# Questions to ask the doctor after a miscarriage



## smythdm

I'm having a natural miscarriage at the moment...and I have a consult scheduled with my doctor tomorrow. The nurse today said to come prepared with all my questions, and I've got the basics covered (do you think this was genetic or hormonal, what can I do in the future to prevent, when can I try again, how long till betas go back down), but I wondered if anyone else had good questions that they were really happy they asked or things they wish they had asked. 

Let me know and I'll post my total list of questions (its long). 

Sorry to everyone else that is in this sad sad place....


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## me n tweek

i can't suggest any, but I will be interested to see the final list


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## smythdm

Ok this is my crazy person list so far: 


&#8226;	Do you believe this miscarriage was due to hormonal or chromosomal/genetic issues? 
&#8226;	Is Rh factor something I need to be concerned about? 
&#8226;	Do I still need to be concerned about infection? 
&#8226;	How long will it take for my hcg levels to drop down to normal? 
&#8226;	Was there a chance to save this pregnancy if the progesterone had started a little earlier? 
&#8226;	Next time, will I need to be on progesterone from after I ovulate until 10 weeks? 
&#8226;	What do I do with the progesterone I have now? 
&#8226;	Am I more likely to have another miscarriage now? Do I have any risk factors that could increase my odds of having another miscarriage? How can I reduce my chances of miscarriage moving forward? 
&#8226;	Do I belong here or at my OB/GYN? What is correct course of action to take from here? 
&#8226;	Will you do the Day 3 and Day 21 tests? Do OB/GYNs not typically do these tests? 
&#8226;	What other blood work should I have done? Is there any other testing I need (HSG &#8211; normal, SA &#8211; somewhat low count, everything else looks good)?
&#8226;	Did everything look normal with my uterus and tubes during the ultrasounds?
&#8226;	How long do I need to wait until trying again? Is it ok to start trying again immediately?
&#8226;	Will it take as long the next time? Am I more fertile now? For how long? 
&#8226;	How long will it take for my normal menstrual cycle to return? Will my cycles be different? Will the ovulation process continue as before?
&#8226;	Is there anything else I can do to help increase my chances? 
&#8226;	Should I keep taking prenatals?
&#8226;	Will I need to make sure to always track progesterone along with hcg in pregnancy moving forward? 
&#8226;	What should my progesterone be during pregnancy?
&#8226;	Will I need to have frequent betas for the next pregnancy? Will I need additional monitoring?
&#8226;	Do I need to call as soon as I find out I am pregnant again? Can an OB/GYN track progesterone? 
&#8226;	Are there any other recommended treatments to address the problem?
&#8226;	Are there any dietary supplements to improve fertility?


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## me n tweek

you seem ready for this meeting ... i hope you get answers to all your questions, and if you do feel free to post them:winkwink:


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## smythdm

I definitely will :)


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## HisGrace

this is a great list. i will take this with me at my appointment on friday.


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## hopestruck

As a little side note, you can find the answers to a lot of your questions by looking on the internet or even asking around here. I could tell you:

&#8226; How long will it take for my hcg levels to drop down to normal? It could take days or weeks, depending on how high your levels were at the start of the M/C. 
&#8226; Am I more likely to have another miscarriage now? Do I have any risk factors that could increase my odds of having another miscarriage? How can I reduce my chances of miscarriage moving forward? Research shows that your chances of having a successful pregnancy after one loss are the same, or only slightly less than if you had never had a loss. So you have a good chance at having a healthy next pregnancy.
&#8226; What other blood work should I have done? Is there any other testing I need (HSG &#8211; normal, SA &#8211; somewhat low count, everything else looks good)? Usually after one loss (if this is indeed your first loss), they don't do any testing, except perhaps your RH factor and perhaps your hormone levels. Depending on your doctor, you may be referred for further testing after 2 or 3 losses.
&#8226; How long do I need to wait until trying again? Is it ok to start trying again immediately? Your doctor will have a preference on this, but most say waiting 1-3 cycles. Research shows, however, that there's actually no benefit to waiting more than one cycle and that in fact, the sooner the better after M/C.
&#8226; How long will it take for my normal menstrual cycle to return? Will my cycles be different? Will the ovulation process continue as before? From my personal experience, it could take from 3-6 weeks for your cycles to return. They may return exactly as normal, or they may be slightly different in terms of the length, ovulation day, and quality of the bleeding.
&#8226; Should I keep taking prenatals? If you want to get pregnant in the near future, it's usually recommended that you stay on prenatal vitamins (or at least continue taking folic acid). 
&#8226; What should my progesterone be during pregnancy? https://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/earlyfetaldevelopment.htm
&#8226; Are there any dietary supplements to improve fertility?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-124003/Ten-ways-boost-fertility.html
https://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Fertility_Herbs

Hope that helps...


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## smythdm

Really helpful, thanks!! (I'm still going to ask a lot b/c I want to know what his specific thoughts are on my case - my levels, my history, etc.)


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## hopestruck

For sure! Just thought I'd shed some light on some of the more common questions (that I have spent plenty of time researching myself!) Obviously your doc will know your situation much better so it definitely doesn't hurt to check on specifics.


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## lovewithin

is there any miscarriage support group nearby your doctor can refer you to?
what will your 1st period be like and when it is expected?
is there any useful book/leaflet/webpage he can advise you and your partner regarding dealing with grief... all these stuff a doctor should also tell to a patient but they often overlook or forget this completely...


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