TTC after v. early miscarriage : does m/c = AF for ovulation calculation purposes?

[PrincessButtercup]

Apologies for what I'm sure is a very FAQ:

I miscarried at only 5 weeks early last week. M/c took the form of an uncomfortable and messier than usual AF and bleeding lasted about 5 days.

The whole episode - pregnant then not within a week - was hugely disappointing and emotionally tough but thankfully not too physically debilitating. I really want to just get on with trying again. So, can I use 1st day of m/c bleeding as day 1 for working out my ovulation dates or should I just forget about the maths and enjoy trying as often as poss(DH will think Christmas has come early!) until next AF appears (whilst of course hoping it doesn't)?

Sorry for your loss having had mmc myself i was told to count first day of cycle the day that the sac is passed as that is the first day you should get a negative reading on p.test meaning you are free to start a new cycle. Normally you will have a normal period within 4 to 6 weeks following mc. I say throw caution to the wind and bd as much as you can this month if your af does show you can start counting afresh from then. Good luck

PrincessB, I can't answer you as I'm in exactly the same boat, miscarried yesterday (I'm pretty certain anyway, going to have it confirmed by scan tomorrow) at 5 weeks. I will be watching this with interest as we want to try again as soon as possible. about your mc, how are you feeling? I'm feeling strangely positive. Not sure if I'm mad or not, I've been bleeding pretty much since I found out I was pg, and not knowing either way was horrendous, then yesterday morning the bleeding was so much heavier, I had about two hours of moderate period type pains, a couple of biggish clots came out and I guessed that was it. I was kind of relived it was all over, there was no more guessing or worrying. Just a determination to get pg again but like you I have no idea when I will ov. I thought I would be told to wait for my next period. Have you seen anyone medical yet? Did they not tell you to wait for your next period>

Hi Princess

Sorry to your about your MC

I'm in a similar situation to you, although I didn't know I had had an early MC until I was over 10 weeks and was referred to the early pregnancy unit, who confirmed I was no longer PG.

My GP has recommended that I wait to have a regular AF before we start TTCing again - so that get time to heal emotionally, but also in terms of calculating when the baby would be due. Don't think you can use 1st day of MC in the same way as 1st day of AF.

I feel as if we are just wasting time at the moment, but what's 1 month in the grand scheme of things?

Hope that helps!

sorry for your loss. I m/c at 6 weeks in may. Its so heartbreaking. just like you one week i was happy cos i'd just found out the next week i'd lost it. Hope you concieve again soon but i'd wait till after your next af

Princess,exactly the same happened to me a few months back.I was scanned soon afterwards to check for retained products-all was fine. I had my next period exactly 28 days from first day of mc bleed,and one more since. Have counted and attempted to conceive around 14 days into this cycle and should know by thurs if successful! I'll let you know.

Thanks all of you. I'm really sorry to hear that you're able to empathise

I thought that with being so early, it might just count for the same thing.

HeadFairy - I haven't actually seen my gp as I know that statistically, early mc is so common. Also it all seemed to be so straightforward and definite, that I thought there was no need. I think I should go tomorrow though as I really do want to make sure that all is fine before progressing any further.

I too feel very positive. I am hugely relieved that it didn't happen any later; that would have been another story, I'm sure. If nothing else, the whole process has made me certain that I do want another baby (it'll be my third). A little scared too as I presumed that I would just sail through another pregnancy - clearly not - how naieve. I feel stronger and better equipped for having had this experience but I'm not sure how many times I could go through it...

Fingers crossed for us all

I had a very early pregnancy loss at the end of August I didn't see my GP, I did speak to the midwife though. I just wanted to know how long the HCG would be around so I didn't test for a negative to early. I wasn't advised to wait before TTC, but I'm not in the UK so the advice might be differnt there. Can you ring your local midwife for advice?

I got pregnant again straight away, ovulation was on day 14 after first bleeding. 7 weeks today

Fantastic news DeJaVous! I hope you're feeling well.

It's not too difficult to get a drop in app't with my gp and I don't have a readily accessible local midwife (need to be referred by gp) so I think gp's prob the best bet.

Thanks for the thought.

Hi Princess

I had a chem pregnancy earlier this year (would have been about 4+3 when the bleeding started). I did not see a doctor and thus was not given any advice to wait to try again. However I did quite a lot of research on the point and the reasons people suggest waiting are, firstly to date any pregnancy (but if you can tell when you are ovulating this is irrelevant) and to allow yourself time to heal emotionally (but, in my view, if you want to get on with it that is as good a sign as any that you are ready).

I chart my temperature and for the purposes of charting I have always counted the first day of bleeding after a loss as CD1. What I have noticed, though, is that my ovulation tends to be delayed by a week or more after a loss, so it is a good idea to look for other signs of ovulation.

After my MC I got pregnant right away. It was ectopic, but that was nothing at all to do with the miscarriage.

HTH, and I wish you lots of luck in conceiving again soon.

Hi PrincessB, I def think a visit to a midwife or gp is the best bet. I went to the early pregnancy unit at my local hospital this morning, they confirmed a complete miscarriage on a scan, which is a relief because I really didn't want to have a d&c. Had my bloods taken to check the hcg levels are falling, have to go back on wednesday for the second set, until then it's called a pregnancy of unknown location, ie they can't see it on a scan, so technically could be ectopic, but the sonographer said it was unlikely. Always good to check your hormone levels are falling to rule out ectopic pregnancy. I'm sure your gp can do that.

I'm still confused about when to date my cycle from. I started bleeding but only lightly on what would have been cd32, the same day I tested positively. It then stopped for a couple of days, then started again last Thursday, lightly at first, then a bit heavier on Friday, and finally on Saturday properly, like a period, when the clots came out. That's the day I assume I miscarried. It's starting to subside now... so I'm confused, as the bleeding stopped and started, if I was going to try and get pg when would you say cd 1 was?

HF - I'm due to see my GP tomorrow but did a clear blue preg. test today to give some inidication as to whether HCG levels are down. The test was negative and I feel entirely non-hormonal (so different to the way I felt whilst testing positive) so I'm pretty sure I'm cleared out. I'll check with GP about timing re cycle and advice on trying again and let you know.

I haven't used ovulation test sticks before and don't really want to get into all of that (cld be a costly addiction!) but I think they could be useful for this cycle.

hi -m sorry to hear about the mc - i ws the same in aug, i got a positve and bled and started bleeding a few days later - it is tough!! my cycle was a week longer last month following the mc, so i agree with prev post bd all you can!! good luck xxxxxxxxxx

Hi princessb. That's good, glad to hear you're getting it checked up. I've only got one pg test left and dh suggested we keep it for when we think we've conceived again. Quite sweet really. I don't feel pg any more and I'm having my second test for hCG levels tomorrow so that'll confirm for me that I'm back to normal.

I've got a stack of OPKs at home anyway so I think I'll use them anyway, out of curiosity to see what's happening. Going to start using them next Friday, which will be almost 2 weeks after mc.

Hope all goes well at the gp, I'd be interested what they say about trying again. I'm going to ask the midwives at the EPU tomorrow if there's a medical reason for waiting for another period or if it's recommended for emotional reasons.

Wishing - thanks for the lovely message; mush appreciated. Good luck to you too!

HF - I saw my lovely GP today. She said that as my MC had been so early, it could be treated as a late period. So, for the purposes of ttc this cycle then my most fertile days could be roughly calculated at and around 14 days after my first day of bleeding (nb. for me this was at about day 35 of my last cycle).

She advised that it is generally thought best to wait through one whole cycle before ttc again (a) for emotional reasons and (b)because there is a very slightly higher risk of MC in the immediately subsequent cycle (if body not properly recovered). BUT she did emphasise that this is a small risk (I didn't get the impression that she was trying to dissuade me from ttc this month but wanted to put me in a position to make a slightly better informed decision re ttc/not ttc). She also said that I was likely to be less fertile this cycle anyway (which seems to be at odds with a lot of the advice I've read here).

I dunno. Whilst last week's episode wasn't too traumatic, I don't really want to go through it again next month. I think I'll talk it through with DH and see how I feel around ovulation time. I'll keep you posted and would be interested to know what your midwife says.

Oops - sorry - that was MUCH appreciated, not MUSH!

After 2 miscarriages I got pregnant in the cycle immediately after the second, and carried to term for the first time. If it was very early, there is no reason to think your body isnt ready, so if you are emotionally recovered, go for it! Good luck.

PrincessB, that's very interesting what your gp said about a slight increased risk of miscarrying again if you try straight away, it does seem at odds with what people say on here, but then I suppose anecdotal evidence isn't terribly scientific. I guess it just boils down to how you feel. I'm quite up for trying again straight away, so I think we will. Keep us updated as to how things go, I'm keeping everything crossed for us

i knew what your meant and your welcome princess!! i felt i was ready the month after but i wasnt sure when i would be ovulating so i found it hard, and wasnt a sucess!!

I sort of wanted to get on with it and put the mc behind you but we are all different, see how you go princess - maybe dont rule out trying altogether but dont make it priorty around ovulation - just see how it how it goes??

i think its always hard when af arrives when ttc - this is an emotional rollercoaster

xxxx

hi ive been reading ur stories as im misscarring my self at this very mo i had my son a year ago tomorrow his pregnancy was hard i found out i was pregnant the 2nd of feb last yr and lost my baby the very next day my clots was like strawberry seeds my doctor is horrible his answer was oh well ur get over it but 2 weeks later i took a home test again for it to come up very dark positive but the doctor said theres no way ur pregnant my hcg levels dropped to 10 but i knew something wasnt rite i went bk to doctors for him to say ur baby will die at 6 weeks pregnant it was hell s i passed the 6 weeks then he said it will die so dont get attacthed but a yr on and my son is now 1 i found out on the 31st last month i was pregnant im about 5 weeks fwe days but i started bleeding this sunday my little girls birthday but i stopped bleeding yesterday morning with only a few bits of lood when i wipe after going to loo i have docs appointment this afternoon but not hopefull as i sort of no its died gone whatever im finding it hard i do and am lucky i have 4 kids but it still hurts no looking forward to what doc has to say let you no ty for taking time reading and sorry for ur losses joxxx

Jo, I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through. The waiting and hoping is terribly hard I know. If it turns out that you are miscarrying, maybe you should pop over to the miscarriage section of the site. There are lots of ladies over there who know just what you are going through and may be able to offer you any support you need.
Take care.

ok so sorry for putting my bit in the wrong place my fault but ty any way tc xx

Hi Ladies... This is my first visit to this site, and it is comforting to know I am not goin thru this alone. I am sorry about all your losses. I had my first m/c on Oct 18. I was 6.5 weeks along. It was devastating to me. I have 3 kids already and had no issues. Now I feel scared and sad and disappointed all at the same time My GP said that because I was so early along, that there is no reason not to start trying right away. I have never really paid attention to ovulation signals or anything, as I got preg easily. Now I am driving myself crazy analysing every stitch and every pain I feel. I am so hoping to get preg right away that I think I am beginning to dream up my preg symptoms. I must sound really crazy! I am just starting to get the feeling that I am in for a big disappointment when AF finally shows up. Which leads me to my question.. according to your experiences, when does AF usually come after m/c?

rite im bk and recovering now ive decided to start again we r going to try as soon as im sorted i dont go by wot docs say as its happened to me b4 after my loss of a baby i fell pregant rite away and he it healthy so i see how it goes