What to Expect From Your Period After Miscarriage

Pregnancy loss is often a heartwrenching experience. Although miscarriage is fairly common—it happens in roughly 1 out of every 5 known pregnancies—its frequency makes it no less painful. But whether you're trying for another baby right away, planning to wait, or are unsure whether you want to try to conceive again, there's one question you're likely to have: When will I get my first period after miscarriage? We've got the answers.

It's common for your period to be a bit unpredictable after a miscarriage. It could be a bit lighter or heavier than usual, It can also take several weeks to return. However, before your cycle returns, you will bleed for a few weeks after the miscarriage. Learn more about your period after miscarriage.

Bleeding After Miscarriage

After a miscarriage, your body typically expels the contents of your uterus on its own. Early miscarriages (which happen within the first few weeks of pregnancy) will look and feel a lot like a regular period. Miscarriages around 6 to 7 weeks will resemble a particularly heavy period. Later miscarriages are generally more severe since your uterus has to flush out more fetal tissue and possibly some placenta.

Persistent spotting could last for several weeks after a miscarriage but should lighten up over time. If it doesn't or bleeding returns, call a health care provider. "If you have a couple of days of no bleeding, heavy bleeding, then no bleeding, then heavy, there's likely something in the uterus," says Siobhan Dolan, MD, an OB-GYN and professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System in New York City.

Dr. Dolan adds, "See your doctor—she'll likely conduct an ultrasound to get a picture of what's going on and see if there's a clot or tissue." Most doctors prefer to let the body process the miscarriage without surgery, but your health care provider may need to perform a procedure called a dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove any remnants if they aren't expelled on their own.

When Will My Period Return After Miscarriage?

Many people see their period return four to six weeks after an early miscarriage, but for some (particularly those who experienced later miscarriages), it may take longer. That first period after a miscarriage may also look different than before—a heavier flow, some spotting, or nothing at all—as your body recovers.

Just know that your cycle should return to your normal within two months, although it can also happen sooner, says Zev Williams, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. During this timeframe, the uterine lining should go back to its pre-pregnancy state, and levels of pregnancy hormone hCG will also drop.

If your cycle was irregular before the pregnancy and miscarriage, you'll likely continue to have an irregular cycle after recovering from a miscarriage, too. If, on the other hand, your periods came like clockwork before the pregnancy, but they remain unpredictable a few months after a miscarriage, contact your health care provider.

Ovulation After Miscarriage

Most people start ovulating again within one to two months of miscarrying, before their first period. However, it's possible to begin ovulating within two weeks of a miscarriage if it happens during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Ovulation means pregnancy is possible, so take the proper precautions to avoid pregnancy if you don't want to conceive. Dr. Dolan recommends waiting a few months before trying to get pregnant again after a miscarriage. The time off can help you figure out exactly when you're ovulating and allow you to heal from the pregnancy loss.

What's more, you can have a false positive pregnancy test soon after a miscarriage, since your body might still contain a detectable level of hCG from the prior pregnancy. Your doctor might also falsely assume you're miscarrying for a second time if they detect dropping hCG levels from the first pregnancy during prenatal tests for a subsequent pregnancy.

The best time to wait before trying to conceive again varies from person to person, and your doctor may recommend a specific wait time depending on individual factors. Most research shows that it's not necessary to wait very long. In fact, you may be more fertile in the first few months after your miscarriage. That's all to say that you can do what feels best for you, whether that's trying again, waiting, or just seeing what happens.