In 2019 and during my first pregnancy, I had a miscarriage. Like countless other women, I was not prepared to be told that my baby had no heartbeat and that my partner and I were no longer expecting.
We went home devastated and were left to grieve in the privacy of our home. During this time, I experienced the feelings of isolation, depression, and even shame. Neither myself nor my partner were provided with any form of information on where we could find specific support or counselling. We felt completely alone.
It wasn’t until a work colleague suggested that I join a group on social media specifically for women and couples who experienced miscarriage that I found support and the welcoming arms into a community of bereaved parents who all had their own story of grief. It was only then that I felt understood, and this was all by chance and not suggested by anyone in healthcare or people who I entrusted with my health and wellbeing.
I started to feel betrayed by the medical professionals and the healthcare system that I wasn’t provided any emotional support or directed to any counselling services that I desperately needed. I realised the need for change, the need for improvement, a vital change to the gaps in support for women and couples who experience this. This is where Sweet Peanuts began.
