Every babysitter left after meeting my husband – so I installed a nanny cam to discover the reason

By
Monica Pop
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That morning, as I was having my coffee, glad that I finally found a babysitter after two of them quit after just a day without an explanation, I received a text from Meghan. “Sorry, but I won’t be able to continue working for your family. Thank you for the opportunity.”

I couldn’t believe what I read. Meghan seemed excited about being our babysitter. She clicked with the kids, and now this?

There was no logical explanation. How could a third babysitter quit so fast? Something wasn’t adding up.

As I felt my chest tightening, there was knock on the door. It was Julie, my best friend.

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She could sense something was awfully wrong. “What’s wrong, Sarah?” she asked, worried for me.

“Oh, Julie, it’s the babysitter. She quit. Can you believe this?” I poured my heart out.

“The kids are well-behaved, the interviews go well, and I’m paying fairly, but they all quit after a day…no explanation, nothing.”

Julie looked at me, puzzled. “I don’t know, Sarah, maybe it’s not the kids, maybe there is something – or someone – in the house to blame.”

My mind went straight to my husband Dave, but he seemed too enthusiastic about me getting back to work. Still, a seed of doubt was planted in my mind.

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Just to be sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I decided to secretly install the nanny cam I used when Luke was still a baby.

I set it up in the living room, tucking it between some books on the shelf where it wouldn’t be noticed. And then, I waited.

As I drove to work the following morning, I could see Rachel, our new babysitter, a college girl happy to be working for us, playing with my kids on the floor.

And then, Dave entered the house.

“How’s it going?” he asked Rachel.

“The kids are awesome,” she replied and continued building the bricks.

“Can I have a talk with you?” Dave asked her.

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Hesitantly, she stood up from the floor and sat on the couch. My heart sank as I saw them talking, not knowing what to expect.

“Rachel, was it?” he asked. “Yes,” she replied, shyly.

“Listen, Rachel. Maybe you are not aware of it, but the kids can be a handful. And Sarah, she’s got a postpartum depression and can be a real mess.”

“But the kids are so nice,” Rachel said, confused by Dave’s words.

“You don’t understand,” Dave said, “you better leave before things get messy.”

I stopped my car, unable to continue driving. “What the hell is going on?” I thought to myself.

Next, Dave basically threatened our babysitter. “You better leave, or else,” he said, and I was shocked. I never expected my husband to act like that. It was as though he turned into a man I didn’t recognize.

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I drove back home after I saw Rachel grabbing her bag and leaving our house.

“Hey, honey,” Dave greeted me, “you are home early, what’s the matter?”

“Dave, why did you threatened the babysitter?” I asked him.

“What? What do you mean?” he pretended as though he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“You know what. I heard you. I saw the nanny cam?”

“You what!?” he yelled. “Were you spying on me?”

“Oh, Dave, don’t play a victim. I demand an explanation.

It was then that he admitted he hated the idea of me getting back to work. He believed my place was at home, taking care of the kids and the house.

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He claimed he was protecting me. But that wasn’t protection, that was control.

“I want what’s the best for the kids,” he said.

“But what about what’s best for me?” I asked. “Don’t I get a say in that? Don’t I deserve to have a life outside this house?”

Dave disappointed me. I lost my trust in him. He was no longer the man I loved.

I packed a bag of my and my kids’ belongings and went to my mom’s. I still haven’t decided what to do next, but I know I won’t let anyone take the control over my life.

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Cryonic preservation: 50 years later

By
Monica Pop
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Dr. James Hiram Bedford was a man of many talents – a professor at the University of California and a veteran of World War I who lived a fulfilled life and traveled the world. But this man will be best remembered as the first person whose body underwent cryonic preservation. It is the practice of preserving a human body (or brain) at extremely low temperatures after death.

Bedford, who was a rather wealthy man, was diagnosed with kidney cancer that metastasized to his lungs in 1967, a time when the medicine was not as advanced as it is today.

At the time of his diagnosis, Bedford was familiar with the concept of cryonic preservation.

He read about in the book The Prospect of Immortality by Dr. Robert Ettinger.

Dr. Ettiger is the founder of the Cryonics Institute and is considered the father of body freezing experiments. His institute provides body freezing services after death, with the aim of potentially reviving it in the future when medical technology has advanced enough to cure the condition that caused the individual’s death.

Having read about this process, Bedfrod asked his body to be frozen after his passing.

On the afternoon of January 12, 1967, he was injected with dimethyl sulfoxide – to protect his internal organs – after all his blood was drained from his body.

Next, they placed Bedford in a tank of liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius.

Twenty-four years later, Alcor, an organization performing cryonic preservation, opened Bedford’s body and checked his cryogenic condition.

It was determined that the body was preserved nicely. His nose and mouth smelled like blood and his face looked younger than his 73 years. Areas of skin on his chest and neck were discolored and his corneas were the chalky white of ice.

Dr. James Hiram Bedford/ Wikimedia Commons

Then, technicians wrapped Bedford in a new sleeping bag and immersed his body in liquid nitrogen to wait.

Today, over 50 years after the promised time to wake Bredford, he’s still just a “mummy.”

According to Robert Nelson, one of three scientist who performed the cryonic preservation, Bredford’s last words were: “I want you to understand that I did not do this with the thought that I would be revived. I did this in the hope that one day my descendants will benefit from this wonderful scientific solution.”

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Single dad struggles with raising triplets, then he’s told they aren’t his

By
Monica Pop
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The sound of dry leaves crunched under Jordan’s feet as he pushed the stroller through the cemetery. It was the first anniversary of the passing of his wife Kyra, the mother of his triplets, whom he was now raising all by himself.

Each step towards Kyra’s resting place felt heavier than the other. With tears in his eyes, Jordan whispered, “We’re going to see mama.”

His triplets were babies when their mom died, and Jordan was heartbroken by the thought that they won’t remember her, her love, her devotion, and her warmth.

Life was cruel, but at least he had his babies, who were the only reason he kept going.

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As they approached Kyra’s grave, Jordan noticed a man in his 50s brushing the epitaph that read: A twinkle in our eyes & hearts is now on the skies.

“Who could this man be?” Jordan wondered. His unease grew bigger when he finally got to Kyra’s resting place.

“You must be Jordan,” the man said. “Yes, and you are?” Jordan asked, confused.

The man introduced himself as Denis. He claimed to be Kyra’s old friend from Chicago.

“But she never mentioned someone named Denis,” Jordan thought to himself.

Denis approached the triplets. He observed their features and made comments about their appearance. His behavior was rather awkward, and it made Jordan uncomfortable.

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“Listen,” Denis said, “these babies aren’t yours. I’m their real father.”

These words shattered Jordan’s world.

“You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Give me the babies and start over,” Denis said and handed Jordan a check on $100,000.

Jordan froze and accused Denis of lying. Kyra could never lie to him.

But Denis knew too much about Kyra. He knew of her love for French cusine, her allergies, and even about the scar on her tight.

Jordan got scared. Without saying anything, he took the triplets and rushed towards his car.

The drive home felt like eternity. He had a hard time letting Denis’ words sink in. How could he know so much about Kyra? Was he right about the children? Could Kyra be unfaithful?

His head was buzzing with countless questions.

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Jordan’s thoughts drifted to the day he and Kyra first met. He was a bartender, and she walked in one day, taking his breath away. At first, she saw him as nothing more than a friendly bartender.

But one evening, as he was leaving the bar, he saw her crying. She had broken up with her boyfriend, and Jordan comforted her. From that moment on, their bond grew stronger, and she eventually fell fro him.

They tied the knot when she revealed she was pregnant. But no family of Kyra was in attendance. She told Jordan that her parents were dead, and he never questioned anything.

Denis’ words, especially his knowledge of Kyra’s scar, made Jordan doubt her love for him. He started asking himself if the triplets were really his or Denis was telling the truth.

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In the days that followed, Jordan went through hell.

Even the thought of losing his triplets sent waves of panic through him.

A week later, he got a call from Denis. “What have you decided? I want my children!” he said. But Jordan wasn’t about to give up without a fight.

“A father is someone who raises them and loves them unconditionally. I will always be there father.”

Denis hesitated a bit and then suggested they meet at a local cafe the following day. “Bring the babies with you,” he said and hung up the phone.

Jordan was fearful. What if it turned out Denis was the real father?

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In the morning, he went to the cafe Denis suggested. When he entered, Denis was already there, waiting for him.

Without saying anything, he handed Jordan an old photo.

Jordan was confused. The young woman on the photo resembled Kyra, and the man next to her was obviously Denis. But there was also another woman on the photo.

“What’s this?” Jordan asked, his hands trembling as he held the photo.

“I’m sorry, Jordan,” Dennis said. “I’m not the father of the triplets, I’m their grandfather.”

“What!?” Jordan asked. “But how could that be? Kyra’s parents are dead. She told me that herself.”

It turned out her dad wasn’t. Sadly, their relationship was strained and they didn’t have any contact. But following Kyra’s sudden passing, he wanted to meet her children.

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Denis wanted to be part of their lives, so he made up the story of being their dad. He wanted to take them and raise them as his own.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that, Jordan,” Denis said, with tears in his eyes. “But I really want to be part of their lives. My daughter is no longer here, but her babies are. I regret not being the best father, but let me be a better grandfather.”

Jordan needed time to think about everything. He was mad Denis lied to him, but over time, he forgave him.

Despite the pain of the past, they were united by shared responsibility.

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A woman with 800 tattoos reveals a new picture of herself without any ink – the difference is quite striking

By
Monica Pop
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Melissa Sloan, Britain’s “most tattooed mother,” revealed a photo of herself without her signature tattoos, and people are stunned by the striking difference.

Since she had first started getting tattoos some ten years ago, Sloan has had over 800.

According to this mother of seven, she has been having three tattoos a week for an entire decade. What’s most, she said she didn’t remember how she looked like without the ink covering most of her face and body.

Sloan decided to cover her tattoos using foundation makeup, something she only spent £3 on.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Melissa Sloan (@melissa.sloan.357284)

Needless to say, those who didn’t know how she looked like before the tattoos, including her two young sons, were stunned by the difference, but that didn’t mean they liked her “new” look.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Sloan said, “None of them talked to me that day, the kids weren’t having none of it. It didn’t go down well.

“They said ‘go back to your craziness mum’, none of them spoke to me. It wasn’t the same, it’s like they were looking at a different person, a stranger.

“When it came off again, they were back to normal – it should have been the other way round,” she said.

Instagram/ Melissa Sloan

Her other five kids, who are older, are not happy with their mom’s tattoos. In fact, Sloan doesn’t have contact with them.

Those who have seen the before and after photos of Sloan wrote that she looked beautiful without the tattoos.

However, she only did this as a little experiment and says she feels comfortable with her inkings and doesn’t regret them despite being dubbed a ‘smurf’ or a ‘freak’ by trolls.

Instagram/ Melissa Sloan

Her tattoos are a representation of freedom, creativity, and strength against judgement.

Sloan is aware her appearance may not be liked or understood by everyone, but she isn’t concerned about that. She says she’s authentic and her tattoos teach her children to embrace their uniqueness because beauty comes in many forms.

What do you think of Melissa Sloan’s tattoos?

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We were close to adopting a 5-year-old boy until a wealthy couple entered the picture wanting him too

By
Monica Pop
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After years of struggling to conceive, my doctor delivered heartbreaking news that made me wonder if my marriage could even survive the weight of it. “You are infertile.” My world shattered and my dreams burst like a soap bubble. But my husband was there for me, restoring all my hopes when he mentioned the option of adopting.

Camden and I dreamed of becoming parents from the moment we tied the knot, but that didn’t come naturally to us.

Sadly, I learned I couldn’t be a mom. As much as I felt sorry for myself, my heart ached for my husband who deserved to be a father. “Don’t worry, Zelda,” he said at the doctor’s office after I head the news that broke my heart into a million pieces.

“Adopting a child in need of a family doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he said smilingly, trying to cheer me up.

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The thought of adopting found its roots in my head. It didn’t take long before we met with social workers and started foster care visits. The process was extremely slow, and the paperwork was endless, but we knew it would be worth it.

And then, one day, we met Nicholas, a five-year-old boy with the most beautiful brown eyes. I knew he belonged to us the moment I fist saw him.

We started the process of adopting him, but then, another family, a very wealthy one, came into the picture.

They were as interested in adopting Nicholas as Camden and I were.

Mrs. Jameson said they had the right to apply as well. Nicholas was about to spend a week with each family before making a decision. At that point, it was up to him to choose his family.

When the Featheringhams, the family interested in adopting Nicholas, entered the foster home, they acted as they owned the place. Mrs. Featheringhams wore a diamond necklace and looked at me and Camden from above, as though we weren’t worthy as a competition.

“You see, we can provide Nicholas with the best schools there are. He’ll live a life of luxury. Why don’t you make the kid a favor and quit trying for him?” she told us.

Turning to her husband, who was equally polished as she was, she said, “Honey, they are just a plain, middle class family. What do they have to offer? A tiny house in the suburb?”

The two started laughing, their words cutting deeper than I though they could.

The Featheringhams got a week with Nicholas first.

Midjourney

When he came to our home, he couldn’t stop talking of the amusement parks they took him to, the toys they bought him, and the fancy food he had.

Whenever he would mention his adventures with them, my heart sank. “Did we have any chance?” I kept wondering, with the hope fading away.

We couldn’t afford expensive things, but we had a lot of love for that boy.

On the first day of his stay at our place, we took him to the zoo, but it started raining and we were forced to get back home where Camden built a fortress of blankets and used a flashlight as a pretended fire.

Nicholas seemed to like it.

Midjourney

The following day, we visited the local arcade, but most of the machine there was broken. Instead, we went to the park and played the board games we had with us.

Camden even taught Nicholas how to play chess.

We ate at the local diner, took long walks, and shared stories of our childhoods with Nicholas.

One evening, as we were watching a film, he fell asleep in my lap, his hand holding mine tightly.

After the week passed, it was time Nicholas to make a decision.

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Camden and I were at the office of Mrs. Jameson. Nicholas was sitting next to her, and the Featheringhams were opposite us.

“Nicholas, darling, don’t forget about all the toys. You can have everything you want with us,” Mrs. Featheringhams reminded him, certain he would choose them, because as she said, love doesn’t pay for college, and they had all the money in the world.

When Mrs. Jameson asked Nicholas about the family he wanted to live with, he was a bit hesitant, or maybe he was afraid to make the choice, not wanting to offend any of the four people eagerly waiting for his answer.

Midjourney

After minutes of silence, which felt like eternity, he said, “I want to live with them,” pointing at me and Camden, “they are so fun.”

Tears started rolling down my face. The boy I knew belonged to me all along chose me to be his mommy.

The Featheringhams didn’t say a word. They just excused themselves and left the room, and Camden and I felt like the proudest parents ever.

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My ex-husband ended up with the house, car, and all our money after the divorce – and I laughed, because that was exactly what I had intended

By
Monica Pop
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Going through divorce is never easy no matter how bad the marriage was. Everything around the lengthy court process is extremely tiring, such as splitting the belongings, fighting for custody if children are involved, wasting time, money, and nerves.

As Barbra was preparing dinner, Mike, who has always been obsessed with his social image, placed the car keys on the counter and told her they needed to talk. Barbra knew what was coming. She was certain he was going to ask her for divorce, and it didn’t even took a couple of seconds until she learned she was right.

To Mike’s surprise, she agreed to separate from him.

Midjourney

He expected her to beg him, cry over his decision, but she didn’t show any emotions. No matter how hard it was and how defeated she felt, she did her best to stay calm and indifferent.

In the days that followed, they barely spoke to each other until they finally found themselves sitting opposite each other in a dull conference room with their lawyers by their side.

Mike started listing the things he wanted; the house, the car, the savings. He was so cold that it looked like he was reading out of a grocery list.

After listening to him without objecting, Barbra said he could have it all.

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Her lawyer gave her a serious look, but she said it was fine. All she wanted were her personal belongings and the divorce to be finalized.

With laughter, Mike, who believed he won the divorce, told her she had until the afternoon to take what’s hers and leave his house for good.

Barbra left the room and headed towards the elevator. Once inside, she couldn’t contain her laughter. One would thing she snapped, but she had an ace up her sleeve. Just the elevator’s door opened, she sent a text message that read, “Mon, get ready for my sweet revenge.”

Midjourney

Barbra’s mom was never fond of Mike. From the moment she first met him she knew he wasn’t the one for her daughter. The two never got along because she was aware Mike was egocentric who only cared about his own interests.

When Barbra and Mike were purchasing the house, Barbra’s mom helped them financially. She was the reason Mike believed he scored a great deal on their new home, but what he didn’t know was that she would also be the reason for him to lose it.

On the day Barbra packed her belongings and settled in a tiny apartment just blocks away, she received a call from Mike. She put him on speaker and leaned back on her chair to enjoy her toast and her revenge. Mike was furious. He told Barbra that her mother moved in with him and refused to leave the house.

Midjourney

Smiling, Barbra reminded him about the agreement he signed years ago when her mom gave them the down-payment for the house. With small print it read that she could live in that house whenever she wanted for as long as she wanted.

As she laughed at her victory, Barbra could hear her mother telling Mike to turn the TV off. She definitely knew how to drive him crazy.

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After my husband’s best friend joined us for dinner, our 7-year-old daughter stopped talking for weeks

By
Monica Pop
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Brian, my husband’s best friend, was more like family to us. He was the person we trusted the most – someone we could always rely on. That evening, he came over for dinner, and since my husband wasn’t home yet and I needed to grab something from the store, I left my daughter with him. When I returned, nothing was the same. Emily, my daughter, stopped talking all of a sudden.

Someone rang the doorbell and Emily rushed towards the door. She opened it, and there was Ryan, balancing two huge boxes of pizza in one hand and holding a bad in the other.

Emily clung to his leg, waiting for him to give her a hug. Ryan handed her the beg, saying, “Where’s my girl. This is for you, you are going to like it.”

When she opened it, she found a stuffed toy inside. “Thanks, uncle Bryan,” she said, giving him yet another hug.

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“Oh, Ryan, what would we do without you?” I asked, smiling and feeling grateful for his presence in our lives.

Since my husband, Tom, had still not returned from work, I asked Ryan to keep and eye on Emily while I went to the store to grab some juice.

“We’ll be fine,” he said, and there was no reason I could ever think otherwise.

However, when I returned, I saw Bryan grabbing his coat. “I need to leave,” he said, “something came out. Tell Tom I’ll call him.”

This was a bit strange, but I didn’t think much about it.

It was only obvious that something happened while I was gone when my daughter stopped talking. She would refuse to answer my questions, didn’t ask anything, she just stood there quetly.

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The days turned into weeks, and Emily was still silent. We took her to a psychiatrist, but they were unable to discover the reason of her odd behavior.

When she was about to return to school, she finally spoke to me. “Mom, are you going to leave me here forever?” she asked.

Her question surprised me. “Of course not, honey, why would I do such a thing.”

“Mom, uncle Brian told me my real parents abandoned me, and now I’m afraid you and dad would do the same.”

My world collapsed. Emily was adopted, but we believed she was way too young to know that. Why would Brian tell her such a thing?

My suspicions that he was the reason my daughter stopped talking turned out to be true.

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Ever since that night, he didn’t reach to us, and we didn’t call him either, and now I knew why.

I left Emily at school and headed to Tom’s office, telling him everything. He was shocked. Brian was like a brother to him.

After a while, Brian sent me a message saying he wanted to talk. Despite Tom’s advice not to go, I wanted to hear his explanation.

We met at a cafe and Brian didn’t resemble his old self. Something was very wrong.

“What is it Brian?” I asked, with anger in my voice.

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It was then that Brian told me he learned he was adopted a day before the pizza night. He was devastated and angry at his parents for keeping that a secret from him for that many years. Somehow, he felt the urge to tell Emily she was adopted too. He believed if she knew that from early age, he would spare her from suffering later on.

“Brian, it was not your truth to tell. Tom and I had a plan. We would tell her that when the time would be right.”

Brian kept apologizing, but I didn’t accept his apologies.

Luckily, Emily was able to heal from the trauma. It did take time, but her trust in me and Tom returned.

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Meghan Markle opens up about the grief she and Prince Harry experienced after suffering miscarriage

By
Monica Pop
-

Ever since she married Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been under the spotlight. The wider public is very interested in her private life and paparazzi follow her every move. Shortly after their wedding, when she and Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties and moved to the States, Meghan was a target of harsh criticism as many Britons accused her of distancing the prince from his family.

Recently, Meghan Markle opened up about the heartbreak she and Prince Harry had gone through after she suffered a miscarriage. Following the birth of Archie, the couple were about to welcome another baby into the world, but that didn’t happen.

Meghan’s powerful essay on grief after miscarriage written for The New York Times, The Losses We Share, touched many.

“Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” the 39-year-old Duchess explained.

“I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.”

Meghan Markle added of her miscarriage, “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.

“Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”

Credit / Wikimedia Commons

Brave Meghan put a smile on her face despite the pain she has been going through. That’s the curse of being a famous person.

“In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning,” the former actress wrote.

Meghan wants women who go through the same to be able to speak of their pain openly instead of being ashamed. The tragedy of losing an unborn child is not rare. However, many opt to live with that pain without sharing it with their loved ones.

Since William and Kate have three children, many wonder if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will eventually welcome a third child themselves.

The couple spoke of the idea of having a third child and their opinion is firm.

When Archie was a year old, Harry spoke to Vogue Magazine and said he feels that there should be a limit on the number of children one can have.

“I think, weirdly, because of the people that I’ve met and the places that I’ve been fortunate enough to go to, I’ve always had a connection and a love for nature. I view it differently now, without question. But I’ve always wanted to try and ensure that, even before having a child and hoping to have children..,” Harry said.

The interviewer, Dr Jane Goodall, replied, “Not too many!” and laughed. Harry continued, “Two, maximum! But I’ve always thought: this place is borrowed. And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation.”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P

Speaking to Oprah, Meghan said in the past, “[I’m] just grateful to have any child. Any, one or two, would have been amazing but to have a boy and then a girl what more can you ask for? Now we’ve got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs,” Meghan told Oprah.

Harry added that they were “done” with two children, to which Meghan replied, “Two is it.”

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