Chrissy Teigen’s candid miscarriage heartache is giving strength to women everywhere
There's over 9 million supportive comments on Instagram alone
When model Chrissy Teigen shared a series of heartbreaking black and white images as a tribute to her baby “Jack” who miscarried on Wednesday, the response was instantaneous.
Fans had been following along with 34yo Chrissy’s third pregnancy as the star endured what she has described as a “scary” and complicated pregnancy.
The cookbook author is famed for her candid sharing of her life, and on Wednesday she remained true to form, giving fans a glimpse of the pure heartache of miscarriage, an experience so often mired with shame and secrecy.
The fact is that everyday families are suffering from miscarriage and loss; it does not discriminate. Women feel alone and isolated, men feel confused and helpless, and both need support and what Chrissy has done is bring it to the light.
And the response from fans around the world was instantaneous, with over 9 million comments on Instagram alone.
The series of images are halting. Chrissy can be seeing tears on her hospital bed, in another she is enduring what looks like an epidural administration as she prepares to birth her stillborn son, in more she and husband 41yo John Legend are crippled by grief as they support each other and finally a heartbreaking image of the pair holding their son.
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” Chrissy began.
“We never decide on our babies’ names until the last possible moment after they’re born, just before we leave the hospital. But we, for some reason, had started to call this little guy in my belly Jack. So he will always be Jack to us. Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever.”
Chrissy and John Legend announced they were expecting their third child in August and it’s believed they were due to welcome Jack in March 2021.
“Thank you to everyone who has been sending us positive energy, thoughts and prayers. We feel all of your love and truly appreciate you.
“We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it,” wrote Chrissy.
Over 9 million stars and fans alike have flooded the comments section. Some shared their condolences, echoing the heartbreak of Chrissy and John, and some were inspired to grieve their own losses by sharing their own stories.
Kim Kardashian penned: “We’re always here for you and love you guys so much.”
Modern Family star, Jesse Tyler shared: “Sending so much love to you and john and the kids. I wish I could take away your heartbreak.”
Sentiments shared by Hailey Bieber who wrote: “I’m so so sorry. Thinking of you and John, praying for you guys and sending you so much love during this time.”
But it was a comment by fan, @tamrakat that gathered almost 50k likes. “Chrissy, I’m so sorry. I wrote this poem on what would’ve been my son Sam’s 10th birthday. I hope you don’t mind that I’m sharing it here …
“The Closet Box
“There’s a box inside my closet
where half my heart belongs.
It’s filled with clothes you never wore, with lullabies and songs.
“You were just around the corner,
I’m a half a second late,
Still trying to win a race against
this unforgiving fate.
“Last night we lit ten candles,
imagined what you’d wish,
Then blew out each blue candle,
and set an extra dish.
“You were just around the corner,
I’m a half a step away,
Held fast within a memory
of that long-remembered day.
“Are you sleeping in the garden?
Are you safe beyond the storm?
Are you cradled in the angels’ arms where nights are always warm?
“You were just around the corner,
just beyond my reach,
skipping on the gentle sand
of heaven’s golden beach.
“In my dreams you’re in the courtyard,
or climbing in the tree,
dancing in the shadows
past where mortal eyes can see.
“You were just around the corner.
I run to catch your face,
then wake to find my empty arms…..
You’re gone, without a trace. 💕”
Miscarriage and stillbirth are so often kept in the dar, by sharing her experience Chrissy is helping bring it into the light.
Someone else bringing miscarriage out of the dark is Australian model Tahyna Macmanus.
The Australian actress and filmmaker and her Dancing with the Stars judge husband, Tristan the journey to making that beautiful family is checkered with heartache as the pair suffered three devastating miscarriages in four years.
A journey that led to the feature documentary, Misunderstandings of Miscarriage (MuM), which follows 34-year-old Tahyna MacManus on her four-year experience of pregnancy and miscarriage coming to Stan this month.
“Allow yourself to feel everything,” is the advice Tahyna would give to anyone going through this right now. “Allow yourself to grieve and honour that loss. Find something that helps you bring closure and give yourself time, there’s no rule book.”
After 3 miscarriages in 4 years, Tahyna and Tristan MacManus say it’s time to talk about it.
Chrissy Teigen was hospitalised earlier in the week due to constant bleeding, following what she has described as a “scary” and complicated third pregnancy.
“I was always, always bleeding. The blood has been going on for a little less than a month. More than a period, definitely not spotting,” Chrissy told her followers earlier in the week.
“Every time I’d go to the bathroom, it would be blood. Even just laying there, it would be blood. Today the big difference was it was like if you’d turn a faucet on to low and leave it,” she said.
“I was at the point today where I was never stopping bleeding, and that’s obviously really bad.”
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