Getting Pregnant After Miscarriage

Getting pregnant after miscarriage will affect different women in different ways. Some may want to wait a while. Others will just want to carry on and try again to become a mum.

Having a miscarriage does not mean that you will be less fertile the next time round. If you have several miscarriages in a row, or do seem to be having more than your 'fair share' then you must see a doctor, as there may be some underlying reason as to why you can't carry a baby to full term.

When you've had a miscarriage, you then have a slightly higher chance or having another in the future. If you have never had a miscarriage your chances of a successful pregnancy are around 80%-85%, after one miscarriage this drops to 80%, if you miscarry twice, the odds drop to around 70%, and after three miscarriages you may only have around a 50% chance of successful pregnancy. The positive outcome is that couples who have had several miscarriages have also had healthy pregnancies and delivered happy healthy babies afterwards.

Getting pregnant after miscarriage - Body & Mind

The main problem with trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage, is that you must be sure that you are ready. You have to give, not just your body, but your mind time to heal. A miscarriage is a loss of life, and whether you where 6 weeks pregnant or 16 weeks pregnant, it will effect you emotionally.

Some doctors advise waiting 3 months before you try to get pregnant again, others will say that there is no problem with trying straight away. Just remember to give yourself time to grieve and be emotionally stable enough to accept a new pregnancy.

Things you should know about getting pregnant after miscarriage

• The bleeding should normally stop after a week. If you are still bleeding after this time you should see your doctor as you may need a D&C (Dilation and Curettage) This will make sure that there is nothing left inside your uterus from your pregnancy, as this can cause infection.

• Ovulation can occur after 2 weeks, meaning that you would get a 'normal' period after ovulation. So if you don't fancy getting pregnant after miscarriage this soon, and you have started to have sex again, you must think about contraception. Pregnancy can happen this soon after a miscarriage

• Normal periods will resume around 4 to 6 weeks after the miscarriage, and your hormones and monthly cycle should start to settle back down again fairly quickly.

• Trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage should not take any longer than getting pregnant in normal circumstances. You must remember that most healthy couples, with no fertility problems and who are trying for a baby only have around a 30% chance of conception every month.

• Remember to give both your body and mind chance to heal after a miscarriage.

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