When can I conceive again after a stillbirth?
Professor and Senior Consultant Gynecologist & Colposcopist
Mazumdar-Shaw Center for Cancer Research & Narayana Hrudayalaya Multispecialty Hospital, Bangalore
Q: I am a 29 years old woman who had a stillborn baby three months back through C-section. The reason was umbilical cord round the neck and body. Post delivery my bleeding did not stop so the doctor gave me Deviry but after taking it my bleeding got heavier. An ultrasound showed subinvolution and biopsy revealed acute endometritis. A diltion and curettage (D&C) was done two months back. Bleeding was less but continued for 2 more weeks. Meanwhile I had antibiotics Metrogyl, Doxt and Taxim along with Pause. Now my bleeding has completely stopped but I am yet to get a normal period. I still have a lot of pain in my abdomen just above the cut. How do I get a quick recovery? Is it possible that the infection may still remain? How long should I wait to conceive again? Is there any chance of a stillbirth again?
A:You should have a good nutritious diet to recover fast. It is advisable to take multivitamin pills for at least 2 months, and avoid sex for next 6 weeks at least and until the uterus has involuted completely.
I would advise you not to conceive for at least 1 year from the date of operation.
You should have a complete check up by your doctor at intervals advised by her.
If the cause of stillbirth was cord around the neck and body, it is not a recurrent cause for stillbirth. I am sure next time your doctor will look out for cord around neck (by ultrasound), and advise you to keep a count of the baby's movements from 32nd week of pregnancy onwards. Usually, these stillbirths occur near term, when the baby starts descending into the pelvis- that cause a tightening of the cord and resultant stillbirth.