It was devastating news the couple had not been ready to reveal for weeks.

But on Saturday, Kelsey Grammer and girlfriend Kayte Walsh said she had a miscarriage.

"We lost our unborn child about six weeks ago," they tell PEOPLE in a statement. "?We would like to thank all of those who expressed kindness and concern ?but we needed a little time to heal, time to find some solace before we? publicly acknowledged our loss."

The actor, 55, and Walsh, 29, had revealed in August that she was expecting. It was to have been the first child for the couple and the fifth for Grammer.