How do we talk about Death before Birth?

Professor Littlemore is one of the co-investigators on the project ‘Death before Birth’.

This examines how people who have experienced miscarriage, termination for foetal anomaly, and stillbirth, reach decisions concerning what happens to their babies after death, how their perceptions of the law impact on their decision-making, and how they communicate their experiences and choices to those there to support them.

The project will also be examining the existing guidance on what happens to babies after they have died, investigating how it is interpreted in practice by professionals and the extent to which it takes account of the views, experiences and needs of the bereaved. Jeannette will be talking about the ways in which people who have experienced pregnancy loss and those who support use language to make sense of and communicate their feelings about their loss.

Professor Jeanette Littlemore is Professor of English Language and Applied Linguistics at University of Birmingham.