"I Just Needed a Hug": Culturally-Based Disenfranchised Grief of Jewish Ultraorthodox Women Following Pregnancy Loss.

This article focuses on the experiences of pregnancy loss (PL) among Jewish Ultraorthodox (UO) women, emphasizing the manifestation of disenfranchised grief—grief that is unacknowledged or unsupported due to sociocultural and religious factors. Through qualitative interviews with 14 UO women, the study identified two main arenas of struggle post-PL: marital challenges rooted in religious laws restricting physical contact during the nidda period, which limited spousal support, and social conflicts arising from PL being a taboo topic, the pressure to fulfill fertility roles, and a desire for private space to grieve. The findings highlight how religious norms and community expectations contribute to the silencing of grief and underscore the need for culturally sensitive therapeutic approaches and potential adaptations by religious leaders to better support women experiencing PL in this community.