BACKGROUND:
One in four pregnant women will experience a miscarriage, and there are at least six stillbirths a day in Australia. Approximately 98% of midwives in Australia are female and can therefore experience pregnancy loss during their careers.

OBJECTIVES:
This study aims to explore the experiences of midwives in Australia when they return to work in a maternity setting following a personal pregnancy loss or neonatal death.

METHODS:
A Hermeneutic phenomenology research methodology is being used, as operationalized by Max van Manen. Between October and December 2019, fifteen participants who had experienced a personal pregnancy loss or neonatal death whilst they were midwives, and had returned to work following their loss, were interviewed via video call, phone call, face-to-face and email. Analysis and interpretation of data is following the hermeneutic cycle of reading↔reflective-writing↔interpreting.

RESULTS:
The results reveal the following three overarching themes: "Preparing to return to work: anticipating the known and the unknown", where participants talked about the challenges that they anticipated they would face upon returning to midwifery work; "Returning to work following a personal pregnancy loss: two worlds collide", where participants described the experiences of being surrounded by constant reminders of their loss, and the support they received when experiencing challenges at work; and "Being changed as a midwife", where participants described the impact of the loss on their midwifery practise.

CONCLUSIONS:
Returning to work in a maternity environment can be emotionally challenging for midwives grieving personal pregnancy loss. A midwife’s personal experience of pregnancy loss can impact on the care they give to women in the maternity setting.

KEY MESSAGE:
This research can inform the development of practical pregnancy loss workplace support guidelines and return -to- work plans specifically tailored for midwives and indeed other health professionals providing care to mothers and babies whilst grieving the loss of their own baby. Poster session 4 (Group B)