Pregnancy Loss is Birth Trauma

In December 2022, my husband and I learned we were pregnant. 

This was a planned and wanted pregnancy. 

We were thrilled. We told our families right away. I had names picked out. 

Then, at our first ultrasound appointment, there was no sign of an embryo. 

I stared at the screen of my empty uterus in complete shock. We soon learned it was an ectopic pregnancy. 

We were devastated. 

This is a picture my husband took of me during the treatment I needed for the ectopic pregnancy. 

I had to do two rounds of chemotherapy to stop the cell growth. 

While I still grieve this loss, I also feel grateful to have had access to this care. 

Pregnancy loss is birth trauma.

Just because there was no baby in my arms doesn’t mean there wasn’t a birth story — or trauma.

There was hope, there were dreams, there were physical and emotional changes.

And then there was pain, medical intervention, and mourning.

For many of us, the loss of a pregnancy—at any stage—is not just a medical event; it’s a deeply personal, physical, and emotional rupture.

It deserves to be acknowledged, named, and held with care.

If you’ve experienced pregnancy loss, know this: your grief is real, your trauma is valid, and you’re not alone.