THE grief and pain of miscarriage are explored in a book by first-time author Sarah Moore, who wants to break the silence and taboo surrounding the loss of a pregnancy.

Sarah, 33, whose maiden name is Nicholls, was born and grew up in Swindon.

Her book explores how she and her husband worked through their loss and came to accept the miscarriage, ultimately using their experience to create something positive.

The book is called For the Love of Lentil – which was the nickname of their unborn child.

Sarah, a journalist, said: “When we found out we were expecting a baby we felt certain that God would protect our child and we would eventually hold him in our arms.

“When we realised that wasn’t going to happen we knew God must have another plan for good to come out of our circumstances because we knew His plan for our lives was perfect.”

Now living in Workington in Cumbria for a local newspaper, Sarah was born in Swindon and grew up in Park North.

She went to Goddard Park primary school and Churchfields School, before taking A levels and studying journalism at Southampton Solent University.

She worked in housekeeping at the Holiday Inn in Swindon while she was at college.

Sarah had always loved writing and did some work experience for the Swindon Advertiser.

She started her journalism career on the Western Gazette in Yeovil, then moved to Workington, where she is now the chief reporter.

Sarah met her husband Gary while working in Yeovil. They married five years ago and decided to start a family.

It took some time for her to become pregnant, but the couple were delighted when finally they conceived, but the happy ending they had been dreaming of was snatched away.

“We found out the baby had stopped growing at eight weeks,” she recalled. “This was at 10 and a half weeks into the pregnancy. We could see the scan and the embryo there, so we weren’t expecting it when the consultant came in and said it was classed as a miscarriage.”

They decided to let nature take its course and went home, and a week after they had found out the news, the miscarriage completed itself.

“It was a challenging time,” Sarah said. “I had the week off. Gary had a few days off then went back to work. We were trying to function as much as we could, but at the same time, thinking about things.

“We were in a limbo and wanted to be able to grieve and come to terms with the situation.”

They had nicknamed their baby-to-be Lentil – inspired by an app on the development of a pregnancy that compared the size of a foetus to various foods.

As the couple began to share news of their loss with people they knew, they saw others were learning and making meaning in their own lives as a result of their words.

And it was from this that Sarah found inspiration and began to write her book, detailing their experiences of both seeking to become parents, the pregnancy and the miscarriage, and how their faith in God carried them through the toughest of times.

Sarah had kept up her writing in a journal throughout the pregnancy and its aftermath and decided to put together a book about her experiences.

“It’s like a diary account, with a lot of thoughts and feelings,” she said. But the book is not only for women who have suffered a miscarriage.

“No, absolutely not. The first friend who looked at the book was a male friend. Obviously things will speak to people who have been through miscarriage or similar situations, and it may be that women can relate to if differently, but ultimately it’s the story of Gary and me, having hopes and dreams, taking this to God and walking with him as he leads us to what is going to come.

“I am not incomplete without a baby. I would still like to become a parent, but I realise it is not the be all and end all.

“You can focus on a single-minded desire for one thing, and you can end up missing out on the blessings that God has lined up for you.”

She said Gary was supportive of her writing, and proud of her achievement.

“He was surprised when he started it, probably. There were a lot of things he did not know,” she said.

“Sharing our experiences so publicly was not something we took lightly but we firmly believe that this is not so much our story as the story God has given us to share which demonstrates his love, grace and faithfulness in the best and worst of times.”

“If our book can positively impact just one person it will have been worthwhile but we hope it has the potential to help many more, not because of us but because we know that God can do the same for others as He has done for us.”

The cover photo shows a padlock inscribed with Lentil’s name. They attached this to a chain around a cross set in stone, on a high point overlooking the sea near Workington, as a lasting memorial.

Sarah was brought up in a Christian family, though they were not active church-goers.

“I can’t remember when I didn’t believe in God, though in my adult life I have come to have a relationship with him,” she said.

She and Gary are members of a church called Christ Central, which is affiliated to Newfrontiers and Assemblies of God.

She has been a volunteer at the annual Keswick Convention, a three-week Christian gathering in the heart of the Lake District, since 2010. Keswick Ministries, which runs the event, is currently fundraising to redevelop the town’s former pencil factory and create a new permanent base for the event – a scheme known as the Derwent Project.

To support the cause, Sarah has pledged to donate £1.50 to the charity for every book sold as a direct result of the convention until August 3, when the event ends.

l The book, entitled For the Love of Lentil, is available for pre-order in paperback at the launch price of £6 (RRP £6.99) at www.sarahmooreonline.com and can be purchased from Amazon. An ebook version, priced at £3.99, is also available.