Date of Award

2026-05-22

Degree Name

PhD Nursing

Dissertation Committee

Sheree Scott, PhD, RN, AGCNS-BC, CMSRN, CNL; Caroline Etland, PhD, RN, CNS, ACHPN; Catherine De Leon, PhD, RN

Keywords

Perinatal loss, perinatal bereavement, memory box, memory making

Abstract

Perinatal loss is a profound and life-altering experience for patients, families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them. Memory boxes are a customary component of perinatal bereavement care, intended to support continuing bonds by preserving tangible connections between bereaved parents and their baby. Traditionally, these boxes contain items that hold significance and meaning for the family, often including objects that have been in physical contact with the infant. However, the style and presentation of memory boxes—ranging from decorative containers to simple bags— remain inconsistent and unexamined within the literature. Though existing research has focused on the types of keepsakes included and best practices in perinatal bereavement care, there has not been literature on the physical design and presentation of how memory boxes contribute to meaning making and overall care experiences. Grounded in meaning reconstruction, storytelling, and continuing bonds, this study employed narrative inquiry, based on foundational research by Clandinin and Connelly (2000), to explore how the style and presentation of memory boxes shape bereavement experiences. Purposeful and snowball sampling were used to recruit six participants from a perinatal loss support group. Inclusion criteria included biological women aged 18 years or older who experienced perinatal loss following vaginal or cesarean birth and were able to speak and understand English. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained through the University of San Diego. A sample size of six was obtained, this small sample is consistent with narrative inquiry methodology, that allowed for in-depth exploration of participants’stories across temporality, sociality, and place. Narrative transcripts were analyzed to identify resonance threads that revealed memory boxes function as more than repositories of items; their presentation influences recognition of personhood and validating of loss, that relational presentation shapes meaning. Analysis also found continuing bonds through the senses were experienced and the meaning of the memory box changed over time. Two subthreads revealed that absence of a memory box impacted grief, and humor can serve as a relational coping mechanism. Findings underscored the importance of the physical and relational presentation of memory-making items in shaping meaning making and bereavement experiences over time. This study contributes foundational knowledge to an underexplored area of perinatal bereavement care and highlights the need for greater institutional support, standardization, and equity in the provision of memory boxes.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Nursing

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