October shines light on pregnancy and infant loss awareness
When Stephanie and Paul Aitken found out in October 2019 they were going to be parents, they shared the news right away with family and friends.
“We didn’t hold back telling people we were pretty excited,” said Stephanie Aitken.
Stephanie said the whole pregnancy was healthy and she went into natural labour at full term.
But there were complications during labour.
Their daughter Leia died one day after she was born.
“It was the worst imaginable thing you could experience. It was devastating beyond belief," Stephanie said. "Coming home and seeing the nursery or seeing her cradle, things like that were excruciating.”
“Nothing prepares you for that sort of event,” said Paul Aitken.
“Even myself working as a funeral director, I had no preparation for that actually being a reality even though I work every day in the death profession,” said Paul.
The Strathmore couple is sharing their story as part of pregnancy and infant loss awareness month.
“This month is so important because it starts to have this conversation that pregnancy and infant loss happens. It’s far more common than anyone realizes and the impact of these losses are profound,” said Aditi Loveridge, founder and CEO of the pregnancy and infant loss support centre.
Approximately one in four pregnancies end in loss.
According to the government of Alberta, in 2020, 418 stillbirths were recorded.
There were 394 stillbirths in 2019, 412 in 2018.
Loveridge said while there’s no direct link between an increase in stillbirths and COVID-19, she said one reason may be because pregnant women may be holding off some doctors appointments and feel nervous about going into health care clinics.
Loveridge said the reality is many families grieve in silence because so many don’t reveal they are pregnant before the 12 week mark.
“It’s such a stigmatized and quiet issue.”
But Loveridge says that needs to change.
Loveridge has gone through her own pregnancy loss journey and now lends her support to other families.
The pregnancy and infant loss support centre offers a helpline that immediately connects someone to peer volunteers. There are also support groups and counselling.
“People are not talking about the actual impacts that often has on a person’s mental, spiritual, emotional well-being and it’s deeply impactful,” said Loveridge.
Stephanie Aitken said she reached out because she needed help finding a way to cope.
“I knew I needed help because it’s just your whole world has exploded. You don’t know who you are anymore. You don’t know how to function. You don’t know how to move on,” she said.
“It’s important for guys to talk about their loss journey or even their fatherhood journey as well because their input and their part of the process is important…their loss is real as well,” said Paul.
Stephanie said it’s been beneficial for her to have access to support after learning she was pregnant again to help process the grief and anxiety.
The couple welcomed a baby girl three months ago.
You can find more information about the Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Princess of Wales to miss major military display next month amid cancer treatment
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will not be returning to royal duties with an appearance at the Colonel’s Review, a military parade in London in early June, as she continues her treatment for cancer.
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect after Montreal triple homicide
Police have made an arrest following a deadly street fight that ended with three people killed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough last week.