Heavy The American Pregnancy Association says it's very common for women who suffer miscarriages to experience deep grief like HGTV star Veronica Valencia recently shared.
In a vulnerable social media post on March 3, 2024, home design expert and HGTV personality Veronica Valencia revealed to fans that she recently suffered a miscarriage while on the road for work. The star of HGTV’s “Revealed” wrote that though such a loss “isn’t easy to share,” she decided to do so because “part of my grieving is sharing and talking about it.”
Valencia, who runs an interior design firm in Los Angeles and New York with her husband Kristopher Hughes, has two young children — son Hunter, 4, and daughter River, 2. She has juggled being a wife and mom while working as a design expert on more than 500 home makeover shows, according to HGTV, before landing her own series in 2023. In fact, she filmed part of the show while she was eight months pregnant with River.
Because she was working away from home when her miscarriage happened, Valencia, 38, had to lean on her HGTV family for help and support.
“A couple of weeks ago I had a miscarriage while away for work,” she wrote on Instagram. “It was both traumatic and terrifying, and I was away from my family and Kris.”
“This was not something I wanted to go through without my loved ones right by my side,” Valencia continued, “however I am forever grateful I had the 24/7 support of my work family (you know who you are) and forever grateful for the kindness of EVERY single member at the local hospital who cared for me and acted quickly with the situation.”
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Veronica Valencia Says She Wishes She Had Been ‘More Emotionally Prepared’ for How Hard a Miscarriage Can Be
In Valencia’s vulnerable post, she wrote, “Going through this experience has instantly put A LOT into perspective. I am still emotionally working through it.. but every day I move forward. Ever upward.”
“Knowing all I know now (statistics of failed pregnancies, risks, the fear) I just wish I could have been more emotionally prepared,” she continued, “as well as more supportive of loved ones who have also experienced this overwhelming sense of grief associated with pregnancy loss.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, which is defined as “the sudden loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week.”
Many women who suffer miscarriages face deep grief because “the sense of bonding between a mother and her baby can be strong” no matter how early in the pregnancy the loss occurred, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Common emotions include “numbness, disbelief, anger, guilt, sadness, depression, and difficulty concentrating.”
“I’m well aware that this will be the first time a lot of our friends and family are hearing about this,” Valencia wrote in her post, “but sharing something so personally pivotal is something I feel strongly about. This is my way of moving through it; more importantly, I hope that by sharing my experience I can bring some comfort to others who may have experienced this as well. You are not alone…”
“Life doesn’t wait for you to heal,” Valencia added. “You have to get up and keep pushing forward for yourself. No matter how painful it may be, find the strength to move through it. Find your support. Fully open your heart so you can heal. ❤️”
HGTV Stars & Fans Offer Support & Sympathy After Miscarriage News
In addition to hosting “Revealed,” Valencia has become a fixture on HGTV’s popular competition shows over the last year, including judging “Rock the Block” seasons 4 and 5, which premieres on March 4, and “Property Brothers: Brother vs. Brother.” She also competed on last summer’s “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” with fellow HGTV star Jasmine Roth, with whom she’s worked for four seasons as the design lead for “Help! I Wrecked My House!”
It’s not clear where Valencia was working on at the time of her miscarriage, but she continued to work on numerous HGTV projects recently, including the new season of “Home Town Takeover” in Sebring, Florida.
On December 30, Valencia wrote in an Instagram post that she had not only completed hosting an episode of a secret HGTV show — which was likely the new “House Hunters: All-Stars” debuting on March 21 — but also that she had been hard at work “leading design production for Season 3 of ‘Home Town Takeover.'” That spin-off wasn’t announced until recently, so she edited the post to read “leading design production for Season 3 of a very special show ✨”
“Home Town Takeover” stars Erin and Ben Napier officially announced the series’ third season on February 20 and were in Sebring working with the crew on projects that week, so it’s possible Valencia was there around that time, too.
Multiple HGTV stars offered their sympathy and support to Valencia in the comment section after she shared the news of her miscarriage.
“Rock the Block” star Ty Pennington wrote, “So sorry my friend 💔❤️”
“Fixer to Fabulous” star Jenny Marrs commented, “Im so deeply sorry, Veronica. No words make up for this loss. Sending so much love. ❤”
Page Turner of “Fix My Flip,” wrote, “Beautiful Veronica …. I’m so very sorry. My heart and prayers are with you, your beautiful family & your beautiful Angel Baby 🤍”
Many fans and friends also thanked Valencia for being open about her loss, including one who wrote, “I love you! Thank you for sharing something so painful and intimate. Hoping others don’t feel so alone. ❤”
Several hours after posting her news, Valencia shared the post in her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Thank you for listening. Thank you for your kind words. Love you all.”
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HGTV Star Suffers Miscarriage On the Job: ‘Traumatic & Terrifying’