BACKGROUND:
Pregnancy often embodies expectations, dreams and emotional investment. A prenatal diagnosis of a congenital anomaly disrupts this trajectory, triggering complex emotional responses. Hope plays a critical role in adapting to this new reality, yet the specific processes through which it is sustained remain underexplored.

OBJECTIVES:
To explore how women experience and sustain hope after a prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies; to identify facilitating and hindering factors; and to analyse coping strategies throughout the pregnancy.

METHODS:
This ongoing qualitative study applies a Grounded Theory approach. Participants are pregnant women with a confirmed diagnosis of fetal anomaly, recruited from hospitals in Portugal. Semi-structured interviews are being conducted and analysed using MAXQDA, guided by Charmaz’s coding method. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent secured.

RESULTS:
Preliminary findings reveal that hope coexists with profound emotional ambivalence. Women often describe a period of emotional shock followed by mourning the loss of the “idealised baby”. This grieving process is not always acknowledged by healthcare professionals, intensifying feelings of isolation. However, hope gradually re-emerges through moments of connection, empathetic communication, and emotional validation. Participants highlight the importance of being treated as mothers and not only as patients facing a diagnosis. Focusing on the present, maintaining daily routines, and visualising positive outcomes help sustain hope. The presence and attitude of midwives are described as decisive in helping women navigate between grief and resilience.

CONCLUSIONS:
Hope is a dynamic and relational process, profoundly shaped by how women are supported emotionally and how grief is acknowledged. Recognising the mourning for the idealised baby is essential in midwifery care. Promoting hope can enhance emotional well-being and foster meaningful adaptation during high-risk pregnancies.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives can play a key role in balancing hope and grief by validating emotions and providing humanised, relational care. Poster session 4 (Group B)