Meghan Markle has won praise for speaking so candidly about her miscarriage.
The 39-year-old wrote the personal essay for The New York Times as she recalled experiencing a miscarriage in July, a year after the birth of her first child Archie.
The powerful account, titled The Losses We Share, detailed how she and her husband, Prince Harry, navigated "the unbearable grief" that is "experienced by many but talked about by few."
Many took to social media to praise Meghan for speaking so openly about the deeply personal grief she went through.
Advert
And now, baby loss charity Tommy's has praised the Duchess of Sussex for being so candid.
Midwife for the charity, Sophie King, told Tyla: "Baby loss at any stage in pregnancy is one of the most heart-breaking things a family can experience - and as Meghan Markle said, it's experienced by many but talked about by few.
"One in four pregnancies ends in loss, but it's a real taboo in society, so mothers like Meghan sharing their stories is a vital step in breaking down that stigma and shame."
She continued: "Meghan's essay praises the bravery of parents who share their stories, and those who prefer to grieve privately can still find comfort and connection in reading about others' experiences.
Advert
"Her honesty and openness today send a powerful message to anyone who loses a baby: this may feel incredibly lonely, but you are not alone. Friends and family, doctors and midwives, all of us at support organisations like Tommy's; we're here."
In the heart-wrenching piece, Meghan explained she knew something was amiss when she started experiencing "sharp cramps" as she was holding her son Archie.
"I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she said.
"Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal."
Advert
Meghan went on to explain how, in the midst of watching Prince Harry's heartbreak, she realised the only way to begin to heal was to ask if he was okay.
She also referred to an interview she gave during her and Prince Harry's tour of South Africa, in which an ITV reporter asked: "Are you okay?".
"In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning," she said.
For support and advice on miscarriage, visit Tommy's here.
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Children, Life News, miscarriage, Family, Life