More awareness and support needed after miscarriage | Letter
Charlotte Tew writes about feeling isolated and the lack of adequate medical care for those who have lost a baby
A huge thank you for publishing the podcast about baby loss and miscarriage (Today in Focus, 9 August). My husband and I are currently experiencing our third loss, after the stillbirth of our baby boy and a previous miscarriage, and I felt relief to hear a story like mine in a national newspaper.
Despite our losses, we have also been told to keep trying and that there is most likely “no reason”, with normal tests and results, and that our son, who died in the womb at 25 weeks, was perfectly “normal”. The stigma around this conversation has also been a struggle and we often feel isolated among friends who haven’t experienced loss or miscarriage. I remember thinking after my first loss, if this is so common why do I never hear about it? The mental and physical health battles are very real and, because of a lack of understanding on the subject, people are ill-equipped to support and comfort us in this journey.