My personal miscarriage story: Vampire Diaries actress Claire Holt opens up

In a bare-it-all Instagram post, 29-year-old Claire revealed that she’d had a miscarriage, as she shared a pre-surgery photo from her hospital bed.

Following her heartbreaking experience, Claire says she spent hours searching the internet, desperate to read and hear the stories of other women who’d been through it, too. That's why she decided to share her own...

Actress Claire Holt's miscarriage story

“I took this photo 10 days ago, as I waited for surgery after my sweet little baby lost its heartbeat.

“I sent it to my fiancé in the waiting room to show him that I was ok. I wasn’t. I’ve never felt more broken in my life.

“I debated sharing this so soon and I’m still frightened about making such a private struggle public, but I’m doing it anyway because it's important.

“After my D&C [dilation and curettage], I spent hours on the internet searching for women who had been through it.

“I was desperate to find someone, anyone, who could relate to what I was feeling. Someone to tell me that the depression and hopelessness were normal.

“That it wasn’t my fault. That I wasn’t broken forever.

“I found a community of women who shared my exact experience. Who were open and vulnerable about miscarriage, something that isn’t often or openly discussed.

“It breaks my heart to think that losing a baby feels like something we have to keep to ourselves. Why is it any different than the death of a loved one? How is it any less meaningful?”

How Claire's coping with her miscarriage

“Here is what I have learned as I begin to crawl out of the dark hole: support is everything.

“I could not have survived this without the unconditional love of my partner. Despite his pain, he was my rock and my safety net. I will never know how to thank him.

“I also found that opening up to people is crucial. As soon as I told my story, almost everyone I spoke to told me theirs - their own, their wife’s, their sister’s. So many people go through it and understand the breadth of pain, yet so few people talk about it.

“Finally, I want to share a blog post that resonated with every part of me. You can find the link in my bio, @leandramcohen of @manrepeller articulates the emotional rollercoaster with an eloquence that I could never possess.

[Claire's referring to this blog post on ManRepeller]

“To anyone out there who has been through a miscarriage, I understand you. I share every bit of your pain and you are not alone.

“Please be kind to yourself and I hope that you will be comfortable sharing your story too.”

Thanks for sharing your story with so many people, Claire ?

Image: Instagram/Claire Holt

Read more:

• Big Bang Theory star ‘terrified’ of new pregnancy after miscarriage
• What you need to know about miscarriage
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