From the outset Kristy Brown is the proud mother of two small children but every day she also carries the pain of losing three others to miscarriage.
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In 2010 and 2011, Mrs Brown and husband Elijah lost three babies in early pregnancy.
The first ended at 10 weeks, the second resulted in the live birth of a baby girl at 15 weeks deemed incompatible with life, and the third also ended at 10 weeks.
However, each loss was termed a miscarriage so the Beresfield couple was unable to receive any formal recognition of their pregnancies.
But from this month Mrs Brown, 37, along with thousands of other women who miscarry will be able to receive a Recognition of Loss certificate from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
“I think it’s important to recognise every pregnancy, but I think in society people tend to brush off an early miscarriage as something that’s not that important,” Mrs Brown said.
“But a loss is a loss.”
Mrs Brown has now applied for three certificates honouring her early pregnancies and subsequent losses.
“I’ll hang the certificates next to the ultrasound images of our lost babies and Harvey and Lawson [the couple’s sons] will one day know about the siblings they could have had,” she said.
Attorney General Brad Hazzard said he hoped the certificates would provide some help to those living with the tragedy of miscarriage.
“Until now it has not been possible to receive formal recognition for the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The legal distinction of 20 weeks for registering a stillbirth will remain as it is an important analytical tool used by health authorities, but it is equally important to recognise the grief of early pregnancy loss.”
The Australian College of Midwives president Caroline Homer said it was important to recognise the impact of early pregnancy loss.
“When a woman loses a baby she is not thinking in terms of what gestational age that baby has reached. She is thinking of the loss of dreams, hopes and possibilities,” Ms Homer said.
Mrs Brown echoed those sentiments.
“You are grieving the child that could have been. The three babies we lost are part of this family and we’ll always recognise them as such,” she said.
The certificates are free of charge.
Details and application forms can be accessed online at www.bdm.nsw.gov.au.
