Question (noun): A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information Genuine question: If you’ve ever had a miscarriage, has any medical professional (in a formal setting) ever asked you any questions about it? Whether anything seemed to bring …
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Guilty (adjective): Justly chargeable with a particular fault or error Opening Statement I write because it helps me to process all my feelings, to assess what’s really wrong. Yesterday, I felt so low, I didn’t even want to write. That’s …
Baby Loss Awareness Quiz
Awareness (noun): Concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development I’ve been thinking about what to do for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2020. Last year (was it really only a year ago?), I outed myself on Facebook …
I Hate (the EPA)U
Trauma (noun): A deeply distressing or disturbing experience URGH. I had to return to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) today. Even though: I’m not pregnant I have so many traumatic memories of the place It’s a couple of hundred …
My Old Self
Future (noun): Time regarded as still to come She sits in a tea shop, tucked away in a corner. Baklava on a plate, book in her lap. I walk in, face masked, heart shielded. She glances up, smiles. I look …
Too High A Price
Payment-in-kind (Finance): The use of a good or service as payment instead of cash Sometimes, I get a thought or a phrase stuck in my head and it goes round and round, so I thought I’d write it down: We …
The Final Taboo
Ball and chain (noun): A heavy metal ball secured by a chain to the leg of a prisoner. Used to convey the idea that something is a crippling encumbrance This morning I’ve revisited the “Am I even a Mum?” frame …
The Middle Child
The middle child (syndrome): A psychological condition where a child, who is the middle one in between two siblings, feels left out Today I’d like to talk about My Baby. My Baby who doesn’t always get a lot of airtime: classic middle child …
Labels
Taboo (adjective): A subject prohibited or restricted by social custom Some labels you can’t choose: I’m female, I’m in my 30’s, I’m of Indian origin. Some you can: I work in the City of London, I love to travel. Some …
A Pathetic
Apathetic (adjective): Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm or concern I care about so little at the moment, so little about the things that used to fill my days – social occasions, trips away, family drama, birthday presents, politics – …