The Experience of Psychic Disorganization Following Premature Childbirth

Authors: Mireille NN*, Idriss KTC, Philippe TTJ

DOI: 10.23880/pprij-16000276

Volume 6, Issue 2

Abstract

The aim of this article is to study the experience of four first-time mothers that had psychic disorganization after having a premature birth. Qualitative clinical method was used to achieve this aim. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews carried out with the four first-time women who gave birth prematurely. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results obtained show that the mothers’ expectations of the kind of children they wanted were ruptured, their imagination that premature birth was not a reality was wrong, the mothers did not expect to have premature or dead babies and thus were not prepared for it. Pregnant women are full of expectations before delivery. However, when they are told that they have premature babies, it can have a great impact on their entire psyche. They are usually invaded by many feelings which they cannot control or contain. Their psychic can be disorganized, which is reflected in too many repetitions and breaks in their speech as well as incomplete or unfinished sentences, as observed among the study participants. This accounts for their inability or difficulty to understand or describe in words this unexpected event. In addition to their inability to understand and explain premature birth, they tend to use the second personal pronoun (you) to express their feelings when hit with the bad news of having a premature birth.

Keywords: Premature childbirth; Psychic disorganization; Maternal psyche; Mother

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