Grief and its impact on prenatal attachment in the subsequent pregnancy

Summary

This article suggests there is a need to reframe the phenomenon of unresolved grief in parents who are in a subsequent pregnancy after a previous loss using a prenatal attachment model. An argument is made for helping parents give meaning to their parenting role for the baby who has died so they can move forward in attaching to the baby in the next pregnancy. It is suggested that a new layer of grief surfaces when parents get pregnant again which can lead to pathology if not recognized by others. Interventions to support the parenting relationship to the baby in the subsequent pregnancy are provided.