When is it safe to have sex after a miscarriage at 22 weeks?
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
My wife had a miscarriage at 22 weeks. It was our first baby. Evacuation was normal delivery. After how long can we have sex? She has completed her two periods. Please guide.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
After a natural vaginal miscarriage, the uterus generally takes around three months to return back to its pre-pregnant state. However, the bleeding usually stops in a week. So, it is advised that pregnancy should not be planned any time before a gap of next three months. But, protected intercourse can be practiced six weeks post miscarriage.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
My wife is pregnant now. But, the fluid level went down immediately without any symptoms in scan. Do we need to perform any particular test? What are the general risks involved?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
After a miscarriage at 22 weeks, when you say that fluid level went down, possibly she had an early rupture of membranes. It indicates cervical incompetency, if the born child was alive. If the child was dead already due to no fluid inside then it is severe oligohydramnios which causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but no sudden death. It can be related to genetic kidney abnormality. Ideally, a karyotyping and a fluorescent in situ hybridization - FISH exam of the fetus should have been done to rule out aneuploidy (abnormal number of chromosomes) or genetic disorder if it was oligohydramnios.
Cervical incompetency once diagnosed is recurrent and would have to be dealt in next pregnancy with a cerclage of the cervix (stitches at the cervix to keep it closed) at 16-18 weeks to avoid early dilatation. So, please let me know if the water broke early and pain started with labor? Or the membranes were intact and the amniotic fluid decreased inside the womb naturally with time? This would be important to know. You may send scan reports of the previous pregnancy and cervical length values in scan for complete review of the case.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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