Family Support Key to Healing After Pregnancy Loss – Expert

Midwifery Officer at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Racheal Hesse Matey, has stressed the importance of counselling and family support for women who experience pregnancy loss, describing the emotional impact as devastating for many families.

Speaking on Business Breakfast on ZED 101.9FM, Ms. Matey recounted the case of a pregnant woman who recently lost her twin pregnancy at about 20 weeks following complications beyond her control.

According to Ms. Matey, the woman was experienced premature rupture of membranes (PROM), a condition where the fluid surrounding the baby leaks before delivery.

“She was losing the fluid that was keeping the babies safe, and there was also some minor bleeding. Her cervix had already dilated. Nobody caused this; it was just the body system,” she explained.

She noted that due to the stage of the pregnancy, there was little medical intervention available to save the babies.

“At 20 weeks, there is not much we can do other than allow the pregnancy to come out,” she stated.

The midwifery officer said the woman had conceived naturally and had not undergone in vitro fertilisation (IVF), making the loss particularly heartbreaking for the family who had been expecting twins.

Ms. Matey explained that counselling plays a critical role before, during, and after such traumatic experiences, helping mothers and families cope with grief and emotional distress.

“The counselling is very important; before, during, and after because the expectations of such family have suddenly been shut down,” she said.

Ms. Matey further highlighted the social pressure many women face after marriage, where relatives and communities expect pregnancy and childbirth within a short period.

“In some settings, after marriage, people expect to see the woman pregnant within a few months and later hear the cry of a baby. When this happens, it becomes very painful,” she explained.

She therefore urged families to provide emotional support and understanding to women who suffer pregnancy loss, stressing that such support significantly aids recovery.

“The family support is key. It helps them recover quickly and cope with the situation,” she added.

Ms. Matey also identified maternal health conditions, placental complications, congenital abnormalities, and cultural beliefs as some of the major causes of stillbirths in Ghana.

she explained that the causes of stillbirths are broadly linked to maternal and fetal conditions, many of which begin during pregnancy.

According to her, maternal conditions often start during the antenatal period, particularly where pregnant women have underlying medical conditions such as hypertension.

She further explained that poorly managed hypertension can lead to placental insufficiency, a condition where the placenta fails to adequately supply the baby with oxygen and nutrients needed for growth and survival.

“The placenta is what supplies the baby with oxygen and nutrients. If it becomes insufficient, the baby is deprived physically of oxygen and other essential nutrients,” she noted.

The midwifery officer further raised concern over certain cultural and personal beliefs that discourage some pregnant women from accepting medical interventions during childbirth.

She disclosed that health professionals have encountered cases where women carried pregnancies to full term but refused medically recommended caesarean sections because of personal beliefs favouring vaginal delivery.