That might sound like the most emotionally healthy thing to do, but if you’re stuck trying to navigate an NHS that isn’t set up for supporting women and couples through pregnancy loss, then it’s no wonder that so many of us suppress our sadness in a bid to move on. It can be extraordinarily difficult to receive adequate, compassionate care after a miscarriage – and Howell, having worked in the system for years, is only too familiar with the issues.

“I don’t know if the NHS is going to change because the main issue is low maternity staffing and morale. A lot of the time, in my experience, patients are unable to get the care that they require because [administrators] are just trying to get people in and out.”

She recalls the horrifying experience of a client who went into hospital during her first pregnancy with bleeding. She was sent home believing that she was miscarrying, only for the sonographer to find a heartbeat two weeks later. It was the lack of empathy that stood out for Howell. Had a doula been on hand, she’d have had someone to advocate on her behalf and empathise with her distress. Obviously, that kind of service should come as standard on the NHS but we know from our own experiences and research that it doesn’t.

“I’m a miscarriage doula who spent years working in the NHS – these are things that need to change for women going through pregnancy loss”