Mums praise Meghan Markle for devastatingly honest account of miscarriage and grief

Meghan Markle has been praised by mums around the world for speaking honestly about the pain of miscarriage and grief in a moving account of her own experience.

The Duchess of Sussex penned a heartbreaking piece for the New York Times, in which she describes the moment she "dropped to the floor" after feeling a "sharp cramp" and "watching her husband's heart break" in the hospital.

She spoke about the personal issue in a bid to raise awareness of the subject, and asks people to check on those around them.

She writes: "Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, “Are you OK?”"

Social media was inundated with messages thanking Meghan for speaking out, as well as praising her bravery.

One user wrote: "Very moving words from Meghan Markle. She’s right by saying miscarriage is a taboo topic people do not like to talk about. I think it’s brave of her to share this with the public and offer words of encouragement to other mothers who have lost a child."

Another added: "It's incredibly brave of Meghan Markle to share her painful experience with us and to highlight that these issues affect us all, whether it be firsthand, or being a partner, relative, friend etc. This shouldn't be something to be ashamed of or taboo."

A third commented: "Meghan Markle talking about her miscarriage is brave and must be heart breaking for her. No she shouldn't have to keep it to herself, break the stigma, this is sadly more common than people think. Women who go through this deserve to be able to talk about it."

A fourth wrote: "The connection we women feel when we hear of another woman miscarrying is possibly one of the most beautiful yet heartbreaking powers us women have. Chrissy Teagan and Meghan Markle are so strong and brave."

Miscarriage charities have also praised Meghan's words, and Sophie King from Tommy's told Cosmopolitan : "Baby loss at any stage in pregnancy is one of the most heart-breaking things a family can experience – and as Meghan Markle said, it’s experienced by many but talked about by few.

"Mothers like Meghan sharing their stories is a vital step in breaking down that stigma and shame.

"Meghan's honesty and openness sends a powerful message to anyone who loses a baby: this may feel incredibly lonely, but you are not alone. Friends and family, doctors and midwives, all of us at support organisations like Tommy’s – we’re here."

In her moving story, Meghan admitted not knowing how common miscarriage is before going through it herself, and hopes sharing her story will encourage other women to talk about it.

She writes: "Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few.

"In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage.

"Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning. Some have bravely shared their stories; they have opened the door, knowing that when one person speaks truth, it gives license for all of us to do the same.

"We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter — for all of us. In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."

Royal experts have also praised Meghan's decision to share her story, including Katie Nicholl, who has written several books about the royal family.

She told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I was incredibly moved by it and my first reaction was, how incredibly brave of her.

"They want to use their profile to help other people.

"I'm told that if she feels this can help other people going through a similar experience then that's why she wrote it.

"To break down this stigma and this taboo, and to say, you know what, it's okay to talk about this and we must remember to ask each other 'are you okay' and mean it."

Replying to questions about why she believes Meghan made it public, Katie replies: "She's obviously chosen to talk about this experience to link it to the issues that matter to her.

"What she will say is I'm using my unique position in the spotlight to talk about something that has really changed my life and it's important that I talk about it.

"I think they will talk about personal issues when they are relevant to the causes they're trying to draw attention to."