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Nursing Science Quarterly
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The Language of Loss When a Baby Dies Prior to Birth: Cocreating Human Experience

Christine Jonas-Simpson, RN; PhD

Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences, Centre, Toronto, Canada

Eileen McMahon, RN; MN

Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences, Centre, Toronto, Canada

When a baby dies prior to birth, a woman and her family begin a life long journey of living and transforming with loss. The language used with families during times of devastating loss is important to reflect upon since, language has the potential to either intensify suffering or enhance the family’s experience of grieving. Words that affirm the meaning the baby holds for the family can provide comfort as families engage with the reality of lost hopes and dreams. Recognizing that healthcare professionals do not intend to harm families whose babies die prior to birth, the current authors offer this column as a vehicle for reflecting on the meanings of words used during this particular time of loss and grief. The authors further explore the role that the arts have to play in expressing loss and in helping others to understand.

Key Words: baby’s death prior to birth • language • languaging • loss

Nursing Science Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 2, 124-130 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0894318405275861
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