18.11 The language of pregnancy loss - helping to get it right

Language truly matters when it comes to pregnancy loss. The language used in healthcare settings can have a huge impact on people who experience loss during pregnancy, and on their subsequent mental recovery and wellbeing.In this session, we will explore what can be learned from the experiences of nearly one thousand participants who took part in research projects to investigate the way language is currently used and perceived in pregnancy loss care in the UK. This work gathered responses from people who have experienced loss at different stages of pregnancy, as well as from midwives and other professionals involved in delivering care in this difficult context.We will reflect on the different language needs of individuals and identify communicative strategies that can best support them. We will also draw on statistical analysis of large scale survey data to identify the terminology that is felt to be most distressing or ‘unacceptable’ to a majority, and that which is more ‘acceptable’.In this way, the session will provide some evidence-based recommendations for communication in practice and opportunities for reflection.Hosted by:Sue MacdonaldContributions from:Dr Beth Malory, Lecturer in English Linguistics and a health communicationspecialist, University College LondoDr Louise Nuttall, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University College London