Miscarriage is a devastating topic yet former Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek has put into words what so many people need to hear.
Taking to Instagram, the 41 year-old penned a lengthy post about miscarriage - and revealed that he and his wife Kimberley Brook had gone through three of them.
He immediately addresses the ''blame'' factor and says that, ''let’s wipe all blame off the table before we even start.''
''In all but the most obvious, extreme cases, it has nothing to do with anything the mother did or didn't do,'' he writes.
James then goes onto explain why we need a new word for it as it suggests that the fault lies in the mother, as if she could not ''carry.''
He explains the tough reality of what it is actually like to go through a miscarriage.
''It’s painful and it’s heartbreaking on levels deeper than you may have ever experienced,'' he said.
He continued, ''so don’t judge your grief, or try to rationalize your way around it. Let it flow in the waves in which it comes, and allow it it’s rightful space.''
His moving post struck a chord with followers as they took to comment in their droves, with many discussing how they had suffered a miscarriage themselves.
James asked them to ''please share whatever may have given you peace or hope along the way... Along with a new word for this experience.''
One wrote about how much they were grateful to James for being so candid about miscarriage.
They said, ''I really needed this tonight. It’s been 3 months since I lost my son Alden. It’s a super surreal experience! I appreciate when people share their thoughts about it. It’s a great reminder that we’re not alone!''
Another agreed with the fact that there should be a new name for it, writing, ''you're absolutely right, we need a new name. To learn you've lost a life you've carried.. whether for a few weeks, a few months or full term...its devastating.''
Bravo to James for highlighting an important issue that many couples go through, and in such an honest way.
