"The God of all comfort:" Experiences from a biblically-based perinatal loss support group
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The Department of Human Development and Family Studies focuses on the interactions among individuals, families, and their resources and environments throughout their lifespans. It consists of three majors: Child, Adult, and Family Services (preparing students to work for agencies serving children, youth, adults, and families); Family Finance, Housing, and Policy (preparing students for work as financial counselors, insurance agents, loan-officers, lobbyists, policy experts, etc); and Early Childhood Education (preparing students to teach and work with young children and their families).
History
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies was formed in 1991 from the merger of the Department of Family Environment and the Department of Child Development.
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1991-present
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- College of Human Sciences (parent college)
- Department of Child Development (predecessor)
- Department of Family Environment (predecessor)
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Abstract
Perinatal loss, the loss of a baby during pregnancy, through stillbirth, or neonatal death, often goes unrecognized in society (Cacciatore, 2009; Corr, 1998; Kish & Holder, 1996). Still, it is estimated that one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage (Brier, 2008), there are over 26,000 stillbirths each year in the U.S. and the neonatal death rate if 6.8 per every1,000 live births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). Despite the prevalence of such loss, women report feeling isolated through such experiences (Cacciatore, 2009; St John, Cooke, & Goopy, 2006). The purpose of this critical ethnography is to explore the support experiences of bereaved mothers who participate in the Mommies with Hope, a biblically-based perinatal loss support group. Viewing perinatal loss as a disenfranchised grief, this qualitative study aims to break the silence that surrounds women's perinatal loss experiences and offer validation. Through participant observations, individual interviews, and focus groups, I uncover how women experience support through Mommies with Hope, offering implications for research and praxis.