Chrissy Teigen Suffers a Pregnancy Loss in the Second Trimester

Chrissy Teigen has suffered a miscarriage in her second trimester.

She and John Legend shared the heartbreaking news with an emotional Instagram post late on Wednesday, September 30. Teigen, who had been put on bedrest in September and taken to the hospital for severe bleeding, explained that her bleeding just wouldn’t stop “despite bags and bags of blood transfusions."

“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough,” Teigen, 34, wrote in the post, alongside black-and-white images of herself and John in the hospital.

She continued to explain that, while they usually pick the baby’s name after birth, the couple had started to call the baby Jack.

“To our Jack - I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you,” she continued. “We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it,” she concluded.

Legend also posted the statement on his Twitter, writing, “We love you, Jack.” On their way home from the hospital, the grieving mom also tweeted, “Driving home from the hospital with no baby. How can this be real."

While approximately 25 percent of women will experience a miscarriage in their lifetime, second trimester losses are a lot more uncommon. “Second trimester miscarriage, or miscarriage between 14-20 weeks, occurs in approximatley 2 to 3 percent of pregnancies. Fetal demise, or pregnancy loss occurring after 20 weeks is much less common with an incidence of approximately 1 in 160 pregnancies,” Temeka Zore, MD, OB-GYN and infertility specialist, tells The Bump.

She adds that while potential causes for a second trimester miscarriage can include infection, placental abnormalities or genetic abnormalities of the pregnancy, up to 50 percent of the loses may be unexplained. “Despite a full work-up, no cause can be determined and this can be especially frustrating for women,” she says.

Teigen opened up about pregnancy complications last month, revealing she had been put on bed rest. She shared that her placenta was “super weak” and that she was at a high risk for bleeding.

″It’s always been kind of the bad part of my pregnancies with Luna,″ Teigen shared at the time. ″With Miles, it just stopped feeding him. It stopped taking care of him. I was stealing all his food because I was getting huge but he wasn’t getting big at all, so he had to come out early and Luna had to come out early. I was induced both times."

The couple, who also share daughter Luna, 4, and son Miles, 2, announced their third pregnancy in Legend’s Wild music video back in August. The couple, who used IVF to conceive both their children, said they were shocked when they found out.

A pregnancy loss is devastating, but remember that it was not your fault. “I know it may sound cliche but miscarriages are not your fault. They are devastating, and my heart goes out to this family for sharing an unbelievably emotional experience. I truly believe a support system is needed to heal from a miscarriage. This includes not only your physician and medical care team, but may also include a mental health specialist,” Zore says, adding, “Studies suggest up to 10 to 15 percent of women may experience a major depressive episode after a loss. October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month and we have to continue to spread awareness regarding loss and provide resources for families during these devastating times.”

If you or anyone you know is experiencing a pregnancy loss, you’re likely going through a flood of emotions, but remember you’re not alone. For some ways to work through the grief and move forward, check out these tips.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.