Is There Anything I Can Do to Stop My Miscarriages?

Hi Emily, I have had two miscarriages in the last year. Both very early in pregnancy, before or around 8 weeks. The first pregnancy was my first, and we didn’t track anything. I hadn’t even had my first doctor’s appointment; we had one planned for 12 weeks. The second one, I called right away, and they had me come in for blood work right away. They tracked my HCG levels, and from the start it wasn’t good; they were very low and they didn’t raise as they should, ultimately leading to my second miscarriage. My question is, is there anything I can do? We seem to get pregnant fairly easily, which I am grateful for, but before we start trying again, is there anything I can do to try to stay pregnant? Also, what are my chances of a late-term miscarriage if I can make it to that magical 12-week mark? Are they increased due to my multiple miscarriages?
—31 and worried

I’m so sorry for your losses.

The simple answer is that there probably isn’t anything you can or should do at this point. Nearly all first-trimester miscarriages — especially very early, as you have had — are a result of chromosomal abnormalities that arise by chance. Because they arise by chance, the risks are largely independent. The good news is that later pregnancy losses tend to occur for other reasons, so there isn’t a strong reason to infer from early losses.

There is one caveat to this, which is that if you have another miscarriage, most OBs would suggest that you consider a further workup to evaluate whether there is something increasing your risk. (Some might suggest doing this after two miscarriages.) There are a small number of conditions that cause recurrent miscarriages (e.g. a genetic issue called balanced translocation; irregularities in uterine shape), and after two or three miscarriages, it does make sense to evaluate these possibilities.