Parents' Grief following Pregnancy Loss: A Comparison of Mothers and Fathers

Gender differences in bereavement following miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and neonatal death are examined. Fifty-six couples were interviewed using the Perinatal Grief Scale (Toedter, Lasker, & Alhadeff, 1988). Women were significantly higher than men on most dimensions of grief at 2 months, 1, and 2 years postloss, except on the dimension indicating the most serious consequences of grief. While men do grieve, at times intensely, they may deny their grief and internalize feelings of loss rather than openly express them, due to American cultural norms that advocate male inexpressiveness.