TTC after miscarriage before first period?

[Katzj]

I’m going through a miscarriage right now, been bleeding for 7 days straight but I think it’s getting gradually lighter.

I feel pretty empty after this experience and just want to be pregnant again. After a scan today I asked the nurse when I could try again and she said to wait until after my next period but it could take 6 weeks to return. I haven’t finished bleeding yet so it could be a good 8 weeks before we can start trying again.

I’m thinking once the bleeding stops and I get a negative pregnancy test we might be able to start trying, but I’m concerned about further issues if I conceive too soon? On the other hand, part of me also thinks that if I’m ovulating then surely my body is ready to conceive?

Please could anyone share their experience of getting pregnant before their period returned and what the outcome was? Or if anyone thinks it’s best to wait?

PS I do feel like I have had time to process the experience and really do just want to move on, so I don’t feel any need to wait for that reason.

thanks in advance 🙏🏻

I had a miscarriage in August. I was told that it's convenient but not essential to wait until the first period. It helps with dating but there's no major reason to wait. It might give some women a bit of time to feel physically and emotionally ready to start again.
It is preferable to wait until your HCG is low enough to test negative so that a positive test is definitely a new pregnancy and not from the previous pregnancy.
I went somewhere down the middle. I didn't actively TTC but also we weren't taking precautions. It was after my first period that I was ready for that level of regular intimacy so it was only once or twice before my first period. I made the decision to go with our moods. I got my negative pregnancy test at 3 weeks and my period at 4 weeks.

Sorry that was posted on the wrong thread x

We waited a couple of months to TTC again - for me it felt reassuring to have a normal period, and it was good to have some mental space. And honestly, I couldn't have coped with the anxiety of another pregnancy right away. I could barely cope when I got pregnant again 4 months later, but it was more manageable having had some time.

Hi,
I’m really sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I experienced similar in 2021. I lost a baby at 12 weeks and was told ideally to wait for a period until ttc again as it’s easier to date a new pregnancy. However, I fell pregnant 5 weeks after my miscarriage and that little baby is turning 2 next month. I’m also pregnant again now with his little sister who is due anytime. It sounds awful but for me, the only way of processing the miscarriage and coping was to try again to be pregnant as soon as I humanly could. Sending you all my best wishes and in a nutshell, you do what feels right for you!

This is a very individual thing. Some feel ready very soon others a while. I’m the same as you, I took medical management for a MMC nearly 2 weeks ago and feel ready to try again and I don’t want to wait. I think because I think I knew relatively early things weren’t going well feels like I’ve had a quite a bit of time to process. Just need a negative pregnancy test first. I’m also mindful being 35+ that I don’t have the luxury of time.

Thanks for your response 🙏🏻 sounds like we are in a similar position. I just want to be pregnant again and be given another chance. I will definitely wait for a negative test first but I have bought ovulation strips too to use afterwards. Wishing you all the best 🌈 ❤️

I had a miscarriage when I was 35 at 6 weeks pregnant in April 2022, and was pregnant again with my now 20 month old by the May, before I had a period. We weren't actively trying but also weren't trying not to conceive.

It did make dating it a little difficult but once you get to the 12 week scan the dating is all based on the scan measurements anyway. We ended up having two 12 week scans as he was measuring a little small at the first one as I was told to base my dates on my miscarriage bleed being my last period (which obviously wasn't quite right!).

Now 38 and 7 months pregnant with his little brother. Like others have said, do whatever feels right for you. I missed being pregnant after the loss, but didn't do the whole ovulation tracking so we had a very low pressure approach and just got lucky afterwards I guess. I have heard stories of your body being more 'geared up' for pregnancy just following a miscarriage but I haven't done any research to know whether this is true or not.

I am so sorry for your loss. I had a surgical miscarriage 3 weeks 5 days ago.
I bled on and off for around 10 days.
I am close to 40 and didn’t want to waste a cycle. The nurse at EPU said that I could try straight away if I felt ready however preferably after a negative test. I had a negative test around 6 days ago and a positive LH test 3 days after. I am now 3dpo.
I am praying for a BFP but I don’t think we DTD enough.
as long as you feel ready then try again.
xxx

Thanks for your reply 🙏🏻 so sorry to hear about your loss as well. I was due to have surgery but it happened naturally before then. It’s frustrating not knowing when the bleeding will stop.

good to know your nurse didn’t discourage trying before the first cycle. I’m planning on doing the same as you, negative test then LH test.

I really hope you get your BFP, the TWW is such an anxious time! All the best to you 🌈

This is such a hopeful story, thank you, do you recall if you had negative pregnancy tests before you had unprotected sex.

I just wonder if on the off chance got pregnant but still had positive tests from old pregnancy when trying if this would be a problem. I’m not too bothered about the dating as I think after going through this I’m not sure there is much point getting a scan before 8 weeks.

I did have negative tests, I think I was told to make sure I had negative tests a week or so (? Not sure if I remember the time line) afterwards to make sure everything had passed (I think the lovely term 'retained products' was used). I'm glad my story could help, I don't post much on here but couldn't read and run xx

Thanks for your response, sorry you’ve gone through this too.

You make a very good point, personally I haven’t seen much about this when I’ve been researching TTC before a period. My thinking would be that your body wouldn’t release an egg if there was still retained pregnancy tissue? And if it did then surely it wouldn’t implant normally so you wouldn’t end up getting pregnant? I’m not 100% sure though. Also maybe the reason they suggest negative pregnancy testing first is just to avoid risk of infection if you haven’t completely passed everything before intercourse. I’ll have to look into this more, but thank you for bringing it up 🙏🏻

I also get what you mean about early scans, it’s a tricky one because whilst I’d want to see that everything was progressing normally, there is always so much discrepancy with how embryos should look at certain stages and how they can appear. It’s such a worrying time, but I wish you every success with your next try 🌈 ❤️

They would just need to check that the positive test is due to a new pregnancy and not any remaining material from the previous pregnancy as that might require additional management.
If you are still bleeding there's an infection risk.
I didn't wait for the negative test but I think it was just once. I was having my HCG monitored weekly under the epu. I figured that they would see on the off chance I did conceive my levels start to rise and investigate. I would have been more hesitant without the regular monitoring

I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks and started tracking my ovulation as soon as I got a negative test. I ovulated exactly two weeks later and got pregnant with my now 18 month old. If you’re testing for ovulation there shouldn’t be too much confusion with the dates. Good luck OP!

Thank you, love the positive stories. I’m bleeding a bit again so definitely not at the ovulation stage yet unfortunately/end of this miscarriage :(

Sorry for your loss OP
I've lost 3, no living children, and did a huge amount of research into this. Having read research articles and being on MN for years, I sadly read of many, many cases where women that got pregnant again, without a period in between- went on to MC that next pregnancy too. Clearly, there are exceptions, as shown by this thread. Its not just for dating purposes, but gives the uterus time to recover and thicken the lining. Wishing you all the best.

Thanks for sharing your success story! This gives me a lot of hope 🙏🏻

Thank you for your response! Sorry for your losses too. so far I’ve only read about other people’s stories but will definitely look up some research articles as it would be good to look at the statistics. I keep going back and forth between deciding to try and holding out for the next cycle 😕

So sorry to all of those suffering from losses :(

Ultimately there are no guarantees either way but this what two main websites say.

https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/information/worried-about-pregnancy-loss/trying-again/

https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support/pregnancy-after-miscarriage/getting-pregnant-after-miscarriage

Thank you for the links, they are very helpful 🙏🏻

I’ve just been scanned and whilst there was some small remnants, which they couldn’t be sure were clots or what, I tested negative with pregnancy test, so been given the clear to try, whilst they do recommend having at least one period. However with my age, I just don’t feel ok waiting, fingers crossed I’ll ovulate soon and what will be, will be. Best of luck everyone x

Great you have been given the all clear. I was the same. I am coming up to 40, had surgery coming up to 5 weeks ago. I believe I have ovulated 9days ago. I am trying straight away as age is a big factor for me, but I had a BFN at 9dpo today and feel very much like my period is on its way. I’m sorry you have found yourself here but wish you lots of positive vibes going forward. Xx

I'm so very sorry for your loss.
I have got pregnant again after a miscarriage, but before my period twice. Those bubba's are now 6 and 8.
The nurses told me to ideally wait until after a period, only so that the pregnancy could be easily dated.
My body shows very obvious signs when ovulating, so I knew when I conceived.