Trying again after miscarriage

[Khanga27]

Hi there, apologies if this is the wrong board.

I had an MMC confirmed at the beginning of the month, following a private scan last month suspecting the same. I opted for medical management which i had in hospital 3 days after conrirmation. Currently on antibiotics for a suspected infection (I don't think severe as only symptoms I have is some brief stabbing pain down below). I have been told to take a pregnancy test on Friday (3 weeks after medical management) - if positive then I need to let hospital know so they can scan for any potential retained bits.

They have said that if Fridays test is negative, then I don't need to wait for a period and could try again. I'm 35 and have no children, this miscarriage has been only pregnancy and the limbo prior to nhs confirmation was torture. However mentally I do feel keen to try again. However in terms of being physically ready I was surprised that I didn't need to wait for a period. I don't want to risk trying again straight away and find that actually there is increased risk and I face the same kind of loss again.

I just wanted to hear anyone's experiences of trying again for a baby after a miscarriage (for example, whether they tried before a period or whether they waited for a period) - if anyone was comfortable sharing - and whether there were any risks of me trying before a period please? I appreciate this is a very sensitive topic and also that everyones journey is unique and personal to them. Google is probably going to have lots of rabbit holes and I don't know whether the EPAU unit typically deal with that kind of advice beyond what they have already told me above.

Any experiences shared would be very much appreciated.

Sorry for your loss. There's no increased risk from trying again once you get a negative test, however it can be harder to date the pregnancy during the first trimester (which is why midwives etc prefer you to wait for a period, it's not a medical reason as such).

We did want to try before I got my period, but I didn't ovulate so it didn't matter anyway! I focused on regulating my cycle, going to therapy to help with the loss and trying to eat all the right nutrients. My period came back 4 1/2 weeks after surgical management (I was 10 weeks pregnant at the time).

@Khanga27 so sorry for your loss! Absolutely no need to wait, it's usually recommended just for dating reasons. We tried again straight after a loss last august, unfortunately my period came but I fell pregnant the following month but unfortunately lost that in November and haven't been able to conceive since!
They say sometimes you're extra fertile after a miscarriage so that kept me going, that and the unbelievable urge to be pregnant straight away x

Sorry for your loss OP ❤️

I'm currently in a very similar situation to you - I had a complete miscarriage on 5th August at 12 weeks and have been desperate to get pregnant again as soon as possible. I have been told that conceiving again after a miscarriage but before a period does not cause any increased miscarriage risk for subsequent pregnancies. I did actually read on one of the miscarriage websites that if you conceive again within the first three months of miscarrying it reduces your chance of another miscarriage by a third. This is what pushed me to start TTC again straight away. I haven't had a period yet but have been tracking my ovulation with the test strips and believe that I'm actually ovulating today, so fingers crossed it all works out.

Are you tracking your cycle?

I actually started a very similar thread today @Khanga27 It messes with your head all of this, doesn’t it? The worrying and what ifs and calculations and risks… I don’t have any useful info for you (hence starting my own thread) but I’m interested that your EPU said it was ok to try again straight away. I was advised to wait for a period, and when my first after surgery was very light my GP told me not to count it and to keep waiting. I’ve now had a more normal period but I’m still worried. Mainly, what if the womb hasn’t had a chance to build up its lining again enough to support a pregnancy, or what if hormones are still a bit out of whack and it causes another MC? Doesn’t sound like anyone else has come across these concerns though, which is encouraging!

Very sorry for your loss. I had a MMC in May and we wanted to TTC again as soon as the bleeding stopped but I did not ovulate before my first period. It took a couple of months for my cycle to get back to normal and then I conceived this month. It is safe for you to try again but your cycles may not get back to normal right away.

I'd defo recommend a good multivitamin to help build your body back up. After mine I was recommended proceive conception and found them great. Boots have their own brand ones aswell which are also good and cheaper!

I waited for a period before trying again, but that was more so that I knew where my body was at. Took nearly 2 years to conceive again anyway!🤪

Your experience is very similar to mine, I also mced in august and angsty to try again as soon as possible. I’m also nearing mid 30s and also no kids yet, this was also the first pregnancy I’d managed and the limbo before nhs confirmation of the mc was similarly torture!

The doctor said I should wait until after my first period but that was just to make it easier to date any pregnancy; she didn’t say there were any risks otherwise with trying earlier (assuming you’re done bleeding etc)- obviously I’m not a doctor but google seems to back that up haha. She did also mention that there is some evidence of heightened fertility for the first three months after a MC so I’m holding onto that too.

Personally I’m just going to go ahead and try.. but I’m not showing any signs of ovulation so far so it’s a moot point atm.

good luck ❤️

Thanks all for replies it's very much appreciated, and I am sorry for your experiences, its so difficult and so I appreciate even more people sharing. I've had lots of helpful replies so apologies that I'm not replying individually to people but hopefully below will answer where people have asked questions.

I used ovulation sticks the month I conceived. I haven't tracked ovulation since the miscarriage because the bleeding only stopped last week and I need a negative pregnancy test first to try again, but will be tracking once I get this. When I was in hospital on Tuesday they took swabs to test for potential infection and she also examined me and confirmed it looked like my cervix had closed which she said was a good sign to suggest unlikely retained products, but they would need to scan for that if tomorrow's test is positive.

I'm taking folic acid and vitamin d at the moment. I had taken pregnacare briefly before I became pregnant but I had to stop as I came out with hives and so the GP just recommended the basics. If there's a good conception/pregnancy multivitamin that doesn't have the potential fillers that might bring me out in hives then I would be keen to try this, but I try also to get plenty of fruit and veg in my diet.

I want so much to be pregnant again and am conscious of my body clock, but I think because of what has happened and what is still happening I have that fear of things happening again. The statistic for miscarriage and pregnancy loss is so high but no one warns that a miscarriage and physical effects can for so long so that there's the physical trauma on top of the grief. But I still have my hopes for us to start a family and have that hope that we had before it was taken away.

Thanks @Daniki - I actually just started Proceive yesterday so that’s nice to read! Fingers crossed.

@Khanga27 I share your experience of an incredibly protracted physical process of MC, and the trauma of that on top of the emotional pain of the loss. I know that every month counts to us at the moment, especially so as we’ve seen time slipping by due to infection, RPOC etc, but I suspect that looking back we might see how we needed even longer to process it all and recover. But so little is in our control anyway, and that’s hard. Good luck to you and keep us posted.

@Daniki Thank you and I'm sorry about your experience.

@Daniki I just wondered for proceive - is it the proceive tablets or the proceive max sachets that you've used? I am wary about fillers but they seem to say no fillers and reviews seem much higher than pregnacare.

@Khanga27 so it's capsules I take. I have heard the sachets are good tho! I might move onto them as people recommend the coQ10 in them!

Ah fab thanks for reply. I might try capsules initially and see how I get on.

Frustratingly today's pregnancy test came back positive still so I've contacted EPAU. They did a doctor will be in touch this afternoon to organise a scan for next week.

@Khanga27 it's very frustrating! I had positive tests for 4 weeks after my last miscarriage, hard to move on then. Hopefully there's no retained tissue, is it a faint positive? Xx

@Khanga27 Ahh I’m so sorry this is dragging on even longer. I can imagine the test still being positive is very unwelcome, though it’s good it gives you something concrete to get EPU to act. Hopefully this will get you the treatment you need to draw a line under the physical process. If they do find retained products they might give you options - wait, more medical management, or surgical. Worth thinking through what you want. If you’re open to (or advised to have) surgery I’d suggest asking for hysteroscopy (where they use a camera) with resection rather than D&C, which they do blind or with ultrasound guidance. You want to know this will be the last of it.

@Daniki was fairly faint. I did 2 tests as I didn't feel hugely confident about using one from hospital (was a covid test type set up) - the hospital one was fainter, the other test I used was one of those boots strips which was a bit stronger but I wouldn't day anywhere near as strong as before the miscarriage (was a thinner line). I really hope no retained tissue, but with having the infection atm I want to know either way. It's so frustrating that EPAU isn't open over weekends to get a scan sooner.

@Oxalis00 they had indicated it likely to be surgery if any retained product as I had medical management 3 weeks ago after the missed miscarriage was diagnosed. I was so hopeful it would all be gone because I saw the sac come out whole at the hospital, and it wasn't developed enough for there to be a placenta etc. Its just so frustrating.

I was so hopeful to be negative due to sac coming out whole as well as the doctor saying during examination I had on Tuesday when she took swabs that my cervix was closed which she said was a good sign. I've had no bleeding at all for over a week. I just want this to be over now, it's been over a month!

@Khanga27 it might be ok, the tests are really sensitive so might be very low levels of hcg left and no tissue remaining. I know I can't understand that either about the EPAU, it's very stressful and these things always happen over the wknd! X

It is unlucky for it to drag on like this. Mine took 2 1/2 months to resolve… 😬 But you will come out the other side, I promise! Good luck 🤞🏼 and keep us posted.

Thank you, will see what happens. In meantime I've had bleeding start again today, 10 days after it had stopped. It seems like the start of a period but I don't know what to think because of what's happened today. My cervix Tuesday was closed according to doctor, so could it be a new period?!

@Khanga27 possibly new period, I think I remember reading if hcg levels were low enough you will ovulate again, same as like a chemical pregnancy you bleed? Hope that makes sense!