Coming To Terms With Pregnancy Loss: Losing a pregnancy is very common, and it can be devastating for both you, your partner and your family. There are different types of loss that you can experience at any time during the stages of your pregnancy.
If a pregnancy ends spontaneously before its 20th week, it is referred to as a miscarriage. Pregnancy loss after 20 weeks is called a stillbirth.
If you have lost a pregnancy, you might be struggling with complicated feelings including grief, anger, guilt, denial or relief. Miscarriage in particular is highly stigmatised, and many people feel like they have done something wrong. It is also very little talked about in society, making pregnancy loss an extremely isolating experience.
Choosing to end your pregnancy is called abortion or termination. It is a common personal choice, but one that is highly stigmatised and politicised, and it might feel very complicated for you.
You might seek counselling to help you decide if abortion is right for you, after an abortion if you are having distressing feelings about it, or at any time if you feel that you would benefit from talking about your feelings in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.