When Do You Ovulate After A D&C

D&C, dilation and curettage, can be literally described as the procedure, which involves the dilation (opening) of the cervix and surgical removal of the contents of the uterus. It is basically a remedial gynecological procedure, which used to clear the uterine lining after a miscarriage or abortion and to diagnose or treat abnormal uterine bleeding. In case of pregnancy, the body of a female produces a hormone called hCG. This hormone has the aim of holding back the pituitary gland from producing other hormones that result in the arousal of ovulation (release of an egg). D&C leads to a fall in hCG and in turn, initiates the process of ovulation. Now, if you want to know when you will start ovulating after D&C, continue surfing the lines that follow.

 

When a D&C is performed, the pregnancy tissue is removed and the hCG level in the female body drops. As the hCG levels of a female falls, the pituitary gland again starts producing the stimulatory hormones, LH and FSH. With the secretion of the hormones, the ovulation also resumes. However, for the resuming of the periods after D&C, the hCG levels must come down to zero. The time taken in the resumption may vary, depending upon the value of hCG present in the body before the miscarriage.

 

If, at the time of the D&C, the hCG levels were low, a female will start ovulating 2-3 weeks after the procedure. In some of the cases, a small amount of placental tissue is left after D&C and leads to persistent bleeding, along with a delay in the fall of hCG levels and the resultant return to ovulation. In such circumstances, the first ovulation might take place anywhere between three and six weeks after the D&C. Since the process of ovulation in a female usually starts two weeks before the period, she can get pregnant even before her first post-D&C menses. However, in case the female experienced irregular menses or did not ovulate before pregnancy, then there is no sure way to know when the ovulation will occur.

 

In many cases, it has been seen that after the D&C procedure, the uterus can develop a low-grade inflammatory response, which can come in the way of safe pregnancy. This increases the chances of a repeat miscarriage during the first post-D&C cycle. Managing such a pregnancy can be a little difficult thing and the concerned obstetrician shall need to follow such a case more guardedly to determine the due date of the expectant female patient accurately. In case a female has suffered miscarriages before, it is advisable for the patient and physician to consult, at length, on this matter and reach to the root of the cause before the female tries to get pregnant again. Many a times, it is seen that a female disheartened by a failed pregnancy makes haste to try again for a child without taking proper precautions to avoid consequent miscarriage.

 

If under such circumstances a female rushes into conception, she is most likely to suffer another potential pregnancy loss. This can cause not just physical, but also emotional complications that are more necessary yet difficult to address in case of recurrent pregnancy loss. It has been seen that the unresolved emotional aspects of female patients often create problems in the proper diagnosis of the health issues that plague the patient’s attempts to have a successful pregnancy. It is only after a comprehensive understanding of the emotional as well as physical aspects of a patient that a physician can come up with a viable treatment plan.