Dr Siddharta suggests that complete bed rest for one-and-a-half months in this case. She also recommends consumption of iron-rich food and multi vitamins for faster recovery. “Lifting things or doing heavy-duty household tasks might lead to more discomfort, so avoid chores as much as possible,” she warns.
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.
It's common to feel tired, lose your appetite and have difficulty sleeping after a miscarriage. You may also feel a sense of guilt, shock, sadness and anger – sometimes at a partner, or at friends or family members who have had successful pregnancies.
No sex, tampons, or douching for 2 weeks.
We recommend waiting until after 2 normal periods to attempt pregnancy again.
Even though the pregnancy will not continue, caring for the body is still essential for healthy miscarriage recovery. Hydration, good nutrition, light exercise, and sleep will help the body heal. Consider trying a new physical activity that brings you joy or allows for an emotional release, such as boxing.
The physical recovery can take 1 or 2 months. Your period should start within 4 to 6 weeks. Don't put anything in your body, including a tampon, and don't have sex for about 1-2 weeks. It can take longer for you to heal emotionally, especially if you knew you were pregnant when you miscarried.
Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, it is fine to resume your normal daily activities and exercise routine after a miscarriage as soon as you feel up to it. 1 In fact, exercising may help relieve some of the stress, anxiety, or depression that comes with having a miscarriage.
Exercise may be the last thing you feel like doing. Even so, gentle activity in the first six weeks after your loss will help you to regain your strength in body and mind. Exercise has many benefits. It can alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression, and can also help you to adjust to being around other people again.
If you miscarry naturally, even in the early weeks of pregnancy, you are likely to have period-like cramps that can be extremely painful. This is because the uterus is tightly squeezing to push its contents out, like it does in labour – and some women do experience contractions not unlike labour.
Women report symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion during and after a miscarriage. This is due to the hormonal changes that occur in pregnancy. Sometimes taking time off work or normal activities to recover physically and mentally is beneficial.
Some employers think that you can only take two weeks of pregnancy-related sickness following a miscarriage. This is not the case. It is up to your GP or other health professionals to advise on time off work following a miscarriage and whether your sickness is related to your pregnancy or miscarriage.
Unfortunately, if you were in your first trimester when the miscarriage happen, you need to take rest for at least a week. “To regulate the bleeding it is always advisable to stay at home,” says Dr Siddhartha. Dr Siddharta suggests that complete bed rest for one-and-a-half months in this case.
It's not uncommon for a person who has had an early miscarriage to need just a few days off work to physically recover. On the other hand, a person who has had a stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy loss, or c-section will likely need more time.
Cramping and contractions, as well as lower back pain, will likely accompany a miscarriage. One of the signs of miscarriage can be weight loss that is not the outcome of a dieting plan.
There is no reason to avoid having a bath or shower on the day following a miscarriage. It is advised to use warm water rather than very hot water. You can resume swimming as soon as you feel fit enough to do so although it is advisable to wait until any vaginal bleeding or discharge has stopped.
Treatment with medicine
Medicine is available that can speed up the process of passing the pregnancy tissue. For an incomplete miscarriage, the medicine will usually encourage the pregnancy tissue to pass within a few hours. At most it will happen within a day or two.
After a miscarriage
Unless all the pregnancy tissue has been passed, your doctor will usually recommend that a curette (also called a 'D&C' – dilation and curettage) be performed. This is done under a light general anaesthetic and you can usually go home later the same day.
Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus. Health care providers perform dilation and curettage to diagnose and treat certain uterine conditions — such as heavy bleeding — or to clear the uterine lining after a miscarriage or abortion.
If you have a miscarriage in your first trimester, you may choose to wait 7 to 14 days after a miscarriage for the tissue to pass out naturally. This is called expectant management. If the pain and bleeding have lessened or stopped completely during this time, this usually means the miscarriage has finished.
In the United States, the most common recommendation was to wait three months for the uterus to heal and cycles to get back to normal. The World Health Organization has recommended six months, again to let the body heal.
There is no right or wrong way to feel after experiencing a miscarriage. Some people may want to return to work as quickly as possible, others may need more time to grieve. Take time to work out what's best for you.
Certain uterine conditions or weak cervical tissues (incompetent cervix) might increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers. Heavy alcohol use and illicit drug use also increase the risk of miscarriage.