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The grief ritual of extracting and donating human milk after perinatal loss

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  • Oreg, Ayelet

Abstract

Perinatal loss is a major life crisis involving multiple losses, including the loss of future hopes and dreams, of being pregnant, and of self-esteem, to name a few. In the present study I focus on mothers who experienced perinatal loss and chose to extract and donate their human milk to nonprofit milk banks. Through an analysis of 88 women's personal testimonials, collected between 2017 and 2019, I uncover the ritualistic attributes of the extraction and donation process. The bereaved mothers in this study experienced ambiguous loss, comprising the combination of the physical absence and psychological presence of their baby. The process of extracting and donating their milk constitutes a grief ritual, allowing mothers to maintain and reconstruct the continuing bonds with their babies. The present study extends current understandings of organ donation in times of loss, highlighting the unique nature and consequences of the milk donation process through its conceptualization as a grief ritual.

Suggested Citation

  • Oreg, Ayelet, 2020. "The grief ritual of extracting and donating human milk after perinatal loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:265:y:2020:i:c:s0277953620305311
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113312
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oreg, Ayelet, 2019. "Milk donation after losing one's baby: Adopting a donor identity as a means of coping with loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Ying‐Fen Tseng & Min‐Tao Hsu & Yueh‐Tzu Hsieh & Hsiu‐Rong Cheng, 2018. "The meaning of rituals after a stillbirth: A qualitative study of mothers with a stillborn baby," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(5-6), pages 1134-1142, March.
    3. Rhonda Shaw, 2008. "The Notion of the Gift in the Donation of Body Tissues," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 13(6), pages 41-50, November.
    4. Andreoni, James, 1990. "Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods: A Theory of Warm-Glow Giving?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 100(401), pages 464-477, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Donna M. & Underwood, Leah & Errasti-Ibarrondo, Begoña, 2021. "A scoping research literature review to map the evidence on grief triggers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).

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