Baby loss and infertility in the veterinary profession
Abstract
Vet MINDS (miscarriage, infertility, neonatal death and stillbirth) was founded in 2019. It is a group developed to support all veterinary professionals affected by baby loss and infertility. Vet MINDS is also working to increase awareness and understanding of these sensitive issues, including producing guidelines for employees and employers in the veterinary workplace.
In April 2018 we heard the words no couple ever wants to hear, ‘I'm sorry, but there's no heartbeat’.
As a vet, I consider myself a scientist. Someone who understands the circle of life. But my miscarriage hit me like a ton of bricks. Not least because it is a loss that so many of us experience in silence.
Yet we are not alone. The statistics show that at least 1 in 8 couples will experience fertility problems, and that 1 in 4 pregnancies will end in loss.
I began to realise that baby loss is a lot like loneliness: you can be in a room full of people but feel totally alone — until one person shares how they feel, and suddenly everyone else does too. Before you know it, you realise that none of you is alone, and you have a huge support network sat right next to you. But it takes a few people to start.
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