Aftercare at Home
Tiredness​
You may experience fatigue and exhaustion during and after a miscarriage. It is not unusual to feel tired and emotional for a few weeks afterward, or for any pre-existing anxiety, or other mental health challenges to increase for a time. It is advisable to rest for a couple of days immediately following a miscarriage and to seek support, if needed.
Returning to work depends on many factors, including how you are feeling. For some people, taking time off work or normal activities to recover is beneficial. Others may seek familiar people, environments, and routine at work, or may be constrained by financial need to be back in work. Circumstances differ for everyone and will depend on the physical, mental, and emotional state of the person experiencing the miscarriage, as well as the demands and culture of their workplace.
If your tiredness persists and does not improve, please consult your GP. In cases where a letter for work is needed, the EPU will be able to provide one.
When your period should return
It is normal to experience light bleeding for 7 to 10 days following a miscarriage. During this time, you should avoid sex, baths, swimming, and the use of tampons, to prevent infection.
Your period should return 3 to 6 weeks after the bleeding has stopped; however, this may vary from person to person. If you have any concerns, for example, if your period does not return within 3 months, and you have persistent positive pregnancy tests, contact your GP.
Possible complications following a miscarriage
Normally, you should not need any routine follow up with CUMH (main hospital or EPU at the Kinsale Road Clinic) following a miscarriage.
However, if you experience any of the following, contact your GP, South Doc, or the Emergency Room or EPU at CUMH:
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Positive pregnancy test 2 weeks after you have stopped bleeding.
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Bleeding for more than 2 weeks following miscarriage.
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Heaving bleeding, i.e. you need to change a sanitary towel (pad) that has filled with blood clots every 15 minutes for over an hour (or 4 soaked pads in the course of 1 hour).
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Severe abdominal pain.
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Discharge from your vagina that is green or yellow and with a bad smell.