**Content Warning – Pregnancy Loss**
** This powerful and emotional story shows us why it’s so important that we rise up. Together we can take action to support and protect the women in our sector who face loss and heartbreak.**
“2016 was a very hard year. It started off with being hospitalized for weeks due to an outbreak in the childcare centre I worked in, without pay due to a new policy of earning your sick days throughout the year. During this time, I had to continue to pay for my youngest child care costs. It was so stressful, I didn’t know how we would get through it, but we did.
I was so happy and grateful when we had some good news – I was pregnant with my second child! We were so excited to welcome a new member of our family into this world, something we wanted with our whole hearts. At my three month ultrasound, I found out that my child was not going to make the appearance we had already started planning for. I lost my baby. The floor fell out from under me. What could ever be worse than this moment.
I quickly found out, according to centre policy, this was not a medical issue and they told me (with sympathy) that I needed to buck up and continue to work as normal. I was encouraged to be back to work as soon as possible, meaning, the next day. Foggy minded I went about my work day only being able to think about what was happening inside me. The heavy bleeding a constant reminder.
There was a reason my administrator expected me to be at work, there was not enough staff or supply to be able to keep the centre open without me coming to work. To add to this, no policy acknowledged a miscarriage as a loss until 16 weeks gestational. In those moments, I was stuck between my feelings of responsibility to the children and the program, and my responsibility to myself. I know my administrator cared, I know she didn’t know better – but that doesn’t make this okay.
The following week I was booked for a post-miscarriage surgery. There was no one able to cover my shift so I was asked to come into work the morning of the surgery and leave on my lunch to make it in time, the assistant supervisor would cover the afternoon. I was so shocked I didn’t even push back – I had used all my strength to get through the past week, my tank was empty. I was back to work 48-hours post-surgery and life went on. That’s how I remember my lost child, with stress, unacknowledged sadness, and feeling like just another cog in the wheel.
In a sector that is so full of women, I know I’m not alone. I know other women are out there in silence, going to work through the tears, the bleeding, the sadness. It’s not easy to share this story, it still feels as if it was yesterday. But it’s past time we acknowledged women’s health in child care, ensured access to paid leave, and build a system so that this story doesn’t happen to another woman. Enough is enough, this needs to stop.”
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Share your story. Sign the petition. Rise up for child care. https://www.childcareontario.org/risingup
To help us advocate for paid sick days for all, visit the Decent Work & Health Network: https://www.decentworkandhealth.org/paidsickdays