Why do we have to wait a full cycle before TTC after MC?

krisztina33 · April 2012

Does anyone know what the logic is behind waiting a full "normal" cycle after MC before TTC? DH is eager to try again, but doc has suggested we wait a full cycle before TTC again.

Haven't even actually gotten AF yet--still waiting. Is it a hormone thing? Emotional healing? Increased chance of a second MC? Just curious. I have heard that some women get pregnant right after MC so I would think trying right away (if you are ready) would be okay...

Thanks for any info!

Laurakat81 · April 2012

krisztina33:

Does anyone know what the logic is behind waiting a full "normal" cycle after MC before TTC? DH is eager to try again, but doc has suggested we wait a full cycle before TTC again.

Haven't even actually gotten AF yet--still waiting. Is it a hormone thing? Emotional healing? Increased chance of a second MC? Just curious. I have heard that some women get pregnant right after MC so I would think trying right away (if you are ready) would be okay...

Thanks for any info!

It is all the above and then some. Your body needs time to physically heal. A miscarraige is a traumatic experience. If you want to know your doctors reasoning then I'd ask your doctor.

You are at an increased risk of infection immediately after a miscarriage too. An infection could potentially leave you infertile.

krisztina33 · April 2012

Thanks, Laurakat. I go back on Friday so I will ask her then. What you said makes sense though--and I think as supportive as DH has been, guys don't really know what all goes into an MC so they don't see the whole picture...

kelly321 · April 2012

I keep hearing conflicting info, too. On the one hand there are all those anecdotal "Well, my cousin's SIL's co-worker's daughter got pregnant before even getting her period after her m/c and had a healthy, full-term baby" which make me just want to try right away, and then there seems to be a lot of doctors who say to wait. The reasons I've heard most often have been (and I'm not saying any of these are true or false, I'm just saying that these are the reasons I've heard):

1) To reduce the risk of a repeat m/c

2) To give your endometrium time to build back up

3) To allow time for emotional healing

4) To give your body a chance to once again build up the nutrients it needs for another pregnancy.

5) To make it easier to date the pregnancy

In the past few days I've been looking for studies on 1, 2, and 4, but can't find anything. Obviously 3 and 5 are not medical reasons per se and wouldn't stop me from TTC right away.

My OB in Germany told me 3 months on the phone. Tomorrow when I go to the new OB here in the States for follow-up, I'm going to ask her what she recommends. It's so hard to wait, but if any of the medical reasons listed above have a scientific basis, then obviously I will. Does anyone have a medical background or have studies they can link here to support anything I listed above?

krisztina33 · April 2012

Hey Kelly-

I'm gonna ask my doc tomorrow and will let you know what she says. If you find any (documented) research on 1, 2, and 4 I would love to see it though.

Thanks!

kelly321 · April 2012

krisztina33:
Hey Kelly-

I'm gonna ask my doc tomorrow and will let you know what she says. If you find any (documented) research on 1, 2, and 4 I would love to see it though.

Thanks!

Thanks - I'd really appreciate it. I'll ask at my f/u tomorrow, too, and we can compare notes.

I just think it's strange that there's no set recommendation and that doctors recommend waiting 1, 2, or 3 cycles. So many women have miscarriages that you would think there would be no problem getting enough data for retrospective studies looking at how soon they conceived after the m/c and the outcome of the pregnancy. There was a study like that done in Scotland a couple years ago that got a lot of press, but they didn't look specifically at TTC without a wait, 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months post-m/c. They grouped those all into "under 6 months" and compared those pregnancies to "6-12 months post-m/c" and "over 12 months post-m/c."

holly321 · April 2012

I was allowed to ttc once I felt emotionally ready, not physically. I was told physically, I was fine to at my 2 week follow up.

jackiemary · April 2012

Would love to hear too, when you hear from your doc!

sarah283 · April 2012

My Nurse Practitioner told me to wait two full cycles "for everything to return to normal"

baby101010 · April 2012

welll...... you dont HAVE to wait- many people have gotten pregnant before getting AF after a miscarriage- and gone on to have healthy pregnancies.... Certainly you should be emotionally ready before you try again.... Statistically- there is a very slight percent ( less than 1) increase risk of having another miscarriage if you get pregnant again before AF- --Hormonally- your body probably wont even get pregnant again if its not ready ( this is what my Dr said). Honestly- I would listen to y our Dr and wait the 1 cycle- I KNOW it seems like a LONG wait- but really its 1 month- and worth the wait....

el25 · April 2012

They recommend it, but you don't have to. I didn't and got pregnant right away.

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Why do we have to wait a full cycle before TTC after MC?

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