Aakanksha Chauhan, a 37-year-old drilling engineer from Aberdeen, has shared the details of suffering a miscarriage at 30,000 feet. As reported by LADbible, the ordeal forced her to spend nearly $270 at Heathrow Airport to replace her blood-soaked clothing before catching her next flight.
Chauhan said she was trying to maintain a sense of normalcy while her world was ending. She explained that her first, and probably last, purchase from Lululemon was not for Pilates but a necessity to look like an ordinary traveller again. She described cleaning blood from her body in a Heathrow bathroom and pulling on new clothes before walking back into the terminal for a connecting flight.
Chauhan has been speaking out as the government introduces new workplace rights for pregnancy loss. The change was confirmed by the UK government, which said that from April 2027, employees will be entitled to two weeks of unpaid leave following a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
She says unpaid leave is only the start of the conversation
Chauhan noted that people around her at the airport were buying coffee or complaining about delays, unaware that she had just lost the future she had imagined. She experienced an empty sac miscarriage, where a fertilized egg implants but the embryo fails to develop.
She said that while the medical term is empty, the experience felt like anything but that. She recalled calculating a due date and beginning to rearrange her life for a child she already loved.
The new right will also extend to partners, the other biological parent, and intended parents in surrogacy arrangements. The changes are part of a broader plan introducing bereavement leave for the loss of a spouse, partner, parent, adult child, or sibling, including step, half, adoptive, kinship care, and foster relationships. The announcement follows other UK policy changes this year, including the UK’s electronic travel authorisation rules.
Chauhan has been using X to share her story and raise awareness for women who feel invisible. She said she has received numerous direct messages from other women, many of whom described being forced to attend work meetings while actively miscarrying.
She believes the next step for the government is to ensure the leave is paid, as she fears unpaid leave will not be enough for those already struggling to pay rent or mortgages. She said the conversation should have happened decades ago, but she is committed to using her voice to ensure other women feel seen.
Vicki Robinson, chief executive of Miscarriage UK, welcomed the move as an important step in recognizing pregnancy loss as a bereavement. She said the charity will continue to press for paid leave through its Leave for Every Loss campaign. Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden thanked campaigners for their courage in making the changes possible, stating that no one should have to fight for time to grieve.
Under the new rules, employees can take the leave flexibly within 56 weeks of the loss, including as single days. They will not be required to provide evidence of their loss, a measure intended to protect their privacy and dignity.
The policy builds on existing law that already provides Parental Bereavement Leave for stillbirths after 24 weeks or the death of a child under 18.
Published: Sep 24, 2026 05:15 pm