ABSTRACT
The death of a baby inevitably produces sadness in the midwife; beyond this sadness many stillbirths produced feelings of loss and grief, which could be profound. Other grief-inducing losses associated with stillbirths were largely determined by the context and associated professional meaning. Loss shocks us and disrupts the story of our lives and our professional practice, therefore efforts and strategies are required in order to cope. Colleague support around loss was described at length by independent midwives, whose work is defined by continuity of care, and they very consciously developed and cherished their mutual support networks. Much of the literature on grief and loss supposes that grief is resolved at some point, and the bonds with the deceased severed so that the bereaved person can ‘let go’ and ‘move on’. Several of the midwives interviewed felt that the supervision of midwives is developing in ways that could provide support around grief and loss.
