Whether you hope to try again soon or need more time, some preparation can make the next pregnancy feel less uncertain. Below we go through what to find out about your last pregnancy, when to try, how to look after your health and what to plan for the early weeks.
Most people who miscarry later have a successful pregnancy. Take each step at whatever pace feels right for you; our genetic counsellors, consultant gynaecologists and scanning team are here if you would like support along the way.
Where to begin
For most people, preparing comes down to four things: understanding what is known about the last pregnancy, deciding when you feel ready, getting your general health in good shape, and knowing who to contact once you are pregnant again.
None of this is a list of things that went wrong last time. Roughly half of early miscarriages are explained by a chance chromosome change in the pregnancy, which no one could have prevented. After repeated losses, a loss after 14 weeks or a chromosomal result, a few extra steps may apply, and we point them out as we go.
Looking back
Before planning ahead, it helps to know exactly what was found last time. Having the paperwork together also makes any appointment, with your GP or with us, far more useful.
Use this as a starting point for a conversation rather than a verdict. Our page on understanding results explains each term in more detail, and one of our genetic counsellors can go through your own report with you.
| What the report says | What it usually means | Worth discussing |
|---|---|---|
| A whole extra or missing chromosome, such as a trisomy | Usually a chance event, more common with increasing maternal age. Allowing for age, the outlook next time is generally better than after a loss with normal chromosomes. | Standard care is usually enough; you may want to plan screening early. |
| An unbalanced rearrangement (a missing or extra piece of a chromosome) | It may have arisen new in that pregnancy, or one parent may carry a balanced version without knowing. | A blood test of both partners' chromosomes, and a genetics referral if a rearrangement is found. |
| No abnormality detected | No chromosome cause was found. Other causes are not ruled out, and a 'normal female' result from older methods can sometimes reflect the mother's own cells rather than the pregnancy's. | After repeated losses, the wider tests described further down. |
| An uncertain finding | A small change whose meaning is not clear; it may be unrelated to the miscarriage. | Interpretation by a genetics service. |
| A molar pregnancy, complete or partial | A different situation that needs specialist follow-up. | Waiting until follow-up has finished, which may take up to around 6 months, or longer if further treatment is needed. |
| No test, or the test did not work | The cause is unknown, the most common situation after one or two early losses. | If there is another loss, ask in advance about pregnancy tissue testing. |
Specialist advice
Most people do not. After one or two losses with no test result, or a single loss explained by a chance change such as a trisomy, standard care is usually appropriate. You can still ask for a conversation if it would help you feel more settled about trying again.
Genetics input tends to help when pregnancy tissue showed an unbalanced rearrangement, when a partner already knows they carry a rearrangement, when a previous pregnancy or close relative had a chromosome condition, or when a report contains a finding nobody has explained. Our genetic counsellors, or an NHS clinical genetics service, can talk through what it means for next time.
Checking both partners' own chromosomes (a karyotype blood test) is different from testing the pregnancy. UK guidance offers it when tissue shows an unbalanced rearrangement, or when tissue from recurrent miscarriages could not be tested. Our page on parental karyotype explains who it helps.
Carriers are healthy, and their chances of eventually having a healthy child are good, although further miscarriages are more likely. Options, best discussed with a genetics team, include conceiving naturally with diagnostic testing in pregnancy, IVF with genetic testing of embryos for that rearrangement (PGT-SR), or donor eggs or sperm. PGT-SR may lower the chance of another miscarriage but has not been shown to raise the overall chance of having a baby.
Timing
Unless there is a medical reason to wait, the timing is yours to choose. NHS advice is to try again when you feel ready and your symptoms have gone.
Hold off on sex until bleeding and pain have settled, because of the risk of infection. After waiting for a miscarriage to pass or taking tablets, NICE suggests doing a urine pregnancy test at home 3 weeks later; Tommy's suggests waiting for a negative test before trying, so that the next positive result can only mean a new pregnancy.
A period usually returns 4 to 6 weeks after a miscarriage if your cycle was regular, though the NHS says the wait can be as long as 8 weeks. Ovulation can happen before that first period, so contraception is worth using if you are not yet ready. Waiting for one period makes dating easier but is not a health requirement: Tommy's notes some evidence that conceiving within 6 months is linked with a lower chance of another miscarriage.
Some people want to try straight away; others need months, or are unsure whether they want to try at all. Partners often feel differently, and that is normal too. There is no correct timetable.
After a molar pregnancy, wait until follow-up is complete. If investigations are under way, it can help to wait until they have finished, and after a late or recurrent loss, talk to your healthcare team before trying. With a long-term condition, check with your GP first.
Before you conceive
This is largely the same advice given to anyone planning a pregnancy. None of it suggests the last pregnancy ended because of something you did.
Take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily while trying (ideally from 3 months before) until 12 weeks. A GP can prescribe 5 mg instead if you have diabetes, thalassaemia or sickle cell disease, take medicine for epilepsy or HIV, or there is a neural tube condition in either parent, their family or a past pregnancy. It protects against spina bifida but has not been shown to prevent miscarriage. Add 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily from October to March.
Smoking and alcohol are both linked with a higher chance of miscarriage; the NHS advises stopping smoking and not drinking while trying. RCOG guidance advises keeping caffeine below 200 mg a day; remember that tea, cola and energy drinks contain caffeine as well as coffee.
Being underweight or living with obesity are both linked with a higher chance of miscarriage. RCOG guidance after recurrent miscarriage suggests a BMI between 19 and 25; your GP can help with a realistic plan.
See your GP before trying if you have diabetes, a thyroid condition, epilepsy, sickle cell disease or HIV, and do not stop a prescribed medicine without advice. The NHS also suggests checking that your MMR vaccination and cervical screening are up to date.
Recurrent miscarriage
UK guidance defines recurrent miscarriage as three or more first-trimester losses, though doctors may begin tests after two losses when they suspect an underlying cause; European guidance counts two or more. A single late miscarriage, in the second trimester, is also a reason to be offered tests.
Tests usually look for antiphospholipid syndrome (a clotting condition linked to miscarriage), thyroid problems and differences in the shape of the womb, alongside tissue testing. If antiphospholipid syndrome is found, aspirin and heparin are usually offered, starting with a positive pregnancy test and continuing to at least 34 weeks; for unexplained losses they are not recommended.
Even when no cause is found, somewhere between about 2 in 3 and 3 in 4 people with recurrent miscarriage go on to have a baby with supportive care, with lower chances at older ages and after more losses. Our recurrent miscarriage page covers the investigations in full.
A new pregnancy
Keep taking folic acid, arrange your first antenatal appointment through your GP or maternity service, and mention your previous miscarriage.
Save your early pregnancy unit's number. NICE says these units should accept self-referrals after recurrent miscarriage; otherwise a GP, midwife or NHS 111 usually refers you.
Early scans are usually done between about 6 and 10 weeks; before 6 weeks a scan often cannot give a clear answer, and an unclear scan is usually repeated 7 to 14 days later. A scan shows how things look on the day but cannot predict what will happen. After a previous early miscarriage, the NHS may offer one only for a medical reason, so some people choose a private early scan.
After a previous miscarriage, NICE recommends progesterone pessaries (400 mg twice daily) for bleeding, provided the pregnancy has been seen inside the womb on a scan. If a heartbeat is seen, they carry on until 16 weeks.
If tests after recurrent miscarriage found thyroid antibodies or a mildly raised TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), European guidance suggests checking TSH again at about 7 to 9 weeks.
Screening estimates the chance of a chromosome condition; a diagnostic test gives a definite answer but involves a procedure. Routine NHS scans fall at around 10 to 14 and 18 to 21 weeks, and decisions can come quickly, so it helps to talk them through before you conceive.
| Option | Timing | What it looks at | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS combined test | Blood test 10 to 14 weeks; scan 11 to 14 weeks | Estimates the chance of Down's, Edwards' or Patau's syndrome | A result of 1 in 150 or higher leads to a choice of no further test, NHS NIPT or a diagnostic test. |
| NHS NIPT | After a higher-chance combined or quadruple test result | The same three conditions only | Very accurate but still screening; occasionally gives no result. |
| Private genome-wide NIPT | Arranged privately in early pregnancy | All chromosomes | Rarer findings often come from the placenta: in a Dutch national study, about 6 in 100 high-chance rare trisomy results were confirmed in the baby. |
| CVS (placenta sample) | 11+0 to 13+6 weeks | Chromosomes, diagnostically | Extra miscarriage risk likely below 1 in 200 with an experienced specialist. |
| Amniocentesis (fluid sample) | From 15+0 weeks | Chromosomes, diagnostically | A similar risk, likely below 1 in 200. |
A higher-chance screening result should be confirmed by a diagnostic test before any decision about the pregnancy. After a chromosomal miscarriage, see pregnancy after a chromosomal miscarriage.
NHS screening leaflets quote about 1 in 200 for the chance of a miscarriage caused by CVS or amniocentesis; RCOG guidance suggests the added risk is probably lower than that when an experienced specialist does the test.
If you are weighing up private NIPT, we offer several options, including genome-wide tests, and a scan is always included. Whichever test you choose, it remains screening rather than a diagnosis.
Emotional readiness
A pregnancy after loss often feels very different from the one before, even when it is very much wanted. Telling whoever scans you that you feel anxious, asking for the monitor to face away until you are ready, and bringing someone with you are small things others have found helpful. If you are scanned by us, please do tell us how you are feeling.
Counselling can be arranged through your GP or early pregnancy unit, and there is support for partners as well. Miscarriage UK's helpline (0303 003 6464) and Tommy's free midwife line (0800 0147 800) offer support by phone. In England, a free baby loss certificate can be requested for any loss before 24 weeks, whenever it happened; it is optional and carries no legal status, but some people find the recognition helps.
Checklist
Skip anything that does not fit your situation.
Copies of reports, letters and any genetic results from your last pregnancy
A clear idea of what any result means, with help interpreting it if needed
A genetics referral or parental blood test, if your result or history suggests one
Investigations finished, if you have had recurrent or late losses
A plan for genetic testing if another loss happens, since some options are time-sensitive (what can be tested, and when)
Folic acid started, at the dose your GP advises, plus vitamin D in winter
Smoking stopped, alcohol avoided and caffeine below 200 mg a day
Long-term conditions and regular medicines reviewed with your GP
Your early pregnancy unit's number saved and a view on an early scan
Screening preferences and support talked through with someone you trust
Your options
Your GP is usually the first stop: they can go through your results, review long-term conditions, prescribe higher-dose folic acid and, where your history suggests it, refer you to a recurrent miscarriage clinic or an NHS clinical genetics service. That care is free, and nothing we offer replaces it.
Some people also come to us, for example to be seen sooner, to have more time to talk a result through, or to have an early scan in the next pregnancy. Our appointments can sit alongside your NHS care rather than instead of it.
How we can help
These are the appointments we offer at each stage, from recovery after a loss to the first weeks of a new pregnancy. You can book them yourself, without a referral. London Miscarriage Clinic is part of London Pregnancy Clinic, so booking opens on the London Pregnancy Clinic website. If you are not sure which fits, call us on 020 3687 2939.
After your first period
An ultrasound and review, usually once your first period has come, to check that the womb has settled and no pregnancy tissue remains, with time to ask our gynaecology team and midwives about trying again. It is optional, and some people simply find the check reassuring. It looks at recovery only and is not used to diagnose a miscarriage. Available at our City and West London clinics.
Online, 30 minutes
A video appointment with one of our registered genetic counsellors to go through earlier reports, explain what a result means for next time, and plan ahead in case of another loss, including how tissue could be kept for testing. If a parents' chromosome test is suggested, we can arrange a karyotype. A 60-minute appointment suits a more complex history.
After repeated losses
A consultation and pelvic scan with one of our consultant gynaecologists at our City clinic in Spitalfields, with blood tests that include checks for antiphospholipid syndrome (lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies) and a thyroid profile. Having it before you try again means the results can shape your plan. You book with a £300 deposit, which comes off the package price.
Next pregnancy · 6–9 weeks
Once you are pregnant again, our scanning team can check that the pregnancy is in the womb, look for the heartbeat, see how many babies there are and date the pregnancy, at our City or West London clinic. Scanning from about 7 weeks usually gives the clearest view. A scan cannot change what happens, but some people find it helps to be seen early after a loss. Advice on NIPT is included if you are considering screening.
After one miscarriage, care is often the same as for anyone else, though you can ask about an early scan. After recurrent miscarriage, you should be able to refer yourself to an early pregnancy unit, and some specialist clinics offer early scans and support. If you do bleed in early pregnancy, NICE recommends progesterone once a scan has confirmed the pregnancy is inside the womb.
Not for everyone. Progesterone is recommended for bleeding in early pregnancy after a previous miscarriage, but taking it without any bleeding has not been shown to help. Aspirin with heparin is offered for diagnosed antiphospholipid syndrome. For unexplained recurrent miscarriage, aspirin and heparin are not recommended, and UK guidance does not support routine IVF embryo screening (PGT-A).
The NHS suggests partners with a long-term condition, or who take regular medicines, also talk to a GP. If a neural tube condition affects your partner or anyone in their family, a GP can prescribe 5 mg of folic acid for you instead of the usual dose. If parental chromosome testing is recommended, you are both tested.
Conceiving before a period does not add risk, although the dates may be less certain, so an early scan can help to work them out. Start folic acid straight away and contact your GP or maternity service.
Yes. A late miscarriage is a reason to see a specialist before trying again, even if it was your only loss. UK guidance recommends offering chromosome testing on tissue from any second-trimester miscarriage, and some blood tests for inherited clotting conditions may be offered, ideally within research. Waiting for those results lets them shape your plan.
Yes. Hoping for another pregnancy while dreading another loss is very common, and the anxiety can return at every scan or symptom. A partner, friend, counsellor or charity helpline can help; if worry starts to take over daily life, tell your GP or midwife.
No. You can book a post-miscarriage scan, genetic counselling, the recurrent miscarriage package or an early scan online yourself, or call us if you would rather talk first, and your GP and NHS maternity care carry on as usual. It helps to bring or send copies of earlier scan reports, letters and any genetic results, so that the time is spent on your questions rather than on piecing together what happened.
This page gives general information drawn from published evidence and UK guidance, to help you plan and ask good questions. It is not personal medical advice and cannot replace a clinician who knows your history, including our team if you see us. Once you are pregnant again, get help the same day for heavy bleeding, strong pain, a fever or faintness: contact your local early pregnancy unit or NHS 111, and in an emergency, phone 999.
Contact
The figures and clinical statements on this page are drawn from the sources below. Guidance evolves — always discuss your individual circumstances with a clinician.
