Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell discusses hardship of miscarriage

‘I lost the child of my hopes and dreams’

(Getty Images)

Shay Mitchell, star of Pretty Little Liars and the recently released Netflix series You, has spoken out about her miscarriage.

On New Year’s Eve, the actor shared a variety of photos on her Instagram as she looked back at her life over the past year.

The compilation featured pictures of Mitchell doing a number of things including travelling to Hong Kong and Shanghai, kayaking on a glacier and learning how to fly a helicopter.

Following on from the fun 2018 memories, Mitchell revealed that the year "didn't come without some hardships".

The actor then shared a photo of an ultrasound scan, on top of which she added a broken heart emoji.

Shay Mitchell (Instagram)

She explained that she "lost the child of my hopes and dreams" when she suffered a miscarriage earlier in the year.

"We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life," she wrote.

"And sometimes it's easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many to criticise it for its lack of authenticity."

She also thanked her 21.7m followers for the boost they gave her when she was struggling with the loss of her baby.

Shay Mitchell (Instagram)

"The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up, during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lose the child of my hopes and dreams," she said.

"In the spirit of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey together – in good times and in bad – and to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through."

Many of Mitchell's fans have been expressing their admiration for her choice to speak candidly about her miscarriage.

"And we had no idea... @shaymitch you're such a strong woman, I wish I could hug you right now," one person wrote on Twitter.

"Shay Mitchell had a miscarriage in 2018 and none of us knew," another person commented.

"This just proves that none [of] us know what's truly going on in other people's lives and we should be there for one another and show love no matter what."

Approximately on in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, baby's charity Tommy's states.

The majority of miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Michelle Obama recently discussed having a miscarriage before turning to IVF to conceive her daughters Malia and Sasha.

During the former first lady's interview on Good Morning America, she explained that she'd felt as though she'd "failed" because she wasn't aware how common miscarriages were.

If you've suffered a miscarriage and would like to speak to someone for support, you can call Tommy's pregnancy helpline at 0800 0147 800. The phone line is open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday.