Pregnancy loss can leave you feeling anxious, upset, and worried about the future. These feelings may become more intense, impact existing mental health issues, or cause new mental health issues.
Our Miscarriage in the UK research found that 68% of respondents experienced mental health problems after pregnancy loss.
81% experienced symptoms of anxiety, 68% experienced symptoms of depression, and over 49% experienced PTSD symptoms.
The impact pregnancy loss can have on your mind and body makes it so important to look after yourself and your wellbeing after pregnancy loss. The same can be said for pregnancy after loss, which many find an anxious time.
We spoke to Ananya, a trauma-informed coach, breathwork facilitator and pregnancy loss specialist with a PhD in Reproductive Biology from Imperial College London, about how to take care of yourself during these complex and difficult times.
“Pregnancy loss affects everyone differently and it’s very important not to compare your experience with anyone else’s. Feelings of anxiety, anger and sadness may surface all at once, for sustained periods of time and may intensify or oscillate, as time goes on. Exploring ways to process these emotions is key for mental health and wellbeing, particularly for anyone navigating pregnancy loss.
Pregnancy after loss comes with its own nuances and it can feel quite lonely trying to juggle multiple emotions at once. If you’re navigating pregnancy after loss right now and experiencing fear, remember that there’s nothing wrong with you and that your body is only trying to protect you from a previous experience. It doesn’t mean that you’re being ungrateful. However, it does make it even more important though to look after your mental health during this period.”
She also gave three key takeaways to remember:
- Looking after your mental health is an every day thing, rather than a big act of self care that is expected to ‘fix’ everything. Small and regular acts of kindness and care for yourself make a real difference over time.
- Recognising and allowing yourself to feel upset or anxious is important and validating, but there are ways you can help yourself come down from these strong emotions a bit more easily.
- It is natural to find a pregnancy after loss difficult – your body and mind have lost all innocence around pregnancy. It takes courage and continued hope every single day
How can you look after your mental health after pregnancy loss?
- Stay connected with loved ones, especially those you trust to be empathetic and understanding of however you’re feeling
- Allow yourself to feel your emotions and grief, and give yourself grace when these are stronger on some days than others.
- Join or follow an online community of those who are going through pregnancy loss. You might want to follow others who share their grief and experience on social media, or perhaps join one of our Facebook support groups.
- Write or share your story – physically writing can help you process, and you may find it helpful to share your story and find community through doing so.
- Explore mindfulness in those times of high anxiety, like the breathwork and grounding exercises Ananya provides.
- Find support through Miscarriage UK – you can get in touch with us by email, live chat, or our staffed support line, or you can also explore our online and in-person support groups.
- You might like to talk to a professional, like a therapist or counsellor. You can find counsellor’s with specific expertise in pregnancy loss and fertility struggles on our website.
We know that the experience of pregnancy loss, and pregnancy after loss, can feel incredibly isolating, and come with emotions that can be really hard to cope with. Please know that you are not alone.
If you have been affected by pregnancy loss, and are struggling, please know we are here for you. If you would like to reach out, you can find our support services here. If you are finding things incredibly difficult, please contact your GP to discuss further support.
Ananya works with individuals navigating pregnancy loss and pregnancy after loss as well as with organisations that want to genuinely support their employees through it. You can find out more about Ananya, and the work she does, by visiting her website or the Ananya Ampersand Instagram page.