The couple are left shattered.
**This article contains discussion of pregnancy loss that some readers may find upsetting.**
Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) and partner Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) were left in pieces in tonight’s Emmerdale (18th August) as they learned that they were set to lose their baby.
The couple recently learned they were expecting a child together and while Charity initially booked an abortion, Mack was keen to go ahead with the pregnancy.
After a tense discussion saw the pair disagree, Charity eventually came round to the idea of having her fifth child, realising that this time she would actually have the father by her side. In the following days, Mack was excited as he began to prepare for becoming a dad. He revealed the news to sister Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb), who was stunned but pleased for him.
Meanwhile, Charity was slowly getting used to the idea of a new baby as she tried to support son Noah (Jack Downham) who was still being shunned in the village after a prison stint for stalking. As Mack stepped up to lighten Charity’s load, she was impressed as she playfully teased him for his changed attitude.
But tonight, everything changed as Charity fell to the floor in pain while at home alone. She knew this meant that something was seriously wrong, and tried to cope with the agony as she spotted her phone completely out of reach.
Thankfully, Mack arrived and insisted they were going straight to the hospital – although Charity had been keen to avoid the place as she guessed she was having a miscarriage. However, when they were seen by doctors, they learned that Charity’s pregnancy was ectopic and endangering her life.
Mack struggled to comprehend this information as he realised that the baby was still alive but would not survive. He asked to hear the heartbeat, and a shaken Charity agreed for his sake. They were then told that Charity would be having an injection to terminate the pregnancy. Mack wanted some time to absorb this, but Charity felt it was best to get the process over and done with.
Later, Mack left her to rest upstairs, clashing with Noah when he didn’t believe his mum was unwell. Mack ended up revealing everything to him before leaving the house, where he saw Moira. As his sister handed over some precious childhood toys belonging to Moira’s later daughter Holly Barton (Sophie Powles), Mack announced that Charity was no longer pregnant in powerful scenes by actor Robb.
Meanwhile, Noah supported his mum and even apologised for his recent behaviour. As they shared a heartfelt moment, Mack returned, not realising he was still holding the toys. He was desperate to talk about what they were going through, but Charity preferred to carry on as normal as she offered him some food.
With Mack clearly needing to open up about his own grief, will Charity slow down enough to take in her own feelings?
Read more:
- 6 Emmerdale spoilers: Charity and Mack lose their baby
- Emmerdale’s Mackenzie “blindsided” by Charity’s baby secret
For help and support on the issues discussed above, you can visit The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, or find the right support for you here.
Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
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