In the past few years, we’ve finally started to speak openly about pregnancy loss. Now, people are starting to grasp the fact that miscarriages are common and that no one is to blame for their pregnancy loss — two truths that are finally starting to seep into public consciousness.
But there’s still so much the general public just doesn’t get when it comes to miscarriage. From the physical realities of how they happen, to the way they affect their sufferers both physically and emotionally. It’s not just that miscarriages can be devastating. It’s also that they can be traumatic, and that the pain doesn’t necessarily fade after someone has welcomed their rainbow baby. It can be an experience that sticks with you forever. And we don’t talk about that enough.
'Bluey' Airs Powerful Scene On the Lasting Trauma of Miscarriage
That’s why it felt revolutionary when Bluey’s second season aired a subtle yet powerful nod to pregnancy loss. During one episode of the children’s show, parents began to suspect that the show was alluding to the titular character’s mother’s history of miscarriage. In the episode, the show’s primary family is seen celebrating Mother’s Day. Bluey and her sister, Bingo, put on a show for their mother in honor of the holiday.
In the show, they reenact their parents’ early days as a couple as Bingo playfully places a balloon underneath her shirt to represent the mother’s pregnancy. The show very deliberately gives the audience a glimpse at the parents watching as the balloon pops underneath the child’s shirt — and for many viewers, this simple moment carried real significance. In the clip, you can see the smile fade off of the mother, Chilli’s, face as her husband reaches over to comfort her.
A TikTok alluding to the theory that was a reference to Chilli having a miscarriage went viral.
I believe it,” one user commented regarding the theory. “that moment Bandit grabbed her hand was SEEN by parents.”
Other commenters pointed out other clues the show has included that may hint at a previous miscarriage. And now, the theory has been confirmed.
This confirmation comes thanks to the book Hard to Bear: Investigating the Science and Silence of Miscarriage, by Isabelle Oderberg. The author reached out to Bluey’s creator, Joe Brumm, who confirmed that the famous scene was in fact a nod to Chilli’s miscarriage, reports the Gotta Be Done podcast.
In the comments of an Instagram post sharing the confirmation, fans opened up about how deeply they felt this moment in the episode. “I knew we weren’t overthinking this!! What a beautifully subtle reference from the Bluey team ❤️ will bring the tissues for the onesies recap. My kids always look back at me to see if I’m crying again when we watch that episode - gets me every time,” one commenter wrote.
By showing this moment, Bluey’s creators are acknowledging the enduring pain and trauma of pregnancy loss in a way few spaces do. It’s also worth noting that Bluey is a show for kids, and while this moment may have only resonated with the parents watching, it’s important that we’re seeing allusions like this in media geared toward young people.
We live in a country where sex ed is, quite frankly, broken. We don’t equip young people with the facts of their bodies, especially when it comes to the realities of reproductive health — which is why so many people feel like even when they can speak about miscarriage publicly, they can’t do so around young people. But by viewing it that way, we’re allowing part of the stigma around pregnancy loss to live on.
Bluey handled this moment in a very subtle way, but the effect stands: The creators of this show weren’t afraid to veer into the territory of acknowledging a heavy, real part of life. According to the Mayo Clinic, children can be exposed to conversations about miscarriages in an age-appropriate way. What that looks like depends on a child’s age and the specific situations, but this isn’t a topic we need to completely shield kids from, either in our homes or in society at large.
Many kids will see their own parents struggle to pick themselves up after experiencing a pregnancy loss. Bluey’s scene opens up an opportunity for parents to start conversations with their children in the way they see fit, which could be really powerful for parents who are working through their own experiences with pregnancy loss. For people who have experienced losses and are still working to process them, or still feel triggered by reminders of that loss, Bluey’s creators see you — and that moment is key in normalizing the lifelong grief that can accompany a pregnancy loss.
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and mom of twins. She's written for outlets like Parents, Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Motherly, and many others. In her (admittedly limited!) free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family.