Thinking about pregnancy after the death of your baby

Loss and Grief

Key Points

Your body needs time to recover between pregnancies. Talk to your provider about how long to wait before you try to get pregnant again.

Just because you’ve had a baby die doesn’t mean it will happen in your next pregnancy.  

When your baby dies, you may have mixed feelings about getting pregnant again. Take time to decide when you want to get pregnant again.    

Get a preconception checkup before you get pregnant to help make sure you’re healthy when you get pregnant.

What if you have mixed feelings about getting pregnant again?

If your baby died during pregnancy or after birth, you may have mixed feelings about getting pregnant again. You may want to get pregnant again right way, or you may want to wait a while. Getting pregnant may make you feel like you’re moving on toward something good. But you may still feel sad and miss your baby. You may feel guilty and worry about forgetting the baby who died. You may feel scared that if you get pregnant again, the new baby may die, too. It’s OK to feel all of these ways.

Talk to your partner about your feelings. Your partner may feel differently than you do about getting pregnant again. Share your worries and concerns with each other. You and your partner are the only ones who can decide what’s right for you.

You may want to share your feelings with other people, including:

How long should you wait before trying to get pregnant again?

This is a decision for you to make with your partner and your provider. When to try again depends on a few things, like:

  • Giving your body time to recover before your next pregnancy
  • Being emotionally ready to try again
  • Giving yourself time to grieve for your baby

Talk to your provider about how long to wait before you try to get pregnant again. If your baby died during pregnancy and you’re having tests to find out more about what happened, you may need to wait until you’ve had the tests before you start trying to get pregnant again. If you’ve had a miscarriage, it’s usually OK to get pregnant again after you’ve had at least one normal period. Every situation is different, and you can decide the right timing for you and your family.

For most women younger than 35 who haven’t had a miscarriage or stillbirth, it’s best to wait at least 18 months (1½ years) from the end of one pregnancy before getting pregnant again. This gives your body time to recover before your next pregnancy.

What can you do before you get pregnant again to help you have a healthy pregnancy next time?

The best thing you can do to help you have a healthy pregnancy next time is to take good care of yourself. Here’s what you can do to help you get healthy before your next pregnancy:

Do you have a medical condition that may affect your next pregnancy?

Some medical conditions can cause problems during pregnancy. At your preconception checkup, talk to your health care provider about:

  • Your pregnancy history. There may be things you and your provider can do to help prevent problems that can affect your baby.
  • Your family health history. If certain conditions run in your family, your provider may suggest that you meet with a genetic counselor. 
  • Health conditions you have, like depression, diabetes or high blood pressure. Getting treatment for conditions like these before you get pregnant can help you have a healthier pregnancy.
  • Medicines you take. Your provider can tell you which medicines are safe to take during pregnancy. 

How can you manage the stress of trying to get pregnant again?

Trying to get pregnant again after a baby’s death may be really stressful for you. You may feel pressure to get pregnant again before you’re ready. Here are some things you can do to help manage stress you may feel about getting pregnant again:

  • Talk to your partner and to people who care about you.
  • Remember that every pregnancy and baby are different. Just because you’ve had a baby die doesn’t mean it will happen in your next pregnancy.  
  • Talk to your provider or a counselor about ways to reduce your stress. If you work, talk to your boss about how to reduce the stress at your job.
  • Go to your preconception checkup to make sure you’re healthy.
  • Eat healthy foods, drink lots of water and do something active every day. Try to get a full night’s sleep every night.
  • Don’t smoke, drink alcohol or use harmful drugs.

More information

From hurt to healing (free booklet from the March of Dimes for grieving parents)

Compassionate Friends (support for families after the death of a child)

First Candle (support for families with children who died of SIDS or preventable stillbirth)

International Stillbirth Alliance

Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support (resources for families with pregnancy or infant loss)

Star Legacy Foundation (support for families who have had a stillbirth)

Last reviewed: October, 2024