How to Recover from a Miscarriage

Suffering a miscarriage can be a devastating event. It is important to take care of yourself, physically and emotionally, during the aftermath.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find support. Either through your doctor, a therapist, or just sharing your feelings with friends and family, do not isolate yourself during your grieving period. There are many online forums for connecting with others who are going through a similar experience. Many people around you will try to comfort you, some with words that may feel insensitive in your emotional state. Try to see the kindness behind the gesture, if their words do not offer comfort.
2. Allow yourself to grieve. You may feel pressured to focus on happier things or to get the experience behind you as quickly as possible. Losing a child is a traumatic event, and it is normal to feel the five stages of grief as you process what has happened. The five stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
3. Acknowledge your partner's grief. Not everyone deals with grief in the same way. You may feel overwhelmed with sadness or anger while your husband or boyfriend seems withdrawn. While he didn't suffer the physical effects of the miscarriage, remember that he lost a child as well, but might not be as comfortable expressing his feelings. Try to love and support each other during this difficult time, and allow each other the room to grieve in your own ways.
4. Give yourself time to heal physically. Many doctors recommend waiting at least three months before trying to get pregnant again. At follow-up appointments with your physician, discuss your emotional state as well as your physical recovery. If you have suffered several miscarriages, your doctor may want to run a series of tests before you try again.

Tips & Warnings

• It is normal to go through a period of sadness following the loss of a baby, but if you are in a state of depression for an extended period of time, see your doctor or a therapist.