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Miscarriage
- Jodi Zephir
- Oct 18, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 31, 2020
October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. The stigma surrounding miscarriages often makes experiencing this loss even harder. Although miscarriage is the most common pregnancy complication, it remains taboo and a topic shrouded in silence and shame. Miscarriage is defined as the loss of a woman’s pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, at least half of miscarriages are the result of an abnormal number of chromosomes in the embryo. Miscarriage is usually dealt with silently and is seen as something too personal to share aloud.
A 2015 national survey published in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology revealed that 47% of people who’ve had a miscarriage feel guilty. 41% felt as if they had done something wrong to cause the pregnancy loss. 28% believe previous use of an IUD caused the miscarriage. Lastly, 22% blame the use of oral contraceptives. These are just some of the many misconceptions surrounding miscarriages, originating from antiquated beliefs, cultural silence, and stigma. As previously mentioned, miscarriages are not caused by personal habits or behavior, but by chromosomal abnormalities.
Opening up about loss and candidly expressing grief can create a sense of community and connectedness during an otherwise isolating and difficult situation. Doing so might inspire others to do the same. A recent survey found that 46 percent of respondents said they felt less alone when their friends opened up about their own miscarriages. It is important to foster raw conversations while providing much-needed support to those who need it the most. It is time for the normalization of the complex feelings associated with miscarriages, as well as the aftermath and its effect on multiple aspects of one’s life.
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