Getting Pregnant After a miscarriage/D&C

Updated on January 12, 2008
J.J. asks from Andover, MN
12 answers

I had a threatened miscarriage and a D&C was done last Friday. I asked my doctor when we can try again and he gave me a generic answer of it should be safe after 1 menstrual period. I have a follow-up with the doctor who did the D&C in two weeks, and will also discuss it with him. But I am very curious to know what other people have experienced after getting pregnant after this. I've read a lot on the internet and the answers vary so much. I am very anxious to get pregnant again, but want to be cautious if it could be harmful.

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K.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

I had my D&C end of Sept 2006 and started trying again in December. I than got pregnant end of January.
I waited 2 months for my body to be ready and I felt I was emotionally ready to become pregnant again. My sister-in-law had her D&C 3 weeks before me and she became pregnant in December. We both now have 2 healthy babies born this past September and October!!

Good Luck...Just remember that things happen for a reason...

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J.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi J.! First of all, I'm very sorry for what you are going through right now. I went through a miscarriage and a D&C as well. Before I went in for my D&C, I heard all the same things that you are hearing.....not from my doctor. After my procedure, I asked my doctor "that question".......my doctor said it was OK for us to start trying right away. Well.......I got pregnant with my twins only about 2 weeks after my D&C. I actually called my doctor's office to see if she had taken some things out by mistake since I never got my cycle. She instructed me to take a pregnancy test and the rest is history. She told me it's just easier to pinpoint a due date when you've had a cycle again before you start trying. Sometimes a person's body thinks the D&C is a cycle. Anyhoo, my pregnancy went off without a hitch. I really hope all this gives you some hope!

Take Care!
J.

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H.

answers from Minneapolis on

i had the same thing exactly a year age, it is so tough especially when you really want to get pregnant, i'm so sorry for you.
when it happened, i had the same confusion, etc, but i was told/found that the "one month" is primarily for dating purposes. also, though, after the D&C we weren't sposed to baby dance till the follow up apt to make sure it was healed (infection possibilities). so for the "avg" women, that would make it too late to try that first month anyways. personally, my body started to regulate itself over several (4/5)mos, and i'm now due in about 7 weeks =)

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B.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I had several miscarriages before sucessfully having my daughter and I always tried immediately to get pregnant again because I knew the body was raring to go and ready for it and I had no problem getting pregnant. Finally had my beautiful healthy daughter.

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L.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I know how devestating it can be. I also had a miscarriage and was told to wait one menstral period. We waited and were able to get pregnant 2 months after we lost the first baby. Are family is now complete with our beautiful, spunky 17 month old J..

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K.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

J., I'm so sorry to hear about what you went through. I too had a D&C, in early 2005. We got pregant again two months later; I think I was told to wait at least one menstrual period, but I honestly wasn't listening that closely. I knew I really wanted to have another baby and that the timing was perfect for us, with our first at the age he was. One of the best things I heard, though, was to wait until you know you're ready. Pregnancy after miscarriage is unlike pregnancy when you haven't been through that. I know I was a higher-maintenance patient, I worried more the entire time, and it was just different than it had been the first time. My husband said he was okay with trying again anytime, but I had better be sure I was prepared to deal with all the emotions of being pregnant again after that.

So I don't know if there is a right amount of time for your body; I'd wait at least one cycle, I guess. But make sure your mind and your heart are ready to deal with the emotions that go along with pregnancy after miscarriage as well.

Good luck, and I wish you all the best!

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C.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

J., I was about 12 weeks pregnant a few years ago and ended up needing to have a D & C for what sounds like the same type of situation that you experienced. It was recommended for me to have about 3 normal periods before trying again. I think it may depend on how far along you were. I will say, I know it can be hard after what you have been through, but I now have a wonderful, healthy 4 month old little girl! Good Luck to you with your next pregnancy.

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A.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi J. -- Sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I had a D&C December 2006 due to a "missed" miscarriage. My dr. told me to wait one menstrual cycle as well. He said there is no reason to wait any longer. We decided to start trying after two cycles. I ended up getting pregnant in February and just had a baby boy on 11/16. From what I have heard it is not harmful to start trying right away. Good luck to you!

A.

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T.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

When I had my miscarriage in 2004 my doctor told me to wait two menstral cycles.

I had my miscarriage at home, so I don't know if it's longer for a D & C, but I'd talk to your OB and definately wait a minimum of 2 cycles.

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L.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

I also had a D&C in October of 2005.... we found out we miscarried at the first ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks... so we weren't very far along- and my specialist suggested we wait three months to try. So, we tried the third month, January, and conceived our son that month! He's a beautiful, healthy (almost) 15 month old! I've heard everything from one month to three months- and have heard of others that got pregnant immediately without having a cycle. I think you'll get pregnant when your body is ready.... I know how extremely difficult and painful that three months can be while you wait to try... do whatever works for you and good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Sorry about your loss. I miscarried also, we started trying agin a month later, and I got pregnant immediately. We have a healthy boy, and all went well. My doctor said as long as we were emotionally ready to try again it was perfectly safe and that my chances of miscarring were the same as someone who had never miscarried. If you've taken time to grieve and are ready to try again go for it. Good luck

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S.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

My experience has been that whatever you hear from your doctor is whatever the popular consensus was at the time your doctor went to medical school. So depending on the doctor, expect them to say somewhere between 1-4 periods down the road.

I had a very conservative doctor with my DNC and she said wait 3 months. We ended up getting pregnant in two months and she put me on restriction for my first trimester. No lifting, exercise, traveling over 30 minutes, or sex. Pregnancy turned out just fine.

One thing to note is that right after a miscarriage you are more likely to release multiple eggs. According to early blood tests, my pregnancy post DNC probably started out as twins, but by the 20 week ultrasound there was one healthy baby in there.

It could have been my genetic disposition, (twins run in my family,) my age, my multiple pregnancies that triggered this, but it could also have been that I didn't wait a long time after the miscarriage. My last pregnancy also started off as twins and the same thing happened, but I hadn't had a miscarriage right beforehand. And 1 out of 8 people you meet on the street were conceived as a twin but 1 in 45 were born a twin. So even if it does happen, it is REALLY common and nothing to worry about. Most people just don't realize it because the twin is gone before any real testing gets done.

You will probably be just fine to try again after one period.

Good luck,
S.

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