BETHESDA, Maryland If youve ever suffered the devastating loss of a miscarriage, the best time to try for another baby is sooner, rather than later.
Thats the finding of a new study by the National Institutes of Health, which revealed that contrary to traditional belief, couples who attempt to conceive within three months after a pregnancy loss are just as likely if not more so to have a live birth than those who wait three months or longer.
Currently, many doctors advise couples to wait at least three to six months before trying again, but the new study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology set out to test that time frame.
Researchers looked at 1,083 women between the ages of 18 to 40 who participated in a trial that took place from 2007 to 2011. More than 99 percent of the women had experienced the loss of a pregnancy at less than 20 weeks gestation, and none of the pregnancies were ectopic or molar pregnancies.
The trial tracked the women up to six menstrual cycles or until they became pregnant. Researchers found that 76 percent of participants tried to conceive again within three months after their initial pregnancy loss.
Ultimately, researchers found that those women were more likely to become pregnant again than those who waited longer than three months 69 percent compared to 51 percent. Additionally, the group that started trying earlier were also more likely to have pregnancies that resulted in a healthy, live birth 53 percent compared to 36 percent.
But just because there may be physiological benefits to jumping back into the game faster, researchers still urged couples to give themselves time to emotionally heal from the initial loss before trying again.
For those who are ready, our findings suggest that conventional recommendations for waiting at least three months after a loss may be unwarranted, said study author Karen Schliep in a release.
Researchers also pointed out that a new pregnancy can help couples cope with the grief of a previous pregnancy loss.
Thats the finding of a new study by the National Institutes of Health, which revealed that contrary to traditional belief, couples who attempt to conceive within three months after a pregnancy loss are just as likely if not more so to have a live birth than those who wait three months or longer.
Currently, many doctors advise couples to wait at least three to six months before trying again, but the new study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology set out to test that time frame.
Researchers looked at 1,083 women between the ages of 18 to 40 who participated in a trial that took place from 2007 to 2011. More than 99 percent of the women had experienced the loss of a pregnancy at less than 20 weeks gestation, and none of the pregnancies were ectopic or molar pregnancies.
The trial tracked the women up to six menstrual cycles or until they became pregnant. Researchers found that 76 percent of participants tried to conceive again within three months after their initial pregnancy loss.
Ultimately, researchers found that those women were more likely to become pregnant again than those who waited longer than three months 69 percent compared to 51 percent. Additionally, the group that started trying earlier were also more likely to have pregnancies that resulted in a healthy, live birth 53 percent compared to 36 percent.
But just because there may be physiological benefits to jumping back into the game faster, researchers still urged couples to give themselves time to emotionally heal from the initial loss before trying again.
For those who are ready, our findings suggest that conventional recommendations for waiting at least three months after a loss may be unwarranted, said study author Karen Schliep in a release.
Researchers also pointed out that a new pregnancy can help couples cope with the grief of a previous pregnancy loss.