A Way To Begin Understanding Your Miscarriage
Many couples report that getting pregnant after miscarriage is a nerve-wracking process, and that they have many questions about what they should do next. You should know that many women have miscarriages, and in most situations, will go on to eventually deliver a healthy child.
1) Should we wait to try again?
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has no guidelines in place as to when try to conceive after a miscarriage, except for when the couple is ready both physically and mentally. And in most cases, the woman is given clearance to go ahead and start trying again immediately.
There are some circumstances, however, where she might be counseled to wait a period of time before getting pregnant again. Women who were treated with methotrexate to help them pass retained tissue (also called products of conception, or POC) must wait at least three months before attempting a pregnancy again. Methotrexate can cause serious birth defects and must be completely eliminated from the body before becoming pregnant again.
In addition, having had a surgical procedure, known as a D&C, to remove the POC, would likely require waiting a full menstrual cycle or two to allow the body to heal. Your doctor will let you know when it will be safe for you to get pregnant again.
2) What can I do differently?
Depending on the reason why the miscarriage occurred, chances are that there’s nothing that could be done differently, except to continue to focus on being healthy. A majority of miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that were incompatible with life. In other words, there’s nothing that you, or your doctor, could have done to prevent the miscarriage; it would have happened regardless.