Miscarriage can be excruciating both emotionally and physically. While the recovery time for a miscarriage can be as early as two days, bouncing back from the emotional grief caused due to the loss can take longer. If you have had to lose a baby for whatever reasons, it is natural for you to need maximum time for healing.
An important truth you need to know and remember is that miscarriage is not the end to child birth. Most women conceive into a healthy pregnancy after an abortion or miscarriage. If you are planning for a pregnancy after miscarriage, there are many facts related to pregnancy after miscarriage that you must keep in mind.
Pregnancy After Miscarriage:
Here are a few things to help you evaluate your readiness to conceive again, tell you the best time to plan the conception, talk about the various tests that your doctor may recommend and the healthy measures that need to be taken.
Once you are ready both mentally and physically to conceive again, it is advisable to take some precautionary measures. Consult your doctor to understand whether you are really prepared physically to carry on the process. There are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration in order to evaluate your readiness to try conceiving, both physically and emotionally.
Evaluating The Frequency of Miscarriages:
While few women experience a single miscarriage, others tend to have this unpleasant experience more than once. In some cases, a miscarriage can occur even before knowing the status of being pregnant. Usually a miscarriage tends to happen before the 20th week of pregnancy. It is important to introspect on your health status to avoid further miscarriages after consulting your doctor.
Tests Before Planning A Pregnancy:
After a miscarriage, your doctor will usually check for your health status once you are mentally ready to plan another pregnancy. There are different kinds of tests done to ascertain as to where you stand with your chances of pregnancy after miscarriage and whether your body is viable enough to do so.
Your doctor will suggest any of the below depending on your individual case history. Getting to know the kind of tests that are usually done can help you to be prepared mentally.
Here are some of the tests that your gynecologist might suggest:
1. Blood Tests:
A blood test is usually suggested to detect any underlying problems with your hormones or immune system. The doctor will advise this based on your past history with miscarriage.
2. Chromosomal Tests:
One of the underlying factors for a frequent miscarriage is your chromosomes. You and your partner will be asked to undergo blood test to analyze any possibilities of the chromosomal makeup that affects carrying the pregnancy through.
3. Ultrasound:
An ultrasound is generally done to check the health of both your cervix and the uterus. The scan is done either internally or externally depending on the circumstances. Your doctor will want to ensure a thorough internal examination before giving you a green signal to go ahead with conception.
4. Hysteroscopy:
This is a process where a small telescope called hysteroscope is inserted through your cervix into the uterus. The doctor will then expand the uterine cavity by injecting with saline to study the uterine walls and the fallopian tubes. This is usually done to examine the health of your fallopian tubes and the uterine system.
5. Hysterosalpingography:
This technique involves dye to highlight your uterine cavity and fallopian tubes to study via X-Ray. This is recommended based on what your gynecologist wants to study in specific to determine the future viability.
6. Sonohysterogram:
A fluid is injected into your uterus through the vagina and the cervix. Then the health of the lining is checked via an ultrasound by the doctor.
Best Time For Pregnancy After A Miscarriage:
It is quite possible to get pregnant immediately after a miscarriage as your uterus returns to normal functioning post the event. However, a lot depends on your mental ability to move forward and plan the pregnancy.
While there is no such thing as an ideal time, most experts recommend waiting at least for six months before rushing into another pregnancy. While some cases have reported women conceiving before six months progressing to a healthy delivery later on, this is largely also based on the number of miscarriages you have had in the past.
Special Case Of Molar Pregnancy:
In case of a molar pregnancy, where your placenta develops into an abnormal cyst mass rather than fetus, a miscarriage is inevitable. You can wait up to six months after a molar pregnancy to plan conceiving again.
Healthy Measures For Pregnancy After A Miscarriage:
It becomes all the more important for you to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle while planning pregnancy after a miscarriage. This also has long term benefits, enabling you to deliver a healthy baby without complications. Ensuring timely and nourished diet is of utmost priority before and while you conceive again.
The following are usually suggested by your doctor while contemplating pregnancy:
1. Folic Acid Supplements:
You may have to take folic acid supplements few months before conception. Folic acid protects your fetus and increases the chances of fertility. Folate or folic acid is also referred to as a ‘pregnancy superhero’. Folate is said to ensure healthy development of spinal cord and central nervous system in the babies. Folic acid reduces the chances of neural tube defects in the fetus during the prenatal stages.
2. Maintain Healthy Weight:
Maintaining an ideal weight (BMI) is very important while planning the next pregnancy. Being underweight or overweight usually causes negative impact, with or without the fear of a miscarriage. Watch your weight as you indulge. Eating right is crucial as you have to make sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet rich in nutrition. Most mothers-to-be tend to overeat in excess thinking that it helps. Contrary to this myth, maintaining a healthy weight and food intake is a must.
3. Fitness:
Though you may fear the physical exertion due to a history of miscarriage, it is vital that you exercise regularly to stay fit. Make sure you consult with your doctor on this before you begin. Physical fitness is a must that makes your body flexible for the oncoming childbirth. If you nurse any innate fears that physical exertion might harm your baby, please breathe easy. Consult a good physical fitness trainer who will help you do some basic stretches and exercises that are useful and productive.
4. Avoid Alcohol And Drugs:
If you were addicted to consuming alcohol, drugs and cigarettes before, it is now time to give them up. Alcohol and drugs are dangerous for the growth of the fetus. It is advisable to get rid of all the habits well in advance while planning to conceive. Also, smokers usually have less likelihood of conceiving as compared to women who do not smoke.
5. Yoga And Meditation:
Alternative therapies like yoga and meditation tone your mind and keep your body in balance. Make sure you practice them while preparing to conceive. Furthermore, yoga helps you to get rid of any impending negative thoughts. After conceiving, having a balanced body and mind will also benefit the growing baby in your womb. Hence it is recommended that you continue to practice yoga, meditation and breathing exercises.
6. Adequate Physical Rest:
While you go on about the routine fitness to stay active and fit, it is also important to take those short breaks during the day. If you are a working woman on the verge of conceiving, try not to strain yourself excessively at the workplace. Breathe easy and maintain a methodical day to balance your lifestyle.
7. Support Groups:
The challenge to conceive after a miscarriage is not your lone struggle. Identify the support groups that have women who share a similar history. Constant conversations and discussions will make you feel comforted, not to forget improving your optimism levels while going for pregnancy once again. Talking about the issues and exchanging notes will enable you to be better prepared.
Emotions To Keep A Watch On:
Pregnancy is a life changing event for a woman. If you had a miscarriage before, it gets all the more heavy on emotions once you conceive again. Being overjoyed, anxious, excited and scared at the same time is but natural. While you are happy that you are pregnant, there will be fears to express the joy with family because of the event of miscarriage. You are more likely to shy away from announcing the good news a second time for the fear of the unknown.
Make sure you share your mixed feelings with your partner. If you think the feelings are going overboard and unmanageable, it is okay to consult a psychologist who will work along with you to address the issue.
Pregnancy is a natural process, just like childbirth. Understand that there are bound to be misses sometimes. While losing pregnancy can be a haunting experience, make way to give some time for yourself to settle down with your thoughts. Plan the after miscarriage next pregnancy only when you think you are ready. Emotional turmoil needs time to cope with, and remember that you are not alone. You will glide past this phase like many others who successfully have.
Eat right, stay healthy and be happy. We wish you all the very best.
We would like to know what measures you took to recover miscarriage, please do share them with us.
