Actress Claire Holt shares the heartbreaking news of her miscarriage because 'opening up to people is crucial'

Claire Holt has opened up about suffering a miscarriage recently in an effort to reach out to other parents who have experienced a similar heartache and to raise awareness about a rarely spoken about subject.

The actress, best known for her roles in hit TV series The Originals and The Vampire diaries, shared her heartbreaking news via a photograph on her Instagram account that was taken 10 days ago in the hospital as she awaited surgery.

The star begins the caption by explaining that she took the photograph from her hospital bed because she wanted to reassure her fiancée Andrew Joblon that she was 'ok'. However, 29-year-old Claire wrote: 'I took this photo 10 days ago, as I waited for surgery after my sweet little baby lost its heartbeat. I sent it to my fiancé in the waiting room to show him that I was ok. I wasn't.'

The actress continued: 'I've never felt more broken in my life. I debated sharing this so soon and I'm still frightened about making such a private struggle public, but I'm doing it anyway because it's important.

'After my D & C, I spent hours on the internet searching for women who had been through it. I was desperate to find someone, anyone, who could relate to what I was feeling.'

'D&C' refers to a procedure known as dilation and curettage. It usually takes place during the first-trimester of a pregnancy and is an process that involves opening the cervix to remove any remaining tissue.

Claire also opened up about feelings of hopelessness and depression, admitting to searching the Internet for others who felt the same. She said she wanted to find someone who could tell her: 'That it wasn't my fault. That I wasn't broken forever.'

Eventually she found a community of women who had experienced the same pain she had. She found comfort in their openness about miscarriage and said it was wrong that discussions around the pain, loss and heartache surrounding experiencing a miscarriage are so private.

Claire said: 'It breaks my heart to think that losing a baby feels like something we have to keep to ourselves. Why is it any different than the death of a loved one? How is it any less meaningful?'

Towards the end of the post Claire indicates that she is starting to process her grief and gave her advice to other women who might experience, or have experienced a miscarriage.

Claire with her fiancée Andrew

She said: 'Here is what I have learned as I begin to crawl out of the dark hole: support is everything. I could not have survived this without the unconditional love of my partner. Despite his pain, he was my rock and my safety net.

'I will never know how to thank him. I also found that opening up to people is crucial. As soon as I told my story, almost everyone I spoke to told me theirs - their own, their wife's, their sister's. So many people go through it and understand the breadth of pain, yet so few people talk about it.'

Claire finished her post by writing: 'To anyone out there who has been through a miscarriage, I understand you. I share every bit of your pain and you are not alone. Please be kind to yourself and I hope that you will be comfortable sharing your story too.'

Miscarriages are much more common than people think. It is estimated that one in six pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Many women do not know the early signs and symptoms of miscarriage and experience one without knowing they are pregnant.

For support or advice on coping with miscarriage you can go to the NHS website or speak to your local GP.

Claire's fans have rushed to show their support for the star after her heartbreaking post, with over 23,000 comments on the post in just eight hours.

One person wrote: 'Nothing but love to you and your family❤️❤️❤️' while another said: 'I am so sorry for your loss, sending you love and light.'