Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - Supporting Pregnancy After Miscarriage with Chinese Medicine

A Gentle Note Before You Read:

This journal post speaks to the experience of recurrent pregnancy loss. If you’ve walked this path, or if the topic feels tender for you, please know we hold that with care. You are not alone. We invite you to read only if and when it feels safe and right for you.

Experiencing miscarriage can be profoundly distressing. When it occurs more than once before 20 weeks’ gestation, it is now formally recognised as recurrent miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

Until recently in Australia, this diagnosis applied only after three consecutive losses. However, as of May 2025, updated RANZCOG guidelines now define RPL as two or more pregnancy losses before 20 weeks—regardless of whether they are consecutive and whether a gestational sac is visible on ultrasound.

This update is an important step forward, opening the door to earlier support, investigation, and care for many more women.

While some pregnancy losses are due to random chromosomal abnormalities, others may be linked to issues such as implantation difficulties, hormonal imbalances, structural abnormalities, or immune dysfunction. However, in many cases, no clear cause is ever found, which can make the experience even more emotionally challenging. If you’ve experienced loss, you may be wondering what more you can do to support a healthy pregnancy next time.

How Acupuncture May Support Early Pregnancy

Acupuncture is a gentle and supportive treatment often used in both the preconception phase and during the first trimester—especially for those with a history of miscarriage.

Although large-scale human trials are still developing, preclinical and early clinical research suggests acupuncture may support early pregnancy by:

• Improving blood flow to the uterine lining

• Supporting hormonal balance and implantation

• Modulating immune function that could disrupt early development

• Reducing stress and promoting emotional regulation

Importantly, studies have shown that regular supportive care—including consistent contact with a trusted practitioner—can significantly improve pregnancy outcomes for women with recurrent miscarriage. Acupuncture offers this continuity of care, creating a calm, reassuring environment where both physical and emotional wellbeing can be monitored and supported during this vulnerable time.

Acupuncture at Melbourne Reproductive Acupuncture

At Melbourne Reproductive Acupuncture, we often recommend weekly acupuncture during the first trimester, beginning in the months leading up to conception where possible. This helps regulate menstrual cycles, address underlying imbalances, and create optimal conditions for implantation and pregnancy progression.

Herbal Medicine and Recurrent Miscarriage: Insights from Tradition and Research

Herbal medicine is another key component of Chinese medicine, with over a thousand years of recorded use in supporting early pregnancy and preventing miscarriage. Classical texts such as Qian Jin Yao Fang (Sun Simiao, 7th century) documented herbal strategies for women experiencing repeated pregnancy loss—a concept known historically as "slippery fetus" (huá tāi).

In modern times, this wisdom is being explored through clinical research. A 2025 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Pharmacology reviewed 11 trials involving nearly 900 women with recurrent miscarriage. It found that those who took a traditional formula known as Shoutai Pills had significantly higher live birth rates compared to those receiving conventional care alone—without an increase in side effects.

While these results are encouraging, it’s essential to note that Chinese herbal medicine must be tailored to the individual. Shoutai Pills may not suit everyone, and a qualified herbalist will determine the most appropriate formula based on your constitution, symptoms, and history.

Please consult a trained and registered practitioner before taking any herbal medicines.

Promising Combined Approaches

Other research also points to the potential of integrative care. One clinical trial involving women who conceived via IVF found that combining Chinese herbs with progesterone therapy was more effective at preventing miscarriage than progesterone alone. While further research is needed, these results highlight the role Chinese medicine can play in supporting early pregnancy—particularly in complex or recurrent loss cases.

If You Experience Bleeding During Early Pregnancy

Spotting or mild cramping in early pregnancy is understandably alarming, but it doesn’t always mean a miscarriage is occurring. It’s often due to hormonal shifts or bleeding from the implantation site. Always consult your GP, obstetrician or go to emergency if you have any concerns—and know that many women find same-day acupuncture sessions helpful for calming the nervous system, easing symptoms, and providing reassurance during this uncertain time.

Support That Feels Right for You

Whether you’re preparing to try again, newly pregnant, or simply seeking a more balanced and supportive approach to fertility, we’re here to walk with you. At Melbourne Reproductive Acupuncture, we offer care that is individualised, research-informed, and grounded in both compassion and clinical experience.

We invite you to book a consultation to explore how acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine may gently support you through this important stage of your fertility journey.

Book Online

(03) 9132 0287

reproductiveacupuncture@gmail.com

@reproductive.acupuncture

Written by Kim Riley

BHSc (TCM)

AHPRA and ATMS

References

• RANZCOG (2025) Miscarriage, Recurrent Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy Clinical Guideline (C‑Gyn 38), Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, April 2025. This document redefines recurrent pregnancy loss as two or more intrauterine pregnancy losses before 20 weeks, regardless of whether consecutive or whether a gestational sac was visible O&G MagazineRACGP.

• Tsirtsakis, A. (2025) ‘Definition of recurrent miscarriage updated’, newsGP, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 19 May 2025. Also provides context on how the new two-loss definition improves access to care and investigations RACGP.

• Ruan, L., Cai, Y., Yin, Y., Liu, F., Li, M. & Lu, G. (2025) ‘Shoutai pills for treating recurrent miscarriage: a systematic review and meta‑analysis of the safety and clinical efficacy in 11 randomised controlled trials’, Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 16, article 1540073, 14 May 2025, doi:10.3389/fphar.2025.1540073. Examines effectiveness and safety of Shoutai Pills in improving live birth rates and pregnancy retention in women with recurrent loss FrontiersFrontiers.

• Evohealth (2025) ‘Rethinking miscarriage: why Australia’s new guideline is a milestone in care’, Evohealth Insights, 20 May 2025. Highlights the significance of the April 2025 national guideline and its emotional and policy implications Evohealth.

• Pink Elephants Support Network (2025) ‘What RANZCOG’s Clinical Guideline means for miscarriage and pregnancy loss’, 24 June 2025. Provides patient-centred commentary on how the change to two-loss diagnostic criteria offers faster recognition and support pinkelephants.org.au.

• Medcast Medical Education Team (2025) ‘Recurrent pregnancy loss – causes, tests & care’, Medcast blog, 20 May 2025. Summarises rates, multidimensional causes, and clinical implications of RPL in alignment with the new RANZCOG guideline medcast.com.au.