Former professional swimmer Rebecca Adlington has shared her experience of miscarriage and seeing her stillborn daughter.

The double Olympic gold medallist has had two miscarriages – one in 2022 that she discovered during a 12-week scan, and another in 2023 at five months’ pregnant.

Adlington, from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, gave birth to her daughter Harper two days after being told there was no heartbeat.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: “It does change you. It definitely eats away at you, it’s definitely hard to process. You feel guilt that ‘is it something I did?'”

“That trauma, it just lives with you. It eats away at you and it’s something that doesn’t get easier with time if you just bottle it up and don’t talk about it,” she added.

Adlington, who has a son and a daughter, said she had previously experienced two “very normal pregnancies”.

She added: “Normally you go through the birth and you get this wonderful, incredible child.

“So to not have that and to be giving birth to your baby and you’re not going to be seeing them open their eyes, you’re not going to hear them cry, you’re not going to be doing these things, it’s really hard.”

Despite her loss, Adlington praised hospital staff as “fantastic”.

She said: “They explained what she was going to look like, because their colouring is a little bit different, and what to expect.

“They really do prepare you and that does put your mind at ease.

“They put a little hat on her, gave her a little blanket and then came through.”

Adlington said she knew then that she wanted to see her daughter.

“I’m really, really glad I did,” she added.

“Just to be able to actually see how she was developed and see her little nose, her little hands.

“And even though it was really difficult, I think I would have regretted that decision if I hadn’t seen her.”

Adlington also shared how she has been supported by the charity Petals, which offers support and counselling to those who experience baby loss.

She described the charity as a “lifeline”.

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