Pregnancy Following Stillbirth

A study, led by Dr Annette Regan, from Curtin University in Australia has found that conceiving again quickly following a stillbirth is not associated with increased risk.

14,452 births were looked into across Finland, Norway and Western Australia in women who’d had a stillborn baby in their previous pregnancy. 63% of women in the study had conceived again within the first 12 months following their baby being born. Compared with women who had decided to wait for a period of 24 – 59 months, there was no association identified between this longer interval of time and the outcome.

Women have often previously been advised to wait, however these findings could help in giving families evidence based information to help make the choice that is right for them. Everyone is so different and many families choose to take some time following the loss of a baby. Others feel a strong desire to begin trying for another baby quite quickly. There are of course many other factors to consider, but this is a welcome study in helping to make that individual choice a more informed one.

You can find a link to the study here.