Zara and Mika Tindall welcomed their second child, baby girl Lena (“Lay-na”) Elizabeth Tindall back on June 18th. Zara has been largely at home with the baby, but she still loves horses and polo and more, so she’s been stepping out every few weeks since giving birth for some horsey events. It does seem like this delivery was a bit easier for her than Mia’s birth, which Zara later said was really difficult to recover from. This weekend, Zara attended the International Day Polo at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club in Winkfield. Mike wasn’t with her, and the vibe I’m getting from the photos is that Zara came out to support some of her horse-culture friends. The fact that Zara is standing and smiling and enjoying herself so soon after giving birth… well, she’s a champion.
Zara also spoke to the London Times this weekend, and she spoke about her 2016 miscarriage, and how she and Mike were trying for a second child after the first miscarriage, she had a second miscarriage, probably in early 2017.
Zara Tindall has spoken out about suffering a second miscarriage before giving birth to her baby daughter Lena in June. The Queen’s granddaughter revealed the devastating news in an interview with the Mike Tindall – announced in 2016 that she had suffered her first miscarriage, said that the worst part was telling everyone. “For me, the worst bit was that we had to tell everyone – everyone knew,” she said. “I had to go through having the baby because it was so far along. I then had another miscarriage really early on.”
The 37-year-old was giving a joint interview with her brother Peter Philips, and praised her family for their support after she lost her first baby. “It was a time when my family came to the fore and I needed them,” she said, adding: “You need to go through a period where you don’t talk about it because it’s too raw, but, as with everything, time’s a great healer.”
Zara and Mike are getting used to being parents of two young children, and Zara opened up about motherhood, and how she hadn’t been very maternal until she welcomed her first daughter, Mia. “I think Pete found it quite strange when I had my first child. I’m not very maternal,” she said. “But I really enjoyed all of it when I had Mia, I shocked myself.”
Poor Zara. This might seem like I’m being overly familiar with her, but I’ve thought for some time now that Zara’s reproductive issues came as such a surprise to her – an awful surprise – because she just assumed that her body would be really good at pregnancy and delivery. She assumed that because she was so athletic – she’s an Olympic horse jumper – and so fit, that everything would be smooth sailing. She was knocked off her feet physically and psychologically because Mia’s delivery was difficult, and recovering from the birth was so difficult, and then the two miscarriages. I feel for Zara so much – she seems like such a real, genuine, no-nonsense person. I’m glad she has a tight-knit family to rely on. And she has two healthy little girls now too.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Making her story public helps remove the taboo about miscarriages and will definitely help other women. She is brave to do this.
I feel for her and I’m glad she’s talking about it. 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage . I just had one recently and it was devastating, but I wish more woman talked about it, so it doesn’t feel so alienating when it happens to you.
Old Winebox: (((hugs))) I am recently getting over a late(r) miscarriage. It’s awful. I agree with you, I wish more people talked about it too. I hope Zara is right and time will help. I feel like a failure for my baby
Hugs to both of you.
Oh HoneyBee I’m so sorry!!! Please don’t feel like you failed your baby, you didn’t…You did everything right. Just give yourself time to heal and try again, my best wishes to you
I’m so sorry, Honeybee. I lost my son in a late miscarriage and there are many days I still struggle. Give yourself time and there is a huge online community to heal with. I read an essay by Angela Miller called You are the Mother of All Mothers, on the Still Standing blog – it was a turning point in my healing. I know the feeling of failure well, take it from me – you did not fail them. Gentle hugs
Honeybee and Old Winebox, this is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to go through: not only are you grieving the loss of your baby, it’s also been a big toll on your body as well. Biologically speaking, the hormonal changes alone are a lot to deal with, even without the sorrow. You didn’t fail your baby, and please accept the love and support so many of us Celebitchy readers extend to you (and to all who’ve gone through this loss). It’s been many years since my miscarriage, and I went on to have other children, but I am still crying as I type this, empathizing with your pain. Time WILL help, and please take super kind care of yourself. Try to hang in there, take one step at a time, and do please reach out to a support group if you can. <3
I had a miscarriage early last year but at week 8, I can’t imagine the pain of having a miscarriage later in the pregnancy though – my heart goes out to her and anyone else who has suffered this same loss. It truly is traumatic because when I did get pregnant again, my fear was always there that it might happen again…luckily, I’m able to hold my baby as I type this, and I wouldn’t trade the lack of sleep for anything in the world.
Nikki, thank you for your kind words. I’m feeling a lot better, especially knowing it happens to so many of us. The hardest part was suffering alone. No one at my job or in my personal life knew what was going on. I only told a handful of people I was pregnant and I miscarried at 8-9 weeks. I hope I only have to go through this once.
I had one at 11 weeks last year and it was semi-public since we had started sharing the news with friends. It was interesting to see just how many people we knew who had struggled with miscarriages as well but we didn’t knows It’s an awful underground club and you don’t know who else is a member until you become a member.
Wow, Millenial: “awful underground club and you don’t know who else is a member until you become a member” is both very apt and sad. I hope you are feeling better, and wishing you much happier days ahead.
I had my miscarriages at 7.5 weeks and 9.5 weeks. We hadn’t told a lot of people but with #1 we were giddy that we’d have our first baby a month before Christmas and with the 2nd, I lost it 3 days before Christmas. And I agree, once you open up, you find out how many friends and family have had losses as well. I feel for you and hope the very best for you.
I never knew 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, but I know I had one, my sister had 4 (and went on to have 4 children!), my daughter had a miscarriage too, as have many of my friends. Agree wholeheartedly that it’s good to talk about it, and women need that support from each other at a devastating loss.
Thank you everyone for the kind words and hugs. I miscarried at 14 weeks. We were devastated and still are. Your messages have helped me today, a hard day I guess. Thank you
Total champ. She does seem like a lovely woman. She’s so beautiful, too. A carbon copy of young Anne.
I am glad she is speaking out about this like others have said. Pregnancy (getting pregnant, staying pregnant etc) can be really hard, delivery can be hard – and if you have a tougher delivery than others you can start to feel bad about yourself, like you did something “wrong.” So I’m glad to hear someone like her talking openly about these issues.
I had a 2 miscarriages, you are supposed to just carry on or whisper ab it. No public ritual for grieving. I’m glad she discussed and supports other women in talking about it.
Hugs also to women who could never have a baby. We also are quiet and feel shame of an even broader scope. I was 35 and shocked to be diagnosed w endometriosis, the pill had suppressed it while in my twenties.
Barrett, isn’t it very sad that if anyone has a physical issue, people sympathize, but a woman with reproductive difficulties often feels shamed? Thank you for encouraging discussion, and sending hugs for women who want to have a baby but can’t. Society has a LONG way to go in being sensitive and supportive of women without kids, so accept our love and support at Celebitchy, and keep sharing your story with others.
She is not a “horse jumper” but an eventer meaning that she competes in 3 day eventing. I believe recovering from the birth might have been harder for her also because she is an (Olympic) athlete and has entirely different standards for keeping fit for her chosen sport than we mere mortals have. I think Serena Williams has also discussed this. Mind you, horse people tend to be very hands on and are usually back in the saddle in about two or three weeks after giving birth. Yes, it is true, I have seen it multiple times: the baby sleeps in the pram, and the mother exercises her horse dismounting only to breast-feed or change a nappy.
Walking around one month after birth seems normal to me. Not sure if it makes her a champion. I liked her a lot but her facial expressions at the wedding were a turn off.
Her baby was almost nine lbs, so yes she is a champion.
No, she really isn’t.
All recoveries are different. My first kid I had a massive fibroid that caused tons of pain, blood loss, and I was narco’d up post-partum. Babies 2-4 were super easy. I went trick or treating the day after my 3rd kid was born. Only a few blocks, but I wasn’t missing that.
I also had 2 miscarriages between babies 2 and 3. I was amazed at how many people opened up to me about their own after I spoke with them.
Happy to know I, too, am a champion. I was running around after a 4 year old 2 days after giving birth to a 9 pounder. I’m a fan of us all being champions after giving birth but a month later, just about everyone is up and about.
It’s closer to six weeks and seems perfectly normal to me. In fact, many nurses return to work at this stage, and it’s a lot more demanding than standing and socializing with friends. This is also a time when many new mothers are dying to get out of the house and mix with adults for some me time.
To the people on this thread who are mom-shaming: STOP IT! No two women are the same. Different women, different recovery experiences. Mom shaming is the worst.
Agree with the original comment. Women all over the world are out and about after giving birth to babies, 9lbs or otherwise. I also thought she was rude at H&M’s wedding with the faces she pulled.
That said, I was sorry to hear about her miscarriages and I am glad she now has a healthy second child.
Everyone’s reproductive issues, athlete or not, come as a surprise for them, because you always think that’s what you were made for. As long as you’re healthy, you assume your body knows what to do. You just need to let nature do what it’s supposed to.
I was this naive too four years, one insemination, three IVFs, one laparoscopy, one hysteroscopy, zero found problems and still zero babies ago.
I also assumed that getting pregnant would be easy but I was so heartbreakingly wrong. I discovered I was infertile, thanks to endometriosis, uterine polyps, ovarian cysts and excessive scar tissues due to numerous abdomenal/pelvic surgeries. It was a very sad time for me because I thought that I would have no problem having babies since I was in good shape/health. My heart goes out to Zara and every other woman struggling with fertility issues.
I ended up divorcing my husband (in part because of the baby issue), went back to school to become an elementary school teacher and have accepted the fact that I will never have biological children. I am okay with this fact because I discovered that I can play a supportive and loving role to the children in my personal and professional life and this makes my heart happy! I am also a “mother” to two of the sweetest little Chihuahuas that give me so much unconditional love 💕
Life doesn’t always go as planned but if you try to keep a positive attitude, life can still be beautiful and you can still be happy 😊
hugs to you!
I am also childfree, though by choice, but when I was trying to figure out if I wanted biological kids, a friend of mine told me “there are many ways to mother” and I really took it to heart. I take in stray and feral cats to foster, I volunteer at a farm sanctuary weekly where I take care of rescued horses, sheep and goats. I may not have human kids but my maternal instincts to care and love are very fulfilled 🙂
What you are doing is amazing!
I feel for her and am proud of her for being so open. Women suffer silently and alone because we’re not supposed to talk about our miscarriages. Like it’s some sort of failure. When the sad fact is that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage! It’s a very common thing. I’ve had two early miscarriages in the past year and am terrified of getting pregnant again. It’s a brave thing to continue on to try for children when you’ve been through devastation and have no idea whether it will happen again.
What does everyone think of the name Zara? I absolutely love it – it’s my top pick if this baby ends up being a girl but I wonder if most people will assume I named her after the clothing store. I know it doesn’t matter what people think – I’m just curious.
It’s one of my favorite names, I would totally use it on a baby!