Ask Our Expert - Telling Your Child about a Miscarriage

November 22, 2009

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Telling Your Child about a Miscarriage

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, I have just miscarried at seven weeks and need to tell our six-year-old daughter, who is VERY excited about the baby. What do you suggest? — MichL

ANSWER	October 19, 2000


Dear MichL, I am so sorry for your loss. When dealing with early miscarriages in the past, I have found that telling a young child that you thought that you were going to have a baby but it turned out you were mistaken, is better than saying that the baby died. Since most early miscarriages occur even before the embryo has fully formed, I consider this response more accurate than saying that a baby has died, and it's certainly less alarming for a young child. You might add that you are very sad, and that you understand if she, too, is sad or even angry. — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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