Carrie Underwood reveals she had 3 miscarriages, a risk women need to talk about more, experts say

Country singer Carrie Underwood recently revealed she suffered three miscarriages in the last two years.

In an emotional interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the 35-year-old said she and husband Mike Fisher tried to have a second child in 2017 and 2018 but it “didn’t work out.”

“We got pregnant early 2017, and it didn’t work out,” she said. “In the beginning, it was like, God we know this just wasn’t your timing, and that is all right, we will bounce back and figure our way through it and got pregnant again in the spring, and it didn’t work out.”

READ MORE: 5 commonly asked questions about miscarriage

Underwood said she got pregnant again in early 2018, but lost that pregnancy, too. “At that point, it was kind of like, ‘OK, what’s the deal? What is all of this?'” she said.

The award-winning performer said she used work to help her get through the difficult time and channelled her emotions into music.

“I’d lose a baby, I’d have a writing session. I’d be like, ‘Let’s go I can’t just sit around thinking about this, I want to work, I want to do this.'”

READ MORE: Carrie Underwood shares heartwarming moment with son Isaiah before going on stage

With those three miscarriages behind her, Underwood announced in August that she’s expecting her second child in 2019. She and Canadian hockey player Fisher, who wed in 2010, have a three-year-old son together named Isaiah.

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In Canada, approximately 15 to 30 per cent of women miscarry in their first trimester, Dr. Noor Ladhani, a high-risk obstetrician at Sunnybrook Hospital, told Global News. After the age of 40, the chances of miscarriage jump to 50 per cent.

The risk resets with every subsequent miscarriage, Ladhani said, but if a woman experiences two or three miscarriages in a row, the chance of a successful pregnancy can be lower.

READ MORE: Over 35? Yes, you can still have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby

Dealing with multiple miscarriages can be traumatic for women, and in some cases even trigger post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study out of Imperial College London.

“I think a lot of times people are told to move on, and that’s not necessarily easy,” Ladhani said.

“Someone once said that a miscarriage is not just a physical emergency, and may not necessarily be a physical emergency, but should be treated as an emotional emergency. Especially when it’s happening and it can’t be stopped, it’s very traumatic.”

READ MORE: Carrie Underwood goes into detail about facial injury in 1st TV interview since accident

Ladhani said it’s important for women to feel supported and seek therapy if they are struggling after a miscarriage. In Canada, there are certain groups available for women who are coping with losing a pregnancy.

There’s more public awareness around the trauma of miscarrying, and having open conversations is key to shedding stigma. It’s important for women to talk about pregnancy loss in order to heal, Ladhani said.

“There’s a grief period, there’s a physical toll, and that should be addressed and acknowledged.”

Laura.Hensley@globalnews.ca