MOSt women who have had a miscarriage go on to have healthy pregnancies later. Even women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages (defined as three or more in a row) have about a 75 per cent chance of carrying another pregnancy to term.

However, it's best to wait a few months after each miscarriage before trying to get pregnant again. Most professionals who counsel parents who have lost a pregnancy say the same thing. You'll need some time to heal from the loss both physically and emotionally.

Also it's quite normal to go off sex for a little while after a miscarriage so you may not even feel like trying again at first. Waiting until you've had at least one or two normal periods will give you time to be sure that you've recovered from your loss but you may need much longer if you had a late miscarriage. Seeing a counsellor can really help to come to terms with what has happened to you, however early in pregnancy your miscarriage was; ask your GP to refer you to a counsellor if you feel that you would benefit.

Don't blame yourself for your loss. Women often feel somehow responsible for a miscarriage but, once a pregnancy has begun to miscarry, there is little anyone can do to prevent it. The most common cause of miscarriage seems to be a chromosomal abnormality in the developing embryo, stemming from the time of conception. It's highly unlikely that anything you did contributed to the loss. We hope your next pregnancy is successful.

It won't hurt to get yourself in the best possible health before becoming pregnant again. Make sure you're eating a nutritious diet and exercising, before you become pregnant. If you drink or smoke, now is the time to give up if you can. Also, talk to your GP about taking a daily antenatal vitamin supplement containing at least 400 microgrammes (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid during this preconception period. Good luck.