Irish couple speak out about the grief of losing a baby

One couple’s treatment in hospital during a miscarriage was so horrific, they wrote a book about it as a form of therapy, writes Olivia Kelleher.

Miscarriage is among the few surviving taboos in Irish society. An estimated 50 Irish women a day experience a miscarriage, yet the majority feel they have to brush the experience under the carpet. The pressure is to get back to normal and of course you can always “try again”.

Siobhan O Neill White had a seven-month old boy, Mitchell, when she unexpectedly became pregnant in 2004. A bit shell shocked at the idea of having two children under the age of two, she quickly came to terms with the news. She began to envisage how the next few years would unfold. The children would be pals. The house would be a hive of activity.