Jamie Otis opens up about miscarriage on anniversary of losing her baby: 'I blamed myself'
Jamie Otis is opening up about her miscarriage and how to find hope after trauma.
The 35-year-old "Bachelor" star took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a compilation of photos from her first pregnancy with baby Johnathan, who sadly passed away after 17 weeks in her womb.
The slideshow featured photos from her pregnancy reveal and hospital visits, as well as snaps of her growing bump and magazines that covered her pregnancy.
"Six years ago today I delivered the most precious baby boy. A sweet boy too beautiful for earth. Happy heavenly birthday to my beautiful angel baby, Johnathan," she began in the caption. "Even though I didn't get to bring my newborn baby home, I will forever cherish the too-brief moments we did have together. He wasn't breathing, but I could feel him with me."
"He made me a mommy and showed me how strong love can be between a mother and her child. When I held him in my hands I whispered in his perfectly formed little ear that l would spend the rest of my life honouring his short one — and I will keep my promise to him for as long a I live. I feel like it's the least I can do for him," the reality star continued.
The "Married at First Sight" star went on to explain that as traumatic as it is, pregnancy loss is common and it's important to take care of yourself in the aftermath of losing a child.
"As a mommy you want to love and protect your baby. For a long time I blamed myself for our losing Johnathan. I felt so isolated and alone. Back then no one talked about pregnancy loss," Otis added. "If you're a mommy who has lost her baby, I hope you know you're not alone - it happens to far too many of us. If you're part of the 1 in 4 women who has suffered from pregnancy or infancy loss, I want you to know it isn't your fault."
"You do whatever you need to do to try to heal from the unbearable pain of losing a child. Healing doesn't happen over night (not for years, really) but eventually the pain does subside a bit. It never goes away, but it lessens," she concluded.
Fans praised Otis's vulnerability and thanked her for opening up about such a devastating topic.
"I am so glad you got to meet him, even if only for far too few moments. It doesn't stop the pain, but it's still something special," commented a follower. "Thank you for never forgetting him, or caring about those of us that have also felt the mind numbing pain of loss."
"Heart-wrenching yet beautiful that you can share this. I give you so much credit. Wow, what a strong mama! I’m in tears over here. Thanks for sharing! You’re a warrior!" added another.
"Thank you for being so public and open about your loss. I delivered a sleeping angel at 38 weeks in 2021, and I'm struggling with trying to decide if I can try for another. Your posts give me so much hope that it is still possible!" wrote a fan.
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