Pregnancy loss, abortion and TFMR
Content note: this article discusses pregnancy loss, abortion, TFMR, and maternal mortality.
This week marks Baby Loss Awareness Week, an invitation to reflect on the impact of pregnancy loss and give anyone touched by pregnancy loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences.
Tommy’s report that more than half of UK adults shy away from conversations about pregnancy loss. They’ve published a conversation guide to help people support those going through this. We know that many people don’t feel able to talk about pregnancy loss for various reasons, and don’t feel supported in this time.
We want to offer a perspective on pregnancy loss relating to abortion and termination for medical reasons. Not everyone who has an abortion grieves, but some do.
Every day, we hear from someone seeking a safe abortion for a wanted pregnancy, after receiving a devastating medical diagnosis. Some feel that choosing a termination for medical reasons, or ending a wanted pregnancy with abortion, means they do not a have space to grieve in the same way as others. That is to say, abortion stigma plays a critical role in their ability to grieve their loss.
Some carry loss shaped by medical discrimination, racism and violence. Black women in the UK are twice as likely to experience stillbirth compared to white women, and can experience medical racism when accessing abortion services, including for a wanted pregnancy/TFMR. This racism affects their journey of healing from a pregnancy loss, too.
This week we want to add our voices of support to anyone who has been affected by pregnancy loss. There is space for all stories of pregnancy loss, and a shared fight for reproductive justice which includes abortion/TFMR.
Resources
- Tommy’s manages a midwives’ helpline for people who have had any type of pregnancy loss
- Sisters in Loss is a Community where black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility
- Abortion Talk is the UK’s first and only free, confidential Talkine for anyone who needs a safe space to talk about their abortion experience