So tempted to TTC soon after d&c - anyone have success with this?

tiffanymyers

I just had my d&c last Monday, and I feel as if my body is prepping to ovulate in the coming days.  I am so tempted to TTC before I have my first period post d&c (which is when my doctor said I could start trying again).  I have read so many posts about women conceiving just 2 weeks after having had a d&c performed and I am so tempted to do the same (even though my better judgment tells me I should wait).  Have any of you done this and been successful?  Are you at an increased risk for problems if you do conceive before your first period post d&c?  I probably won't go against my doctor's advice, but I am just curious if any of you have attained your rainbow baby shortly after having a d&c...thanks for sharing in advance!

Danielle0311

I conceived 4 months after my d&c with this baby and it's not starting off the greatest. (Not that Im saying it has anything to do with my d&c) I would absolutely never go against the advice of your doctor. There are many stories of woman who conceived and carried successful pregnancies right after but there are also many stories of woman who suffered back to back losses because of it. There is no way to know what category you will fall into but please listen to your doctor. It's only one month. Give your body the time it needs to heal.

Edited to say; I am so sorry for your loss

amwangel

I'm so sorry for your loss and heartache.

I know several people who got pregnant after their d&c/before their first period. I wanted to try, but I ovulated 10 days after my d&c and we couldn't have sex till 2 weeks (and no way was I going to risk infection!). We got pregnant that first cycle after my first period, though (and am now 24 weeks). I know it's so hard to wait. I was soooo impatient and just wanted to get pregnant again ASAP! 

tiffanymyers

Thanks for that advice.  In my heart of hearts, I know I will wait, but based on the individual cases I've heard about, I wasn't sure if there was a real medical reason.  It seems to me that if your uterine lining isn't sufficient, you wouldn't ovulate to begin with, so what's the harm.  But if there is a small risk for infection or something worse, then of course it makes medical sense to wait.  I'm 37 and can't help but feel some pressure to conceive sooner rather than later, but 4 weeks isn't long in the grand scheme of things.  It would simply be easier to wait if I had a clearer sense of why it is more risky to conceive immediately following a d&c.  The medical literature seems to be mixed on that topic.

tiffanymyers

Congratulations amwangel!  That is precisely the heartwarming story I needed to hear :-)  

Danielle0311

tiffanymyers said:

Thanks for that advice.  In my heart of hearts, I know I will wait, but based on the individual cases I've heard about, I wasn't sure if there was a real medical reason.  It seems to me that if your uterine lining isn't sufficient, you wouldn't ovulate to begin with, so what's the harm.  But if there is a small risk for infection or something worse, then of course it makes medical sense to wait.  I'm 37 and can't help but feel some pressure to conceive sooner rather than later, but 4 weeks isn't long in the grand scheme of things.  It would simply be easier to wait if I had a clearer sense of why it is more risky to conceive immediately following a d&c.  The medical literature seems to be mixed on that topic.

I totally understand how you feel as I couldn't wait to get pregnant again either. From what I have been told it is due to concerns about your lining not being able to sustain a pregnancy shortly after the d&c and also the risk of infection in the first few weeks is greater. Whatever the reason may be, I just think when it comes to our health and our babies health we should do what the doctor advises. Good luck and I hope you get your bfp soon!

CaitNMatt

First, I am sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to be patient and wait to TTC. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is to listen to your doctor. They give you that recommendation for a reason and it is so important to give your body time to properly heal. It is ultimately your decision but I would suggest waiting the recommended amount of time. Good luck.

MsAmandaPants

tiffanymyers said:

I just had my d&c last Monday, and I feel as if my body is prepping to ovulate in the coming days.  I am so tempted to TTC before I have my first period post d&c (which is when my doctor said I could start trying again).  I have read so many posts about women conceiving just 2 weeks after having had a d&c performed and I am so tempted to do the same (even though my better judgment tells me I should wait).  Have any of you done this and been successful?  Are you at an increased risk for problems if you do conceive before your first period post d&c?  I probably won't go against my doctor's advice, but I am just curious if any of you have attained your rainbow baby shortly after having a d&c...thanks for sharing in advance!

You need to listen to your doctor. Period. Patience is important when TTC. He is telling you to wait for medical reasons. Have people gotten pregnant before waiting? Yes.  Have those pregnancies resulted in healthy babies. Not always. Does it matter what other people did?  Not even a little. Your doc is giving you medical advice based on his knowledge of YOUR body and YOUR history. Other people's experience is irrelevant.  Your body may be able to get pregnant, but you may not have the lining to support a pregnancy. Consider how you will feel if you do get pregnant, only to have another miscarriage because your body was not ready to support it.  Be patient. Listen to your doc.  One more month is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

ETA:  I am very sorry for your loss. 

MsAmandaPants

tiffanymyers said:

Thanks for that advice.  In my heart of hearts, I know I will wait, but based on the individual cases I've heard about, I wasn't sure if there was a real medical reason.  It seems to me that if your uterine lining isn't sufficient, you wouldn't ovulate to begin with, so what's the harm.  But if there is a small risk for infection or something worse, then of course it makes medical sense to wait.  I'm 37 and can't help but feel some pressure to conceive sooner rather than later, but 4 weeks isn't long in the grand scheme of things.  It would simply be easier to wait if I had a clearer sense of why it is more risky to conceive immediately following a d&c.  The medical literature seems to be mixed on that topic.

No. Just no. This is 100% incorrect.

MsAmandaPants

Also, I'll add that I had to be benched for 6 months because of a complete molar pregnancy (a total of 8 months given D&C and healing time).  I was 35, AMA with DOR. It sucked.  One month is nothing. It is worth the wait to get you and your body healthy and to minimize the risk to your future pregnancies.

porterlove525

I am so sorry for your loss. I would definitely recommend following your doctor's advice, they know your situation far better than anyone here.

That being said, I got pregnant with my second baby the first cycle after my loss and lost that baby as well. The Midwife that delivered the news that our second baby no longer had a heartbeat also had the nerve to tell me that's why she recommends waiting 2-3 cycles. My OB had given us the ok to try again right away so it's not like I went against my doctor's orders. Sometimes the body just needs time to recover. After our second loss we waited a long time before trying, mainly because I was going through all the RPL testing and wanted to ensure that everything was ok with DH and I before trying again, plus I wanted to give my body and heart time to heal. We conceived this LO 4 cycles after our second loss and are looking to deliver now in early April.

For me, I suggest waiting to give your body a chance to rebuild your lining (a lot is scraped out in a D&C), get back on track, etc. Plus cycles can be crazy wonky after a mc. It took me 2 months both times to even get a period and for my hormones to level out. That's my 2 cents FWIW.

tiffanymyers

FYI...this is my second early pregnancy loss.  My first was a missed miscarriage - lost baby at 10 weeks only to find out it had stopped growing at 6.  My most recent miscarriage was also lost at 6 weeks, but I knew the signs this time and had a d&c when we confirmed the heartbeat was no longer there at 8 weeks.  We conceived our second failed pregnancy 2 cycles after the natural miscarriage.  My OB said the second loss had NOTHING to do with how long we waited or didn't wait - there was simply something wrong with the pregnancy and there was nothing I did or didn't do to cause it to fail (and testing is being done to find out if we can determine the cause).  That is why I wonder how long I truly need to wait before TTC this time.  

esmith10

First, I'm so sorry for your loss. As other have said, it is extremely important to follow your doctor's recommendations. For me it went like this: D&C, exactly 6 weeks later got AF, the next cycle got pregnant (I'm now 17w). The waiting was hard, because all I wanted was to be pregnant again, but I think it was an important period of time to allow myself to heal physically and emotionally (the later took far longer, and is still a work in progress!) I trained for and ran a road race, lost some weight, planned quality weekend excursions with MH, got caught up with vaccinations, etc. to help pass the time.

JessicaG220

I am so sorry for your loss. I also conceived after I had my first cycle after a d&c in November. I am glad I waited to TTC after one cycle. I feel like it helped my my body remember what it's supposed to do and to get back to normal. I think listening to your doctor is best. Lots of hugs to you!

tiffanymyers

esmith10 thank you for your words of hope and congratulations on your rainbow baby :-)  I will hope to follow your lead in the next month or two and continue onto a healthy pregnancy this time around.

kathleensam

I conceived right after my natural miscarriage before my next period and suffered a back to back loss that was hard on my body. We hadn't been trying, but it was very difficult to deal with. After waiting for my period to come back after the second loss we were able to get pregnant that next cycle (I am 35 weeks now). Our doctor never advised us, but I think the PP suggestions to listen to yours is sound. I think that my body needed time.