It's Time To Talk About Baby Loss

One in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. This Baby Loss Awareness Week, we look at why sharing your grief is still so taboo

- Emma Rossiter

When presenter Ben Fogle recently opened up about his baby son’s stillbirth, it was impossible not to be moved by his words. ‘The pain of losing a child is like ripping out your heart,’ he wrote. ‘A part of you, blood and flesh, is gone. It is unspeakable, intolerable and unforgettable.’

Ben and his wife Marina lost their son at 32 weeks in August 2014, when the placenta became detached – starving their baby of oxygen. Marina has spoken about her own profound sadness. ‘Don’t be afraid to talk about what has happened to you,’ she said.

Yet, for many parents suffering the agony of baby loss, whether during pregnancy, at or shortly after birth, or in infancy, it’s not an easy topic to broach. It can be an isolating experience because, as a society, we simply don’t talk about it enough.

Loved ones struggling to find the right words often end up saying nothing at all. It’s not because they don’t care but it reinforces the idea this type of grief should be private.

To support Baby Loss Awareness Week, Woman speaks to a bereaved mother fighting this culture of secrecy...

‘I COULDN’T FACE PEOPLE’

Sarah Carrick lives in Tunbridge Wells with her husband Adam and their sons Brodie, four, and Ari, seven months.