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Meghan Markle lifted 'taboo' on miscarriage, say charities
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Meghan Markle gestures in the Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, central England, on December 1, 2017. (AFP/POOL/Adrian Dennis)
B
ritish charities helping families deal with miscarriages on Wednesday praised Meghan Markle for lifting a taboo with a first-person essay in the New York Times.
"I just applaud Meghan for showing the courage to share their story so beautifully and eloquently," said Zoe Clark-Coates, head of the Mariposa Trust, which supports people who have had miscarriages or lost children.
"It gives people insight into a subject that is often not discussed and brought into the light," said Clark-Coates, who has written books about grief and pregnancy.
Every time a celebrity talks about miscarriage or a storyline in a TV show covers the subject "we see a massive surge in people asking for support", she told AFP.
She also praised Markle's piece for describing how Prince Harry was suffering as a father and for expressing grief despite the couple already having a child, Archie, born last year.
Some couples feel they cannot talk about their pain after a miscarriage if they have a healthy child, Clark-Coates said.
"It's making people feel less alone," she said.
She likened the impact of the publication to an Instagram post by American model Chrissy Teigen in October that showed her grief-stricken in hospital after her son was stillborn.
Read also: John Legend’s heartwarming message to wife after miscarriage
The post published in October was "liked" more than 11 million times but was also criticized by some as overly shocking and intimate.
Markle's opinion piece comes after prince Harry and his brother William have talked about the need to be open about mental health issues.
"I'm not surprised they've been brave enough to do this," said Clark-Coates.
Roughly one in five -- 250,000 pregnancies -- end in miscarriage every year in the UK, according to Tommy's, which funds research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.
"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," said Sophie King, a midwife at the charity.
"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."
The stigma around miscarriage prevents many people from asking for support, said Karen Burgess, chief executive of Petals, a charity that offers counselling to people who have lost a baby.
Burgess praised Markle's "frank, raw account", saying: "We hope this opens the door for more couples to feel they can do the same."
