Experiences of Reproductive Loss: The Importance of Professional Discretion in Caring for a Patient Group with Diverse Views

This chapter discusses the findings from the research on three different forms of reproductive loss termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly (TOPFA), are sampled heuristically to provide a cross-study insight into the way that diversity is interwoven into accounts of reproductive loss. The chapter maps out some of the ways in which diversity of experience can be influenced by the organisation of formal health care experiences of conducting research in these three distinct areas of reproductive loss. There are four research projects that we reflect on here. Three of these projects were qualitative, in-depth interview studies: parent and staff reactions to feticide prior to termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly; parent and health professional experiences of treatment withdrawal from sick neonates; and managing the expectation gap in healthcare following a miscarriage. The fourth project was a survey-based study: providing feticide prior to termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly: a survey of United Kingdom foetal medicine sub-specialists.