QuestionQUESTION: Hello. Iam 37 years old. It was our first month of trying in January.I had a miscarriage on 13th Feb2009. Doctos said it happened at very very early stage of pregnancy and hence could not see anything in the sac during ultrasound. Also they advised me NOT to go in for D/C and allow it naturally. Although the bleeding was lesser than my normal periods. My menstural cycle is usually 34-38 days. And I have the bleeding for 6 days every cycle. Since my first day of miscarrige, its 44 days but I still have not got my periods. Though I did have some cramps and stomach bloating 10 days back and I thought it was time for periods. Wanted to know when should I expect my periods and whether it normal to get delayed period with my kind of menstural cycle?
ANSWER: Jyoti,
I am very sorry about your miscarriage!
It is very common for women to experience a change in their menstrual cycle after a miscarriage. It can take the body 3 - 12 months to get back to normal, every person is different. Some women say their periods return as normal, others have irregular or no periods for a few months.
Eat a healthy diet, and do some light exercise. This will help the body to get back to normal, and hopefully your periods will start back again regular. If you get any discomfort in your lower abdomen, or you dont have a period in 3 months then I would go back to your doctor and get them to examine you. Likewise if you notice any discoloured discharge. It is sometimes necessary to check the miscarriage is complete and you are not left with any parts in your uterus. This will cause you not to have periods, but I believe it is quite uncomfortable, hence why I say if you have pains go straight back.
Kind regards,
Christine
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Got my periods today ie.exactly 44 days after my 1st day of miscarriage.Sorry, forgot to ask this in the last query... We are TTC so can I again start after this period ends? My doc says that due to my age,plus my reports all normal and no difficulty in conceiving, I can start immediately. But also wanted a second opinion. If so then when do you think will I approximately start ovulating? My average length of cycle is 34-38 days. But this period came after 44 days after miscarriage.Does miscarriage change the normal ovulation cycle day too?
Thanks for your patience and lending me a ear..
ANSWER: Some doctors recommend waiting 3 months at least, to allow the body to return to normal, but there is no evidence to suggest that starting right away should be avoided given the circumstances around your miscarriage. I am not medically qualified, but as an opinion I would agree with your doctor.
As I said in my previous message, there is no textbook way in which a womans body recovers. This month you had a 44 day cycle, next month it could be 29 days, there really is no way to tell. If your menstrual cycle has changed, this would usually mean your ovulation day has changed also, but this might go back to your old cycle after a couple of months. On a 44 day cycle I would expect you to ovulate around day 26 - 32, but no one can predict how long your next cycle will be.
If you feel emotionally ready to ttc, then you could buy ovulation kits, to see when you are most fertile, although this would be difficult if you are not aware of the signs and your cycle hasnt regulated. Alternatively you can just go for it all month. It was thought that a man produced poorer quality of sperm if he ejaculated too often, however its since been proven that those claims are false, so there is no reason to limit your ttc to your most fertile days.
Good luck with ttc. To give your body the best chance a healthy diet, folic acid and gentle exercise (walking etc - no tummy exercises incase you unknowingly conceive) are recommended.
Kind regards,
Christine
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for your earlier answers Christine. I have a small
query once again.. I've finished my period and will be
ovulating around 13th to 15th April. Now the question is
that presently Iam having some flu symptoms for which I've
taken Aleve. Plus we'll be doing a house shift on 10th
APril. So do you think that this cold & cough plus taking
Aleve will have an effect on my ovulation date? I will
start using OPKs from 6th or 7th April..
AnswerHi,
It is quite possible that both the cold and move may effect your ovulation day by a day or 2 either side. Enjoy things, see how regular you are this month and concentrate on the jobs at hand. If it happens this month great, but try not to worry too much if it doesnt, you will have a much clearer idea next month when you are due to ovulate.
Good luck with the move and I hope you are feeling better soon. Lots of luck with your ttc.
Christine xx
