Table of Contents
While recovering from a pregnancy loss, it could be surprising to find that your first period after a miscarriage or pregnancy loss is a bit different than usual for the first cycle or two. You must be anxiously thinking whether the bleeding you’re experiencing is normal. While you’re at it know more about, miscarriage or pregnancy loss .
In case you’re concerned, do not hesitate to see your healthcare provider. Although, keep in mind that after a loss these changes to your first couple of menstrual cycles are usually nothing to worry about. They will also have no impact on your future potential of giving birth to a beautiful healthy baby.
When will you get your first period after you have a miscarriage?
You can expect your first period four to six weeks after suffering from a miscarriage. However, the exact timings may vary by several weeks. It mainly depends on your hCG levels returning to zero. This is because your body still thinks it’s pregnant until your hCG levels are gone. Here are some factors because of which your first period after a pregnancy loss could be delayed:
If you had a “complete” miscarriage
Having a “complete” miscarriage means that all the pregnancy tissue from your uterus is gone. You may have either passed it out naturally on your own or your doctor may have performed a D&C or dilation and curettage.
D&C is a procedure where your healthcare provider physically removes all that tissue from your uterus.
Sometimes medications (usually mifepristone and misoprostol) can be used to complete a miscarriage. However, at times fragments of the placental tissue remain in the uterus even after a miscarriage, or more rarely after a D&C.
Miscarriage bleeding may decrease, only for it to continue a few days later. This does not indicate that your period has returned. It’s a continuation of the pregnancy loss. Until all the pregnancy tissue is gone, your periods will not go back to normal.
Is it normal to be Rh-Negative?
While being Rh-negative is not a generally alarming situation to be in, it should be noted that not many people are Rh-negative. Only about 15 percent of white people, 4 to 8 percent of black people, and just about 0.3 percent of Asians are Rh-negative.
Having said that, the only place where being Rh-negative may play an important role is during pregnancy. If, as a pregnant woman, you are Rh-negative and your baby is Rh-positive, you may have to deal with some complications in terms of your baby’s health. And hence, in order to neutralize the negative and positive, a RhoGAM shot is given.
How far along you were in your pregnancy
As your pregnancy progresses, your hCG levels rise. The farther along you were in your pregnancy, the higher your hCG levels are going to be. If you were in your late first or your second trimester when you miscarried, it will take a long time for your hCG levels to return to zero and your periods to return.
Whether you had regular periods before your miscarriage
Your periods will likely go back to how they were before you conceived. So, if you had irregular periods, you are likely to have irregular periods again. This means it might take a bit longer than four to six weeks for your first period after a miscarriage to arrive.
How heavy will your first period after miscarriage be?
After a miscarriage, the first period might be longer, heavier, and more painful. It could be because your body didn’t ovulate this cycle which leads to the endometrial lining becoming more thicker and resulting in a heavier or longer period.
Your periods will not be this way forever so try not to stress. Sooner or later, your periods will most likely be very similar to the way they were before the pregnancy loss. If you had shorter and lighter periods, they’ll go back to being that way, or if they were longer and heavier, you can expect it to be the same once things have settled.
What will your first period after a miscarriage look like?
After a pregnancy loss, a woman’s first period is oftentimes a little different than usual. In your first cycle or two post-miscarriage, your bleeding might be slightly heavier than usual. Due to a heavier flow, you may notice a bit of clotting. However, in time you can expect your periods to look similar to how they did before your miscarriage.
What PMS symptoms you should expect with your first period after a miscarriage?
After a pregnancy loss, you could experience some hormonal fluctuations which can be significant. The miscarriage itself is extremely distressing. At times the emotional symptoms that women experience after a pregnancy loss might be similar to those of postpartum depression.
Studies suggest that about 20 percent of women following a miscarriage have symptoms of depression or anxiety. Especially the ones with a history of depression and don’t have good social support systems.
Some of the symptoms of depression include hopelessness and loss of interest in things you once used to enjoy. Consult your doctor, if you think you might be experiencing depression. Remember that help is available!
Is it okay to start trying again after your first post-pregnancy loss?
Usually, after a miscarriage or D&C, it is okay to start having sexual intercourse as soon as you stop bleeding. Still, check in with your health care provider first. Your period returning is one of the first signals that your body is ready to start trying again.
Although, most health care providers recommend waiting at least a cycle or two, or two to three months, after your miscarriage before you begin trying to get pregnant again. This is necessary so that your body can have time to heal properly and regulate itself again.
You also need to get your nutritional reserves back up to where it should be for conception. Moreover, even if you’re physically ready to get pregnant again, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are emotionally ready.
For some women trying to conceive helps them shift their focus and also makes them feel more in control over their bodies. While others need more time to grieve or struggle with worries about having another miscarriage.
It’s on you and your partner to decide whether you’re emotionally ready to try for a baby again.
Plus, the return of your period doesn’t necessarily mean that your ovulation has returned too. You may have one or more anovulatory cycles (where you get your periods but you haven’t ovulated) after a miscarriage.
If you want to figure out if you’re ovulating, you’ll need to begin tracking your cycles and looking for signs of ovulation again.
Can you get pregnant after a miscarriage but before your first period?
Yes, it is possible to get pregnant after a pregnancy loss but before your first period. For the reason that you can ovulate before your first post-miscarriage period. Studies suggest that some women may be more fertile in the three months following a miscarriage.
Remember that you need to be ovulating to get pregnant. You might either ovulate two to four weeks after you miscarry or two weeks before your first post-miscarriage period, that is, if you had regular cycles before conceiving. However, after a miscarriage, not all women ovulate during their first cycle.
Are you eager to start tracking your cycles again? Resume charting your ovulation until after your first period. Till then, your readings are likely to be all over the place and not very reliable.
Is the first period after a miscarriage going to be painful?
Sadly yes, the first period after a pregnancy loss may be more painful than in the past, especially if ovulation doesn’t take place. That’s because when you don’t ovulate the endometrial lining becomes thicker.
The menstrual pains and cramps also tend to be worse with a heavier flow. Do not worry because your periods should eventually get back to the way they were before your miscarriage, given a few cycles.
What does brown discharge with the first period after a miscarriage mean?
It is nothing to worry about because brown discharge is just old blood leaving your body. For a few days after you have your period, it’s perfectly normal to experience brown discharge.
However, instead of the usual menstrual blood, you’re experiencing brown or pink discharge around the time you expect your period, it could be the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine wall.
This is an early sign of pregnancy. Before you take a home pregnancy test for accurate results, just wait another week after implantation.
When to consult your doctor?
Any time after a miscarriage if your bleeding becomes very heavy, You should call your doctor as soon as possible.
If you begin bleeding again a few days after you miscarried, check-in with your practitioner. This could be happening because you had an incomplete miscarriage which is normal and common. Your practitioner might recommend a D&C if it’s essential to remove the remaining placental fragments. They might also examine your hCG levels just to make sure it has returned to zero.
Pregnancy loss can cause intense feelings of loss and mourning. Just keep in mind that the uterus is incredibly proficient at recovering, so you can begin trying for a baby again when you feel emotionally ready.
Additionally, a good statistic to keep in mind, is that most women miscarry just one time and go on to have healthy pregnancies and babies. Whereas plenty of women who had multiple miscarriages also go on to have viable pregnancies. So always remain hopeful!
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy loss is a major life stressor for those who experience it. With feelings of loss, guilt, sadness, anger, and more which linger in the months or years following a miscarriage. After a pregnancy loss, you and your partner should take enough time to grieve properly and if needed, meet with a mental health professional.
So, a good time to consider becoming pregnant again is whenever you and your partner finally feel comfortable and ready for pregnancy.
