My Story of Miscarriage by Michelle

In January 2016 I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant. I was excited but also nervous and felt so surreal that I’m actually pregnant. We had only been trying for 2 months and had decided after our holiday we would start a family. As the weeks went on, I was reassured things were going well, I was feeling excited to becoming a mum, would it be a boy or a girl? What would they look like? Who would they take after, mum or dad?

The excitement I was feeling waiting to meet our child and hearing a heartbeat was about to become crushed within one moment -  this was one of the worst days of my life. At the 12 week ultrasound, there was no heartbeat, and just a circle where there was meant to be a baby. The sonographer had told me I had a miscarriage, how was this possible? There was no bleeding, no sign, I was 12 weeks, I thought they happened earlier. I walked out devastated, upset and in tears. My child had left me and gone up to heaven. 

The following week I had to go back to the GP, and was given the option of whether to miscarry naturally or undergo a D&C at the hospital. I chose to have a D&C because I could not deal with the pain of waiting for it to happen naturally, it was too much to bear. I was told this is so common to happen by people around me, and I thought next time would be different. 

2 months later we decided to start trying again; I fell pregnant within another 2 months. Unfortunately things were not looking good this time either, after 3 weeks of blood tests I was told the pregnancy was not viable. I drove home from work devastated, in so much pain and all I wanted to do was not exist, it would be easier not to be here then go through the pain of another miscarriage. What if the doctor was wrong and it was just a scare? Days later I had another ultrasound, there was no heartbeat and I had miscarried again.

Back at the early pregnancy unit for the worst 3 days ever at the hospital. I was met by 3 unsupportive gynaecologists: it was normal and I may have to have a few miscarriages before I was successful, they would not investigate until I had 3 miscarriages. How dare they!!! I had just lost another child and it hurt, they acted like I just should detach and just push on and accept it as normal. I had the D&C and mum took me back to my home town to be with family for a few days.

Over the 6 months I had off from trying, I was told by people who were trying to be helpful to not think about being pregnant, relax and let it happen. You see this was not the problem, I had actually got pregnant quickly, I just could not seem to stay pregnant. I felt no one understood me, the only people who did were the ones who had been through a miscarriage, talking to anyone else was pointless. 

The pain had not gone away, I had flashbacks of the miscarriage constantly playing over and over in my head, I cried myself to sleep most nights. I felt depressed and did not want to be here anymore. I had gained weight, felt unmotivated to go out and had to force myself to do so. I was not the happy fit person who loved martial arts anymore. Life went on, I still had to work. I work around people with mental health issues and had to hold it together and help them while I was broken myself. Months later I had enough and went to see a psychologist who diagnosed me with PTSD.

After getting help from a specialist and my GP I am now 8 months pregnant. I am looking forward to meeting my daughter in a couple of months, but my current pregnancy has not been anxiety free, I have to keep reminding myself things are going well and try not to worry too much about things going bad or being too good to be true. The memory of my children who did not make it into the world has not gone away and I will always remember them, when each milestone comes up but they will always be with me and not forgotten.  

Michelle

If you require support after reading this blog, please contact Sands on 13000 72637

Michelle Peruzzi

I have a Bachelor of Applied Social Science in Counselling, and currently work as a mental health advocate. I am studying for a Graduate Diploma in Psychological Science. I am passionate about helping others, love martial arts and am very active within this community. In my spare time I like to do puzzles, walk my two dogs and spend time with friends and family. I have a loving and supportive partner who I have been with for 10 years.