(Chantelle Pattemore/ Shondaland) — An estimated one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Earlier this year, mine became one of them. From the moment I knew what was happening, everything felt overwhelming. I retreated to the sofa for 48 hours to rest my body and numb my thoughts with Netflix while my husband kept me topped up with tea and chocolate. However, I knew I couldn’t hide forever from the world. I soon found myself confronted with another issue: How do I tell my family and friends?
The first trimester — that’s three months — of pregnancy is the most volatile. Many pregnant individuals choose not to tell loved ones until the 12-week milestone has passed.
My husband and I went the same route, only sharing the news with my parents because I couldn’t contain the excitement. How would I tell them what had happened? They had been just as thrilled as us, and I didn’t want them to be upset or disappointed. Their dreams of becoming grandparents for the first time would have to wait a bit longer. (…)