People’s feelings vary after the experience of pregnancy loss. You may feel that you want to get pregnant again as quickly as possible, or you may feel apprehensive and anxious at the thought of another pregnancy. You and your partner (if you have one) may each have different feelings about trying again and that may need talking through.

You may have received all sorts of advice about how long you should wait before trying again. Most doctors advise waiting until you have had at least one period after your miscarriage before trying again, as this makes it easier to calculate the dates in the next pregnancy. This doesn’t mean that you are more likely to miscarry if you do conceive before then. There is no evidence to show that when you conceive makes any difference to the risk of miscarriage in your next pregnancy. In most cases, you and your partner are the best judges of when to try again.

However, there are some circumstances, such as after a molar pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy, or if you are coping with an illness or infection, when you will be advised to wait longer. If you have had a late miscarriage or repeated losses, you may want to talk to your GP or specialist before trying to conceive. If you are having investigations, you may be advised to wait until those are complete before trying again. And you might want to make sure that you are feeling recovered physically and emotionally before embarking on another pregnancy.

Read our leaflet "Preparing for another pregnancy"

When the trying stops

For some women and their partners, there will sadly come a time when they make the decision to stop their efforts to have a baby. While some may be trying to complete their family, for others this means stopping their attempts to have their first child. There may be many reasons for making this choice: repeated losses; fertility problems; advancing maternal age along with its associated health problems; social, financial or relationship issues. There appears to be a widely accepted belief that when we wish to have a child it will happen without too much difficulty. There is often a biological urge to have a family. When this does not happen, then the feelings associated with remaining childless, or in not being able to complete a family, can often be overwhelming. If you are thinking of stopping trying, especially if it means remaining childless, this leaflet is written for you.

Read our leaflet "When the trying stops"

Remembering your baby

Many people who have grieved over the loss of a baby, no matter when or how the loss happened, say they never entirely forget. Some people do or make something special as a way of marking what has happened and recognising its importance. You may like to read more about some of these ideas. The leaflet 'Pregnancy Loss: how you might feel' contains some suggestions on this.