Abstract:
The purpose of the study is to explore and record experiences of mothers who lost their
babies during delivery. Fourteen mothers in the Accra Metropolis were recruited, through
purposive sampling, interviewed in English, Ga or Akan languages, using a semi-
structured interview guide and analysed through content analysis. News of stillbirth and
observing the dead babies is a painful experience for mothers; they mourn in unique ways
based on their faith and or beliefs. Mourning in excess and talking about stillbirth is seen
as a potential for sterility and invitation for a recurrence. The urgency to attend to clients
has been observed as deficient and communication gaps have been recorded. There is no
organised institutional support in time of their loss; available support was basically
emotional in the form of encouragement and pieces of advice in addition to self-
motivation which finally results in a normal grief process leading to a quick bio-
psychosocial recovery. Women who declined to be recruited as well as those who turned
down the interview appointment could be in a psychologically challenging state therefore
avoiding the researcher. There is the need for a customised stillbirth management
protocol by stakeholders; a training programme on bereavement services is advocated for
service providers.
