Pregnancy Loss Myth Buster

Those who experience miscarriage/stillbirth also have an postpartum experience.

Not having a living baby doesn't magically erase the physical experience of pregnancy and post-pregnancy. They still have to deal with the physical symptoms - the bleeding, the cramping, the soreness. They still have to wear the mesh panties and ice packs or deal with c-section recovery. Breast milk still comes in after stillbirth except there's no baby to be nourished by it. Their body still undergoes the same changes and transformations as those with living babies. They still experience the same hormonal fluctuations and drops and surges that occur in "successful" pregnancies.

They are still at risk for the same postpartum mood disorders as those who have babies born alive. Grief and a clinical postpartum mood disorder can and do exist at the same time.

The number of loss mothers who don't receive ANY post-birth care (because miscarriage and stillbirths are still births) or postpartum mood disorder evaluation following their miscarriage or stillbirth is utterly terrifying.

OBGYNs, midwives, birth doulas, therapists, medical professionals of all kinds - we need to recognize these realities and provide the same level of care to mothers experiencing miscarriage/stillbirth as we do to mothers with living babies. We need to do better and have these conversations.