eMdloti resident speaks out on letting go of a child you’ve never met
Falling pregnant was the "silver lining" for Belinda Kelly and fiance, Craig Condy who had to cancel their October wedding due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“I THINK the biggest myth about miscarriage is that life goes on as normal afterward.”
These are the words of eMdloti resident, Belinda Kelly (37), who wrote a blog post to encourage others after she tragically miscarried at nine weeks.
Kelly shared her story with the Northglen News, to highlight Infant Loss Awareness Month in October.
Falling pregnant was the “silver lining” for Kelly and fiance, Craig Condy who had to cancel their October wedding due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We were both really excited, it was something we really wanted. I’m 37, so the plan was to get married and start trying to fall pregnant straight away. Because we had cancelled our wedding, we chatted to our families and they were supportive of our plan to start trying for children now and get married later. I was very lucky, I fell pregnant within two months. It seemed perfect,” she said.
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On the day of their first ultrasound, the couple were left devastated by the news that Kelly had miscarried. They held a ‘letting-go ritual’ to find some closure.
“We wrote the baby a letter and put on some music and then burnt the letter. That was helpful,” she said.
As the couple grappled with the shock of their loss, Kelly faced the labour process.
“It was very draining and emotional. I have never experienced pain like that in my life, I was absolutely floored. It was crazy, but it empowered me as well, every woman who falls pregnant is thinking about what the birth will be like- now I know,” she added.
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What followed was a grieving period like no other. Kelly wrote of her turmoil in her blog: “The loss I have felt from this miscarriage has been like nothing I have ever experienced before and for the two weeks following I barely got off the couch as I surrendered to the myriad of grieving emotions that presented, both physical and emotional.”
Her blog, Belle Esprit boasts a collection of posts on health and wellness.
For more information, visit Kelly’s blog via: www.belleesprit.com.au.
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