Do Abnormal Pap Results Indicate Cancer?
With January marking Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, our compassionate and experienced women’s health specialists are answering all your questions about abnormal Pap smear results — and your next steps.
How Soon After a Miscarriage Can I Try to Get Pregnant Again?
Miscarriage is the spontaneous early loss of a pregnancy. About 1 in 5 known pregnancies end in miscarriage, making it a common — but often devastating — experience for women who are trying to grow their families.
Suffering a miscarriage can leave you with sadness and grief. These feelings are normal, but it’s also normal to wonder when you can start trying to get pregnant again.
At OB/GYN Specialists, we understand the complex emotions that miscarriage can bring, and we’re here to help. Daniel McDonald, MD, Marc Wilson, MD, and our team offer miscarriage care and expert counsel.
Every woman is different, and there’s no right or wrong answer for how long you should wait before trying again. Here are some things to consider when you’re thinking about pregnancy after miscarriage.
Listen to your emotions
Trying to conceive is a very emotional experience, and both pregnancy and miscarriage can bring up strong feelings that might surprise you. A miscarriage might make you feel shocked, sad, afraid, guilty, angry, confused, and more.
Start by recognizing your emotions and acknowledging that whatever you’re feeling is fine. We offer psychological support for couples following miscarriage, and we recommend giving yourself time to grieve your loss before trying to get pregnant again.
We’re here to help you find the resources you need to process your grief in healthy ways.
Talk to your doctor
If you haven’t already, schedule an OB/GYN appointment after your miscarriage. While very early miscarriages might not need medical intervention, some miscarriages may require dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove remaining fetal tissue from your uterus.
We can also provide an evaluation to determine the cause of your miscarriage, identify any health issues you may have, and make recommendations to help you avoid miscarrying again in the future.
In many cases, miscarriage is the result of chromosomal abnormality or improper implantation, and you might not require additional care. But if you have a history of miscarriage or you’re over age 35, Dr. McDonald and Dr. Wilson may recommend infertility care to improve your chances of pregnancy.
Wait for your period to return
Some experts recommend waiting for your normal menstrual cycle to start before you try to conceive again. You should get your period in about 4-6 weeks after a miscarriage, and waiting at least one full cycle can make dating a subsequent pregnancy easier.
Waiting a month or two also gives your body a chance to fully recover from pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones will disappear from your blood, which reduces your chance of getting a false positive if you were to take a pregnancy test.
When it comes down to it, only you can decide when is the right time to start trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage. For compassionate care and personalized advice, visit our team at OB/GYN Specialists in Denton, Texas. Call our office at 940-202-0566 or send us a message online to get started.
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