Beside You
Overview
One in five women experience pregnancy loss. This statistic only comes as a shock because, while pregnancy loss is common, it is not something that many people speak about publicly. For this reason, the Penn Medicine Family Planning PEACE office partnered with the Penn Medicine Center for Healthcare Innovation and the Integrated Design Program to address emotional care for women after pregnancy loss.
Roles: User research, Design Strategy, Prototyping
Timeline: 9 weeks
Team Members: Grace Moore, Sayla Tenenbaum
Research
We conducted 14 ethnographic interviews with a range of participants, all had experienced at least one pregnancy loss within the last 5 years.
We attempted to understand pregnancy loss by interviewing those who had experienced it first hand, their partners, and medical professionals.
We combined these interviews with extensive secondary research through scientific journals, blogs, and social media, exploring what aspects of pregnancy and pregnancy loss were and were not being talked about.
Insights
Miscarriage means more than the loss of a new life
We heard throughout our research that regardless of how a woman felt about her pregnancy, the loss of control over her own body felt like a betrayal. Facing the loss of her own physical health comes with its own set of anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty.
Avenues for communication and grieving after pregnancy loss are unclear
There’s no handbook for how to handle grief after miscarriage - or if it is necessary for all everyone. Because of this, we’ve seen that women and their partners need means of addressing their care individually and sharing it with their support networks in a way they feel comfortable with.
Solution
Beside You
A package of 20 cards designed to encourage women to address grief on their own terms. The cards are designed for sharing - or not. Each set includes a mix of resources, prompts for healing, and stories from others who have experienced pregnancy loss. These cards are easy and inexpensive for medical staff to provide to women seen for pregnancy loss, continuing the care and addressing grief after the final doctors visit.
Beside You offers:
Resources include vetted therapists, support groups, and suggestions for future healthcare visits
Activities include meditative practices, communication guides, and opportunities for reflection
Stories highlight a range of experiences from women and their partners of all backgrounds
Cards are designed to be used individually and shared with others, if desired. Beside You was illustrated and designed by our team, and content has been tailored to PEACE’s patients.