“You almost grieve again”: Erin Molan’s secret heartache when daughter Eliza was born

Erin Molan has revealed how becoming a mother left her grieving over her sister’s stillborn daughter almost 10 years later.

Sarah Sutton, Erin’s sister, suffered a tragic stillbirth more than a decade ago, which was a deeply painful experience for them both.

But when the TV and radio personality welcomed her own daughter Eliza, three, in 2018, she was suddenly flooded with a new understanding of what her sister went through.

“Once I became a mother, I looked back at it differently. You almost grieve it again,” the sport presenter told 9Honey Parenting.

She shared how heartbreaking it was to see Sarah “declaring her love for her child next to a tiny coffin” at the funeral service more than 10 years ago now.

Six Australian babies are lost every day to stillbirth, but knowing that you’re not alone in the gut-wrenching experience does little to dull the pain.

Erin said she was amazed by her sister’s strength through the loss of her daughter.

“I cannot fathom how anyone can survive something like that. It was awful. It was horrific for everyone,” she told the outlet.

Erin previously opened up to Who about the tragedy and how it affected Sarah and everyone around her, Erin included.

“I saw firsthand the devastation and impact giving birth to a stillborn baby can have on a family, and it’s something you can never recover from,” the 39-year-old said in 2019.

“The connection and bond you have with your unborn child is so powerful.”

She added that seeing Sarah experience the pain of stillbirth made her even more protective of her own pregnancy in 2018.

Erin explained: “I had a pretty tough pregnancy and I told my obstetrician what my sister had gone through so I made sure I got all the extra tests.

“I learnt pretty quickly that the greatest fear as a mum is losing your child and the only thing you hope for when you’re pregnant is to have a healthy baby.”

The Nine presenter shares her three-year-old daughter Eliza with former fiancé Sean Ogilvy, whom she split from in September, and tries to keep her daughter out of the public eye.

“We are entirely committed to co-parenting our 3 year-old daughter, who is the most important person in the world to both of us,” she wrote on Instagram when they split.

Like any parent, Erin puts Eliza first in every aspect of her life, despite working in a very demanding and public role.

In 2020 Erin told TV WEEK about how she prioritises Eliza while working as a presenter, even knocking back work that would take her away from her daughter.

“It was hard for me to say no. But I said no for her and for me, because I want to be with her,” she said.

“The thought of looking back and regretting not having a lot of time with her, or regretting putting other things ahead of her, would just make me feel physically ill.

“Being the best mum to her is my priority times a billion over anything else.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.