Annabelle Dowler's thoughts on Kirsty's late miscarriage

Kirsty's late miscarriage has been the most emotional storyline I have had during my time on The Archers. Being dumped by Tom at the altar was clearly pretty devastating, but losing her baby so late on in the pregnancy is desperately sad and traumatic.

Late miscarriage is rare but it does happen and I think it is good to raise awareness of the subject. For the obvious reason of the heartbreak it causes, it is a closely guarded subject which is little discussed.

As a mother of two, I can only imagine that having to go through the ordeal of labour and deliver your baby after miscarrying must be utterly torturous. Obviously each woman responds and reacts individually when forced to make some incredibly painful decisions. In Kirsty's case, she instinctively chooses not to see or hold her baby. Her immediate response is that it wasn't meant to be and that she must move on with her life as quickly as possible. She has always been more comfortable in offering advice and sympathy than receiving it.

I have no idea what the future holds for Kirsty or indeed for her and Tom: losing their child is not something she will ever get over but something which she'll have to learn to live with, and which will change her life forever.

If you've been affected by Kirsty's storyline, there are organisations which offer information and support