Like Rebecca Adlington, I also know the heartbreak of losing a baby at 20 weeks

In an intimate Instagram post, the former Olympian revealed she had a miscarriage at five months. For Pippa Vosper, it brought back emotional memories of going through the same devastating loss

Rebecca Adlington with her two older children before her devastating loss (Rebecca Adlington/Instagram)

When I heard the news that Rebecca Adlington had a late miscarriage at 20 weeks, it brought back the pain of losing my own baby late in pregnancy. I too was five months pregnant, and six years on, the loss I feel is still just as devastating as it was then.

Adlington had announced her pregnancy on 1 October on her Instagram, but on Sunday, the 34-year-old, who has a son and a daughter, put up the following heartbreaking post: “I don’t really have the words right now, but unfortunately we went for our 20-week scan this week and they found no heartbeat. I gave birth to our angel, Harper, on Friday at 7pm. We held her and had time with her. We will forever love her and remember her always.”

I also had to say goodbye to my baby on the day that I gave birth to him. At 20 weeks pregnant, I went into premature labour due to a weakened cervix caused by a complicated first pregnancy. I delivered my son on towels in my bathroom, as instructed by the 999 responder on the end of the telephone line. My son, Axel, was breathing, but due to his not-yet-fully-developed lungs, he was unable to survive, and died as I held him in my arms, while I told him over and over that I loved him.