A voice in the silent room : an autoethnography about childlessness after stillbirth

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the experience of stillbirth, as it is particularly, rather than generally, lived while exploring the possibility of diminishing the silence and isolation around expectations of grief which are largely situated in historical, cultural, political, and social meanings (Neimeyer, Klass & Dennis, 2014). Through the use of reflexive authoethnography, the researcher’s subjective descriptions of thoughts and emotions grounded in lived experience, and weaved with current literature on the subject, will hopefully be of help to other bereaved parents who feel alone and isolated from society. In addition, experiences of subsequent failures at conceiving another child, with the possibility of involuntary childlessness, are explored in a Maltese context as a means to understand how social and cultural structures mediate and complicate couples’ psychological functioning and wellbeing, especially the female counterparts due to age. Furthermore, this qualitative study will contribute to a deeper understanding for counsellors to effectively assist clients when they seek support for similar experiences.