Guest Author - Krissi Danielsson

When is it safe to try again? This is one of the most common questions couples face after a miscarriage. While some not ready to think about trying again for a long while, others find comfort in continuing to try to conceive again without delay -- especially those couples who were already trying to get pregnant. Either reaction is perfectly normal.

If you are one of those who are anxious to try again right away, it can be difficult to get a straight answer on when it's safe to keep trying. Ask three different doctors and you'll likely get three different answers...likely the following:

Three to six months

This is the most common response. Being the traditional, by-the-book answer, some doctors will often give this advice for all patients following a miscarriage without adjusting it to suit individual circumstances. In some cases, it may make sense to wait for a few months after a loss. If the pregnancy was further along, it could be that your body does need some time to replenish lost nutrients. If you had a D&C, your doctor may feel it's best to wait in order to be sure your uterine lining properly replenishes itself.

However, in cases such as a very early "chemical" pregnancy or a loss at 5-6 weeks, it is hard to make a case that the body truly needs three months to recover when in many of these cases, a woman might not even know she had miscarried if she was not actively trying for a baby at that point.

After your first normal period

Some doctors feel it is safe to try again without a long waiting period after a loss, but they recommend waiting one cycle for the first normal menstrual period. The reasoning behind this is that they have an easier time dating a pregnancy with a last menstrual period as a reference. Since ovulation may not occur on a normal schedule after bleeding from a miscarriage, they feel waiting for a normal period will help date a pregnancy should it occur right away.

Right away...if you feel ready

Some doctors believe that, for most women, there is no medical reason to wait at all. According to this school of thought, once the bleeding ceases, it's fine to continue trying. These doctors do not worry overly about the problem of dating the pregnancy since ultrasound can be used if the dates are uncertain.

How to know what to do

Obviously, it is best to have your doctor's stamp of approval on your plans to try again, since you will need to seek prenatal care when you do get pregnant again. If your doctor recommends a long wait and you prefer not to wait, ask for a thorough explanation on why he or she is recommending that course of action. Find out if there are specific reasons in your medical situation why your doctor feels it is best to wait. If there are no specific reasons, ask if your doctor feels there is any major risk to trying again right away. Often, the answer may be no.

Be sure to give yourself the time you need to grieve, however. Do not discount your feelings of loss, and be sure to examine whether you really do need some time before jumping back into the ups and downs of trying to conceive. No matter what any doctor says about your physical readiness, only you and your partner truly know how long you need before you are emotionally ready.