Am I More Fertile After Miscarriage?
Today I want to talk about the answer to a common question: Am I more fertile after a miscarriage?
As a reproductive endocrinologist and miscarriage specialist helping people build families for over 15 years, I often hear this question from patients today.
When I was in medical school and residency, this question rarely came up. But now, patients who have experienced a miscarriage often ask if they should try again immediately because they’ve heard women are more fertile right after a miscarriage.
Let’s look at the evidence that studies show us about fertility after a miscarriage.
Where did we get the idea of higher fertility after miscarriage?
There’s a concept floating around the fertility community that we are more fertile after a miscarriage. Let’s dig into where this idea originates.
Two studies on this topic explore whether this idea is true:
One study published in the journal Human Reproduction followed almost 3,000 women looking to build their families. The study observed that women who had a miscarriage took longer to conceive a subsequent pregnancy. From this, they concluded that having a miscarriage decreases fertility or increases the time to the next pregnancy.
However, I think the assumption that we're more fertile after a miscarriage comes from a different study published a few years prior in another journal:
This study looked at 600 recently married women who were not using contraception and followed them monthly.
The women did monthly pregnancy tests to see how long it took them to conceive.
The study found that those who had a biochemical miscarriage or a positive pregnancy test followed by a late period (basically a very early miscarriage) were much more likely to conceive 1-3 months afterward.
So, if your friends tell you to hurry up and try post-miscarriage, they likely learned the idea from general knowledge following this study.
Should I wait after a miscarriage to try to get pregnant again?
Initially, I was taught that patients should wait 3-6 months before they try for pregnancy again.
There are now multiple opinions from various credible sources, and the studies and evidence are somewhat conflicting. Some agree that waiting is wise, while others are almost pushy about getting patients to try again as soon as possible. Depending on your needs, either choice may be better for you.
When you’re emotionally and physically ready to be a parent, I understand waiting 3-6 months can feel like torture. Conversely, you might not feel physically or emotionally ready to try again, and the pressure to move fast can be overwhelming.
Here’s what I recommend: You should try again when you feel ready. This includes when you’re physically ready (pregnancy is complete - some doctors will follow up with ultrasound or follow pregnancy hormone tests (bHCG levels) down to zero) and when you’re emotionally ready. In specific terms, I often advise my patients to go through one cycle, including ovulation and a period, before trying again, but this may not feel right for you.
The further along in the pregnancy you were when the loss occurred may impact how long it’s best to wait. Pregnancy loss in the second or third trimester is often associated with a longer recovery period before trying again.
The most important thing is to talk to your doctor and healthcare team about what is best for you. Advocate for your care and speak up about what’s right for you.
So, are you more fertile after miscarriage?
When you look at the variety of medical data on the topic, you’ll find different recommendations and opposing studies.
In the end, you should talk to your doctor about your personal situation. It’s absolutely fine to wait to try again until you’re certain you've physically and emotionally recovered from the miscarriage. If you’re ready to try again, you may be more fertile, but please don’t feel pressured to hurry if you're not ready.
As always, I wish you the best of luck in building your family. If you’d like additional resources on miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss, I've written a book titled Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, and I have many other resources on miscarriage. If you have any questions, please comment on my YouTube video.
