This post deals with miscarriage and might be triggering for some readers.
On Wednesday, Meghan Markle published an essay in The New York Times, sharing that she had a miscarriage earlier this year.
In the deeply personal piece, the Duchess of Sussex shared that she realised she was losing her second child after experiencing a cramp in July.
"After changing [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right," she wrote.
"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.
"Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears."
Meghan speaks about her struggles in Meghan and Harry: An African Journey. Post continues below.
Throughout the piece, the 39-year-old acknowledged the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the injustice of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd's death.
She also stated that while losing a child is sadly a common experience, it's one that is still not talked about nearly enough.
"Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few. In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning," she shared.
"Some have bravely shared their stories; they have opened the door, knowing that when one person speaks truth, it gives license for all of us to do the same. We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter — for all of us. In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."
Top Comments