Various losses are, unfortunately, an inevitable part of our lives, and each of us copes with the whole range of feelings caused by these losses in different ways. Some seek support from others, some try to forget themselves in work, and some just grit their teeth and move on, without actually telling anyone.
Yes, everyone has their own way of surviving difficult times - and in this story from the user u/Physical_Book_3940, two different approaches actually collided. In the form of two women who at different times experienced miscarriages. And the internet was, in fact, very divided here.
More info: Reddit
The author of the post is a happy mom of a 1YO daughter, but she also had 4 miscarriages before giving birth to her
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The spouses didn't say a word about their difficulties to others, and only the mom's parents and sisters know about this
Image credits: Physical_Book_3940
Image credits: Kampus Production / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Recently the husband's SIL also miscarried, but her way of handling it was different as the woman shared her pain with many people around her
Image credits: Physical_Book_3940
Image credits: Kaboompics.com / Pxels (not the actual photo)
At a family gathering, the author's kid tried to kiss the aunt but she said 'no,' claiming that the author probably doesn't understand her feelings now
Image credits: Physical_Book_3940
The author opened up about having had 4 miscarriages then, but the SIL perceived it as an attempt to minimize her loss
So, the Original Poster (OP) is 34, she is married and a happy mom of a one-year-old daughter. But few people actually know that on the way to their current state, the couple had to go through real hell - four miscarriages in a row. The author admits that she is reluctant to talk about it, and the only ones who know the situation are her parents, sisters and, of course, her husband.
As they say, troubles never come alone - recently the husband's SIL also miscarried, and for her, of course, it was also a colossal blow. However, unlike the OP, this woman didn't hide her pain and grief, asking for support both on social media and in personal communication with friends and relatives.
And so, at a recent family gathering, the SIL burst into tears again, remembering this tragic moment - and the author's little daughter came up to her to kiss her and calm her down. The girl didn't understand what was happening, she just felt sorry for her crying auntie. But the SIL's reaction was a flat-out 'no' in a rather annoyed voice.
Well, the mom quickly calmed her tot down by offering to kiss her instead, and the author's husband, in turn, said that this was pretty rude of the SIL. She admitted that she was still in pain from the loss of her unborn baby, and the niece had triggered her somehow. The SIL also added that they just possibly didn't understand how she felt right now, since their child was born alive and healthy.
That was when the OP broke down and admitted that she had actually had four miscarriages, so she understood everything perfectly well. And that she wanted to process it on her own because she knew "everyone else is going through things as well."
Needless to say, everyone at the table was shocked by this revelation. However, after some time, the OP's husband said that the SIL perceived this as some kind of attempt to "compete" with her, and that she perceived the author as passive aggressive with her words about "everyone else going through things," thus allegedly minimizing her loss.
According to the woman, her husband literally laughed while telling this story, but the original poster herself felt a bit guilty over her words during that conversation. And she decided, in turn, to ask people online for advice on whether she had acted appropriately in this situation.
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
According to statistics from the Mayo Clinic, 10 to 20% of pregnancies tragically end in miscarriage, so it is really important to be able to communicate correctly and non-traumatically with parents who have gone through this devastating experience.
"Some people want to talk about their miscarriage and others don’t. Whatever your loved one wants to do, make sure you follow their lead," the dedicated article on the Happiest Baby website claims. "Whatever you do, don’t minimize the loss of the pregnancy." Yes, even if you have also faced the same misfortune.
In any case, any attempt to rationalize the situation, appeal to common sense, or share your own experience can be traumatic as well. "Occasionally comments that you make with the best of intentions may upset someone who has experienced a miscarriage. Often these are comments that try to explain or rationalise the miscarriage, or put a positive spin on it," the UK-based Miscarriage Association's website says.
The opinions of commenters on the original post were significantly divided. Some people, for example, believe that the author's SIL was just attention-seeking. "She likes the attention, and it sounds like she didn’t like that you also have suffered. Probably feels attacked because you have handled it better or more privately at least. You did nothing wrong!" someone wrote.
At the same time, many responders are quite sure that the author did the wrong thing. "She's not obligated to let anyone else touch her. She's allowed to be having a rough go of it with her recent loss," another person expressed their opinion sincerely. And what do you think about this? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
People in the comments were very divided, as some of them accused the SIL of attention-seeking, and some claimed the author was being inappropriate here
