I've been pregnant 24 times, had 17 miscarriages, lost 5 babies and have two living children | The Sun

A MUM has opened up about the heartbreak of being pregnant 24 times, but having just two living children.

In the last 23 years, Imtiaz Fazil, 49, has had 17 miscarriages and five babies die before their first birthday.

Imtiaz, who is from Manchester, is now speaking out about her pain because she wants to break down the stigma surrounding baby loss.

She said she feels the subject is still "taboo" within South Asian groups, and has experienced it firsthand with her family.

Imtiaz said her loved ones "don't talk to me very much about the things" as they think "I might get hurt [by] bringing up memories".

She told BBC North West Tonight: "It's too much sadness; that's why nobody approaches these sort of things.

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"They just keep it to themselves."

The mum, who suffered so many losses because of a rare genetic condition, said: "Nobody has even asked me if I'm fine [or] if I still think about my babies.

"Not a day goes past that I don't think of my children."

She said the grief of losing 22 babies has taken its toll, but she wanted to open up to help others who may be in a similar situation.

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Imtiaz had some simple advice for them: "Don't hold it in.

"If you hold it in, you won't make it.

"You need to open up and talk about these situations, otherwise you will crack."

West Midlands' couple Sarina and Vik Kaur Dosanjh, both 29, have also spoken out in the hope of breaking the silence.

The pair have had two miscarriages in the last two years and said many still keep the pain to themselves.

Sarina told BBC North West: "I think it's hidden.

"It's really brushed under the carpet."

You need to open up and talk about these situations, otherwise you will crack.

She said there is also the idea that someone who is trying to get pregnant should stay away from anyone who has miscarried, "because it is almost contagious".

Sarina added: "That's one of the stigmas that need to be broken."

Vik said he's received a mixed reaction when talking about baby loss.

While some men told him he had helped them deal with trauma, others warned it was not something he should be talking about.

But Vik said he was a strong believer that a "problem shared is a problem halved".

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Sarina said people "in our community need to know they shouldn't feel ashamed if they have gone through miscarriage, stillbirth or any kind of baby loss".

She added: "My long-term hope is that people can see it is normal and they can talk about it."

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