When To Try Again After Miscarriage

Recent research just published by the British Medical Journal suggests that you don't have to wait after a miscarriage before trying again. This is good news, especially if you are having fertility treatments.

Previously the advice to a woman who had a miscarriage was to wait at least 6 months before trying again. However, it now seems that if you conceive within 6 months of having a miscarriage your second pregnancy is more likely to go to term.

In fact around 85% of second pregnancies went to term when the interval between the miscarriage and the second pregnancy was six months or less. This compared to 79% of second pregnancies resulting in a baby when the interval was more than six months. In fact, it seems that the longer women wait to get pregnant again, the less likely they are to end up with a baby.

According to this research, carried out in Aberdeen, Scotland, women who waited for around two years before getting pregnant again were much more likely to have complications. They had problems either in the pregnancy, in the birth, and also had babies with low birth weight or other problems. Whereas those that got pregnant again quickly had less pregnancy or labor complications, and were more likely to have a normal weight baby.

One In Two

If you've had a miscarriage know you are not alone. Approximately one in two women miscarries at some point in their lives and one in five pregnancies result in a miscarriage. Of course having a miscarriage is very distressing for every woman, and when you have fertility problems and know that time may be running out, it can be even more upsetting. But now armed with this latest research you can at least try again as soon as possible. It is especially important for women over 35 who not only have more difficulty conceiving but also are reaching the end of their fertile years.

Of course your doctors may not know why you miscarried and just reassure you to 'try again'. However you are more likely to have a miscarriage if you are overweight, using anti-depressants, or have TSH thyroid levels in the upper normal range. Also surprisingly caffeine can be a cause of miscarriage so if you've already had one miscarriage, it would be sensible to cut out caffeine in all its forms. So don't just give up coffee, also cut out sodas, tea and even chocolate, just to be on the safe side.

So now you know thanks to this latest research that if you've had a recent miscarriage you can usually try again as soon as you feel up to it. Remember that even among women who've had two or more miscarriages, 80% do end up having a baby in the end.

Don't forget to eat healthily, take your folic acid supplements, cut out caffeine and hopefully you will soon be holding that precious bundle of joy.

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