Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan met with love after miscarriage reveal

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Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook that his wife Priscilla Chan is pregnant with baby girl - and has previously suffered three miscarriages
Now, other social network users have detailed their own heartbreaking experiences of losing a pregnancy, and the difficulty of talking about it
Jennifer Torres-O'Callaghan said the pain of miscarriage is 'so intense'
Talia Haykin wrote: 'It's important for people to realize that miscarriages happen and they are painful and hurtful and emotionally draining'
Users thanked Facebook CEO and founder for speaking publicly of issue
Zuckerberg, 31, and Chan, 30, wed in a quiet ceremony on May 19, 2012

Published: 20:32 EST, 1 August 2015 | Updated: 01:38 EST, 2 August 2015

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Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, posted a very personal pregnancy announcement online on Friday, revealing how they had suffered several miscarriages while trying for a child.

Now, the couple has received an extraordinary outpouring of emotions from people across the world, many of whom have detailed their own heartbreaking experiences of losing a pregnancy.

Replying to Zuckerberg's Facebook post announcing his spouse's pregnancy with a baby girl, a California user named Jennifer Torres-O'Callaghan thanked the couple for sharing their story.

She told the Facebook founder: 'We, too, suffered miscarriages early on... the pain is so intense and the sense of grief is real. Thank you for letting other couples know that they are not alone.'

Expectant parents: Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, posted a very personal pregnancy announcement online, revealing how they had suffered several miscarriages while trying for a child. Now the couple has received an extraordinary outpouring of emotions from people across the world

Thankful: Replying to Mark Zuckerberg user Talia Haykin (pictured), from Denver, Colorado, wrote: 'My husband and i lost two dearly wanted babies to miscarriage in the last 16 months. Today I am holding our son who was just born'

'Thank you': Elizabeth R Olson Porter told Zuckerberg: 'Thank you for sharing your journey. I was very open about my infertility journey, the subsequent IVF treatment and the joyful pregnancy. I got these two out of it!'

A very lonely experience: Meanwhile, Rachael Marie said: 'We experienced 2 miscarriages before this pregnancy (I'm 35 weeks with baby boy Isaiah right now), and you're absolutely right: it is a very lonely experience'

Another woman, Rachael Marie, also expressed her gratitude to the expectant parents, writing: 'Thank you for sharing this so openly! We experienced 2 miscarriages before this pregnancy (I'm 35 weeks with baby boy Isaiah right now), and you're absolutely right: it is a very lonely experience.'

She added: 'We felt so alone and ashamed. Once we started talking about it more, we also discovered that many others had suffered similar losses as ours. We NEED to talk about this.'

Meanwhile, user Talia Haykin, from Denver, Colorado, said: 'My husband and i lost two dearly wanted babies to miscarriage in the last 16 months. Today I am holding our son who was just born.

'Thank you for sharing your story. It's vitally important for people to realize that miscarriages happen and they are painful and hurtful and emotionally draining. But we can come together as a community and support each other. My little guy and our pup say "Congrats momma and poppa!!".'

And user Sarah Prout wrote: 'Congratulations Mark! I'm so happy for you both. I lost 5 pregnancies in a year and gave birth to a healthy baby girl in March. Let me tell you, it's so worth the wait.'

Zuckerberg, 31, posted his and 30-year-old Chan's pregnancy announcement on Facebook on Friday morning, along with a photo of himself with his pregnant wife and their pet dog, Beast.

'Intense pain': Jennifer told the Facebook founder and CEO: 'We, too, suffered miscarriages early on... the pain is so intense and the sense of grief is real. Thank you for letting other couples know that they are not alone'

'It was too painful': René, from Lafayette, Louisiana, wrote: 'After my miscarriage, I had to take a break from facebook for months. It was too painful to see so many baby pictures and pregnancy updates'

Powerful: This mom-of-two told Zuckberg and Chan that she believes 'in the power of sharing your story'

Amazing discovery: Facebook user Sharon LaGore was among the women sharing their own heartbreaking - and incredible - stories of trying to have a child. She was 38 when she found out she was finally pregnant

He wrote: 'Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl!'

He then detailed his and Chan's struggle to have a baby, saying: 'You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience.

'Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you, as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.'

But more positively, he noted: 'In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope.'

Many of Zuckerberg's 33million followers agreed with his view on the discussion of issues such as miscarriage, with one Texas user writing that she was 'very open' about her journey with infertility.

Posting an image of her twin babies, Elizabeth Porter, who eventually underwent In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in a successful bid to have a child, wrote: 'I got these two out of it!'

Hiding something?: Zuckerberg and Chan were spotted together earlier this month at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho (above with Dan Rose of Facebook), and Priscilla wore a loose top

MARK ZUCKERBERG AND PRISCILLA CHAN'S PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl!

This will be a new chapter in our lives. We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation.

We want to share one experience to start. We've been trying to have a child for a couple of years and have had three miscarriages along the way.

You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.

In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope.

When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened -- that many people we knew had similar issues and that nearly all had healthy children after all.

We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well.

Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful.

Cilla and our child are both healthy, I'm extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what's coming. In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up "like" with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me.

We're looking forward to welcoming her into the world and sharing more soon when she's ready to come out and meet everyone!

Yul Kwon, deputy chief privacy officer at Facebook, commented that he and his wife did not realize how many of their friends had gone through a miscarriage - like them - until they spoke about it.

'The outpouring of support we found was enormously comforting and helped us through some tough times. Congratulations and best wishes on an awesome journey!' he told Zuckerberg.

And the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists thanked Zuckerberg and Chan for 'raising awareness about how many people are affected by miscarriage', CNN Money reported.

However, one user, René Sonnier said that despite knowing that discussing her miscarriage with her friends could be beneficial - perhaps, for them too - she found it too difficult to do at the time.

René, from Lafayette, Louisiana, wrote: 'After my miscarriage, I had to take a break from facebook for months. It was too painful to see so many baby pictures and pregnancy updates.

'There was so much of that and very little bad news. I kept it private. I was heartbroken and depressed and scared that I'd never be able to have the family I always dreamed I would.

They do: Zuckerberg, 31, and Chan, 30, were married on May 19, 2012 in a quiet ceremony in their backyard

Mark Zuckerberg makes sweet anniversary video for his wife

'My husband and I welcomed a beautiful healthy daughter into the world about 5 months ago.

'Every time I post a photo of her, I think about my friends and acquaintances who may be struggling the same way I was. I wish it was easier to share experiences like that, but it just felt so bad.

'I couldn't do it.'

In Friday's pregnancy announcement, Zuckerberg - who married Chan in a quiet ceremony in their backyard on May 19, 2012 - said that his and his wife's first child will be 'a new chapter in our lives'.

CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE PUBLICLY REVEALED THEIR MISCARRIAGES

Beyonce- Two days after the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy, Jay Z released the song 'Glory' revealing that his wife had suffered a miscarriage in the lyrics.

Courteney Cox - The Friends star has always been very open about suffering multiple miscarriages over the course of her life and her difficulties in getting pregnant.

Michelle Duggar - She miscarried twice, the second time she was pregnant and in the second trimester of her pregnancy with her 20th child.

Bethenny Frankel - The Real Housewives star shared that she and former husband Jason Hoppy were expecting a second child but she lost it at eight weeks.

Pink - The singer told Ellen while appearing on her show that she was hesitant to reveal she was pregnant with her daughter Willow after suffering a miscarriage before.

Mariah Carey - The singer told US Weekly that after she married Nick Cannon the couple got pregnant and she later lost the baby.

Nicole Kidman - She and first husband Tom Cruise ended up adopting two children after she suffered two miscarriages.

Jaime King - The model turned actress detailed her pregnancy struggles in a 2014 interview and revealed she had multiple miscarriages over the course of her life.

Gwyneth Paltrow - The actress told Mail on Sunday that she and Chris Martin became pregnant with a third child but lost the baby.

'We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world - Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy,' he wrote.

'Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation.'

Zuckerberg, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $34.8billion, is the 16th richest person in the world.

He and Chan met at Harvard in 2003 he was a sophomore and she was a freshman.

The pair were spotted earlier this month at the annual Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, where Chan was seen in mostly loose-fitting tops.

In one of the few interviews she has given, the famously private Chan said on Today last year that the couple wanted children, saying they 'would love to have kids.' She also joked that her husband's biggest priority after Facebook was not her, but rather their dog Beast.

Chan also said of her husband; 'I think it's a shame when people don't see the funny, thoughtful Mark that I know. He is incredibly sensitive and really cares about what other people need and want and really wants to be able to make someone else's day. And that's the Mark that I see.'

The couple have donated massive amounts of money to programs for children, including $120million to Bay Area schools in 2014 and $100million to Newark schools in 2010.

In that Today interview, Chan - the daughter of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees who came to country after the fall of Saigon - credited a large part of the success in her life to her teachers.

'My public school teachers did a great job of saying, "Check this out. You're qualified for this. You should explore these opportunities." They're the ones who said, "You know, apply to Harvard. You might be a good fit here,"' she explained. 'And then when I got to Harvard, it was even more opportunities that I didn't know existed. So their effects have only compounded over time.'

Chan recently completed her medical residency last month. At the time, Zuckerberg took to Facebook to congratulate his beloved wife.

'I'm so proud of you for all of the lives you've saved and families you've touched,' wrote Zuckerberg.

'You're a gift to our community, and I'm looking forward to seeing you make an even bigger impact in education, health and all your work with the underserved in your next chapter.'

Zuckerberg is already an uncle. His sister Randi and her husband, Brent Tworetzky, welcomed their first child, Asher, in 2011 - and a second son, Simi, in 2014.