Shelley Romaniuk, 33, experienced profound emotional distress after being informed of her miscarriage during a routine 12-week scan. She described feeling “traumatised” by the lack of care and support from health services during this difficult time.
“After that scan we were just put into a room, given a leaflet and just left there until someone came in to ask what we wanted to do,” Shelley recounted.
Shelley and her husband, who were expecting their first child, discovered that they had suffered a missed miscarriage. Despite her desire for a surgical procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C), she was told there were no available appointments for a week.
“They basically said you can’t have it now; you have to go home and come back in a week,” she said.
While waiting for the D&C procedure, Shelley began experiencing cramps at home which led her to visit A&E. Unfortunately, she lost the baby naturally before the scheduled procedure.
Shelley expressed her frustration with the lack of emotional support she received:
“There was no offer of support, no therapy, no counselling… I was depressed for a long time after that.”
After years of trying to conceive naturally, Shelley and her husband turned to private fertility treatment. They are now expecting a baby girl in the coming weeks. However, Shelley believes that the absence of mental health support made their journey to conception more challenging.
“The trauma left from that missed miscarriage and how we were treated stays with you,” she stated.
Research conducted by Fertility Network UK, along with various universities, found that 41% of respondents across the UK were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing infertility. Dr. Catherine Hill emphasized the significance of this research:
“Infertility-related trauma is very common, and it’s a silent trauma within our society.”
In Wales specifically, many individuals reported receiving only one session of counselling during their fertility journey—a practice that is often insufficient. Dr. Sofia Gameiro noted that over 60% of participants felt that aspects of their care exacerbated their trauma due to lack of empathy or unsupportive care.
The Welsh government acknowledged these issues, stating they recognize the substantial impact infertility has on mental health and well-being. They highlighted ongoing efforts to ensure high-quality care within their fertility services.
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