Breaking the silence around MISCARRIAGE

Why open communication and crucial support is the way forward

- AMBER BRAMBLE

Known as the silent grief, miscarriage is the heartbreak that is often endured in isolation. Because it’s rarely talked about, many people aren’t aware of how common it actually is. One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, and it affects 10 to 15 per cent of women who already knew that they were pregnant.

Author and Australian Birth Stories podcaster Sophie Walker says that the taboo around miscarriages means that many parents suffer in silence. At the same time, it creates a lack of social awareness that leads to myths and misunderstandings.

“There are tens of thousands of women each year who are navigating the shock and grief of miscarriage in silence. And at a time when they desperately need physical and emotional support, they often do it alone,” she says. “While we are seeing more social conversation about it, it’s still largely silenced.”

CHANGING THE COVERSATION

A pregnancy is said to have ended in miscarriage if it is lost within the first 19 weeks of gestation. In some cases it might occur very early, but Walker says it’s important to recognise that any pregnancy loss can cause intense grief, regardless of the length of pregnancy.

“When we silence miscarriage we’re failing to recognise that not every pregnancy ends in a birth, and what follows is a postpartum period where rest and healing are imperative,” she explains.

There have also been calls to reform the way miscarriages are handled in some parts of the hospital system.