Support group aims to break silence on miscarriages in France
- 3 years ago
In France, an estimated 200,000 miscarriages take place each year. Despite being the most common reason women visit emergency gynaecology services, silence reigns when it comes to discussing miscarriage while medical staff sometimes lack the time and training to direct women towards psychological support. FRANCE 24 observed a support group, ran by the charity Agapa, for women who were left feeling confused and isolated after their pregnancies ended abruptly.
Conventional wisdom has it that women are discouraged from discussing their pregnancies with their entourage and employer before reaching three months, which marks the point when the risk of miscarriage reduces.Marie-Hélène Lahaye, a legal expert and blogger on pregnancy and childbirth, argues that because their brief pregnancies never existed in the public sphere, it is difficult for women to feel legitimate in grieving when they end.She also believes that the silence surrounding miscarriages has its roots in the sexist idea that "women shouldn't bother men with anything that damages their image as a sexual objects. We don't speak about periods, vaginal discharge, menopause. We don't talk about anything intimate that could create a displeasing image of ourselves."Staying silentAnnie K. tells FRANCE 24 that she "brushed what happened under the carpet" without realising she needed to mentally process the two miscarriages she experienced in 2016. Four years later, when France was in lockdown because of Covid-19, she came close to a breakdown and sought psychological support from the French charity Agapa."After keeping it to ourselves," says Maud C., "my husband and I ended up telling a group of friends because they could see something was wro... Go on reading on our web site.
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Conventional wisdom has it that women are discouraged from discussing their pregnancies with their entourage and employer before reaching three months, which marks the point when the risk of miscarriage reduces.Marie-Hélène Lahaye, a legal expert and blogger on pregnancy and childbirth, argues that because their brief pregnancies never existed in the public sphere, it is difficult for women to feel legitimate in grieving when they end.She also believes that the silence surrounding miscarriages has its roots in the sexist idea that "women shouldn't bother men with anything that damages their image as a sexual objects. We don't speak about periods, vaginal discharge, menopause. We don't talk about anything intimate that could create a displeasing image of ourselves."Staying silentAnnie K. tells FRANCE 24 that she "brushed what happened under the carpet" without realising she needed to mentally process the two miscarriages she experienced in 2016. Four years later, when France was in lockdown because of Covid-19, she came close to a breakdown and sought psychological support from the French charity Agapa."After keeping it to ourselves," says Maud C., "my husband and I ended up telling a group of friends because they could see something was wro... Go on reading on our web site.
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