A Rawtenstall mum says we need to break the stigma around miscarriages, after revealing that she has had suffered two in the last four months.

Briony Aston, who is married to Coronation Street star Sam Aston, opened up about her miscarriages on Instagram.

She posted a picture of a pregnancy test which says ‘not pregnant anymore’.

Posting to her 14,000 followers she said: “This is a difficult thing to share, but in the interest of breaking the taboo I'm miscarrying again, the second time in four months...it's heartbreaking and it's unfair, but I'm not seeking sympathy.

"I feel well supported and want others to feel supported too and that's why I wanted to post this today, because having people you can talk to and receiving comfort from those who have been through something similar makes the world of difference.



“We told close friends and family about both pregnancies because I knew that, for me, I would want support from those people if it wasn't meant to last.

"But I wouldn't have been so open had I not heard from other women about the babies they lost and their stories.

“So thank you to all the women before me who have shared their stories and talked about their babies, it makes processing this a lot easier, and I don't feel alone at all.

“In fact I feel the opposite of alone, I feel held and heard and I hope that by continuing these difficult conversations about miscarriage and pregnancy loss we open the door for others who will sadly experience loss too.”

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, the mum-of-two said the last few months have been hard.

She said: “The last few months have been challenging. We have had the positive and exciting parts of trying for a baby.

“You try to stay hopeful but the uncertainty of the pregnancy is an emotional rollercoaster.

“It has been really tricky [staying composed] for my children.

“I had a cry a couple of days ago and Sonny came up to me and gave me a hug. It is so lovely that they are so caring, but it is a normal emotion and I am not afraid to show that side of me in front of them.”

Briony said she was nervous about opening up about this on social media but was determined to smash the taboo surrounding miscarriage.

The 28-year-old said: “I was nervous to post it. I didn’t want people to think I was attention seeking.

“It is a big thing to share. We don’t feel nervous to post pregnancy and birth announcements but in reality this is another part of nature that we should be talking about.

“Most people don’t talk about miscarriage and it is often kept quite ‘hush hush’ in families.

“I knew I wanted support from other people [instead of staying silent].

“People have been talking to me and stopping me in the street asking when the next child is coming along.

"Hopefully, people will not be insensitive if they know we have been struggling to conceive.”

Since posting, Briony said she has received hundreds of messages from women who are willing to share their own experiences and stories.

“It is important to open up,” she said. “Having that community of women who have also been through this has been really helpful, it helps you to realise you are not alone.

“I have received hundreds of messages and I was up at 4am responding to everyone. You want to acknowledge people’s stories and the children they have lost.

“An elderly man came over to us and said we were brave for posting what we did and said it was really beautifully written.

“Everyone has been so lovely and kind it has been received really well.

“It’s not easy to talk about but it is something that happens.”

Briony is a hypnobirthing teacher and a doula, which is a person who supports women through labour and birth.

She has two children, Sonny and Daisy, with Sam, who plays Chesney Brown in ITV’s Coronation Street.

Her Crawshawbooth baby yoga business, Happy Baby Studio, is temporarily closed she and co-owner Olivia Phillips can focus on building their families.

She was also on a course to become a midwife but has paused this to focus on her family. 

If you are struggling with miscarriage or want to make a charity donation consider visiting SiMBA, which provides memory boxed for bereaved parents, or Tommy’s, which is the largest UK pregnancy and baby loss charity.