**If you’re reading this in the hopes of eventually getting pregnant after experiencing a miscarriage or loss, first and foremost please know you’re not alone and I’m holding space for you.

Secondly, while this post is about sharing both my personal experience and professional tips (as a hormone health coach) to help you conceive, it’s designed to help you to do so when you feel ready. If you’re still grieving from loss, I recommend focusing on your own healing first (and wrote this post just for you). Bottomline: nobody knows what you need better than you. So please honor your feelings and give yourself time to process however you need. Sending you all the love.

 

PREGNANCY LOSS — MY STORY 

On January 1, 2020 I found out I was pregnant. I was almost 15 months postpartum after giving birth to my first baby and had just gotten my period back in November after weaning off nursing in October. It was unplanned and unexpected, but I was also thrilled.

A few weeks later I experienced some cramping in my right side and spotting that eventually turned into full-on bleeding. After multiple blood tests to measure my HCG levels (which were hovering instead of rapidly increasing like they should in a healthy pregnancy or decreasing as they should in a miscarriage) I went in for an early ultrasound.

The ultrasound determined my pregnancy was ectopic, meaning the fertilized egg had implanted in my fallopian tube instead of my uterus. In this scenario your fallopian tubes can potentially rupture, requiring immediate surgery. We had caught it early enough where I was able to terminate the pregnancy with an injection of methotrexate (a form of chemo). While it came with unwanted side effects (nausea, fatigue, etc.) it was a much safer option than emergency surgery.

While physically I was lucky, emotionally I felt extremely lost and alone. It took me many months to heal on all levels (physically, mentally, emotionally) but once I felt up to trying again it only took a few months to find out we were expecting again. Now, I sit writing this at 24 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby girl, and if you’re reading this on your journey to conceiving after miscarriage, please know I want the same for you.

 

A POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST — SUCCESSFULLY CONCEIVING AFTER MISCARRIAGE

After giving myself plenty of time to let myself feel, grieve and process, as well as physically heal enough to get my cycle/period back, I knew I wanted to eventually try to get pregnant again.

But before we started actively trying to conceive, I wanted to do everything I could to balance my hormones, reduce chances of another loss and prepare my body for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Luckily, as a professional in this field (hormone health coach specializing in menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy and postpartum care) I had all of the tools, resources and knowledge at my disposal.

So, after I got my period back in February, I spent the next four months (the recommended preconception period to improve egg quality, baby’s health and pregnancy outcomes) nourishing and preparing my body.

That summer my husband and I began trying, and after three cycles (the average to successful conception is 4) I got the positive pregnancy test I had been waiting for.

Below I’m sharing the action steps I took (as well as professionally advise to my clients) to help me balance my hormones and conceive a healthy baby after pregnancy loss. I hope you find them helpful, but I always encourage every person to 1) check in with their licensed medical practitioner (especially before taking any herbs/supplements) and 2) check in with yourself and above all do what feels right for you.

 

HOW I BALANCED MY HORMONES + CONCEIVED AFTER MISCARRIAGE / PREGNANCY LOSS

 

• + Got Testing To Determine Any Hormone Imbalances

One of the first things I did after healing from my pregnancy loss was get testing to determine if I had any underlying hormone imbalances that could be impacting my fertility. The first test I took was Modern Fertility’s At-Home Test Kit, which measures vital fertility markers such as ovarian reserve (how many eggs you have left), your sex hormones (such as progesterone, estrogen and luteinizing hormone) in order to confirm you’re ovulating and making enough levels to sustain a healthy pregnancy, and thyroid hormone TSH, which regulates vital components of fertility, pregnancy and healthy brain development in baby.

I loved that this test covered most of my bases, while allowing me the convenience to take it from home at a fraction of the cost most fertility clinics offer. The results were delivered within a week via my personalized dashboard and luckily, most of my levels looked normal and healthy (with a slightly elevated TSH), giving me the confidence I needed to begin trying again. You can use this link to get $10 off your Modern Fertility At-Home Test Kit.

**Because my TSH was slightly elevated (although still technically within normal range) I also followed the Modern Fertility Hormone Test up with a full thyroid blood panel (which includes TSH, Total and Free T4, Total and Free T3, Reverse T3, Anti-TPO and Anti-thyroglobulin). Everything came back within normal range.

 

• + Replenished with Nutrient-Dense Food

While the most common cause of miscarriage is due to chromosomal abnormality or genetic error (which essential begins 3-4 months prior to conception, making that 4 month preconception period so important) I couldn’t help but wonder if my body simply wasn’t ready for another baby because I was just so depleted. Even though I’d taken good care of myself, I had also spent the last two years pregnant and then nursing (i.e. the majority of nutrients I was consuming were still going to my daughter). And because nutrient-deficiency is one of the primary causes of hormone imbalance, I knew I needed to focus on this area in particular.

So I spent the next several months upping my nutrient-density game, focusing on adding in a variety of fertility-boosting foods like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, avocado, nuts, seeds, pasture-raised eggs, berries, low-mercury omega-3 rich fish (like salmon), etc. For a comprehensive list of the foods I ate and recipes I used to make them, check out this guide. 

 

• + Ate A Balanced Breakfast

If I’m being totally honest, I also don’t think I was eating quite enough prior to my loss, opting to skip breakfast in favor of a bulletproof coffee because mornings were much more hectic with a baby and it was one thing for me to deal with.

However I knew the research showed a nutrient-rich breakfast every morning could help you regulate your cycle, reduce infertility and help you conceive. This is attributed to helping you optimize your blood sugar, which is a crucial pillar of hormone health and fertility. So I added in more food, eating a breakfast rich in protein, fat and fiber (such as this smoothie or these chia pudding parfaits) to satisfy my body’s micronutrient needs while keeping blood sugar stable. I also made sure I was eating consistently throughout each day (i.e. three balanced meals and potentially a snack or treat if needed/desired).

 

• + Tracked My Cycle + Practiced Cycle-Syncing 

BOTTOMLINE 

While every person’s journey to conception is unique, we do have the research and data to know that simple practices can positively impact our menstrual cycles, egg and sperm quality and overall fertility, working to optimize our chances of getting pregnant naturally. This post is an overview of what I personally practiced (as well as often advise clients TTC) after pregnancy loss to prepare both body and mind to try again, but ultimately you’ll need to check in with yourself and do what feels best for you.