How Long After A Miscarriage Can I Start Trying To Conceive Again?

How long you wait before trying to conceive again after a miscarriage depends on a few factors, not the least of which is your emotional preparedness. Sometimes, the further into the pregnancy a woman was before she miscarried, the more difficult it is to cope with the associated grief and sadness. Many health professionals recommend waiting at least a cycle or two after a miscarriage before attempting to conceive again, so that any underlying emotional distresses can have time to surface and be dealt with.

Additionally, the hormonal fluctuations the woman experiences can be like an emotional rollercoaster ride. Her partner will need to be patient and understanding as she goes through ups and downs of feelings. Only when the couple are positive that moving forward can begin, should they consider pregnancy again. Sometimes, however, leaving it for too long can mean dwelling on the sadness and it can be better to see trying again as positive steps forward in their relationship and their quest for another baby.

Physically, the issues are different. Mostly, a woman who has suffered a miscarriage will be ready to fall pregnant again as soon as her menstrual cycle returns to normal. The problem is, finding out when her next period will be. If her miscarriage was devoid of complications, and if her cycle was previously quite regular, she can expect to have a period within a four to six week time frame, from the date of the miscarriage.

Hormones
HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is the hormone that a woman's body produces during pregnancy. It suppresses the production of other hormones that stimulate ovulation so your doctor may want to monitor your HCG levels to ensure they drop to zero before you commence trying to conceive again. Following a miscarriage, HCG usually diminishes entirely within about two weeks.

If the miscarriage was complicated and there was associated excessive blood loss, fever and irregular discharge from the vagina, your doctor may advise against attempting pregnancy until he has ruled out any underlying reasons for the miscarriage. He may perform some investigations via blood work or internal examination. Once he gives you a clean bill of health, he will tell you when you can start trying again.

To determine when you are ovulating, you can keep a chart upon which you will record your daily basal body temperature using a special thermometer you can buy from a pharmacist. Before getting out of bed in the morning, take your temperature and record it and over a month. You will see slight variations, but more marked elevations will be obvious around the middle of the month. You need to start recording on the first day of menstrual bleeding and consider that as day one. The ‘middle of the month' will be around day 14, or a day or two either side according to your own cycle. Once you become aware of your ovulation date by taking your temperature, you can be pretty sure that your cycles are back in some form of regularity.

Always aim to be healthy, fit and emotionally comfortable before attempting to conceive after a miscarriage. Remember that most miscarriages are nature's way of correcting issues that would have made the pregnancy unviable. Your second chance is cause for celebration.

Each pregnancy, expectant mother, and unborn child is different. Your pregnancy may not progress the same as the information found here. The information here is based on the average pregnancy. It's not meant to be a replacement for any advice your may receive from your doctor. If you have any concerns about your pregnancy, we advise you to contact your doctor.

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