IT is the ‘taboo’ topic that affects one in five women across the UK - miscarriage.

One brave mother is hoping to bring comfort to Hampshire women and families suffering the devastating loss of a child or pregnancy by encouraging them to talk openly.

Brigitte Drabble is setting up a support group, which will be based in Winchester, as part of UK-wide charity the Miscarriage Association (MA).

She said when she lost three babies in three years there was limited emotional assistance available.

“I didn’t get support,” she said.

“For the medical professionals it’s something they see every day but for the people going through it, it’s a massive life time event and a very sad one.

“It was horrendous.”

The 40-year-old Abbots Barton resident now has two children with her husband of 15 years.

She added: “I feel that I’m in a position now that I have got over it and we are lucky that we have kids, but other people go through it and don’t have their own children at the end of it.”

Mrs Drabble has been appointed as the support group leader and wants to encourage people to speak more freely about their losses.

“It’s a place where people can come and talk openly about how they are feeling. “I think miscarriage and those losses are a bit taboo and people don’t talk about them.

“I think that’s partly historical, maybe because people didn’t find out until later down the line. Now we know much earlier on. You don’t talk about it because it’s so emotional and people are so hurt.”

In Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital around 10 per cent of women miscarry, figures from 2013 show.

Renee Behrens, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and leader of the early pregnancy at RHCH, said the hospital delivers around 3,000 babies each year but some 324 women are diagnosed with an early miscarriage (less than 12 weeks).

The figure is half the national average of 20 per cent, but Ms Behrens thinks there are still gaps in support.

She said: “People don’t seem to talk about it a lot, it’s a very emotional issue and difficult to talk about. It’s a hidden illness and makes it difficult to come to terms with.

“MA is a really strong patient support group and has very close links to the Association of Early Pregnancy Units.

“We have links but haven’t had a branch of MA in this area so I think that’s been a weakness.”

She added that psychological support can be difficult to achieve in the NHS.

“We do have patient information leaflets and talk to them but women need more support than what can be given face to face.”

Ms Behrens said miscarriages are linked to age, with half of women aged 40-45 at risk and 90 per cent of over 45-year-olds, compared to just 15 per cent of under 35s.

MA’s director, Ruth Benderatik, said she is pleased that more women will be able to access support.

She said: “It’s really interesting that this is going to be in Winchester – the Association of Early Pregnancy Units is UK-wide and held a conference there in November.

“Winchester is definitely on the map and the local trust has been very supportive of the work done into early pregnancy problems.”

Mrs Drabble said that although her friends and family were sympathetic, others do not receive the same treatment.

“There’s always the clichés that people come out with, like ‘it was meant to be’ ‘it was nature’s way’ ‘it was probably for the best’, actually that can really stab you and it’s very unhelpful.”

She said it is important people acknowledge miscarriages are a grieving process.

“I’m a Christian and want to help people. I feel that I’m in a position that I have the energy to set it up.

“I think there’s a gap in Hampshire that’s crying out for it.”

Now Winchester Round Table is backing her and has donated £240 to pay for room hire for a year.

The group’s community service chairman, Rowland Rees, said it was a no-brainer to award the money.

“We give away about £40,000 in total every year. This is quite a small amount of it but they are a deserving charity.

“Everyone knows somebody who has been through it; it doesn’t take many degrees of separation. It’s very common and traumatic emotionally and psychologically and it can be difficult to recover.

“For the charity it’s great because Brigitte has got up off her own back and started this up with no support financially and it’s fairly unique to the area by the sounds of it so it’s filling an area in need.”

On May 16 the Mariposa Trust held a memorial service at Winchester Cathedral for those affected by miscarriages, pregnancy loss and still-born babies.

For more information go online at mariposatrust.org.

The first meeting of the Winchester Miscarriage Support Group will be at 7.30pm-9pm on June 4 at St Mary’s Church Rooms in London Road in Kings Worthy. To volunteer or for more information email winchestermiscarriagesg@gmail.com.