After losing a pregnancy, many women are nervous about getting pregnant again, but there is no reason to worry. If the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, it does not mean that it will happen again. One failed pregnancy is not a sentence. For different reasons, up to 20% of pregnancies are lost spontaneously during the early stages [1]. However, no more than 1% of women have recurring miscarriages [2].
Is it true that after a miscarriage, you have to wait six months?
There is no consensus on this issue among doctors. Some scientists advise women to take a three-month break, while the WHO recommends waiting six months to try again[3]. However, recent studies have shown that the earlier conception occurs after a miscarriage, the higher the chance of a successful pregnancy and of having a healthy child [4, 5, 6]. The main thing is for a woman to be physically and psychologically ready for a new pregnancy.
When can I try again?
Usually, after a miscarriage, experts recommend patients refrain from intercourse for two weeks. By this time, bleeding has generally stopped, pain is gone, and the body has had a chance to recover. Even though the menstrual cycle does not normalize immediately, ovulation may occur as early as 14 days after a loss, which means there is a high probability of a new pregnancy [7].
Are there situations in which it is better to wait?
Yes, there are. Doctors recommend waiting to try to conceive again in cases such as:
after an ectopic pregnancy;
after a molar pregnancy (a rare pathology in which fertilization of an egg by a sperm cell occurs incorrectly, and the embryo either does not form or dies, but the fetal membrane has actively grown in the uterus);
if a woman is undergoing treatment during which pregnancy should be postponed;
if there were several miscarriages in a row or there was a late pregnancy loss (after 22-24 weeks) [8].
Do you have to go through a complete medical examination and treatment after pregnancy loss?
In the United States, women usually undergo testing after two or three losses. A lot depends on the type of insurance they have and the circumstances of their case. The European Society for Human Reproduction (ESHRE) recommends a detailed medical examination if a woman has had three losses in a row, which merits looking for the root cause and, if necessary, undergoing treatment [1, 2].
