Trying after Miscarriage: New Research Reveals the Best Time

Rebecca Lewis February 03, 2016

For couples who have experienced the pain of miscarriage, knowing the best time to try again is essential. But when is the best time? According to new research, couples who try to conceive again within three months, have a greater chance of becoming pregnant.

While the study didn’t prove that trying for a baby again after miscarriage will cause the next pregnancy to happen sooner or result in a healthy baby nine months later, it does suggest that some women don’t need to follow the traditional advice of holding off trying again for three months after early pregnancy loss.

The study involved nearly 1,000 couples who went through early pregnancy miscarriage. Of this number, 765 couples tried to get pregnant again within three months.

Within that group, 77 per cent eventually gave birth to a live baby.

In contrast, 23 per cent of the 233 couples who waited longer to start trying had another baby.

Most of the women in the study were 29 years old, while their partners were close to 30.

Half of the women in the study lost a baby during weeks eight to 13 of pregnancy.

An additional 44 per cent experienced a loss before eight weeks.

Each of these losses occurred within the first trimester – the most common time for miscarriage.

During the first six menstrual cycles after the miscarriage, 644 couples in the study got pregnant again. Even after adjusting for factors like age, race, weight, education and fertility, scientists didn’t notice any difference in complications – such as high blood pressure or diabetes – in pregnancy based on whether the women started trying within three months of a miscarriage.

The study was carried out by researchers from Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. They note that couples should make sure that they are emotionally ready to deal with another possible loss the next time they try again.

Source of this article:

How long should you wait to try again after a miscarriage? Try within 3 months and you’re ’71% more likely to conceive’