Shay Mitchell says she had a miscarriage in 2018

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Shay Mitchell is reflecting on the ups and downs of her 2018, including a heartbreaking miscarriage.

The 31-year-old actress went public about losing "the child of [her] hopes and dreams" in a year-end post Tuesday on New Year's Day.

Mitchell said her 2018 was an amazing year with some hardships. She shared a photo of sonogram captioned with a broken heart emoji.

"We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life. And sometimes it's easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity," the star wrote.

"Having so many people follow me on Instagram and read my posts is both incredibly humbling and hugely uplifting. The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams," she shared.

Shay Mitchell went public about losing "the child of [her] hopes and dreams" in a year-end post. Photo by Shay Mitchell/Instagram Stories

The Pretty Little Liars alum encouraged her followers to show support and compassion to others in the new year.

"In the spirit of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey together -- in good times and in bad -- and to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through," the actress wrote.

"So, for 2019, let's all try to be a little more compassionate, empathetic, patient and thoughtful with each other," she said.

Shay Mitchell went public about losing "the child of [her] hopes and dreams" in a year-end post. Photo by Shay Mitchell/Instagram Stories

Mitchell also marked the new year in a tweet Tuesday.

"Here we go 2019, I am so, so ready for you," she wrote.

Mitchell played Emily Fields on Pretty Little Liars, which completed a seven-season run in June 2017. She portrays Peach Salinger in the new series You, which debuted on Netflix last week.