Q&A: After two miscarriages I am trying to conceive again, but want to know if there is anything extra I can do.

I am so sorry you have been through two miscarriages. That can be heartbreaking. The good news is, most of the time, a woman with two prior miscarriages will have success on her third try. That said, especially with the second miscarriage bordering on the second trimester, you may benefit from a workup to look for causes of recurrent miscarriage. Some regular OBs offer testing, or you can see a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) or high risk OB (MFM).

The basic workup for recurrent miscarriage includes a complete medical, surgical, genetic, and family history, as well as a physical exam. They may recommend looking at the internal shape of your uterus with a special xray or ultrasound. Blood tests look for autoimmune reasons that women can repeatedly miscarry. Thyroid testing may also be done. If the pregnancy you lost at 14 weeks did not have chromosome testing, they may recommend testing your chromosomes now.

Please remember that miscarriage is very common—about 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Having a serious cause of recurrent miscarriage is quite rare. The most likely explanation for your two losses is that you were in the unlucky 15% twice. And if there wasn't really a cause of miscarriage other than bad luck, the most likely outcome for your next pregnancy is a happy healthy baby. Good luck to you!