How long were you off BC before TTC?

mommytimesfour

I'm currently on the same BCP I've been taking for just about 2 years, and I'm struggling with when I should stop. I want to begin TTC in January, and I know I need to give my body time to reset as well as get familiar with my cycles again since they may have changed since the birth of my second baby/getting on the pill. My biggest concern with stopping it now is that I'll cave into the crazy baby fever or have an oopsie before January comes along. How long before TTC did you stop your birth control? And how long did it take for your cycles to become regular after you did stop?

jenfarm3

I plan on going off my BCP in January before we start TTC around April. I was planning on waiting until maybe March, but for the reasons that @meltwithyou mentioned, I wanted to give my body at least a couple months prior to TTC to hopefully regulate. But you really just don't know until things happen. One of those things. I told DH this and he seemed happy about that decision.

RachelT1234

My plan was to be off BCP for a few months, but I failed! I have zero patience and because it may take a while we decided not to wait. I finished my last pill in mid July and beginning of August we began TTC. I began temping immediately and track everything in FF. Also reading TCOYF. We'll see what happens. Best of luck!!

penelope4612

I stopped 3 months in advance.  I am 2.5 months in and DH and I are both tired of using condoms (and I am charting so we don't even have to use condoms after ovulation).  If there wasn't a really good (job related) reason for not TTC, we probably would be NTNP, but not bothering with the condoms.

LavenderBrown1018

We plan on TTC in December and I got my Mirena out on July 1. I'm a month and a halfish off BC and my body is just starting to balance out and I could need a lot more balancing out possibly. Time will only tell but I'm really glad we got off BC so far in advance. I've been tracking my cycles through charting based on what I learned in TCOYF. However, I agree that condoms suck.

mommytimesfour

Thanks ladies. I realized today that I only have one more pack of pills left before I need a refill, so I'll go ahead and call it quits after I finish this last pack about mid September. Condoms do suck! My cycles are usually pretty regular so I think I'll be okay doing NFP and trying to avoid my fertile window as much as possible for 3 months until we are ready to TTC in January.

crcosmetics

I stopped the pill March 1st and I was pregnant by June. So much for waiting! But we couldn't be happier and I feel so lucky it happened so fast. Good luck to those going to TTC this or next year!

Litterateur

A month.  If I had it to do over, I'd start sooner...  2 years, still no BFP.  Going off BC =/= automatic baby unfortunately.  Something I've come to understand: time is way too precious.  I sincerely hope it happens right away for you, though

Schumerator

I agree with PP's - go off BC now to figure out your cycles and who knows they could be completely irregular - or just like they used to be!

My thoughts on this are if you are wanting to TTC in January - what is 2-3 months in the grand scheme of things if you happen to become pregnant? I obviously don't know your specific situation but to me that small of an amount of time doesn't seem like it would be a huge game changer for me. But if it is for you then I would say stay on BC until you are absolutely positive that you would be ok with getting pregnant the next month

My husband and I decided to take out my BC this July because I have been on it for a while and I wanted to make sure I became educated about my cycle, but we are not going to actively TTC until next summer, but we also know that becoming pregnant is a real possibility now and we have accepted that from this point forward we would be ok if it happened sooner - we would just prefer it to happen next year.

Best of luck to you! I hope it works out in the timing that you would like it to

LadyDuby

I was on BC for only 5-6 months and before, my period was never regular, just came when it felt like it, I stopped in May and got my period when I expected June 1st but July's never came and neither did August so I took a test and it was positive. So there's no telling if I went back to being irregular or if I conceived right after stopping. But I would advise in at least 3 months before you start trying, if not more, every woman differs. But be sure to track temp CF and all that good stuff so you do know around when you ovulate every cycle so when you do start trying, you should hit it on the nose! I wish the best of luck to all you ladies, and don't stop trying because it's bound to happen sometime!

Blonde1817

We're planning to start trying in January too, and I'm wondering the same thing!  I just read TCYOF, and I would really love to stop my BCP now (I'm on placebo week), but I think I might do one more month so I don't freak the husband out lol.  Before starting BCP, I was always extremely regular, but lately I have not been getting a period (but I did this month), so I have no idea what it'll be like going off of the pill.  Plus I hate it, so I would love to see if some things that have been bothering me are just side effects of it (I've been on it for 4 years).  

I am kind of torn, because on the one hand some people say it takes a long time for the body to readjust, but on the other hand, my gyno said not to stop until you want to get pregnant because it can happen right away.  Let me know what you decide!

MrsRo731

When we decided to try a couple years ago for our daughter I was on the pill (now I have Mirena). We decided to finish the pack I was on and then just see what happened. Well, I got pregnant immediately. Obviously everyone is different but it can happen right away.

LakeR2014

I finished my last pack and we’ll be immediately starting TTC/seeing what happens.   I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 14 and have been on the pill ever since.  My OB recommended I start immediately trying and don’t wait because the lingering hormones from the BC might help keep my period regular (I get irregular periods with my PCOS).   So we’re on the trying immediately after stopping train.

lovearoo

Warning: Loss mentioned

I was on BC for forever (I think like 11 years!!) , stopped and started ntnp. Though it resulted in a MC, I got pregnant within 3 months. Obviously my experience will have no bearing on yours, but it's entirely possible it won't take you long!

Edit: words are hard

ska8471

I have been off BC since April and I feel my body is still adjusting.

AF is the strangest part. Definitely more cramps in the first 2 cycles and then barely any flow in the last two and only like 2 days with a day of spotting (sorry, TMI). Hopefully things will even out. It's hard to remember what my cycles were like before BC because I was on it for 10 years.The breakouts really suck too. 4 months off now and I'm not sure I'm back to "normal" whatever that may be. 

Anyways to answer your original question, OP, been off for 4 months and we're officially starting in October so it'll be about 5.5 months. I am on my second cycle of charting and it's been helpful to see if I'm "normal"ish. It can take up to a year to regulate after HBC though so the earlier the better probably!

Good luck with the baby fever until then! We moved our TTC date up from next March to this October because mine just took off haha. If January is best for you though, it's worth the wait

ETA: Are you charting/have you read TCOYF? It was a game changer. 

KSMcClary

My doctor told me that I can start TTC as soon as I am off BC.  I have heard from other people that I should wait until my body starts to regulate.  I am currently trying to get my husband on board so that we can start TTC in November.  I asked him if I should go off the pill so that I am ready to go come November, but he says I should listen to my doctor.  I just hope she isn't one of those "crazy" doctors.  

LakeR2014

@KSMcClary   My doctor told me to do the same thing.   Of course I also have PCOS, so she thinks going immediately will help maintain a regular period too.   She stated there's no need to wait, but that if you do plan to TTC, she told me to start taking prenatal vitamins at least a month before I went off the pill.  That way I had all the good stuff needed for the baby already in my system.   I started on the daily prenatal vitamin in mid-July and we're officially starting TTC next week!      But as your husband stated, listen to your doctor.   They know you and your body, better than 'other people.'   Good luck.

Pupatella

Hi, I am new here. Been lurking for awhile, but this is my first post. 

My FH and I will be TTC in 2 months (November). My doc told me that it was fine to take BCP (I'm on a low dose) until we are actively TTC. My cycles are pretty regular when not on BCP. She said the second I stop taking BCP, the hormones are out of my system within 24-48 hours, and we don't need to wait a cycle to start TTC. I just started taking prenatal vitamins (yea!) and am really nervous / anxious / excited to see what happens when we start TTC.

I have really enjoyed lurking here over the past few months. Everyone is so helpful and supportive. The information on here is fantastic (although it took me awhile to get used to all of the acronyms). It is nice to finally be able to say hi.

Edited because I cannot type.

Lysta85

We'll start TTC in december right after stopping with BC. And we'll just see how it goes.