When to Expect Your Period After a Miscarriage

Miscarriages are very traumatic events that occur in about 10–20% of known pregnancies, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, they suggest the number is actually higher because often miscarriages happen so early in a pregnancy that many women might not even realize they’re pregnant yet.

There are 2 types of recovery that need to happen after a miscarriage: Physical and emotional. From a physical perspective, the body starts recuperating from a miscarriage almost immediately, but some women find that the emotional recovery takes much, much longer.

Let’s start off by looking at when to expect your first period after a miscarriage. Understanding why miscarriages happen and how the body recovers is an important step toward emotional recovery.

It Can Take Four to Six Weeks to Get Your First Period After Miscarriage

Miscarriages tend to happen within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage is the body’s reaction to a fetus that isn’t developing properly. Your body starts recovering almost immediately from miscarriage, but it can take a bit of time for your menstrual cycle to return back to normal.

When Your Menstrual Cycle Might Restart After Miscarriage

You will usually have your first period about four to six weeks after a miscarriage. Your first period after a miscarriage might be a little different from your regular period (i.e., not exactly a normal period).

What to Expect From Your First Period After a Miscarriage

Your body is still recovering for about a month after a miscarriage as your body’s hormones regulate themselves. So don’t be alarmed if you notice any of the following symptoms with your first period after a miscarriage: 

• Discharge with a strong odor can occur when periods return
• A heavier and longer period after a miscarriage is a possibility until you fully recover and resume regular periods
• Your first period after miscarriage can be a more painful period than usual

Your first period after pregnancy loss might be a bit different than usual, but after 2 or 3 cycles, your period should return to normal.

Ovulation After Miscarriage Can Occur Within 2 Weeks

Ovulation occurs during your reproductive years—basically from when your period (menarche) begins to when it ends (menopause). 

It’s defined by an event, on approximately day 13 to 15 of a 28-day menstrual cycle, during which your ovary releases an oocyte from a follicle. The oocyte then travels to the fallopian tube and awaits fertilization with sperm.

How Do You Know When You’re Ovulating?

Ovulation and your “fertile window” is a single phase in the ovarian part of your menstrual cycle, so understanding the phases and length of your cycle is key.

The most commonly referenced menstrual cycle length is 28 days (even though it is not the average menstrual cycle length), as most women will have slightly longer or shorter cycles. 

There are 3 phases that your ovary goes through to prepare for the possibility of fertilization and pregnancy, ovulation being one of them. (Again, please keep in mind the time frames below are averages and most women will experience time frames longer or shorter than average).

1. Menstruation (a phase of the uterus that occurs during the follicular phase of the ovary): More popularly referred to as your period, menstruation (or menses) marks the first day of your cycle. If an egg has not been fertilized, your uterus sheds its lining from the previous month’s cycle. This is your period.
2. Follicular phase: The follicular phase of your cycle starts on the first day of your period (day 1 of your cycle) and ends with ovulation (approximately day 13-15 of a cycle of 28 days).
3. Ovulation: This phase occurs after the Follicular Phase ends around Days 13–15 of your cycle, in a 28-day cycle. The day of ovulation is distinctly defined by the act of the oocyte bursting through the ovarian capsule, out of the ovarian follicle, traveling through the fallopian, and becoming available for fertilization by sperm. The 3 days leading up to and including ovulation is when you’re most fertile.
4. Luteal phase: This phase lasts approximately 2 weeks after ovulation (day 17–28 in a 28-day cycle). During this phase, the egg begins to break down and disintegrate. If an egg isn’t fertilized before it starts to break down, it will shed with the next menses, and the cycle begins again.

Ovulation After Early Pregnancy Loss Can Be Difficult to Detect

You can start ovulating (and potentially get pregnant) only 2 weeks after a miscarriage, but ovulation post miscarriage can be difficult to detect. 

There are some key symptoms you can learn to track or pay attention to help understand when to take an ovulation test after early pregnancy loss:

• Lower basal body temperature (this typically occurs just before ovulation begins).
• Higher basal body temperature (occurs approximately 24 hours after the egg is released and lasts for many days).
• Cervical mucus that is wet and stretchy with an egg white texture.
• Subtle cramping or pain can sometimes occur when the follicle releases the egg. You may experience this on alternating sides of your abdomen each month. This cramping is also known as mittelschmerz.
• Light spotting can result when the follicle ruptures to release the egg.
• Increased libido (sex drive).

Ovulation Test Kits

One of the best ways of knowing when you’re ovulating is to use an ovulation predictor kit (OPK). Getting pregnant is most likely to happen during the days around ovulation.

When you ovulate, there is a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) and these tests are designed to identify it. LH is at its highest about 24–36 hours before ovulation. 

Knowing when ovulation is on the horizon is important for when you are trying to get pregnant again since sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to 5 days.

Ovulation Predictor Kits Can Help You Identify When You’re Ovulating

36–40 hours (on average) before ovulation, there is a brief surge in luteinizing hormone (LH). Ovulation predictor kits detect the presence and concentration of LH in your urine about 12–24 hours before ovulation takes place. 

Ovulation predictor kits may be especially helpful for women who are trying to conceive and want to improve their chances of getting pregnant.

When used correctly, ovulation predictor kits are approximately 80% accurate in detecting ovulation with 5 days of testing and 95% accurate with 10 days of testing. 

Typically testing should begin at least 2 days before the expected day of ovulation and continue until the LH surge or through day 20.

Dealing With Pregnancy Loss

While your body might make a relatively quick physical recovery after a miscarriage or pregnancy loss, it can potentially take a lot longer for you and your partner to recover emotionally. It’s important to give yourself the appropriate amount of time to grieve.

Be kind to yourself and be sure to take all the time you need to mourn your loss. There is no ‘set’ amount of time for this to happen, but if you’re having a particularly difficult time you may want to consider seeking professional grief counseling or therapy for emotional support. This can be especially helpful to work through all the complex emotions you’re feeling.

Just remember that though you can definitely find comfort in talking to others about their experiences with miscarriage, it will be different for everyone so try to avoid comparing your experience to theirs. 

Make sure you’ve taken all the time you need to grieve before trying to conceive again. You’ll know when you’re emotionally ready to try for another pregnancy.

How to Know When You’re Ready for Pregnancy Again After Miscarriage

From a physical perspective, you can get pregnant again as soon as you start ovulating again after a miscarriage. 

It helps to wait until your period starts again so you can more accurately calculate the date of a new pregnancy based on your menstrual cycle. Most doctors will recommend waiting until you’ve had multiple cycles (i.e., 2 or 3 menstrual cycles).

Your healthcare provider will probably tell you to abstain from sex for 2 weeks after a miscarriage to prevent infection. Depending on the cause of your miscarriage they might make other specific recommendations about your care and when you should try again.

The WHO recommends waiting about 6 months before trying to conceive again. However, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, there is no reason to wait that long for many women. 

When you feel like you’re ready to try to get pregnant again, always consult with your healthcare professional.

The Likelihood of Experiencing 2 or 3 Miscarriages in a Row Is Low

It can be scary to try to get pregnant again for fear that you’ll experience multiple miscarriages. Be rest assured, while this is possible, it’s unlikely to have two or more miscarriages: Just 2% of pregnant women experience two miscarriages in a row, and only about 1% have three consecutive pregnancy losses, according to USCFertility.

When to See a Doctor After a Miscarriage

So, what happens when things don’t return to normal right after a miscarriage? If it’s been more than a month or two and you haven’t experienced your first post miscarriage period yet, take a pregnancy test as it is possible to become pregnant right after a miscarriage. Regardless of the outcome of the test, visit your doctor or one of your primary care providers to discuss.

After a miscarriage, some women experience small amounts of tissue left behind in the uterus that need to be removed. A doctor can remove the tissue via a minor surgery called dilation and curettage (D&C). This surgery is generally quite safe, however, as with all surgery, there’s a risk of complications. 

See you doctor ASAP if you notice any of the following symptoms after a D&C as it may be a sign of uterine infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic:

• Unusual or foul-smelling discharge
• Abdominal pain
• Excessive bleeding
• Excessive cramping
• Fever

Written by Jane Flanagan — Updated on March 1, 2022.

We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free, and in period underwear.