Patient: Dr. Malpani, I got pregnant naturally after years of trying. But at 9 weeks, my scan showed no heartbeat. I’m devastated. My doctor says I should do a panel of tests to find out why. Should I?
Dr. Malpani: I completely understand how painful this must be. A miscarriage—especially your first one—can feel like your world has collapsed. You did everything right, and yet, nature had other plans.
But here’s the key truth: a first-trimester miscarriage after a natural conception is extremely common. It happens in about 15% of all pregnancies, whether natural or IVF. And in most cases, it’s due to a genetic abnormality in the embryo, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
Patient: So it’s not my fault? It’s not because I worked too hard or didn’t rest enough?
Dr. Malpani: Absolutely not. Please don’t blame yourself. Human reproduction is surprisingly inefficient. Nature has built a powerful defense mechanism — if the embryo is chromosomally abnormal, the body ends the pregnancy early to prevent the birth of an unhealthy baby.
It’s not because you didn’t rest, didn’t eat right, or stressed too much. It’s simply random bad luck, not a reflection of your health, willpower, or care.
Patient: But my doctor said we should do genetic and immune tests to find out the cause. Isn’t that sensible?
Dr. Malpani: It sounds sensible — but that’s where many doctors mislead patients, often unintentionally. After a single miscarriage, doing “recurrent pregnancy loss panels” or immune testing doesn’t make medical sense.
Why? Because these tests are:
- Unreliable: The results vary from lab to lab.
- Unproven: No consistent evidence links them to miscarriage after a single loss.
- Expensive: Each test costs thousands, and most aren’t covered by insurance.
- Unhelpful: Even if you find an abnormality, the treatment doesn’t improve your chances next time.
These tests create more noise than signal. You end up with a file full of confusing numbers and medical jargon, but no real clarity.
Patient: So you’re saying these tests don’t change the outcome?
Dr. Malpani: Exactly. Whether you do them or not, your chances of a healthy baby next time are already excellent — over 85%.
Sadly, many doctors exploit patients’ grief and anxiety. Instead of offering empathy and reassurance, they offer “advanced testing” — because it feels like action. But this is where many couples get fooled by randomness.
They believe that doing more tests equals more control. But the biology of reproduction doesn’t work that way. Most miscarriages are random, one-time events. Tests can’t predict or prevent them.
Patient: So what should I do instead? Just wait and try again?
Dr. Malpani: That’s right. Take time to grieve, let your body and heart heal, and then try again when you’re ready. The very fact that you got pregnant naturally proves that your body can conceive — and that’s the best predictor of future success.
Instead of chasing false leads, focus on simple, evidence-based health measures:
- Maintain a healthy weight and balanced diet.
- Stop smoking or drinking.
- Take folic acid supplements.
- Manage thyroid or diabetes if you have them.
And most importantly, remember: hope, not hysteria, helps healing.
Patient: That’s comforting, Dr. Malpani. But what if it happens again?
Dr. Malpani: If you have two or more consecutive miscarriages, then yes — we can consider investigations. But after just one, the odds are strongly in your favor. In fact, most women who miscarry once go on to have a completely normal pregnancy next time — often with no change in treatment at all.
Don’t let fear drive unnecessary testing. Let science, compassion, and common sense guide you.
Patient: Thank you, doctor. I feel calmer now. I was blaming myself and rushing into more tests, but this makes sense.
Dr. Malpani: I’m glad. The hardest part of this journey isn’t the miscarriage itself — it’s coping with uncertainty and misplaced guilt. My advice? Be kind to yourself, avoid overtesting, and focus on healing.
Your body has already shown it can get pregnant — that’s the best sign of all.
You’re much closer to success than you think.
Dr. Malpani: Please get your doubts resolved free using our chatbot which is powered by AI based on Dr Malpani’s 40 years of clinical expertise and experience at https://www.drmalpani.com/chat-w-chatbot/index.html. This will ensure you’re on the right path and potentially save significant costs in the long run.