Becoming a father to a stillborn child.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the reaction of fathers to a stillborn child. Because little research has been done on this topic, an exploratory descriptive study was conducted. Eight fathers who had experienced a stillborn child were interviewed in-depth within the first 5 years following the death. Although the fathers exhibited grief reactions and behaviors such as shock, denial, anger, and acceptance, it was evident that taking on a fathering role was of central importance. The basic social process that the fathers in this study experienced was becoming a father to the stillborn child. The fathers were trying to assume a fathering role while they were grieving the death of their child. Understanding the process of becoming a father to a stillborn child is of value to health care professionals when considering ways to help fathers who have experienced such a loss.