Perrie Edwards is right – we need to break the stigma around baby loss

Perrie Edwards' comments about baby loss are so important

Opening up about baby loss, no matter what stage it happened at, takes a level of strength I couldn't even imagine summoning up.

However, it's that strength that helps many other women experiencing baby loss or miscarriage feel less alone in their heartache.

Singer Perrie Edwards recently confirmed she sadly lost a baby around the time of her 22-week scan, which sparked a vital conversation about the stigma that still surrounds baby loss, and the importance of raising awareness.

In an interview with Glamour, Perrie, who is now pregnant with a rainbow baby, said her world crumbled when she lost her baby.

"It felt like it came out of nowhere. Every scan before had been fine; we just weren't expecting to go into the 22-week scan, and for our world to just crumble."

Perrie said the response to her sharing her loss has been remarkable, but some people have failed to acknowledge the emotional toll baby loss has, especially on the mum.

"It's been lovely. So many people have reached out, like family members or friends that I didn't know went through it as well, so I think it is important to talk about.

"It's just the understanding of it. There was a lot of, ‘So what? It wasn’t even a baby.’ And I'm like, ‘Okay, this is where you need to start learning about the female body and learning about pregnancies’. Yes, we lost the baby, but it was a baby loss, not a miscarriage."

Perrie stressed that we need to have a deeper understanding of baby loss and the grief that comes with it.

Baby loss is never something a woman should 'get over'.

It is a loss you will feel in your heart for the rest of your life, no matter how many other children you go on to have.

It is still a baby you loved.

"When you're that far in the pregnancy and you lose the baby, it's a baby loss. You still have to give birth to the baby. It doesn't just disappear into thin air."

The singer hopes society changes when it comes to baby loss because there is still a lot of stigma surrounding it.

"I don't know if it's because women are made to feel ridiculed in some way, like it's their fault when baby loss or miscarriages happen.

"There's so much in it that that's not the case at all. I think people just need to be a bit more sensitive to it all.”

Perrie and those who have shared their stories of loss will undoubtedly help break this stigma. However, society must realise that baby loss is something that should always be handled with sensitivity and grace.

It's the most earth-shattering loss that women sadly go through every day. And it is a loss that should never be treated lightly.

Anam Cara supports women who have suffered miscarriages and baby loss. You can contact them on 085 2888 888.