here to talk about the emotional and psychological impact of these experiences. Doctor Cormack is a Distinguished Professor in Palliative Care and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at MUSC's Advanced Fetal Care Center. Doctor Cormack, you've worked with many individuals and families facing pregnancy complications or the risk of pregnancy loss, why is the grief in this context sometimes referred to as hidden grief?
Dr. Cormack: Grief in these situations is often called hidden or disenfranchised, because it doesn't always get the same recognition as other kinds of loss. There's often no funeral or public acknowledgment. Sometimes people haven't even shared the pregnancy yet. As a palliative care provider, I will meet families right at that moment they've received difficult news. The pregnancy may still be ongoing, but the fear of loss is very real. And this type of grief can be really heavy and deserves just as much care and support as any other kind of grief.
Conner: From your perspective, what kind of support is most helpful shortly after someone receives news of a miscarriage or a high risk pregnancy?
Dr. Cormack: In those first moments, what families often need most is someone who can just be present with them, but just really to listen, to help them make sense and to navigate what they've just heard. I'll sit with families right after they've received this hard news and and just be there to listen. Sometimes we talk about what it means, not just medically, but emotionally and spiritually too. Sometimes it's just about them finding the language or the words for what they're feeling. And sometimes it's just about being a supportive presence when everything really feels overwhelming.
Conner: Can you talk about how healing and coping might unfold in the weeks and months after a miscarriage, or a high risk pregnancy experience?
Dr. Cormack: Healing looks different for everyone and rarely follows a straight line. Some people are going to feel deep sadness right away, while others feel numb or even guilty for not feeling more. Traditions and special days might bring up those emotions over time, but I really try to remind families that it's okay to grieve in their own way and in their own time frame.
Conner: Many who experience miscarriage or high risk pregnancies eventually try to become pregnant again. How do families navigate that scenario and experience moving forward?
Dr. Cormack: Yes, this decision can bring a mix of hope and fear. Families often carry the emotional weight of a previous experience into their future. So, we talk about preparing not just physically, but emotionally. We talk about what it means to hope and how to hold space for both joy and worry. Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting. It means finding a way to move forward with love and courage.
Conner: Doctor Cormack, thanks for talking with me about grief and loss following a miscarriage or pregnancy complications.
Dr. Cormack: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
