New advice on timing conception after first miscarriage. Current guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend that women wait at least six months to conceive after a miscarriage. But, according to a study in the August 5 issue of BMJ, women who conceive within six months after a first miscarriage have healthier pregnancies than women who conceive six to 12 months later. Re searchers reviewed data on 30,937 Scottish women whose first pregnancy ended in miscarriage and was followed by another pregnancy. Those who conceived within six months were less likely to have another miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a cesarean section, a premature delivery, or a low-birth-weight baby or to experience termination of the pregnancy. The results show, according to the authors, that it's "unnecessary for women to delay conception after a miscarriage." The new advice may benefit women in Western countries, who are often older when they attempt a first pregnancy and may have more difficulty conceiving as they age.