Charlotte Church has opened up about her experience of miscarriage, revealing that the tragic loss taught her how to grieve “properly”.
The singer, 39, gave birth to her daughter at 17 weeks pregnant in 2017 and has previously described the tragic loss as “uniquely painful”.
In a new interview with The Times, the star said that she was “forever changed” by the loss but found solace in nature while dealing with bereavement.
“For a long time, I travelled mainly out of necessity, always moving, but never really landing anywhere,” she told the paper.
“That changed when I lost my baby daughter in utero, in 2017. She was 17 and a half weeks old when I gave birth to her.
“It devastated me and my husband, but she turned out to be the greatest gift.
“She taught me how to grieve – properly, not in the way we’re conditioned to in this society, where we bottle things up and soldier on. I lost myself in nature at home in Wales, in the forest, in the garden and in my allotment space.”
The musician said that she “couldn’t stay indoors” while she was grieving and instead “spent every day outside, hands in the earth, walking, weeping, planting, singing”.
“I was for ever changed by her loss and am eternally grateful for that,” she added.
Church married fellow musician Jonathan Powell in 2017, a few months after the loss of their baby.
The couple have since welcomed a daughter, Frida, who was born in August 2020.
Church also has two teenage children, 17-year-old Ruby and 16-year-old Dexter, with her ex-husband, former rugby player Gavin Henson.
The “Crazy Chick” singer, who shot to fame as a classical vocalist as a teenager, recently opened up about the media circus that surrounded her when she turned 16.
“I feel my character, the narrative of who I was in the world, was taken from me, and made into something salacious, or something to be ridiculed,” she told The Observer.
The Sands national helpline provides support for anyone affected by the death of a baby. You can call 0808 164 3332 free of charge, or email helpline@sands.org.uk. The Miscarriage Association specialise in support for pre-24 week loss. You can call their helpline on 01924200799.
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