Honoring Little Lives Lost

October 9–15 marks Miscarriage Awareness Week, a time to remember and honour all the little lives lost too soon.

Having experienced the pain of pregnancy loss myself, I see this week differently now. It is not really for those of us who have already walked this path. We do not need a reminder to grieve the babies we never got to hold. They are always with us- in our hearts and our thoughts.

However, this week matters because miscarriage, while incredibly common, remains a subject wrapped in silence. 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss, yet it is still treated as something too painful or awkward to speak about openly.

Breaking the Silence Around Loss

When we  asked women what they struggled with most during pregnancy loss, one answer kept coming up: “suffering in silence.” This should not be the norm.

For too long, stigma has shaped how we talk about pregnancy and miscarriage. We are told to stay quiet until after 12 weeks. We hesitate to say, “this is not my first pregnancy,” because the first ended in loss. And when we do speak up, too often we hear, “at least you can get pregnant,” instead of the kindness and compassion we need.

This silence only deepens the pain. It isolates the very people who most need support.

A Step in the Right Direction

There are signs of change. By 2027, an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill will give employees the right to bereavement leave for miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy. Until now, this right only applied after 24 weeks.

This change means parents will no longer need to use sick leave to take the time they need to grieve and begin to heal.

Of course, more must be done. We need dedicated care units so that women do not have to face the devastation of miscarriage in maternity wards surrounded by glowing pregnant women and newborns. But this is at least a step in the right direction.

Recognising Miscarriage as Postpartum

If there is one message I hope people take away, it is this: the time after miscarriage is postpartum.

There may be no baby to hold, but the physical and emotional recovery is very real. Hormonal changes, uterine contractions, exhaustion, and shock all mirror what happens after birth. In many cases, the emotional toll is even greater.

This is why it is so important to show up for women after pregnancy loss in the same way we would for someone who has just given birth. Cook a meal. Offer comfort. Listen.

Creating Space to Heal

Once we start seeing pregnancy loss through the lens of postpartum recovery, we can create a culture where women have the support they need to heal fully.

We can help end the cycle of suffering in silence.
We can make space for honesty, care, and community.
We can honour not only the babies who are no longer with us, but also the women who carry their memories in their hearts forever.

At Carea, we are currently looking to share real women’s stories about fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum to offer hope and inspiration to others walking similar paths. If you’d like to share your story (even anonymously), we’d be honored to feature it in our app and on our Instagram. Simply fill out our short questionnaire to take part.

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