Breaking the Silence of African American Women: Healing After Pregnancy Loss

African American women experience pregnancy and infant losses at rates twice those of European American women and women of other recognized ethnic and racial groups. Health professionals, families, and friends tend to avoid discussions of these losses because grief following pregnancy or infant loss is frequently considered insignificant. Bereaved mothers whose grief is unrecognized are likely to have grief responses that are exaggerated in intensity and duration. In this article I reflect part of a larger qualitative study in which I explored the pregnancy-related experiences of 10 African American women. The purpose of this article is to describe the perceived strategies these women used to heal after pregnancy or infant loss. Individual interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the data. The healing strategies used by the participants reflect predominately inner and instinctive processes, resources, and remedies. Culturally appropriate strategies for health care interventions and research activities are offered.