Suffering more than one miscarriage

Deciding to try for another baby is a decision you need to make as a couple.

Suffering a miscarriage is never easy to get over and can leave couples afraid of trying again because they fear a further tragedy. But what is the chance of suffering a second miscarriage?

Are we more likely to have another miscarriage again?

If you have had a miscarriage before, the chances of having a successful pregnancy are around 80 per cent.
 If you have suffered two miscarriages previously, you will have around 72 per cent chance of enjoying a successful pregnancy, but if you have had three or more miscarriages, the chances of having a full-term pregnancy drop to around 50 per cent or less.

Should we try again?

People respond in many different ways after losing a baby in pregnancy. Sometimes one partner may feel ready to try again and the other will be fearful that tragedy will strike twice. Understandably, it’s important to talk to each other about how you feel – your fears and your hopes. Sometimes it’s easy to have this conversation quite soon after your miscarriage, but if it doesn’t feel right, be patient with each other.

Many women take a positive stance and are keen to try again, seeing their loss as something that should be a reason to stay positive rather than opting to stop trying to conceive. However, the choice is very personal and you should not feel pressured by other people’s experiences or opinions.

What if there is a physical reason for our miscarriages?

There are some medical conditions which couples are not aware they have, which could cause repeat miscarriage. Some of these can be addressed, but other factors such as your age may also play a part in the increased risk of losing more than one baby during a pregnancy.

Unfortunately, until you have suffered three miscarriages, a doctor is unlikely to investigate any medical reasons for why you are not carrying a baby to full-term. However, it is important to note that only one percent of all couples are at risk of suffering recurrent miscarriages (that is: at least three consecutive miscarriages).