In the Loop: Presenter Cheree Kinnear shares ‘silent grief’ after miscarriage

A week after giving a little red box containing two tiny booties to her parents, Cheree Kinnear was lying in a hospital bed learning she had just lost her baby.

Today, the In the Loop co-host and Herald Focus presenter bravely speaks about her heartbreak after miscarrying late last year, and why she believes we need to be more open about pregnancy loss.

Although one in four women will lose a baby in miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy, Cheree says discussing miscarriage and stillbirth are still taboo subjects worldwide, linked to stigma and shame.

In the episode Cheree explains to co-host Katie Harris why she went against common advice to keep the news a secret in the first trimester, and why she doesn’t regret telling her family.

“It did put me in a fairly dark place for a while and was one of the hardest things to go through,” she said.

“Let’s normalise sharing the news earlier, not so that it’s ‘but what if things go wrong’, more so that ‘if things go wrong I have people around me and I feel like I can talk to people and I have a support system’ and it doesn’t need to be this thing that happens and only I have to deal with it with no-one else to help.”

NZ Herald reporters and podcasters Katie Harris and Cheree Kinnear. Photo / Dean Purcell

Cheree is telling her story now so others don’t feel so alone.

The presenter has also written a detailed piece about her experience which will come out this weekend in the Herald.

Need support?

• If you think you may be having a miscarriage, contact your lead maternity carer - this may be a midwife or your GP. Alternatively, call Healthline free on 0800 611 116, or visit your local Urgent Medical Centre or hospital
• Visit the Miscarriage Support website or join the Facebook group.
• Visit the Sands website. Sands supports parents and families who have experienced the death of a baby.
• Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.