Chrissy Teigen reveals: “My little Jack would have been born this week”

Chrissy Teigen says that her son, Jack, would have been born this week.

That simple statement is resonating with moms around the world who have also known the heartbreak of miscarrying their child and then the grief of living through their baby’s due date.

“My little jack would have been born this week so I’m a bit off,” Teigen tweeted. “I truly feel kicks in my belly, but it’s not phantom. I have surgery for endometriosis tomorrow…but the period feeling this month is exactly like baby kicks. sigh.”

my little jack would have been born this week so I’m a bit off. I truly feel kicks in my belly, but it’s not phanto… https://t.co/GGaTpU1EFn

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen)
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Teigen also shared a video of her bare belly, where viewers can see the tiny “kicks” she’s experiencing.

“Look at this I’ll pretend it’s him saying hi – it never stops,” she added.

look at this I’ll pretend it’s him saying hi – it never stops. https://t.co/5FKSE3g8cG

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen)
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The Cravings author also asked her followers to share their experiences with endometriosis surgery.

Last fall, Teigen shared her devastating pregnancy loss with the world.

She was halfway through her third pregnancy, which was high-risk and complicated by placenta issues, when she announced the loss of her son.

Teigen and husband John Legend named him Jack.

In the months since, the couple has been candid about their grief and the loss of their son.

In late October, Teigen published an essay about how she chose to share Jack’s story for herself and for other mothers who have lived through loss.

“I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos,” she said to those who criticized her for sharing powerful photos from the day they lost Jack. “How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done. I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyone but the people who have lived this or are curious enough to wonder what something like this is like. These photos are only for the people who need them. The thoughts of others do not matter to me.”

Two months later, Teigen shared a new photo that showed her belly.

“This is me and my body, just yesterday,” she wrote. “Even though I’m no longer pregnant, every glance in the mirror reminds me of what could have been. And I have no idea why I still have this bump, honestly. It’s frustrating. But I’m proud of where this entire journey took my body and mind in other ways. I love being pregnant, so so much, and I’m sad I never will be again. But I am lucky to have two amazing little ones who are transforming into big little people more and more every single day.”

Teigen and Legend are parents to Luna Simone, 4, and Miles Theodore, 2.

And today, Teigen shared that baby Jack would have been due this week.

Why does this all matter?

We don’t talk about pregnancy loss and miscarriage enough.

It’s heartbreaking and sadly, all too common. 1 in 4 women will experience it. 1 in 4 families around the world will carry that pain with them.

We need to talk about it. All of it.

We need to talk about how everyone grieves differently. Some women draw comfort from sharing their stories with loved ones; others find solace in silence.

We need to talk about how it’s normal for bodies to ‘look’ pregnant after pregnancy—whether that pregnancy ends in a live birth or not.

We need to talk about how the day that a mother loses a pregnancy is devastating—but so is living through what would have been the baby’s due date. It’s a milestone reminder of what could have been if only things turned out differently.

Families that have lived through their miscarried or stillborn baby’s due date understand that.

In response to Teigen’s tweets, one woman said, “I’m with you. My baby girl Aliyah would have been born this week too. I lost her a week before you lost Jack. It’s excruciating, but you sharing your journey has helped me not feel so alone in my grief. Thinking of you, Jack, and Aliyah.”

Another responded, “I’m so sorry Chrissy. You will never forget precious Jack. My little girl Anna Belle was stillborn in 2014, and there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t think of her. At the time my friend told me : “one foot in front of the other, and don’t forget to breathe”. It saved me xx”

Yet another woman replied, “When I lost a pregnancy at 5 mos., my body didn’t start going back to “normal” until after the due date passed. SO hard, but with the love and support of family and esp. your two beautiful little ones, you will get through it. Sending you love and hugs from NorCal.”

It matters.

We’re grateful that Teigen and Legend continue to share their experiences of grieving and loving baby Jack.

Every time they do, they make it a little easier for other parents to share their stories, too.

They make it a little easier to feel a little less alone.