Trying to Conceive Community

A miscarriage is an extremely emotional time for a couple. But, along with dealing with the grief you may also be thinking of how that loss affects trying to conceive again. You may have questions like: "How long do I wait before trying again?" or "Could something about this miscarriage indicate a problem for me?"

Let's begin by defining a miscarriage. Sporadic spontaneous pregnancy losses are nonconsecutive pregnancy losses that occur randomly during a woman's reproductive years. They occur in 10% to 15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies. Most sporadic spontaneous miscarriages are evident by the 12th week of gestation. There is a separate entity that is called recurrent pregnancy loss. These are three or more consecutive pregnancy losses. This less common condition should be reviewed and managed with your physician.

I recommend waiting until you have had 2 to 3 normal periods before trying for pregnancy after a miscarriage. Most women will have had at least 2 normal periods within 3 months of their completed miscarriage, so we're talking about waiting 3 months. If your cycles remain irregular after that time, you should seek a medical evaluation.
Waiting the 3 months before trying again allows your hormones to regulate and your cycle to normalize (much like waiting 3 months after coming off of birth control pills). If you've had 2 to 3 normal cycles, you can be more certain when your period is really due and when you may have missed your period. It allows you to know when it might be appropriate to perform an at-home pregnancy test. It helps you avoid the emotional roller coaster of not knowing if your period is late because you just had a miscarriage or because there is a new pregnancy. We also have a better estimate of your probable gestational age when you first present for prenatal care.
I also recommend restarting prenatal vitamins a month after a miscarriage. We would like you to be on your vitamins at least one month before conceiving. Better yet, stay on the vitamins the entire time if you can.

However, we understand that some women need an emotional break after a miscarriage as well. Waiting a month before starting back on vitamins may help them regain their spirits.

And even though the pregnancy did not end the way we would wish, it was still a pregnancy. Your body doesn't give you any extra credit for having endured the miscarriage. We're back to our old number for untimed intercourse. We would expect about 25% of couples to conceive in any given cycle, 50% in 3 months and 75% in 6 months. So, yes, we start from scratch.

What has been the hardest part about trying to conceive after a miscarriage? Has it been the time delay? Has it been the emotional roller coaster? Is there something else that has been difficult in your journey that we might all learn from?