'Nothing prepares you for the death of a baby'

Today show host Lisa Wilkinson shares her heart break at suffering numerous miscarriages.

Lisa told radio host Katie ‘Monty’ Dimond on her Show and Tell blog that she already had three kids – Jake, Louis and Billi – with husband Peter FitzSimons when they decided to try for a fourth. She fell pregnant relatively easily, but was left inconsolable when a scan revealed the baby had died at just 11 weeks.

“There is really nothing that prepares you for that moment when they do a scan and they say ‘the baby’s dead’,” she said.

“Because you know when you’ve been lucky enough to give birth and you meet that person for the first time, and you just think, ‘Wow, you’re that little person!’.”

They decided to try again but the next pregnancy ended in miscarriage at eight weeks and the one after that at just six weeks before deciding to stop trying.

“Obviously my eggs were done,” she said. “If you’re lucky enough to have even one child, you think, ‘I’ve won the lottery, so I’m not going to push this anymore’.”

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If you or someone you know is struggling with miscarriage, visit Sands Australia online or helpline available 24 hours a day by dialling 1300 072 637.

Image via getty

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16 Comments

- - mom93821 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    11:47 pm
Miscarriage is so utterly heartbreaking. My sympathy to anyone that has suffered and still suffers.

- - BellaB said
  - 27 Feb 2016
    4:42 pm
Yes. Nothing ever prepares you.

- - Lori-Anne said
  - 18 Feb 2016
    8:23 pm
Miscarriage and still birth are probably one of the toughest things a woman will ever go through. My heart goes out to all those that are suffering.

- - mom101628 said
  - 11 Feb 2016
    9:46 pm
I agree how hard it is to have a miscarriage – I also had two of them, but I was still comparatively young compared to these days, and went on to have another three children – but I still mourned the boy and girl I lost. At least Lisa was wise enough to realise her eggs were perhaps no longer viable at her age.

- - KrysGrace said
  - 08 Feb 2016
    3:36 pm
<3

- - june11 said
  - 29 Jan 2016
    8:41 pm
I know a couple who lost 4 babies. The first 3 she either miscarried or they were stillborn. The last time they inserted some stitches to stop the baby from coming down too soon and removed them very quickly when she went into full labour about 3 weeks early. They baby was progressing fine and was due to go home within a week when he succumbed to a virus that went through the nursery. He passed away within 24 hours of the staff recognising that he had a problem. All of them were baby boys.

- - mom90758 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    7:48 pm
I lost my twins at 7 and a half weeks. Yes, it’s painful, really painful! So many women suffer miscarriages. Very sad!

- - mom171210 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    7:29 pm
I had a neo natal death. My second child a son was born at 26 weeks & survived for 21days. Sands was such a great support for myself. I fully support the work they do with families with little help from the government.

- - mom160421 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    5:23 pm
Fortunately I have never experienced a miscarriage. It must be so hard for those who do.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    2:46 pm
My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage so can totally understand the heartbreak. Before that i had no idea just how prevalent miscarriage is. Almost everyone i know/have talked to has had one themselves.
- linaianna replied
  
  28 Jan 2016 , 6:30 am
  How sad this must be for anyone to go through something like this.
- - mom165081 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    1:51 pm
It is horrible to think of great personalities like Lisa having to deal with this trauma whilst portraying a very different public persona – and with presumably a lot pf people questioning her choices around family!! So ver good of her to speak out.

- - Lizbef said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    12:52 pm
So heart breaking. I’ve always hated the “don’t tell people until after 13 weeks just incase” if you are pregnant celebrate it as soon as you find out! Just because you lose a baby early in pregnancy does not make it null and void. It happened! There was a life there! Why hide your mourning? All the mummas who have lost a Bub have my heart x
- mom94125 replied
  
  28 Jan 2016 , 6:19 pm
  yes that is a beautiful way to put it. celebrate the life, either way.
- - aprilb1 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    12:29 pm
How sad, i have never experienced this but can only imagine it would be dreadful

- - mom74640 said
  - 27 Jan 2016
    11:30 am
Lie fa