According to one study, women who conceive within six months after a miscarriage are less likely to miscarry again or experience other pregnancy related complications when compared with women who wait for longer periods of time. Exactly how long a woman should wait to conceive after a miscarriage is controversial. Some doctors suggest trying again as soon as possible, while guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO) call for waiting for at least six months, and others suggest waiting for as long as 18 months.
When Can I Attempt Another Pregnancy?
Medically, it is safe to conceive after two or three normal menstrual periods if tests or treatments for the cause of the miscarriage are not being done. Some physicians routinely recommend that couples wait six months to a year before attempting another pregnancy in order to come to terms with their loss, whereas other physicians feel there is no compelling reason to wait so long.
The time you should wait to conceive again is not determined in numbers – like how many periods should pass or a certain number of months. “When” is dependent on your mind and body. Those aspects change depending on how far along in the pregnancy you were, if this was your first miscarriage, or if you have underlying medical conditions. Many couples find it takes much longer to recover emotionally, especially if you were past the 13th week. You may go through multiple stages of grieving, such as sad one day and angry the next.
Five facts about miscarriage
Thankfully, many women do go on to have healthy pregnancies and deliveries after miscarriage. The following statistics shed some light as to what you may be able to expect regarding your fertility after miscarriage.
- About one in four pregnancies are lost within the first few months. Some experts believe that this number be as high as one in two pregnancies. Many women miscarry before they ever know they are pregnant.
- Very early miscarriages that occur shortly after an embryo implants are called “chemical pregnancies.” If you have a chemical pregnancy, you may not even know that you are pregnant, as the miscarriage will occur right around the time that you would have normally had your period.
- Most miscarriages take place within the first 3 months of pregnancy. Many women keep the news of pregnancy quiet until they are past the 13-week mark. Once they are safely past the end of the first trimester, many women breathe a sigh of relief since the likelihood of miscarriage decreases.
- Miscarriage during the 2nd trimester is very rare and only occurs in an estimated one to five percent of pregnancies. A pregnancy lost after 20 weeks gestation is known as a stillbirth.
- As pregnancy progresses, the risk of miscarriage decreases.
What Are The Chances Of Having Another Miscarriage?
Many couples who experience a miscarriage worry that it will happen again. Fortunately, at least 85% of women who have had one loss will go on to have a successful pregnancy the next time, as will 75% of those who have experienced two or three losses.
Women who waited two years to conceive after their miscarriage had a higher risk for potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes) and/or pregnancy termination than women who conceived earlier. These women were also more likely to deliver via cesarean section or give birth to premature or low-birth-weight babies than women who became pregnant within six months after their miscarriage, the study shows.
The study did include women who had miscarried later in pregnancy, and the findings were broadly similar to those who had miscarriages earlier in their pregnancy.
There are some subgroups of women who may need to wait longer before becoming pregnant again, including women who show signs of an infection, the researchers caution.
The following are recommendations to make this time a little easier:
- Ask that your pregnancy be monitored carefully.
- You may want to avoid early preparation for the baby’s arrival. Some couples find it helpful to request that baby showers be held until after the arrival of the baby.
- Some people will make suggestions about what you should do or not do to make this pregnancy successful because they are also invested emotionally in your pregnancy. The easiest way to handle their suggestions is to listen, and then do whatever you, your partner, and medical team feel is best.
- Your birth experience might be bittersweet because memories may resurface about your loss. You will probably need to do some grieving in addition to celebrating your new baby.
- Your parenting may be influenced by your past loss so moments of panic might occur, especially when the new baby is ill, or too quiet.
- You may feel the need to protect yourself from more sorrow so you might be cautious bonding with your new baby until you’re certain he or she is safe and healthy.
- If you feel you are struggling, speak to your healthcare provider about possible support groups or counselors who could help you through this difficult time.
Tried and tested tips to conceiving quickly after a miscarriage:
If you are trying to get pregnant, follow your doctor’s advice if any and take care of your health. Try the following:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs
- Take a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid and some other fertility related minerals
- Get to a healthy weight
- Start early morning meditation or simple yoga postures
- Both husband and wife need to understand, they are both into this and need to encourage each other to change over to a healthier lifestyle
- Take thyroid medications regularly if prescribed by your physician
- Eat a lot of green vegetables
- Start your personalised homeopathy medicines specially formulated for you at Welling Clinic to get pregnant faster after miscarriage.
Reference for more reading:
http://attainfertility.com/article/fertility-after-miscarriage
http://www.newkidscenter.com/Getting-Pregnant-Fast-after-Miscarriage.html
http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-loss/after-miscarriage-getting-pregnant-again
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100805/study-no-need-delay-pregnancy-after-miscarriage
