First Trimester Miscarriages
Misconceptions
It happens all the time but we hardly ever talk about it.
About one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, leaving many couples struggling with unresolved grief and social isolation. In this 10-part series we break down the myths and provide practical help.
We hear from well-known NZ personalities - The Hits host and te reo advocate Stacey Morrison, TVNZ presenter and journalist Miriamo Kamo and funeral director Kaiora Tipene from The Casketeers - about their personal experiences and follow the stories of six couples who have been through the trauma of miscarriage.
Around one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, so we think it's time for the most common death that no one talks about to come out of the shadows.
Going through miscarriage can lead to intense feelings of grief for many people. Feelings of sadness and anger after miscarriage are normal and understandable. In this episode we look at how men and women cope with their grief after miscarriage.
People who haven't experienced miscarriage themselves can underestimate the significance of the loss. It can also be hard for other people to understand that although the pregnancy might not have progressed very far, the baby may still have become an important part of the family.
Having a miscarriage is sometimes described as being like "having a heavy period". But for many people, the experience is more complicated than that. This episode looks at different types of miscarriages.
People often wonder if they have done something to cause their miscarriage, and this can lead to self-criticism. In this episode we look at the most common causes of miscarriage.
People experiencing miscarriage are advised to seek medical help - but it's not always clear who can provide that help. In this episode we look at the different ways a miscarriage can be managed.
People can feel uncertain, isolated, and unsupported when they go through first-trimester pregnancy loss. In this episode we look at how people navigated the hospital system during miscarriage.
The "12-week rule" is the custom that pregnancies should be kept secret until they reach three months. But adhering to this rule can have unintended consequences.
The physical and emotional experience of miscarriage is different for everyone, and for people who are employed, another layer of complexity is involved.
The more we can talk about miscarriage, the more we can improve the support systems for those who go through it. Feeling empowered to ask questions means people can deal in facts, instead of being silenced by shame.
This is the full documentary version of the First Trimester Miscarriages series with added content that is not in the series.
Extra video content
Kaiora Tipene's story
Stacey Morrison's story
Miriama Kamo's story
Kathryn and Cam's story
Noriko and Tomoya's story
Kate and Sanele's story
Maryam and Behrooz's story
Hilaire and Simon's story
