Nurses would conclude that grieving parents had progressed to the reorganization/recovery phase during a follow-up visit a year later:

Question

1. when they say they feel no pain.
2. when they are discussing sex and a future pregnancy, even if they haven't sorted out their feelings yet.
3. if they have abandoned those moments of bittersweet grief.
4. if their questions have progressed from "Why?" to "Why us?"

Answer 1

2
1. Incorrect. There's always a little pain, certainly past the first year when recovery begins to peak.
2. Correct. Many couples have conflicting feelings regarding sexuality and future pregnan-cies.
3. Incorrect. Bittersweet grief describes the brief grief response that occurs with reminders of a loss, often at anniversary dates. Most couples never abandon it. Recovery is ongoing.
4. Incorrect. Typically a couple's search for meaning progresses from "Why?" in the acute phase to "Why me?" in the intense phase to "What does this loss mean to my life?" in the reorganizational phase.