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Most Couples Conceive Again After a Miscarriage
Interviewer: You had a miscarriage, and you're trying again, but for whatever reason, you can't get pregnant again. Is this normal? We'll find out next, on The Scope.
We're talking to Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones, the expert on all things women. Dr. Jones, the scenario is that you and your partner got pregnant. For whatever reason, unfortunately got a miscarriage and you're trying again, but it's been a while, and you can't get pregnant again. Is this normal?
Dr. Jones: Okay, good question, and the answer is, it depends.
Interviewer: It always depends.
Dr. Jones: It all depends. So the rate of miscarriage in healthy couples under 35 is about 15 percent. It's very common. And if people got pregnant relatively easily, it means they weren't taking years to get that pregnancy that miscarried; they got pregnant easily, then it is not normal for them not to be able to get pregnant again. And the vast majority of people get pregnant again.
When Trouble Getting Pregnant May Signal an Underlying Issue
Now, sometimes, the miscarriage is a sign of an underlying problem. So let's take the 40-year-old who took three years to get pregnant. She miscarried; she can't get pregnant. Now it's been a year or two. That miscarriage was probably a sign, along with those three years of trying, that she was running out of eggs. And now, she's kind of more run out of eggs.
So sometimes a miscarriage is a sign of an underlying problem that's getting worse, and in fact, it's true for sperm problems. So men with abnormal sperm can have more miscarriages, and in the process, their sperm is getting more abnormal. So it was sort of abnormal, and they had a miscarriage, and now it's really abnormal; they're not getting pregnant.
Interviewer: So it can depend on both the woman and the man.
Dr. Jones: Right.
Interviewer: Okay.
Dr. Jones: And lastly, sometimes the treatment for a miscarriage. For example, let's say you miscarried, you passed some tissue you didn't pass at all, so they had to go in, you had a little infection in your uterus, so they did a D&C, and in the process of doing that D&C in a scarred, in an infected uterus, the uterus got scarred. And so that can be the cause of the secondary inability to get pregnant.
When to See Your Doctor for a Fertility Evaluation
But for the majority of people who are not old, and who got pregnant easily, and who miscarried, the majority of them, 85 percent to 90 percent, will be pregnant again within a year. So not getting pregnant is not normal.
updated: May 9, 2019
originally published: June 29, 2017
More Answers and Resources for Your Women's Health Concerns
I Can't Get Pregnant After a Miscarriage—Am I Normal?
Trying to conceive after a miscarriage can be emotionally exhausting, especially when pregnancy does not happen as quickly as expected. Learn when delays may be normal, when age or fertility factors may matter, and when it is time to talk with a specialist.
How Soon Can You Safely Try for Pregnancy After a Miscarriage?
About 15% of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet the advice on how long to wait before trying again has often been inconsistent. Learn what conditions can cause miscarriages and what it could mean for your next pregnancy.
Pregnancy Miscarriage Signs, Treatments, and Management
Early miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion, is common—the most common complication in pregnancy. Learn about managing pregnancy failure, whether at the clinic or in your own home.
