Introduction: Stillbirth represents one of the most devastating losses a woman can experience in her lifetime and is associated with a wide range of cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and physical distress. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the medical care provided to women who have experienced perinatal loss and to determine what helped them in the grieving process. Methods: The diploma work is divided into a theoretical and an empirical part. In the first part, a review of scientific and professional literature was conducted using the PRISMA method. The literature was researched using the PubMed and DiKul databases. In the second, empirical part, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was used, employing a validated questionnaire translated into Slovenian. Results: More than 25% of women reported disrespectful treatment during the pregnancy preceding the stillbirth, although these proportions decreased again in subsequent pregnancies. Fifty percent of women rated the quality of follow-up care as good or very good, while just over 25% rated it as poor or very poor. Approximately 25% of participants rated the procedures for determining the cause of death as inadequate; similarly, the rate of dissatisfaction with the autopsy was around 25%. 56% of women reported that they did not incur additional financial costs due to the stillbirth. Approximately 70% of women received additional care, while 30% did not, indicating that the majority received at least one form of support. Analysis of the open-ended questions revealed that experiences with medical care were strongly linked to the manner of communication, the attitude of healthcare staff, and the opportunity for active involvement in decision-making. Discussion and conclusion: The study highlighted that there is significant room for improvement, particularly in the areas of empathetic and compassionate communication, the use of appropriate terminology, and the involvement of parents in decision-making regarding diagnostic and other procedures. Enabling the creation of memories of the child and providing adequate support after discharge from the maternity ward also play an important role. Midwives could play a significant role in this regard, and it would be beneficial to enhance their competencies through targeted training in the field of perinatal loss.
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