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The first few days, weeks and months

In the first few days after a pregnancy loss, the grief is so overwhelming that it might seem that you may never be happy again. The falling hormone level in your body after a pregnancy loss may exacerbate these feelings of sadness.

Bear in mind that your grief will become more manageable with time, especially if you accept your feelings as valid and recognise that you would need time to work through them. The hormonal part, at least, takes a few weeks to fade.

These are some common reactions to grief:

  • Overwhelming shock
  • Loss of control
  • Confusion
  • Distress arising from intrusive thoughts about the loss
  • Extreme sadness
  • Disappointment
  • Guilt and/or self-blame
  • Anger and frustration
  • Lack of interest in doing things
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Social withdrawal

In the following weeks and months, it may seem that your grief continues to take up every moment of the day. At times, it may feel as if you have taken one step forward but two steps back. This is normal.