Baby Blog

Considering that 15-25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, with those numbers increased significantly for women over 40, every birth is a miracle. To look at this differently though, 75-85% of pregnancies end with a baby in their mother's arms. Birthing after pregnancy loss and especially after more than one pregnancy loss is a hard and emotionally filled road. Miscarriage is such a common yet under-discussed and under-acknowledged event in many women's lives.

If this is something that has affected you, it is important to acknowledge and honour all the feelings that your pregnancy is bringing to the surface.

It is also important to know that there are support services out there that can assist in times of need around early pregnancy loss and stillbirth grief and loss such as Red Nose, Grief and Loss, SANDS, the Pink Elephants support network, & Bears of Hope.

Any pregnancy loss is a tragedy, but a loss after 20 weeks can be especially devastating to parents. The Safer Baby website is a resource to help women understand the risk factors in five key areas where it is known that stillbirth can be prevented. With this information, it is hoped that the statistic of over 2200 families being affected by stillbirth in Australia each year can be reduced. It is certainly not something you want to ever experience, and it is uncomfortable to think about, but if there was anything you could do to prevent the loss of your baby, I bet that you would want to know about it.

In knowing the statistics, the first trimester is tough mentally and is also tough physically with all the processes and hormonal changes going on, causing immense fatigue and often nausea. It is important to remain optimistic that your baby will make it through, and that your body knows what to do to support your baby's growth. It is common for couples to decide to keep the pregnancy a secret until the first scan at 12 weeks can confirm a healthy baby and a viable pregnancy. Others take the approach of sharing the news with friends and family at various times during the first trimester.

The benefits of sharing early in the pregnancy is that you can be open with your needs and plans, then should you need it, you have a support network ready to support you no matter how the pregnancy progresses. If you need the reasons not to wait to announce your pregnancy, Belly Belly can tell you why. On the other hand, many resources recommend waiting to make your announcement when the risk of miscarriage is much lower and to avoid having to manage those difficult conversations if you do experience an early pregnancy loss. There is no right or wrong way to do this; it will come down to what feels right and comfortable for you.

Please note: Above all, any information on this website aims to provide general ideas for informational and educational purposes only. We encourage users to investigate several information sources, including, where necessary, independent individualised medical advice before making any decisions that could affect you or your child’s health or wellbeing.

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