Pregnancy Loss Your Options Is Pregnancy Right After Miscarriage Risky? By Krissi Danielsson Krissi Danielsson, MD is a doctor of family medicine and an advocate for those who have experienced miscarriage. Learn about our editorial process Krissi Danielsson Reviewed by Reviewed by Rachel Gurevich, RN on January 05, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Rachel Gurevich, RN, is a registered nurse, fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. Learn about our Review Board Rachel Gurevich, RN Updated on February 18, 2020 Print moodboard/Getty Images Doctors often advise women to wait a few months before getting pregnant again after a miscarriage, but will getting pregnant sooner increase the risk of a repeat miscarriage? There isn't enough reliable evidence to show an increased risk of miscarriage when getting pregnant again immediately after a miscarriage, though physicians commonly recommend waiting one to three months before trying again for a new pregnancy. Reasons Not Want to Wait More studies are supporting the theory that there is no physiological reason to delay trying to conceive following a miscarriage. A study published in 2012 tracked 9,214 women with 10,453 pregnancies that ended in miscarriage, and found that pregnancies conceived three months or less following a miscarriage were more likely to result in live birth. Another study published in 2016 followed over 1,000 women who had one or two previous pregnancy losses, and found that those who conceived in the first one to three cycles after their loss were more likely to go on to have a viable pregnancy, versus those who conceived three to six months after their loss. A study published in 2017 analyzed 10 previous studies and concluded that conceiving less than six months after pregnancy loss led to a significantly reduced risk of miscarriage and pre-term deliver in subsequent pregnancies. Why You Might Want to Wait A woman might wait before trying to conceive again if they miscarry due to a medical condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome, a thyroid problem, uncontrolled diabetes, an immunologic disorder, a uterine abnormality or an incompetent cervix. Considerations If a woman is in the presence of a modifiable risk factor such as smoking cigarettes, using drugs, drinking alcohol or consuming large amounts of caffeine, then getting pregnant immediately without addressing that underlying condition or addiction might increase the risk of another miscarriage. There are a few other factors to consider. First off, you'll want to wait for your menstrual cycle to normalize and become complete again, which can sometimes take a month or two. If you had a D&C following your miscarriage, you'll want to allow time for your uterine lining to be built back up again, which may also delay your next cycle. Hormone Stabilization It's also a good idea to let your levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) drop to zero or at least to an undetectable level before you start trying again. This is a hormone that is produced by your body during pregnancy and it can be measured through a urine or blood test. If you don't let it drop, a pregnancy test might give you what's known as a "false positive" reading and reveal that you're pregnant when, in reality, you're not. Also, if your hCG level from the original pregnancy is still detectable and dropping, a doctor might interpret those numbers as a second miscarriage, when it's actually not. While a misdiagnosis of a miscarriage is not common, it can happen. It's common to feel rattled and heartbroken after experiencing something as devastating as a miscarriage. So you're not stressed during a second pregnancy, you may want to allow yourself some time to mentally process what has happened. (Then again, many women find the process of coping with miscarriage to be more difficult when they have to wait before trying to get pregnant again.) What's Right for You? Ask your doctor what's best, because every woman and every pregnancy is different. If you're comfortable waiting one to three months, that's generally recommended. If you're in a hurry to get pregnant before then, talk to your doctor about your particular situation so you can come up with the safest timeframe. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips delivered to your inbox. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Davanzo J, Hale L, Rahman M. How long after a miscarriage should women wait before becoming pregnant again? Multivariate analysis of cohort data from Matlab, Bangladesh. BMJ Open. 2012;2(4):e001591. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001591 Schliep KC, Mitchell EM, Mumford SL, et al. Trying to conceive after an early pregnancy loss: An assessment on how long couples should wait. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;127(2):204–212. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001159 Kangatharan C, Labram S, Bhattacharya S. Interpregnancy interval following miscarriage and adverse pregnancy outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction Update. 2017;23(2):221-231. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmw043 El Hachem H, Crepaux V, May-Panloup P, Descamps P, Legendre G, Bouet PE. Recurrent pregnancy loss: current perspectives. Int J Womens Health. 2017;9:331-345. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S100817 John Hopkins Medicine. Dilation and Curettage (D and C). Hendriks E, Macnaughton H, Mackenzie M. First Trimester Bleeding: Evaluation and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Feb 1;99(3):166-174. Barnhart KT, Guo W, Cary MS, et al. Differences in serum human chorionic gonadotropin rise in early pregnancy by race and value at presentation. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(3):504–511. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001568 Additional Reading Chakraborty P, Goswami SK, Rajani S, et al. Recurrent pregnancy loss in polycystic ovary syndrome: role of hyperhomocysteinemia and insulin resistance. PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e64446. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064446 Cleveland Clinic. Miscarriage. Reviewed July 22, 2019. Goldstein RR, Croughan MS, Robertson PA. Neonatal outcomes in immediate versus delayed conceptions after spontaneous abortion: a retrospective case series. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;186(6):1230-4. doi.org:10.1067/mob.2002.123741. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, and Pregnancy. Updated February 2019.