February 8 1957

8th Feb. 1957

Dearest Mummy,
Well! Well! Everything happens to the Costain’s! And what do you think it was this time? I had a miscarriage. Now I know just how surprised you are & that you’re saying you didn’t even know I was pregnant, and the funny thing is that I didn’t know either, so no one was more surprised than I was!! I feel quite ridiculous like one of these silly females in novels on whom I have always poured such scorn, but apparently I had a normal period after I became pregnant, then last month I missed, but you know I sometimes do if I’m in a bit of a do, like crossing the Atlantic or something, so I just thought I was a bit rundown with the children being sick & thought no more of it – especially as I didn’t feel pregnant – no nausea or exhausted feeling or anything. Then last week my period arrived as I thought quite normally but apparently this was the beginning of the mis. & it began to get worse till at the weekend I thought things were a bit odd but I still didn’t realize what it was – I thought more about the change of life & Aunt Mil’s graphic description of hers!!

Anyway it was all very dramatic – at 12:30 a.m. on Sun. night I was dashed off to Hospital in an ambulance & given a blood transfusion & all sorts of things & on Mon. morning Dr. Kastner did a curettage & cleaned me up & then told me I had been 3 mths. pregnant. I was surprised! I had another blood transfusion on Tues. & came home on Wed. & here I am safe at home & quite chirpy again. I am to stay mostly lying down till next Wed. then I can go out & begin to do a bit around the house & be back to normal in 2 or 3 weeks. I have iron pills to take as apparently in spite of the blood transfusions my blood is still quite low & Dr. K. keeps telling me I bled like a pig! I must say I didn’t know I had such a lot in me!
The children are fine & Cec is looking after everything wonderfully. Clare is coming next week for a day to clean & everyone is being very kind. I got a A.M. letter from you in Hospital & what do you think- the diary & your sea letter came last week and yours & A. Muriel’s Christmas cards & Charlie’s books. Thank you so much for them all – I’ll write a longer letter next week – I am still a bit tired. Lots of love from us all Cyn.