Though miscarriage is a heart-wrenching incident especially when you are eagerly planning to welcome a new member in your family however there is no control over this mishappening. Once the miscarriage happens it takes some time to get back your normal period cycle again in terms of flow, frequency, symptoms, etc. If you are the one who is eagerly waiting for your period after a miscarriage then you have absolutely visited the right place as here you will get every answer to your queries.
Bleeding that you see within 3 or 4 weeks of your miscarriage is usually not the return of your normal period cycle. It often takes a much longer time however in any condition the period should return within 8 weeks of your miscarriage incident otherwise it is no way considered as a normal one and needs a doctor visit. For normal women’s health, it is vital that your period cycle should be regular, monthly and associated with its general symptoms such as lower abdomen cramp, breast tenderness, etc.
Also if your period lasts for more than 5 days after the miscarriage happening that is also not a good sign of the health. Max to max a miscarriage can affect the very first-period cycle after this incident not more than that. This usually happens because after abortion or miscarriage the levels of hormones in your body remain high due to your prior pregnancy which interferes with normal period flow and other signs in the body. In general, as advanced your failed pregnancy would be less typical be your first period afterward.
In most of the cases, women get their first period after 4 to 6 weeks of a miscarriage. The very first time your period flow will be heavier, with a strong odor and even more painful than the usual period cycles. Also, some women experience spotting and irregular or unpredictable period cycles afterward. This is really very problematic for women who are planning for the next pregnancy and want to conceive successfully. You need to be very sure about your ovulation date in which egg is released from ovaries in order to get fertilized.
Also, women who do not want to conceive in the near future for them also it gets problematic when their period cycles get infrequent and unpredictable. Whether you are planning for next conception or want to wait for the next family planning decision in all conditions you must have some common queries like when your period cycle will return to its normal rhythm, when you will ovulate etc. Here you will get every answer of your expected queries which will help in getting back your life to a normal track.
Bleeding After Miscarriage: What to Expect?
Table of Contents
Once you face the miscarriage disheartening incident after that for the next few days and weeks you can expect a series of different types of contents release out of your uterus. Your body removes all the remaining substances such as fetal tissues, and even sometimes placenta particles.
What content your body is expelling depends upon the exact duration of your pregnancy for which it sustained before it damaged through miscarriage. If a miscarriage occurs at a very early stage of pregnancy like within the first few weeks of your pregnancy the bleeding for the same looks like the regular period flow. This is the reason in many cases women remain unaware of their miscarriage incident as they resemble this bleeding with their normal period cycle which doesn’t develop any traumatic sign just an advanced stage miscarriage.
A miscarriage that happens around the 6th to 7th weeks of pregnancy mostly resembles a heavy period flow which happens in certain months in a year. A miscarriage after this period is much severe than the earlier ones. This is because now your uterus has to release more amount of fetal tissues which has well developed in this pregnancy period.
After the initial few days of heavy bleeding, the phenomena of persistent spotting are very usual which can last for a week’s time. This should be lighten-up as the time passes, and if this doesn’t happen naturally then it needs a visit to OB-GYN.
The cases that must be seriously taken into account are under the condition when you don’t have bleeding for a couple of days then heavy bleeding then no bleeding and again after that heavy bleeding. In this condition definitely, there is something in your uterus.
As per one of the prominent doctor in the Division of Reproductive Genetics at Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Einstein, in New York City if any women develop this type of bleeding (no bleeding, heavy bleeding, then no bleeding, then heavy) then without making further delay one should consult with their OB-GYN who will do an ultrasound test to see what is actually happening inside and whether there is any clot or tissues remains left or not. Depending on your condition an OB-GYN may perform a dilation and curettage (D & C), a medical procedure in order to fully remove the remnants which otherwise can cause major health problems if not removed on time.
When Will My Period Cycle Return to Normal?
When you will exactly get your first period after the miscarriage event is really unpredictable. Your body takes time to recover from the trauma and to balance the hormone level which all impacts your period cycle. The very first menstruation after the miscarriage no doubt will look different than it used to be before you got pregnant. You may get a heavier flow, spotting in between and even nothing at all as your body is recovering now.
However, at every condition, your period must return to its normal cycle within two months of a miscarriage. It can be earlier as well that varies from one woman to another. In between this recovery phase your uterine lining contracts to get back its pre-pregnancy position in terms of shape and size. Also during this period, the level of hCG which is also known as pregnancy hormone will reduce which previously increased due to your successful conception.
It is very crucial to understand for every woman who has undergone the miscarriage incident that the very first period after your miscarriage and even in the next few months after this event will depend very much on your type of period cycle that you usually have before the pregnancy phase. Suppose if your period date generally had unpredictable even in your normal phase of life then this pattern will continue even after the miscarriage event. Here you need not worry about your cycle even if you are unable to predict it.
However, women who have much smoother period cycles before or in more precise term your period used to come clockwise in your pre-pregnancy phase then it must be predictable one even after your miscarriage. If this gets unpredictable even after the few months of miscarriage, in that case, you should visit an OBGYN. The doctor will prescribe you progesterone (hormone) medications in order to clean out the uterine lining or may prescribe you with contraceptive pills in order to regulate your period cycle.
Signs and Symptoms of First Period after a Miscarriage
Once a woman undergoes the miscarriage event her body tries its best to remove the contents of the uterus via the vagina. In this phase, you will experience an excessive amount of pain or cramp in your abdominal area as well as in your lower back. You will notice thick textured blood flow that contains fluid and tissues through your vagina. These are the common signs and symptoms that you will experience after you miscarry.
However, the possibility exists that a woman may develop only some of these symptoms or all the symptoms together that vary from person to person. The symptoms may last for a few days to a few week’s time to stop completely.
The pain that you experience during or initial few days after the miscarriage is totally different than the pain that you experience in your period cycle. Once the series of heavy blood flow stops the concerned woman may experience spotting which is no way a matter of worry. This is pretty normal and will stop completely once your period cycle returns to its normal rhythm in terms of flow, frequency and its general symptoms.
In many cases, a woman who has faced the miscarriage incident in the early stages wasn’t even aware of their pregnancy news. In such cases, if you have any doubt you can take a test for measuring your hCG level in the body.
HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that develops in the body during the pregnancy phase of a woman’s life. This hormone supports the growth of fetal. So under the condition where you miscarried recently this hormone will definitely exist in your body and will be detected through hCG detection test.
The first period after your miscarriage will be different than your normal period. At this point, your period will remain accompanied by-
- Flow with a strong odor
- Discharge heavier than the usual period
- Accompanied by severe pain and cramp
- Longer than the usual period cycles
If your body is healthier enough then you will have your period within 4 to 6 weeks after your miscarriage.
How long will it last?
The duration for which your very first period after a miscarriage incident will last depends upon the duration for which you carried your pregnancy. If before miscarriage you had an irregular menstruation cycle then you can expect it to remain irregular even after the miscarriage when it will resume. In this case, you can expect your first period to occur after 4 to 6 six weeks of a miscarriage and even longer than that sometimes.
How to Get Rid of First Period Pain after a Miscarriage?
The level of pain remains severe during your first period after a miscarriage incident. Also, you may notice different symptoms than your normal period cycle such as tender breasts, etc. In order to relieve this discomfort and pain, you can take the following actions-
- You can apply a hot water bottle or a heating pad over your abdominal area for relief.
- Wear a supportive bra without the binding.
- Don’t use tampons at this point as it can be painful.
- Avoid having sex now as it can increase your pain level and this will itself be more painful.
- Consider taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) in order to get relief from pain.
Ovulation After a Miscarriage
The possibility lies that you will start ovulating just within two weeks of your miscarriage if this incident has happened within the first thirteen weeks of your pregnancy. Once you begin ovulating you are again ready to conceive and get pregnant successfully. So you must take necessary precautions as your body needs time to recover from this recent trauma and after that only you should plan for your next pregnancy.
The doctor recommends waiting for a few months before you try for getting pregnant again. In between this period you can assess well when you are ovulating exactly and accordingly you can give enough time to your body to heal naturally. Take a more nutrient-dense diet intake and have the necessary rest so that your recovery gets possible faster. Don’t make any negligence towards your health and care at this point in time otherwise, your body may have to pay this negligence cost in terms of major health damage.
After a miscarriage as the level of hCG hormones still exists in your body to some extent so chances remain high that you will get false positive pregnancy news if you do a home pregnancy test after few months of your miscarriage. Also, your doctor may think that this is your second-time miscarriage after looking at the dropping level of hCG in the test. So these important points must be considered before you falsely get a victim of a traumatic event again.
Miscarriage is a very painful incident which no women would like to suffer from in this world. However what you can expect and don’t expect regarding your period after a miscarriage awareness can save you from any further trauma which may happen in the lack of proper knowledge about this like how it looks, how long it lasts, when your body will be ready for next conception etc.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/complications/miscarriage/irregular-periods-after-miscarriage-what-you-need-to-know/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/first-period-after-miscarriage#treatments
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325642.php#safe-to-conceive-again
[/expand]