Restorative connection through support: Qualitative findings from the Helping suppOrt individuals Pregnant after experiencing a stillbirth (HOPES) study.

BACKGROUND

Stillbirth has profound and enduring effects on women, particularly in subsequent pregnancies, which have a heavy emotional toll. Thus, we conducted a feasibility trial: Helping suppOrt individuals Pregnant after Experiencing a Stillbirth (HOPES).

AIM: To present qualitative findings from the HOPES trial, exploring how massage therapy was experienced and perceived by women in a pregnancy after stillbirth.

METHODS

A qualitative study incorporating individual interviews and data from the validated patient reported outcome measurement tool: Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a sub-sample of HOPES participants. Open-ended MYCaW responses were examined using summative content analysis, while interview transcripts were analysed using an inductive thematic approach.

FINDINGS: Thirty-three women participating in the HOPES study were interviewed. An overarching theme of restorative connection through support was derived through integrating the MYCaW analysis and the interview sub-themes. Massage therapy supported women to reconnect with themselves in nurturing ways, facilitated adaptive coping, and supported moments of calm, hope, agency and wellbeing.

DISCUSSION: Findings highlight massage therapy as a potential support option for women pregnant after a stillbirth, complementing existing antenatal care. The capacity for massage to centre maternal wellbeing and provide dedicated time for self-care may help explain the described benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide preliminary insight into massage therapy as supportive care during pregnancy after stillbirth. Women described massage as offering emotional comfort, physical relief, and psychological support, helping them manage anxiety, reconnect with their bodies, and feel cared for during a period often marked by uncertainty and fear.