“Heartbreak Gives Way to Hope After Grieving”: A Critical Analysis of Personal Stories of Pregnancy Loss in the UK Press

Pregnancy loss continues to occupy an uncomfortable space in public discourse. This article analyses articles in the UK press published between 2013 and 2023 referencing the Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) that focus on narratives of personal experience of pregnancy loss. These narratives sit between the personal and the public, and constitute examples of public grieving that serve a range of purposes, from the expression of continuing bonds with the miscarried or stillborn baby, the desire to share one's experience of loss, and often to the wish to translate this experience into something positive. We draw on Finch's concept of “displaying families,” considering how they construct an identity for the baby who never lived and demonstrate continuing bonds with them. By analysing how this “identity work” is made public, we explore how pregnancy loss is presented in public media as a transformative teleological experience for parents.