It is estimated that 1 in 4 women suffer a miscarriage in recognized pregnancies. Each year, about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States. Approximately 1 in 10 babies are born too early each year. In an effort to shed light on the traumas that can be experienced around motherhood, the March of Dimes has launched a powerful Unspoken Stories series featuring families who have experienced loss during pregnancy.
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The powerful social series was launched in part to draw attention to prenatal health risks as a result of the inaccessibility to quality, affordable healthcare, which can result in complications. The organization’s hope is that the series will draw attention from lawmakers and medical care professionals who can work to bridge the gap and offer quality, affordable healthcare to all moms.
In one video, above, mom Sky shares her emotional story of losing her two identical stillborn sons. Throughout the video, Sky holds onto their receiving blanket as a reminder of her sons. “So please just keep moving forward,” Sky says to other moms at the end of the video. “Just know that your babies didn’t pass in vain, that they love you, and you are always their mom.”
March of Dimes is encouraging families to share raw details of their personal experience with prenatal loss or premature birth. On their website, the organization describes the movement: “Honest stories of pregnancy, parenthood and loss are too often unshared. Let’s tell the real story. Let’s build a supportive community that gives voice to your experience, from the joys of parenting to the heartbreak of loss.”
In an interview with Motherly, mom Hannah shares the story of her son’s premature birth after she got preeclampsia and was on bed rest. “There was no history of complicated pregnancies or births in my family. I was taking it day by day and enjoying this special time in my life. I was assuming it would be like most of the stories I’d heard from others,” Hannah shared with Motherly earlier this year.
Visit unspokenstories.org to share your own powerful story and watch mamas share their hardest truths with the community.
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