menstrual cycle after miscarriage

  Hello
  My question is how long does it usually take to start your menstrual cycle
  after a miscarriage/d&c.  What happens if you don't start your cycle and
  you think you might be pregnant?
  Thanks ginger
Dear Ginger:
The average time to ovulation following a miscarriage is 6 to 8 weeks and most women have resumed their menstrual flow by 3 months following miscarriage.
I ask patients to use barrier contraception from the time following miscarriage that they resume relations until they have a normal menstrual period.
The hCG levels linger following a miscarriage and may give you a "false positive" pregnancy test. It can take 6 weeks for these levels to fall to undetectable amounts. Thus, if you think you are pregnant, have a blood test done by your physician and a second quantitated level after 3 days. The pattern between these two tests will determine if this is a new pregnancy or residual hormone from the old pregnancy.
Keyword: miscarriage
This material is provided for information purposes only and is not a formal medical consultation. If your have specific questions, please contact your physician.