A miscarriage is devastating, no matter at what stage of the pregnancy it occurs. Emotions range from anger, fear and resentment to guilt, hopelessness and depression. Many women feel that they want to immediately conceive after miscarriage, for a variety of different reasons.

Couples should remember that they have experienced a great loss; loss of their unborn child and the hopes and dreams they had for that child. It is important to take the time to grieve properly, and not to use another pregnancy as a way of forgetting the one that was lost. Once the grieving process has run its course is soon enough to try to conceive after miscarriage.

Give your body time to heal properly after the pregnancy and miscarriage. This is especially important if the miscarriage was around 12 weeks or later. Vaginal bleeding could continue for up to six weeks, depending on the stage the pregnancy was at. Your hormone levels don’t return to normal until your menstrual cycle stabilizes again.

Allow at least one menstrual period to pass before you try to conceive again. Once you have had a normal period, you will know that your uterus has returned to a pregnancy-ready state. The important endometrium, the lining of the uterus, will be healthy and ready to receive a fertilized egg.

Seek medical advice about when is a good time to try for another pregnancy. Some doctors recommend waiting for three or more cycles before trying to conceive after a miscarriage. If emotional health is an issue, you might be advised to wait even longer. Some women or couples benefit from counseling to help them work through their feelings before they are ready to try for another pregnancy.

Some women find that they do not fall pregnant straight away after a miscarriage. This can be due to a number of things, including fear of another miscarriage which causes stress and anxiety. Talking to a specialist about these feelings will help you get the chances of another miscarriage into perspective; the fact is that you have an 85% chance of a successful pregnancy after a miscarriage.

The time when you are most likely to conceive are days 10 to 18 of your menstrual cycle. To give yourself the best chance of falling pregnant, have sex on these days; they are your window of opportunity. Failure to fall pregnant after a miscarriage can cause additional stress; you worry about possible problems that may have occurred as a result. Talk frankly to your doctor about your concerns to be reassured that only a very small percentage of women experience any problems after a miscarriage.

When you do conceive after miscarriage, understand that you are going to be worried about avoiding any problems this time. Try not to be paranoid about it; keeping relaxed and positive will give you a better chance of success this time. Stress is known to be a factor in miscarriages, so find ways to eliminate it from your life. Talking to other women who have had a miscarriage followed by a successful pregnancy will help to put your fears at rest, and give you much-needed support at this time.

Look after your physical health after the miscarriage; eat a nutritionally balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, lean protein, wholegrains, eggs and skim dairy products. Limit your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, excess fat, sugar and salt. Quit if you smoke or use drugs. Learn some relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga. All these things will help you recover from the miscarriage and prepare for a successful pregnancy.