Baby Loss

An estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage (tommys.org).

The fallout from this is felt by all parents. The physical effects. The grief for the expectations that you had. The unknown future faced. These emotions are raw and handled differently by everyone with the coping mechanisms and support systems you have built up. Its effect on your relationship can be hard and heavy for both the person that was physically pregnant and the persons that were not.

In 2019 the Office for National Statistics shows that 18 in 1000 women had an abortion. It is important for many that this is recognised as a baby loss due to the wide variety of circumstances surrounding it, including disability, financial situations, problematic relationships just to name a few.

Baby loss in whatever form is so much more common than we realise. The upset and uncertainty can be helped if society shared their experiences. The stigma that surrounds these subjects is unwarranted and unnecessary.

With such a variety of circumstances, including length of pregnancy and reasons for the loss it is important to recognise the impact these have on sex and relationships.

Relationships with bodies can change, as the roles of our bodies change becoming more medicalised than intimate. Many may feel as though they have failed their partner and are unsure how to support each other through this do not know when is acceptable to feel comfortable to have sex again, either romantically or to conceive. There is so much emotional doubt that requires consistent communication.

Usually this is not the story you would have written for yourself, however, once again discussion, understanding, and reasoning helps us appreciate each other and move onto our next chapters.

Currently working on some resources covering sex and grief.