Miscarriage Documentary, 'First Heartbeat', Shows Couple's Emotional Journey Becoming Parents | HuffPost Life

Film Shows Couple's Emotional Journey Becoming Parents After Five Miscarriages

Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK

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Miscarriages are much more common than most people realise. Among women who know they're pregnant, it's estimated one in six of these pregnancies will end in miscarriage.

Yet talking about the loss of an unborn child can sometimes feel like a cultural taboo.

To challenge the stigma associated with discussing miscarriage, one brave couple filmed their own struggle to have a child.

Lisa Francesca Nand and her husband, David, now have two children. But Lisa miscarried twice before she met David and three times while trying for a baby with her husband, before the pair got to where they are today.

Their intimate, self-shot documentary will air on 15 October, to mark Baby Loss Awareness Day.

Lisa and David with their two children

Lisa's first two miscarriages happened when she was in her twenties, before she met David. Although both were upsetting, in the documentary she admits she wasn't planning to become a mother at that point in her life and "brushed them off".

But when she was 37, she had her heart set on becoming a parent with David and her experience of miscarriage was very different.

She began experiencing cramps the day before her 12-week scan and experienced bleeding once she was at the hospital. Doctors gave her the devastating news that she was no longer pregnant.

"I was so shocked at what had happened - it was horrific. Life had already changed, I was pregnant, we were planning the future and thinking about being a mummy and daddy. Then suddenly, in the space of a few hours, we were no longer going to be parents," she said, according to the MailOnline.

The experience made Lisa determined to find out more about what was happening to her body. Throughout the documentary, she speaks to medical experts as well as other women and men who have experienced miscarriage to try and make sense of her situation.

Lisa and David

According to the NHS, there are many reasons why a woman may have a miscarriage and often, the reasons are unclear.

In the documentary, doctors tell Lisa she has a high level of natural killer (NK) cells. These can cause the immune system to attack the embryo as they see it as a foreign body.

Tragically, this meant she and David went on to lose a second baby.

A particularly emotional scene in the programme shows David waiting outside the hospital while Lisa has the remains of their second unborn child removed from her body.

"I've just left Lisa in the hospital which was one of the most emotional things I have ever had to do," he says with tears running down his face.

"She looked so vulnerable - she's like a little girl. I know it's going to be alright but I want to be there."

Lisa in hospital

A few months later, the couple received the good news that Lisa was pregnant again and this time, the baby appeared to be doing well.

A tense scene in the documentary shows them waiting to hear the baby's heartbeat on a scan for the first time.

Lisa gave birth to baby Sebastian in 2012. Sadly she experienced another miscarriage after he was born, but gave birth to her second child, Elliot, in 2014.

"I suffered five miscarriages - but even one is devastating," she says in the film. "I want to get people talking about this issue to realise they are not alone."

First Heartbeat will be shown on 15 October at 10pm on TLC UK - and repeated on 17 October at 9pm, 19 October at 9pm and 28 October at 10pm.

SEE ALSO:
These Cards Provide Support For People Who Have Lost A Child
Baby Loss Awareness Week - an Interview With Parents

Celebrities Who’ve Opened Up About Miscarriage

Beyoncé(01 of15)

Before Beyoncé had her daughter Blue Ivy, she experienced a miscarriage. The “Single Ladies” singer didn’t discuss her loss until two years after the fact, admitting it was “the saddest thing I've ever been through.” In her 2013 HBO documentary, the Grammy winner said: “About two years ago, I was pregnant for the first time and I heard the heartbeat, which was the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life. I picked out names, I envisioned what my child would look like... I was feeling very maternal. I flew back to New York to get my check up — and no heartbeat. Literally the week before I went to the doctor, everything was fine, but there was no heartbeat. I went into the studio and wrote the saddest song I've ever written in my life. It was the best form of therapy for me.”Beyoncé and Jay-Z now have a daughter named Blue, who is 3 years old. (credit:Instagram)

Courteney Cox(02 of15)

Before Courteney Cox had her daughter Coco with ex-husband David Arquette, she had multiple miscarriages. The “Friends” star previously told People, “I get pregnant pretty easily, but I have a hard time keeping them.” Cox’s daughter Coco is now 11 years old. (credit:Twitter)

Eva Amurri Martino(03 of15)

In August 2015, Susan Sarandon’s daughter Eva Amurri Martino revealed she suffered a miscarriage while pregnant with her second child. She was nine weeks pregnant at the time. “I am sharing in the hopes that we can be a light for people going through similar circumstances, and to remind myself and others that there is no shame in voicing our heartbreaks and allowing others to comfort us,” she wrote on her blog. The 30-year-old actress and her husband Kyle Martino are parents to a 1-year-old daughter named Marlowe. (credit:Instagram)

Celine Dion(04 of15)

In the past, the Canadian singer has been incredibly vocal about her struggles to conceive. Before she became pregnant with her twins Eddy and Nelson via IVF, Dion suffered a miscarriage.“I never gave up,” she said. “But I can tell you that it was physically and emotionally exhausting.”Dion’s twins are now 4 years old and her eldest son René-Charles is 14. The 47-year-old had her three kids with husband René Angélil. (credit:Twitter)

Mark Zuckerberg(05 of15)

In July, Mark Zuckerberg used his baby announcement to share an important message about miscarriage. In a Facebook post, the site founder revealed that his wife Priscilla Chan had suffered three miscarriages.“It's a lonely experience,” the 31-year-old wrote. “Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you – as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.“In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope.”Zuckerberg and his wife are currently expecting a baby girl. This will be their first child together. (credit:Facebook)

Lindsay Lohan(06 of15)

In March 2014, Lindsay Lohan revealed she had a miscarriage while filming her OWN docuseries. “I cried so many times watching [the show],” the actress said. “If I know I’m not capable of being on, that’s why I would say I couldn’t film today. No one knows this... I had a miscarriage for those two weeks that I took off.”“I couldn’t move. I was sick,” she continued. “And mentally that messes with you.” (credit:Instagram)

Lily Allen(07 of15)

Lily Allen has suffered two miscarriages, but her second hit her the hardest. In November 2010, the singer was six months pregnant when she lost her baby with husband Sam Cooper. Describing the experience, she said: “It was horrendous and something I would not wish on my worst enemy.”Reflecting on what she learned from the experience, she said, “What I took home from that experience was… I was very fortunate in the sense that I have a loving partner to go home to and share that experience with.”Allen and Cooper now have two daughters: Ethel Mary, 4, and Marnie Rose, 2. (credit:Instagram)

Brooke Shields(08 of15)

Brooke Shields had a miscarriage before she gave birth to her daughters Rowan and Grier. Speaking about her experience, she said, “We were crushed. Up till then, I thought simply because it was time and I wanted to have a baby, it would work.”The actress had both daughters with husband Chris Henchy. Rowan is now 12 and Grier is 9. (credit:Instagram)

Hugh Jackman(09 of15)

Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness had a long struggle with infertility. The couple underwent a number of IVF treatments only to have them end in miscarriage.“It is a difficult time,” the “X-Men” star said. “The miscarriage thing — apparently it happens to one in three pregnancies — but it’s very, very rarely talked about. It’s almost secretive. But it’s a good thing to talk about. It’s more common and it’s tough, there’s a grieving process you have to go through.”Today the couple has two kids, Oscar, 15, and Ava, 10, who they adopted. In 2012, the actor revealed that adoption was always part of their plan. “To be clear, Deb and I always wanted to adopt,” he said. (credit:Instagram)

Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon(10 of15)

Mariah Carey suffered a miscarriage before she famously had Dem Babies, Monroe and Moroccan, with her then-husband Nick Cannon. Opening up about her experience, she said: “It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult. When that happened… I wasn’t able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy.”The news of the miscarriage came just before Christmas in 2008. Looking back, Cannon said, “It was emotional for both of us and that’s when I saw the strength. [Mariah] handled it so well and then to get on the plane and have to spend Christmas with friends and family, it definitely brought us closer together. It strengthened our relationship so much… she handled it so well.”Twins Monroe and Moroccan are now 4 years old. (credit:Instagram)

Gwyneth Paltrow(11 of15)

In 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow revealed she miscarried her third child, but did not indicate when this occurred. At the time, Paltrow and ex-husband Chris Martin were already parents to two kids: Apple and Moses. In an interview with Mail on Sunday’s You magazine, the actress said: “My children ask me to have a baby all the time. And you never know, I could squeeze one more in. I am missing my third. I’m thinking about it.“I had a really bad experience when I was pregnant with my third. It didn’t work out and I nearly died. So I am like, ‘Are we good here, or should we go back and try again?’” (credit:Instagram)

Nicole Kidman(12 of15)

Nicole Kidman had a miscarriage during her famous marriage to Tom Cruise in the 90s. Years later, the actress revealed, “From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies. And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic. And that's when we would adopt Bella.” Kidman and Cruise went on to adopt two kids, Isabella and Connor, who are now young adults. The “Paddington” star also has two kids with husband Keith Urban: Sunday Rose, 7, and Faith, 4. (credit:Twitter)

Pink(13 of15)

In November 2010, the Grammy winner revealed on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she had suffered a miscarriage before becoming pregnant with her daughter Willow. That’s why she held off on officially announcing her pregnancy. “I was just really nervous,” she said. “I have had a miscarriage before.”Pink had her daughter with husband Carey Hart in 2011. Willow is now 4 years old. (credit:Twitter)

Emma Thompson(14 of15)

Emma Thompson suffered a miscarriage in 1997. Two years later, the actress welcomed her daughter Gaia with husband Greg Wise. Gaia was conceived through IVF. Although the couple wanted to have more children, subsequent IVF attempts failed. Regarding her experience, the “Saving Mr. Banks” star said: “There’s been an awful lot of grief to get through in not being able to get pregnant again, but there are thousands and thousands of women like me who can’t have children.”Besides 15-year-old Gaia, Thomspon and her husband also have a son, 28-year-old Tindyebwa Agaba, who they adopted in 2003. (credit:Twitter)

Kirstie Alley(15 of15)

Former “Cheers” star Kristie Alley only had one pregnancy and miscarried when she was 3 months along. In her 2005 book, the actress claimed her miscarriage was the reason behind her weight gain. “When the baby was gone, I just didn’t really get over it. Neither did my body,” she wrote. “I so thoroughly convinced my body that it was still pregnant after nine months that I had milk coming from my breasts. I was still fat, I was still grieving, and I had just been told it was very possible I would never be able to have children. Fat, childless, with little hope for any future children…that’s when I began to get fat.”Alley went on to adopt two kids with ex-husband Parker Stevenson. William is now 22 and Lillie is 20. (credit:Instagram)

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