Archana Puran Singh Opens Up on Miscarriage Trauma: What It Does To a Woman's Body and Mind

Archana Puran Singh recently opened up about suffering a miscarriage she had after four years of marriage. “I had conceived after four years of marriage. But I couldn’t carry the pregnancy. I was working on a film that Sachin Pilgaonkar was directing. I had a miscarriage,” she revealed in a conversation with her husband on her YouTube channel. “For me, that was a very big shock because I wanted to have kids. I had to request Sachin to cancel two days of shooting,” she recalled. Her husband Parmeet chipped in, “Since I saw the stress and trauma that you went through, I said, it’s not needed. I don’t want kids. I was very happy in the relationship.” Archana shared her side of the story, “I was 34 then. I thought I wouldn’t be able to have kids. The

idea of egg freezing and all has only recently started. We had no clue. We are talking about the 90s.” The couple now shares two grown-up boys. Miscarriage is far more common than most people realise. Medical estimates suggest that nearly 10 to 20 per cent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, often within the first trimester. Yet, despite its prevalence, the health impact, both physical and psychological, remains widely misunderstood and rarely discussed.

What does miscarriage do to a woman’s body?

A miscarriage is not just an emotional loss; it represents a major biological event in a woman’s life. Apart from fluctuating levels of hormones like progesterone and estrogen, which may drop abruptly, it also causes intense fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and sudden mood changes. Archana spoke about feeling “pukish for eight months” and losing a considerable amount of weight – all of these are symptoms that doctors say can happen when the body struggles to recalibrate after pregnancy loss. Physically, women even experience prolonged bleeding, abdominal pain, weakness, and lowered immunity. In some cases, an incomplete miscarriage can lead to infections or anemia, requiring medical intervention. Recovery timelines vary widely; some women feel physically stable within weeks, while others take months to regain strength.

Mental health toll of miscarriage

While a woman may recover physically, the emotional impact of miscarriage can be much deeper. Studies like the ones published in Science Direct show that women who experience pregnancy loss are at higher risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even insomnia. There can be feelings of guilt, failure, or self-blame. Also, due to societal pressure, women are mostly expected to move on quickly, where they receive little support from their partners, family members, or sometimes even doctors, who try to unintentionally minimise their grief, focusing more on future pregnancies than the present pain. Archana’s story highlights another uncomfortable truth - partners often are not able to properly understand what the woman is enduring. This gap in understanding can leave women feeling lonely at a time when emotional support is critical.Also read: Donald Trump’s Diet That No One Should Replicate: 5 Unhealthy Foods He’s Known to Eat Daily

How to heal?

While there is no proper or correct way to recover from miscarriage, healing involves taking proper rest – both physically and mentally, therapy, medical follow-ups, spiritual coping, or simply time. What matters most is acknowledgement that miscarriage is not just a medical event, but a life-altering experience.