Miscarriage

Finding out you are pregnant is usually a happy event. Even if unexpected, most couples are thrilled at the news and soon want to share the impending happy event with friends and family. Unfortunately, for many this happiness is short lived. More than one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage which equates to around a quarter of a million miscarriages in the UK each year. You can find more information about miscarriages here.

The experience is deeply upsetting and the process of having to tell people can make the situation worse. The majority of miscarriages take place before the twelfth week of pregnancy which is why many couples wait until then to publicly announce the pregnancy. Miscarriage later in pregnancy can be very traumatic when it is sometimes necessary for the mother to have to go through the birth process.

Many relationships suffer after miscarriage as both partners go through a grieving process. Even knowing that it happens to other couples every day does not ease the disappointment. You may feel as if you have done something wrong or that the miscarriage is somehow you or your partner's fault.

Your doctor or midwife can be a source of help - ask them if there is a pregnancy loss support group in your area. You might also want to seek the help of a professional counsellor or go to the Miscarriage Association for more in-depth advice.

If you are going to try for more children then you must both be happy and ready to proceed forward; a woman needs time to be ready both physically and emotionally and her partner must be ready to support her.