Statistics say that 25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage…which means if you haven’t lost a baby yourself, you know someone who has. I have never experienced miscarriage, but have several nieces or nephews waiting in heaven that I have never met here on earth.
This past weekend whilst scrolling through my Facebook feed, I saw a post by a mom, Rachel Lewis, that perfectly encapsulated the devastating loss that is miscarriage, and how it’s often misunderstood by those who haven’t experienced it. I LOVED her words, which have been shared nearly 9,000 times on Facebook, and I wanted to share them with you here. The photo of Lewis’ daughter Ellie, in ultrasound and in living color as a smiling infant, TRULY drives her post home, but the words that accompany it are powerful as well. She says:
When you lose a baby in pregnancy, some people act as though you’ve only lost potential for a baby.
You had a near-miss, an almost-kid, a chance to have a baby, but no more.
But you … You know exactly what you lost:
You lost your daughter’s first smile.
The first time your son rolled over.
You lost the look on your sweet girl’s face when mommy soothed her tears.
You missed the way your son nestles at your breast.
You missed her first steps … And then every step after that of her running to your arms.
You missed your son burying his eager fists into his first birthday cake, then smearing chocolate frosting all over his cute little cheeks.
You missed the first day of preschool … Kindergarten … High school … College.
You missed every one of his T-ball games.
