Miscarriage can be a traumatic and disorienting experience for women and their partners – and deciding if, and when, to try again is a challenging question for couples to tackle. There are many factors to consider, so I wanted to share with you how I counsel my own patients around this issue.
The first thing I share is that, from a medical/physical perspective, there is no benefit to waiting the 3-to-6 months previously prescribed by the majority of medical professionals. This advice has not only been debunked, but there is actually new research suggesting that an inter-pregnancy interval of less than 3 months is associated with the lowest risk of subsequent miscarriage – meaning there are actually better odds with trying again sooner.
Secondly, however, I ensure my patients remember that there is more than just “physical readiness” to consider: miscarriages can be devastating, and it is important for the mom/couple to process and grieve their loss. There is no timeline for this recovery, which is highly variable in terms of when a woman/couple will feel ready to embark on another pregnancy.
Finally, I encourage couples to explore whether there is anything that can be done to encourage a healthier pregnancy next time – especially if this was not the first miscarriage. I go over these risk factors in-depth in my online pregnancy program, including thyroid and progesterone deficiencies, as well as anatomical, infectious and auto-immune factors. If there are issues that put a future pregnancy at risk, I encourage pro-active treatments whenever possible prior to a new pregnancy.
In sum, deciding if and when to try again after miscarriage is a highly individualized process. However, if a woman/couple feels ready to try again and there are no obvious treatment targets, there is no reason to delay the 3-to-6 months as was been previously encouraged.
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information in your pregnancy, sign up for my free webinar: 7 Pregnancy Myths Debunked – and get the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your pregnant patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
Disclaimer: The information and content provided is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute therefore. Please consult the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for full details.
References:
Casey, B.M. (2015). Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy. ACOG Practice Bulletin, 148.
Hussain, M. et al. (2012). Progesterone supplementation in women with otherwise unexplained recurrent miscarriages. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 5(3): 248 – 251.
Mesen, T. et al. (2015). Progesterone and the luteal phase: a requisite to reproduction. Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinics of North America, 42(1) : 135 – 151.
Sundermann, A. et al. (2017). Interpregnancy Interval After Pregnancy Loss and Risk of Repeat Miscarriage. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 130(6): 1312-1318.