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I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. I am purely sharing my experiences in hopes to break stigmas surrounding miscarriage. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your healthcare provider. 

Wondering what you should expect with your first period after D&C? If you’re reading this, first, I am so sorry for your loss…. My miscarriages were something I would never wish upon anyone, and were the hardest things I have had to go through emotionally in my life.

It is so hard on a person/couple both physically and emotionally, but know that you are certainly not alone. As someone told my after my first loss, “It is a large club that nobody wants to be a part of, but we are all there for each other.”

Once you are feeling a little more like yourself, whether you’re wanting to start trying again soon, or just want to get back to normal, you probably want to know what your first cycle will look like and what to expect with your first period after D&C.

Your first period after a miscarriage can be a dreaded experience- especially if it is your first period after a D&C procedure. So much has gone on with you and your body in the last weeks or months, and it is important to give yourself time to process, heal, and grieve. 

What will my first period after D&C look like?

As your doctor probably told you, everyone’s experience will be completely different, but from the hundreds of forums I read through after mine, there are many similar symptoms- they may just vary in extremity from person to person.

When do you ovulate after miscarriage?

Similar to postpartum, our period can begin anywhere from 2 weeks to several months after your D&C procedure varying on several factors like how far along you were, interventions, hormones, and more.

When do you ovulate after miscarriage? Surprisingly, some women do not ovulate before their first period, but most women did on the forums I read through (or at least had ovulation symptoms).

Ovulation can happen anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months after miscarriage following the same pattern as your menstrual cycle. 

Fortunately, I was able to tell when I was ovulating before my first period after D and C based on discharge. And just like clockwork, I started my first period two weeks later like I have for years.

In my experience, my miscarriages and D&C procedure did not affect my menstrual cycles from that point forward, but those first couple periods were definitely “off.” 

Is getting pregnant after miscarriage before first period possible?

Getting pregnant after miscarriage before first period is very possible! So, it is very important to make sure you are using protection during sex if you are not wanting to become pregnant immediately- especially since you are very fertile the first three months or so after miscarriage. 

If you are looking to become pregnant immediately, you can take a peek here at what to expect with your pregnancy after miscarriage.

My OBGYN told me that there is no greater risk in miscarriage when you become pregnant immediately after a loss- and in some studies, it can actually lead to a more stable and healthy pregnancy. Ask your provider on their thoughts, opinions, and current studies. 

I won’t sugarcoat it: my first period after D&C was pretty awful.

The cramping I started to feel beforehand were like mid labor contractions. If you started having fast and consistent contractions with your miscarriage, it may feel as though you are miscarrying again.

How long do you bleed after a D&C? 

You may also have very heavy bleeding after D&C. I started bleeding extremely heavy, and extremely fast, soaking through a pad about every hour. I called to let my OBGYN know this, and she gave me some guidelines to follow. Surprisingly, on the first day I did not notice any clots passing, just red/orange-tinged blood.

The blood may also have an off smell to it, similar to the odor of the blood immediately after your D&C. If you notice any foul smells though, reach out to your doctor as this may be a sign of infection.

After about a day and a half of heavy bleeding, it stopped as suddenly as it started, cramps and all. There was about a 36 hour break from any bleeding or cramping. But around the 36 hour mark, I went to the restroom and felt….. odd.

After giving a little push over toilet paper, I had a firm, golf ball sized and shaped piece of white tissue come out. My first thought was:

“OH MY GOD, MY OVARY JUST POPPED OUT!!!!”

But after two seconds, I realized I was being absolutely crazy and immediately called my doctor to investigate a little more after Google gave me no answers. She seemed completely calm and said I may have other “odd” tissue and clots pass and said it’s normal for this to happen with the first period after a miscarriage and/or D&C.

After a few cocktails, I brought it up with some friends who also had miscarriages. Two out of the three had a similar experience with their first or second period after a miscarriage! Soooo…. no, you are not losing an ovary, your uterus is just trying to freak you out.

After passing this piece of tissue, the extreme bleeding and cramping continued for a couple more days, and eventually tapered off like a normal period with more discharge than usual. How long heavy bleeding after D&C? In all, my first period lasted about 8 days, with the first 5 or so being extremely heavy. Since my first period after a miscarriage, I have ovulated and had regular periods just like before my pregnancy.

As always, if you are EVER concerned, something just doesn’t seem right, or you have any questions, ALWAYS call your doctor or nurse advice line. That is what they are there for! I called 5 or 6 different times between my D&C procedure, and the end of my first period for different things. “Should I be feeling this pain?” “Is this much bleeding normal?” “Ummm… I just passed a clot the size of a grapefruit?!” and so much more.

Each time, they were able to give me reassurance, advice, or even brought me in one time to check things out.

When in doubt, call your doctor.

Miscarriage is the club nobody wants or expects to be a part of. I’m wishing you peace, healing, and healthy pregnancies in your future if and when you decide to try again!