In this podcast, hosts Sam Payne, CEO and Co-Founder of Pink Elephants, and Stacey June Lewis, a seasoned counsellor, psychotherapist, and broadcaster, create a safe space for everyday Australians to share their stories of pregnancy loss. Their conversations provide a platform to candidly discuss many women’s experiences, helping to dismantle the layers of shame, blame, and stigma that frequently surround miscarriage and early pregnancy loss.
The Miscarriage Rebellion strives to break down societal taboos surrounding pregnancy loss, offering empathy and validation to those who have suffered this heartbreaking experience. Join them in these raw and honest conversations, as they embark on a mission to create a more supportive and empathetic world for those affected by pregnancy loss. The pervasive silence ends here.
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In this podcast, hosts Sam Payne, CEO and Co-Founder of Pink Elephants, and Stacey June Lewis, a seasoned counsellor, psychotherapist, and broadcaster, create a safe space for everyday Australians to share their stories of pregnancy loss. Their conversations provide a platform to candidly discuss many women’s experiences, helping to dismantle the layers of shame, blame, and stigma that frequently surround miscarriage and early pregnancy loss.
The Miscarriage Rebellion strives to break down societal taboos surrounding pregnancy loss, offering empathy and validation to those who have suffered this heartbreaking experience. Join them in these raw and honest conversations, as they embark on a mission to create a more supportive and empathetic world for those affected by pregnancy loss. The pervasive silence ends here.
S2: E2: The Rural Divide: Miscarriage, Isolation, and the Fight for Safe Care
The Miscarriage Rebellion
41 minutes
2 weeks ago
S2: E2: The Rural Divide: Miscarriage, Isolation, and the Fight for Safe Care
In this vital episode, Claire Brett, Pink Elephants' Rural and Regional Ambassador, offers a heartbreaking look at the reality of miscarriage and recurrent loss outside of metropolitan areas. Claire shares her personal journey through five losses (including a missed miscarriage) and the devastating lack of compassionate care and education she received.
Claire recounts the profound shock and isolation after her first loss. Seeking medical care, she encountered a specialist who callously dismissed her anxieties, claiming women "overdramatize." She was forced to hide her grief just to secure a necessary procedure, illustrating a painful survival tactic where the medical system minimizes a woman's pain and inhibits emotional healing.
For regional women, the logistics of loss and subsequent pregnancies are terrifying. Claire highlights a massive "equitable access" gap, sharing that she had a panic attack while driving 65km alone for a vital scan during her successful pregnancy. This anxiety is fuelled by systemic issues:
* Extended Waits: Weeks to see a GP and days-long delays for vital blood test results intensify Pregnancy After Loss (PAL) anxiety.
* Dangerous Travel: Accessing essential procedures often requires driving hundreds of kilometres to a city hospital.
Claire argues that rural patients "don't choose to go to hospital and have no support"—they deserve the same standard of care. She calls for two critical changes to address this safety deficit:
1. National Rollout of Early Pregnancy Assessment Services (EPAS).
2. Specialized PAL Care with unique, consistent support.
Finally, Claire demands that hospitals treat a miscarriage with the same post-delivery accountability as a live birth, requiring mandatory mental health check-ins before discharge.
EARLY PREGNANCY LOSS SUPPORT
If you or someone you know has experienced miscarriage or early pregnancy loss, please know you are not alone.
* For crisis support, please call Lifeline - 13 11 14.
* Access all our support [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/page/65/find-support]
* Connect through Live Chat with Peer Support [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/page/75/peer-support-live-chat]
* Join Online Communities [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/page/74/peer-support-online-communities]
* Call out Pregnancy Loss helpline delivered by PANDA [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/helpline]
* Join the Circle of support [https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/the-circle]
* Follow @pinkelephantssupport [https://www.instagram.com/pinkelephantssupport] on Instagram.
STACEY JUNE LEWIS
You can follow our host Stacey on her personal Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/staceyjune/] account where she shares some of her lived experience.
Pink Elephants thanks the Australian Government for their support in funding this podcast series under the Miscarriage Support grant.
The Miscarriage Rebellion
In this podcast, hosts Sam Payne, CEO and Co-Founder of Pink Elephants, and Stacey June Lewis, a seasoned counsellor, psychotherapist, and broadcaster, create a safe space for everyday Australians to share their stories of pregnancy loss. Their conversations provide a platform to candidly discuss many women’s experiences, helping to dismantle the layers of shame, blame, and stigma that frequently surround miscarriage and early pregnancy loss.
The Miscarriage Rebellion strives to break down societal taboos surrounding pregnancy loss, offering empathy and validation to those who have suffered this heartbreaking experience. Join them in these raw and honest conversations, as they embark on a mission to create a more supportive and empathetic world for those affected by pregnancy loss. The pervasive silence ends here.
