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Gemma Collins reveals 'traumatising' miscarriage experience

Gemma Collins has opened up about her miscarriage at four months pregnant in an episode of The Gemma Collins Podcast.

The reality television star shared the traumatic moment that her four-month-old baby “died in front of her” after she suffered a miscarriage in 2012.

Gemma Collins at BooHoo event reveals 'traumatic' loss of unborn baby
Gemma Collins is best known for her cheeky antics, but shared some personal and tragic news with fans this week. Photo: Getty Images

The 39-year-old, who didn’t know she was pregnant at the time, had a miscarriage on her landing floor.

“I’ve had some shocking things happen to me, I’m not sure I’ve spoken about this before,” she said.

“But I actually gave birth to a child, sadly, and basically the child was four months old, basically I had a miscarriage but obviously the baby was formed and it died in front of me.”

Speaking about her experience, Collins’ continued: “I had to go to the hospital and my mum was there. I can remember my mum being really upset, I was in shock, I was upset.

Gemma Collins reveals miscarriage experience
The star said the experience left her 'in shock' and was deeply traumatic. Photo: Getty Images

“That was really a shocking moment for me. But this is what I’m saying, I can talk about it now. Things sometimes are not meant to be.

“I’ll never forget it. It was a very traumatising experience because I didn’t know I was pregnant and literally I remember waking up with severe pains.”

Miscarriage

According to NSW Health, women can have a miscarriage up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, after which it’s considered a stillbirth.

Women are most at risk of miscarrying in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, but there is still a risk that it can happen after that, as in Collins’ case.

The The Only Way Is Essex star’s experience is described by pregnancy support charity, Tommy’s, as a “late miscarriage” meaning it happened after 12 weeks.

Late miscarriages are not very common, happening in only 1-2% of pregnancies. There are several factors that can increase the risk, including age, genetic factors and infection.

Collins didn’t realise she was pregnant because she has polycystic ovaries, which she talked about in her 2013 autobiography Basically.

Collins isn’t the only celebrity to open up about miscarriage, which currently affects up to one in four pregnancies in Australia.

Aussie star Jennifer Hawkins opened up to fans about her own pregnancy losses, admitting that the experiences made her ‘so scared’’ while pregnant with her daughter.

Similarly, Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell revealed in a heartbreaking post on Instagram that she suffered a miscarriage sometime in 2018 in a bid to remove the ‘taboo’ often placed upon the subject.

For support on miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death you can visit Sands.