Actress Jessica Brown Findlay has shared a deeply personal update about the heartbreaking miscarriages she experienced before the arrival of her two sons.
During a recent appearance on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, the Downton Abbey star opened up about her emotional journey, revealing that she went through several miscarriages, including both natural and IVF-related losses. The 35-year-old actress, who is now a proud mother of twin boys, shared that her experiences with miscarriage were marked by immense pain and uncertainty.
Before her sons were born, Jessica suffered three miscarriages—two of which occurred while conceiving naturally, and one chemical miscarriage during IVF. Recalling the IVF loss, she explained, “They do a blood test, and they want to see this number double, and it just wasn’t.” She also spoke about a more recent miscarriage, which occurred a few months ago. Reflecting on a particularly tragic experience, she shared that after feeling something was wrong, she went for a scan and discovered that her unborn child’s heartbeat had stopped. “I went the next morning and I went for a scan, and there wasn’t a heartbeat anymore,” she recalled. “And I’d gone on my own because I was like, ‘Look, no, no, no, I’m fine. Because, you know, you’re working. We’ve got the boys. I’m just going to go and if everything’s okay, then I’ll just come home.’”
Jessica, who welcomed her twin sons via IVF in November 2022 with her husband, Ziggy Heath, reflected on the profound impact IVF had on her life. The couple’s twin boys were a long-awaited blessing, and Jessica later shared a heartfelt post on social media, captioning a picture of herself holding her newborns, “5.11.22. Our boys! Remember Remember.”
Although Jessica generally keeps her personal life private, she gave her followers a glimpse into her fertility struggles on International Women’s Day in 2022. “IVF has made me even more aware of just how much women are capable of and what we can achieve whilst going through pain and heartbreak,” she wrote. “Your body is not the enemy. Love it. No matter what. Sending love and support to every woman I have ever met and all the ones I haven’t but know what this is.”
In a separate interview with You Magazine, Jessica described how the IVF journey was challenging, not only physically and emotionally but also for her relationship with her husband. “IVF was a lot to go through as a couple,” she admitted. “But it was also a loving and generous time. We couldn’t control everything about the process, but we did have it in our power to keep talking to each other and have empathy for each other.”
Returning to work recently, Jessica starred in Playing Nice, a series based on JP Delaney’s bestselling novel, alongside Happy Valley actor James Norton. The filming took place shortly after her sons turned one, and Jessica praised her colleagues for being understanding of her new motherhood responsibilities.
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