Miscarriage: Women Sharing from the Heart (Paperback)

~ (Author), Shelly Marks (Author) "In 1987, our unborn babies died..." (more)
Key Phrases: mother who has miscarried, miscarried babies, third miscarriage, Facets of Grief, Beliefs That Get, Marie's Story (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In contrast to the comprehensive psychological, medical, and social services approach presented to parents by Ingrid Kahn and Perry-Lynn Maffit's A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss ( LJ 1/93), this handbook by two bereaved mothers focuses on helping mothers to acknowledge and grieve the death of their unborn child. The authors share their intimate feelings and those of the 100 diverse women whom they interviewed about maternal love, loneliness, confusion, responses of their partners and doctors, and obstacles to grieving. Painfully moving anecdotes in the respondents' own words, combined with informed commentary, make this text a detailed and insightful guide to understanding just what a bereaved mother feels. Recommended.
- Kathryn Hammell Carpenter, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Compassion and support from 100 women "Women who miscarry must not and need not be left in emotional isolation. I am pleased that this timely and sensitive reflection on miscarriage is now available to grieving women and to those who are involved in their lives." —from the Foreword by Richard F. Jones III, MD, FACOG President, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Based on the authors’ own experiences as well as the shared experiences of women from across the country, Miscarriage: Women Sharing From the Heart is more than a helpful resource. This candid and poignant book helps you understand and work through your deepest feelings and concerns and, most importantly, reassures you that you aren’t alone. The authors offer:

• Support, empathy, and a clear path towards healing
• The personal stories of 100 women talking about their miscarriage experiences
• Interviews with fathers on how they have been affected
• Helpful advice for partners, family members, and health care professionals

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471548340
• ISBN-13: 978-0471548348
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #180,678 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book saved me., June 28, 2004

By	J.M.O "jazzerita" (Bay Area, California) - See all my reviews

If you have experienced a miscarriage, BUY THIS BOOK!

I lost my first pregnancy at 17 weeks after trying to conceive for 2 1/2 years. After the loss I was in a fog of despair I had never come close to experiencing. This book put into words so many of my feelings that I was too lost and raw with pain to even begin to explore. All of the books I had read only dealed with early loss or stillbirth. I felt like my feelings of mourning weren't normal and I felt completely alone--like I was the only person in the world to suffer a second trimester loss.

This book had accounts of women who had lost their babies at the same point in pregnancy I had and those accounts saved me. Also, some people have mentioned that the physical aspects aren't mentioned, but the most important physical aspects for me were talked about. My milk coming in, seeing my body no longer growing with life, etc. were some very physical aspects that no one had discussed with me but were touched on in the book.

Through reading this book I stopped feeling like I was crazy or losing it. I learned to honor my grief and allow myself to mourn the life of my child and the hopes and dreams that were dashed when we lost our baby.

This book also helped me deal with my mother. She kept getting upset when I'd cry. She would call my sisters and say "oh no, she's crying again" as if I was doing something criminal. I gave her the book finally and she read it and hasn't said one thing to me since to make me feel guilt over mourning my child.

Good luck to all of you out there that are so unfortunate to have to buy this book. And a huge thank you to the authors for providing a much needed bible for women dealing with loss.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is such a GREAT book!!!!, July 17, 2003

By	M. Dodson "Mama24Gr8Kiddos" (Apex, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having had a miscarriage myself recently, I wanted to read all the books I could about it. I found most of them to be pretty dry, very "fact based" and brushing over the emotional aspect of miscarriage. You see, miscarriage is much less a PHYSICAL experience but an EMOTIONAL one. The pain and grief you suffer is much like the death of a close family member. However with miscarriage there are no rituals--no burials, no supportive phone calls, most women don't even know if the baby was a boy or a girl. It is a very sad and lonely time and society certainly does not recognize the emotional aspect. No one can understand the devastation until they have gone through it themselves.

What I love about this book is that there are no medical facts--this book is about FEELINGS. There are hundreds of interviews with women who lost babies to miscarriage or stillbirth. They share their feelings, how they coped. Even "weird" things they did to help comfort themselves that many women (myself included!) could relate to. I felt less alone after reading this book. It made me realize that many women felt the same way I do after their miscarriages, and that it is ok to grieve. I absolutely LOVE this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who has suffered a miscarriage or knows someone who has.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful for working through the grief of miscarriage., July 8, 2004

By A Customer

This book really helped me deal with my grief and the emotional upheaval of miscarriage. It is designed for grief. There are no medical facts in this book, so if that is what you are looking for than this is the wrong book. But if you are trying to sort your emotions, this book is the best and will bring you to the tears, you so desperately need to cry.
I am a Christian, so I was a little disappointed that there wasn't any mention of the Bible, itself, which will help as well. They do talk a lot about spiritual things, which was nice. Great book.