![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fcc7c83404c22c5c73468a168a80efab.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nWe often say that behind every statistic is a human story. But what about the Aussies who never even make the count?<\/p>\n
Brooke Walker is one of those invisible stories. <\/p>\n
The 35-year-old from Melbourne experienced her first of two miscarriages in 2019 at around six weeks, with a second at around five weeks gestation in 2024. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always the babysitter of the family. Everyone always called me the mum of the family because I was always wanting to be around their babies and help them and look after them,\u201d Ms Walker told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just knew that one day I wanted to be a mum\u201d. <\/p>\n
The breakdown of her engagement and exhausting appointments have meant her path to motherhood has been far from easy. <\/p>\n
Her first loss was traumatic. <\/p>\n
She\u2019d presented to the emergency room and waited up to seven hours for a physician, only to be met with cold dismissal. <\/p>\n
A doctor told her: \u201cIf you didn\u2019t take a pregnancy test so early, you wouldn\u2019t have even known you were pregnant\u201d in the hours after losing her baby. <\/p>\n
\u201cI thought to myself, no wonder why people don\u2019t go to a hospital or talk about a miscarriage when you\u2019re treated like that so early on,\u201d she reflected. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat miscarriage, and the experience I had, just sticks with me all the time. My second miscarriage, I feel it, but it\u2019s not as much as the first one.\u201d <\/p>\n
The most devastating part of the entire experience is that the loss isn\u2019t included in national health data. <\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely think it is quite sad that the data doesn\u2019t reflect the true number of miscarriages that we do have,\u201d Ms Walker said. <\/p>\n
New national data published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed that three in 10 women had previously experienced at least one miscarriage, while one in 10 had two or more. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, these stats don\u2019t present a thorough picture. <\/p>\n
The numbers were collected from just five of our states and territories, and women who didn\u2019t go on to have a subsequent birth after their loss were excluded. <\/p>\n
Doctor Hector Georgiou from Melbourne IVF said a lot of the data is \u201cbuilt around births\u201d meaning our recording of pregnancies that end earlier uses a \u201cmuch less comprehensive system\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf a woman miscarries and never goes on to have a registered birth (whether by choice, secondary infertility, or simply not yet), she\u2019s invisible to the collection,\u201d Dr Georgiou told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed, they have experienced a significant reproductive and often very emotional event. Yet, our national data systems don\u2019t necessarily record it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accurate numbers would also mean better supports and services for families. <\/p>\n
\u201cBetter data is ultimately about more than statistics; it is about making sure that people\u2019s experiences are visible and that services are designed around the reality of their lives,\u201d Dr Georgiou continued. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn my day-to-day practice, I see how much pregnancy loss can affect people\u2019s confidence in their ability to become parents, their decisions about future pregnancies and, sometimes, their wider sense of wellbeing. We need to make sure that those experiences are recognised and supported\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Walker made the decision to make a third attempt at pregnancy as a solo mother by choice. <\/p>\n
Currently, she\u2019s 17 weeks pregnant with a baby boy after turning to IVF to make her dream a reality. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say it\u2019s easy, because I don\u2019t think IVF or anything about it is easy, but it\u2019s been a really positive experience. I\u2019ve got so much family and so much support around me that it\u2019s made the journey a seamless one,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t change it for the world, to be honest. Everything led me to where I am now\u201d.<\/p>\n
After her first visit, Dr Hector was able to determine a health concern with her blood, placing her on aspirin throughout IVF treatment, her entire pregnancy and up until six weeks post-partum. <\/p>\n
Her pregnancy has come with a degree of caution.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have so much anxiety around the pregnancy because of my previous losses,\u201d she admitted. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s why she is determined to speak out, ensuring that even though her losses remain aren\u2019t recorded in official statistics, they still count. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s really hard because miscarriage is such a taboo subject. So I don\u2019t think a lot of people speak about it. Which is really sad,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI am very open in terms of my miscarriages. I will tell anyone who listens just to make other people feel less alone\u201d. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We often say that behind every statistic is a human story. 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