Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, opened up about her miscarriage in a poignant op-ed written for The New York Times . In the article, the View co-host confessed that the miscarriage took place a “few weeks ago” and that she is done “hiding” her pain and sorrow.
The op-ed opens with McCain’s experience at a photo shoot for The New York Times Magazine’s cover story about The View . McCain writes that she should have felt proud of her accomplishment, that she was part of a show that had enough cultural significance to warrant a cover story. However, instead, she had an instinct that she was losing her baby and the doctor confirmed the unfortunate news later that day.
“I look back at those pictures now, and I see a woman hiding her shock and sorrow,” she wrote.
“I am posed for the camera, looking stern and strong, representing my fellow conservative women across the country. But inside, I am dying. Inside, my baby is dying.”
McCain explained that she had known she was suffering a miscarriage in the same way she confessed that “I knew I was pregnant before I formally knew I was pregnant.” As a result of her loss, she missed a few days of work, which she was upset to learn had become a source of gossip.
It was due to this gossip that McCain decided to open up about her struggle, as doctors estimate that one in 10 to one in four pregnancies end in miscarriages. Moreover, McCain claims that even in 2019, miscarriage carries a dark stigma.
“Even to this day, the subject of a miscarriage carries so much cultural taboo,” she wrote.
“Miscarriage is a pain too often unacknowledged. Yet it is real, and what we have lost is real. We feel sorrow and we weep because our babies were real.”
McCain also admitted that she originally blamed herself. Having a high-profile and stressful career, still dealing with the loss of her father, her age, and her personality were all aspects that she said convinced her that the miscarriage was her fault.
However, McCain concluded her piece by declaring that instead of feeding into the blame and misery that had previously engulfed her, she was turning to love, writing that love was always within our “power.” She concluded the piece by repeating that she loved her baby and always will. Finally, she expressed her hope that her daughter was holding hands with her grandfather, Senator McCain, united together in the afterlife.
