Q: I am a 24 years old woman who had a miscarriage after 2 months of pregnancy. The doctor advised me to manage it in the natural way (expectant management). I got my first period after 5 weeks and I want to conceive again, should I go for it?

A:You should avoid getting pregnant again for 6 months at least and get some blood and urine tests to find out the cause for abortion. These would include blood sugar, VDRL, urine culture, and blood group. Also let an obstetrician evaluate your detailed history. In many cases, cause may not be found, and is usually due to an abnormal pregnancy that has been eliminated naturally. If the cause is found it can be treated and conception planned after the uterus is healed and better equipped to deal with a fresh pregnancy. During the next pregnancy, support in the form of progesterone/ HCG can be tried with other precautions to prevent a repeat abortion, the risk for which is marginally higher. The chances of successful baby are high (over 90%) next time around.