'Brave' Chrissy Teigen applauded for laying her miscarriage grief bare

On Thursday, model Chrissy Teigen shared an emotional Instagram post in which she delivered the dreadful news that she had miscarried the baby she was expecting with her husband, musician John Legend.

"We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before," Teigen wrote to accompany a series of candid photographs detailing the couple's devastating experience.

"We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough."

She added a heart-wrenching note to the baby shed lost, whom the couple had named Jack: "To our Jack - I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you."

Her post, which has received more than 10m likes, was met with a flood of conciliatory messages from A-listers ranging from Kim Kardashian West to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Between the supportive comments from celebrities are some from social media users querying why Teigen would share something so personal on a public platform.

Everyone grieves differently, explained Johannesburg-based psychologist Leanne Steyn.

"This could be the way [Teigen] deals with her loss, by sharing it out loud. Some people have that personality. Others recluse. Teigen tells her story, and from telling her story, she gains her healing. And if it helps others, all the better."

From the many comments from women applauding Teigen's "bravery" for publicly laying her grief bare, it appears some have found it helpful.

"I’m so sorry for your family. You are helping so many people by sharing your story. You are helping so many mothers who have gone through this to feel seen, to feel less alone. Thank you for your bravery and honesty," said one Instagram user.

"People wonder why a public couple would share their grief in real time and I will just say, 'thank you'," wrote another. "You are helping so many people who have experienced this grief, and most notably you're also chipping away at the stigma. I am grateful and also tremendously sad for this family. Sophia Rae 2/13/04."

"I'm sorry, but thank you for normalising the absolute sadness of loving and losing a child. Too many couples suffer in silence," commented another.

According to Tommy's, a UK organisation specialising in miscarriage research, one in four women is likely to experience at least one miscarriage during their lifetime.