Exploring the couples lived experience of adoption after miscarriage

Abstract

This study explored the couples lived experience of adopting a child after miscarriage. It aimed to investigate the couple's decision to adopt, the lived experience of adoption, the emotional impact of miscarriage after adoption and the meaning the couple gave to the adoption. Couples were recruited through gatekeepers from adoption agencies and snowball sampling. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with three female and three male spouses within a heterosexual relationship who adopted a child after miscarriage. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. The couples recruited happened to experience In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) before miscarriage. The main themes were; miscarriage after IVF can impact both partners; alleviating the wound of miscarriage; the process of adopting a child can be challenging; adoption heals the wound of miscarriage. The results shed light on the toll of IVF and miscarriage on both partners. Such a toll could be alleviated through a reframing mindset, loss-oriented coping and support from the partner. Results highlighted how the wound of miscarriage and grief trajectory could be healed through adopting a child. Despite the adoption process having its own challenges, participants illuminated how adoption induced meaning reconstruction and post-traumatic development. The results suggest that more support services should be established and policies such as leave benefits and funeral proceedings could be revised in light of the turmoil that can manifest from the current system. Future studies could explore the male's experience of miscarriage and adoption in more detail.