Recovering from a miscarriage: how long should I rest after miscarrying?

Women who suffer from miscarriages often have many questions in relation to what physical symptoms they should expect as a result, how long they should rest, and whether their chances of getting pregnant again will be affected or not as a result of the miscarriage.

Here to answer all of these questions and more is highly experienced and revered London-based obstetrician and gynaecologist, Mr Christian Barnick.

How do miscarriages affect the body immediately afterwards?

Immediately after a woman has had a miscarriage, we need to ensure that the womb is completely empty and that everything has been cleared out. We don’t want little bits of placenta or blood clots left inside the womb that might complicate the future.

In the immediate period of recovery after miscarriage, we would expect women to be bleeding, but after two weeks, it should have settled down completely. I would recommend that women get a scan at this point to check that the womb is really properly empty.

Immediately after miscarrying, we wouldn’t expect ovulation to resume completely within four weeks, so the woman’s first period may be a little bit delayed as a result. I always urge women to wait before trying to get pregnant again until they have had their first period post miscarriage, because then dating the pregnancy can become quite difficult.

What happens if the uterus isn’t cleaned after miscarriage?

Things we would typically worry about if the uterus isn’t properly cleaned after miscarriage are bleeding, infection, and retained placenta and/or blood clots. It is the woman’s personal choice whether she wants to have her uterus cleaned through surgery or simply let nature work its course and clean it out naturally.

Does a miscarriage mean that the body is affected permanently?

Fortunately, most pregnancies that end in miscarriage do not affect the future fertility chances of that woman. They can still go on and have children and it is extremely rare that there are any consequences.

The things that we worry about are if the lining of the womb becomes damaged, either because a surgical procedure has been performed too vigorously, because infection sets in, or perhaps a combination of the two. What can happen then is that, during the healing process, the front and the back of the womb can stick together, which obliterates the cavity of the womb, making a future pregnancy difficult.

Thankfully though, this is extremely rare. Then, later miscarriages are a different thing altogether. One of the things that we worry about when it comes to late miscarriages is that maybe the opening of the womb (the cervix) is somehow weak or incompetent. In this case, as the pregnancy progresses, the neck of the womb starts to soften, shorten, and open, and because of this, the membranes are exposed to the bacteria in the vagina, and waters can go, and the pregnancy miscarries.

So, whilst most miscarriages will not lead to any consequences in the next pregnancy, there are some potential complications that we need to be more cautious about.

How long should women rest after a miscarriage?

Thankfully, the answer is that they don’t really need to very much. The majority of women should feel physically after two or three days. However, some women can experience bleeding for up to two weeks after miscarrying, which can typically be accompanied by a feeling of extreme tiredness.

It is quite common for women who have experienced a miscarriage to suffer from period cramps, as well as emotional and physical strain as a direct result of miscarrying. Women can suffer from these symptoms for up to one month (or sometimes longer in some cases) after miscarrying. 

What psychological support is available for women that miscarry?

Hopefully, the woman’s healthcare professionals who dealt directly with her miscarriage will be involved in some sort of follow-up. Certainly, in the private sector, we ensure that women can contact the nurses on the ward, and the doctor who is assisting them should always also be available to go through all of the woman’s doubts and questions, and to offer them the support that they require.

In addition to this, some women will require longer-term professional psychological support. Of course, it is our duty as doctors to put these women in touch with these specialists when necessary.

In the UK, there is a great online support group called sands. This group help a great deal with women who have miscarriages or other pregnancy problems leading to the unfortunate loss of the baby.

Mr Christian Barnick is a highly proficient, experienced, and skilled obstetrician and gynaecologist who can expertly guide women when it comes to dealing with miscarriage. Consult with him today via his Top Doctors profile.