Actress Kym Marsh says she is proud of Coronation Street writers for a truthful portrayal of the effects of stillbirth on families.

The star, who plays Michelle Connor in the ITV soap, said she hoped the storyline would encourage others who have been through the trauma to talk about it.

“We didn’t just dip our toe in and go, ‘Oh well, she’s lost a baby and next week she’s fine’,” Kym told Good Morning Britain.

“We absolutely took it on the journey and it’s the most truthful journey it could have taken.”

This week’s episode featured Michelle and husband Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) scattering the ashes of her baby, Ruairi, who died after being born at 23 weeks, in an emotional series of episodes broadcast last month.

Comparing the experience to that of losing her own baby, Archie, eight years ago, Kym said the hospital’s refusal to issue a birth certificate was the most painful aspect.

She is campaigning to change the law which classes babies born dead before 24 weeks as miscarriages rather than stillbirths.

“That was what really grated on me,” said Kym, 40.

“I thought, ‘Why is my son not being registered here? Why is no-one ever going to remember that he was ever here?’

“A lot of parents that have lost children feel the same way.”

Coronation Street returns to ITV at 7pm on Wednesday.