How do Women in a Same-Sex Relationship Experience Miscarriage? A Narrative Analysis

Problem

The experience of miscarriage within a same-sex relationship is complicated by a unique journey to parenthood. Women in same-sex relationships are generally underrepresented in literature which primarily discusses pregnancy loss concerning birth mothers in heterosexual relationships. Narrative analysis can explore a more complete picture of miscarriage within same-sex relationships, how it is different from the experience of heterosexual couples and expand upon existing literature.

Approach

An oral narrative from the podcast of two women about their conception through to their miscarriage was analysed identifying three themes: control and medicalisation, developing maternal identity, and disenfranchised grief and memorialisation. Two searches were conducted identifying 24 narratives. The chosen narrative was unique as it was recorded comparatively recently shortly after their miscarriage and was told from the perspective of both the birth mother and non-birth mother. The narrative was defined through Labov’s model. A dialogic narrative approach was used to explore the co-current storytelling from the perspective of the birth mother and the non-birth mother, and the participation of their audience.

Findings

The first theme explores the increased medicalisation of lesbian conception and feeling of lack of control. This is compounded by the reduced access to information about fertility treatment for women in same-sex relationships. These factors amplify the grief of miscarriage.

The second theme looks at the development of maternal identity as a birth mother and a non-birth mother. For birth mothers, developing maternal identity is intrinsically linked with being pregnant physically and therefore pregnancy loss. For non-birth mothers, their role is defined through supporting but is equal to their pregnant partner. In both circumstances, lesbian motherhood is seen as contradictory but is viewed as more valid in birth mothers.

Finally, the third theme examines disenfranchised grief as a result of both the ambiguous loss of miscarriage and the silence of LGBT+ mourning. This experience is then memorialised, within this narrative, through publicly announcing the miscarriage and their audience witnessing their grief. Subsequently, through the episode the couple makes meaning from their experience.

Consequences

The experience of miscarriage in lesbian relationships is different to heterosexual couples. Firstly, a more medicalised conception can amplify grief if miscarriage occurs. Secondly, forming maternal identity differently reduces external understanding of loss. Thirdly, healing from loss may look different due to the context of a more silent loss and LGBT+ ritualisation of death. These differences should be acknowledged and understood particularly by healthcare professionals. The wider research and this narrative have not represented those who are non-white, gender variant, less educated, less affluent, or outside of the western hemisphere. Further research could explore how people part of these demographics experience lesbian miscarriage.