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Pregnancy & children
Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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The baby and the diagnosis :
Feelings about the pregnancy
Early scans and blood tests
Diagnostic tests - amnio and CVS
The 18-20 week scan and further tests
Understanding the baby's diagnosis
Deciding to end the pregnancy :
Looking for information and support
Ending the pregnancy for the baby's sake
Ending the pregnancy for family & personal reasons
Finding out how the pregnancy will end
The impact of the decision
Ending the pregnancy :
Signing the consent form
Ending the pregnancy surgically
Ending the pregnancy by induction
Going through labour and birth
Deciding whether to see, hold and name the baby
Photographs and other mementoes of the baby
Treatment, care and communication
Losing the baby :
Leaving hospital and going home
Deciding whether to have a post-mortem
Saying goodbye to the baby - sevices & funerals
Coping with bereavement - women's experiences
Coping with bereavement - men's experiences
The effects of ending a pregnancy :
Counselling and other kinds of support
Support groups
Deciding whether to have another baby
Men's ideas about their role in ending a pregnancy
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
Subject index
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Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 23
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She experienced a kind of physical shock when she was told her baby had problems with his heart (he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome) and that she
She has 3 children (1st, 3rd and 4th pregnancies), and ended 1 pregnancy. 2nd pregnancy: everything seemed fine until 20-week scan which found heart defects. Specialist cardiac scan identified hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. Parents agreed to post mortem. Since then she has had two children.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 36
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Her Catholic faith affected how she felt about her decision and it took more than a year for her to accept what happened to her baby.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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1-2 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 11
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For several weeks after the baby's death she felt panic-stricken around babies.
Her 1st pregnancy: experienced hyperemesis during pregnancy. Triple test at 16 weeks showed high AFP reading. Sent for specialist scan which found baby had neural tube defect confirmed by amniocentesis. Pregnancy was ended by induction at 21 weeks. Post mortem indicated Arnold-Chiari malformation. Since termination she has had another baby.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 36
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She appreciated the way the hospital chaplain helped her deal with what she had done and that he blessed her baby.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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3-4 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 21
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She's learned that you can recover from ending a pregnancy and put your experiences to good use.
She has had 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies), 3 miscarriages and ended 1 pregnancy. 4th pregnancy: had some bleeding, arranged first scan privately at 8 weeks. Felt unsure of viability of pregnancy, had 12 week scan, no anomalies found. Arranged nuchal scan and blood tests privately and several anomalies were detected. CVS identified Edwards' syndrome. Pregnancy ended surgically at 15 weeks. She has had 2 miscarriages since the termination.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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3-4 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 07
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She cried everyday for weeks before realising after several months that she was starting to think about other things.
Her 3rd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies - baby's kidneys and stomach couldn't be seen. Specialist scan revealed baby had multiple abnormalities; parents agreed to amniocentesis which confirmed baby's problems were not inherited. Pregnancy ended at 22 weeks by induction. She has since had another baby.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 22
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For about 18 months after losing her baby she found herself feeling resentful of women who were pregnant and those who had healthy babies.
Her 1st pregnancy: some bleeding and sickness, scan at 7 weeks confirmed pregnancy. 12-week scan normal. Triple test at 19 weeks, found raised AFP levels. 20-week scan identified hole in baby's heart and shortened limbs. Specialist scan found 2 holes in heart and abnormalities in limbs, bowel and brain- sent for amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She has had another baby since termination.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 22
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For about 18 months after losing her baby she found herself feeling resentful of women who were pregnant and those who had healthy babies.
Her 1st pregnancy: some bleeding and sickness, scan at 7 weeks confirmed pregnancy. 12-week scan normal. Triple test at 19 weeks, found raised AFP levels. 20-week scan identified hole in baby's heart and shortened limbs. Specialist scan found 2 holes in heart and abnormalities in limbs, bowel and brain- sent for amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She has had another baby since termination.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 27
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She became depressed for a while after the termination and so consulted her GP.
Her 2nd pregnancy: she felt unwell throughout pregnancy. 12-week scan confirmed pregnancy viable. Amniocentesis identified Down's syndrome. Pregnancy ended by induction at 19 weeks. She had another baby 2 years later.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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3-4 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 16
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She realised she needed counselling after about 3 months when she was spending hours sitting by her son's grave.
Her 4th pregnancy: experienced sickness during first trimester and felt unwell. Blood test at 16 weeks detected Down's syndrome. Amniocentesis confirmed Down's. Pregnancy ended by induction at 19 weeks. Following the termination she had a stillbirth. (In 2005 she had another baby.)
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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3-4 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 21
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She tried to be normal for the sake of her children but eventually saw her GP and was offered counselling.
She has had 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies), 3 miscarriages and ended 1 pregnancy. 4th pregnancy: had some bleeding, arranged first scan privately at 8 weeks. Felt unsure of viability of pregnancy, had 12 week scan, no anomalies found. Arranged nuchal scan and blood tests privately and several anomalies were detected. CVS identified Edwards' syndrome. Pregnancy ended surgically at 15 weeks. She has had 2 miscarriages since the termination.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 36
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She couldn't see anyone or go out much for several months so her GP advised her to take anti-depressants and she also had counselling.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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8+ years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 28
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She felt she shouldn't grieve for the baby she had lost when she had another healthy baby alive and well and she found ARC (Antenatal Results and Choi
She has polycystic ovaries so took clomid. Experienced 3 miscarriages then conceived twins. 5th pregnancy: 11-week scan detected twins. Nuchal scan at 14 weeks indicated twins had Down's syndrome. 2 CVS tests done at specialist centre, Down's confirmed in one twin. Selective reducation of one twin by feticide at 15 weeks. Other twin continued to term.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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5-7 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 36
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Having ended two pregnancies because of neural tube defects she is pregnant again and explains her motivation and anxieties.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
>>
5-7 years since pregnancy ended
>>
Interview 36
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She found herself getting depressed after her second baby was born at a time when she should have been feeling happy.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
Pregnancy & children
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Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
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1-2 years since pregnancy ended
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Interview 11
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Describes how difficult she found her second pregnancy and that her new baby often makes her think of her first baby.
Her 1st pregnancy: experienced hyperemesis during pregnancy. Triple test at 16 weeks showed high AFP reading. Sent for specialist scan which found baby had neural tube defect confirmed by amniocentesis. Pregnancy was ended by induction at 21 weeks. Post mortem indicated Arnold-Chiari malformation. Since termination she has had another baby.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality
>>
5-7 years since pregnancy ended
>>
Interview 36
>>
Having ended two pregnancies because of neural tube defects she is pregnant again and explains her motivation and anxieties.
Mother of 2 children (1st and 3rd pregnancies). 2nd pregnancy: 20-week scan detected anomalies. Sent for specialist scan, baby diagnosed with holoprosencephaly. Amniocentesis. Pregnancy ended by induction at 21 weeks. She experienced post-natal depression. Sent for genetic counselling. 4th pregnancy: 12-week scan anomalies detected - baby diagnosed with anencephaly. Pregnancy ended surgically at 13 weeks. She had gynaecological problems following termination. She was pregnant at time of interview.
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