How long off BC?

meg_2006 · November 2013

How long did you take off BC before TTC? I know going off can knock your system out of whack, making it hard to track your ovulation...correct? (I'm pretty sure that's how we got DS- long story). Just trying to figure out when to get off BC, and if it's even worth going to my gyno visit in February to refill my prescription.

MamaBovs · November 2013

I wouldn't go off until you're ready to conceive unless you plan on using a back-up method. It's definitely true that going off BC can screw with your cycle, but it's also true that you can get pregnant immediately (that's what happened to me with #1). Good luck either way!

ks3pink · November 2013

It took us 3 cycles to get pregnant with our boys. I wouldn't skip my appt though just because I didn't need bcp, you still beep to have your Pap smear and blood work done as that is the reason for the appt.

kelle017 · November 2013

We started trying right after stopping the pill. As soon as I stopped using the pill I started charting and ovulated that cycle.

I got pregnant on cycle 2 and 3 but both those were chemical pregnancies and cycle 6 gave us our daughter.

flamingo& · November 2013

I stopped taking the pill, and started tracking my temps immediately. I knew it probably wouldn't happen right away, and I was right. I got a BFP last month (after 7 cycles in 8 months) but it was a chemical pregnancy so I'm trying again right away. I just ovulated so now I'm in the dreaded TWW. It would be amazing if I got a rainbow baby this cycle!

kcisthebombdotcom · November 2013

My cycles didn't regulate before I got pregnant. My son was conceived on a 45 day cycle. There's really no need to wait. The only thing that's different is lmp doesn't date the pregnancy accurately.

AlanaB2010 · November 2013

I agree with PPs that it doesn't seem necessary to wait. That said, I'm off the pill 6 months in advance before TTC just to get it fully out of my system. Also because, to be frank, I feel WAY better off it. Obviously if you do go off early use backup protection and I'd recommend charting so you can start to get a sense of cycles. And still go to the OBGYN - get checked out and also, it'sa great time to ask some questions in advance of the BFP.

SmileyJay · November 2013

While it is not medically necessary to go off the pill for a while before ttc, I think it is really smart to be off of it for at least a few months so that you can become aware of your fertility and cycles. I just came off the pill last month and am now charting. I want to make sure I am ovulating regularly and having normal cycles before my cycle stops from either pregnancy or if I decide to go back on the pill. When I ttc, I will be able to pinpoint the day of implantation and get an accurate due date. If I happen to uncover fertility issues, it could move up our timeline for ttc because we know we want children.

Many people ovulate within days of missing pills. Some may take months. It depends on what pill you were taking, how your individual body responds to it, and what changes may have occurred while you were on the pill that you didn't know about.

The pill masks a lot of fertility issues because you have withdrawal bleed every 4th week. This is not your period and does not confirm ovulation or anything like that. It also can mask signs of ovarian cysts and other issues. So, I want to be off of it for a while before ttc.

As far as baby health is concerned, there is no evidence that a baby conceived within days of coming off the pill will be less healthy than one conceived by a woman who never took bcp. Some gynecologists even recommend you start trying immediately after coming off the pill if you have fertility issues because many women experience hyper-ovulation during the first few cycles that could help them conceive. On the flip side, you do have a higher chance of having fraternal twins if you conceive right after coming off the pill.

flamingo& · November 2013

I don't think it makes sense to wait either. I mean, I knew that my cycles could take awhile to regulate, but I didn't see any reason not to start right away. My first few cycles were short (for me) because my LP was short (9 days) and I had a lot of pre-AF spotting, but as the months wore on they began to improve to where it's now 13 days, and I'm not spotting as much. Consequently, my cycles are getting a little longer too. I ovulate late so that can't be helped.

I've heard where people are more fertile after coming of BCP, but I'm not sure if I believe that. It certainly wasn't the case for me.

SmileyJay · November 2013

eh whatever I am so tired of arguing on these boards over things I said when I was genuinely trying to be helpful. For the record, I have never struggled with infertility. I am 24 and had cycles like clockwork before going on bcp about 4 years ago. With the expectation that getting pg will be relatively easy, I am charting presently so we can learn more about my fertility and use nfp to ttc in the future.

OP - I don't think you need to wait to ttc. You can get pregnant right away or it may take some time. But if you want to have a better idea of your individual fertility (as I do) before getting pregnant then I think it makes a lot of sense to wait a few cycles and chart. This is for personal knowledge and not the baby.

SmileyJay · November 2013

Ghost monkey - you are so charming.

I'm not going to spend a bunch of time looking for journal articles to substantiate the "lies" I spread... but here is a little snippet:

https://infertility.about.com/b/2011/04/26/myth-birth-control-pills-cause-infertility.htm

under the topic "what are the facts" it has a sentence which reads "birth control pills can mask symptoms of infertility"

https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/multiple-pregnancy-twins-or-more-topic-overview

"you're more likely to have more than one baby at a time if: you just stopped using birth control pills"

What other stuff did I pull out of my rear end?

If for nothing else, I want to wait a few cycles so that I know when my next period should begin. That way I will know if I missed a period and can know when to best test for pg.

flamingo& · November 2013

The way that I see it, is that it's a numbers game. Most healthy couples will conceive in 12 cycles. You have about a 20% chance (or, 1 in 5) to get pregnant every month. So statistically, if you did everything perfectly then you should get pregnant within 5 cycles. But, sometimes it just takes longer.

I understand wanting to learn more about your cycles, but you can do that whether or not you use a condom or not. Just sayin'.

JordynLeighx3 · November 2013

We went off the pill June 20. June 27 was the first day of my last period. It was twins. No it's not because I just came off the pill because they are identical.

kcisthebombdotcom · November 2013

GhostMonkey said:

TheCraftyKoala said:

While it is not medically necessary to go off the pill for a while before ttc, I think it is really smart to be off of it for at least a few months so that you can become aware of your fertility and cycles. I just came off the pill last month and am now charting. I want to make sure I am ovulating regularly and having normal cycles before my cycle stops from either pregnancy or if I decide to go back on the pill. When I ttc, I will be able to pinpoint the day of implantation and get an accurate due date. If I happen to uncover fertility issues, it could move up our timeline for ttc because we know we want children

As far as baby health is concerned, there is no evidence that a baby conceived within days of coming off the pill will be less healthy than one conceived by a woman who never took bcp. Some gynecologists even recommend you start trying immediately after coming off the pill if you have fertility issues because many women experience hyper-ovulation during the first few cycles that could help them conceive. On the flip side, you do have a higher chance of having fraternal twins if you conceive right after coming off the pill.

There is no need to wait several cycles/months. You can learn your cycles while you try. There is no need to make it a separate event. If you are charting right away, you will still be able to pin point ovulation. And it will not mask the sign of a cyst. Other than out of your ass, I'm not real sure where you pulled that information from. You will still uncover fertility issues (which are unlikely, but you are probably going to be fun since you think you are infertile already) in the same amount of time if you are trying or not.

And there are the last two sentences. What a bunch of bullshit. That crap was thrown out back in the 80's along with the suggestion of waiting because it causes miscarriages. That is unbelievably false information.

This. I went off bcp and charted at the same time. I wouldn't have gained any sort of insight by waiting because my cycles were all over the place. The first one was 28 days. The second one was 60 days. I conceived on the third cycle which was 45 days. I was able to pinpoint the exact day of conception though my ob did order an u/s to confirm. The only thing I would have gained from waiting to start ttc would have been a longer time spent waiting for a baby.

hazeleyed · November 2013

I have been off BC since the beginning of June. Between tracking my cycles and non HBC, I have managed to avoid pregnancy thus far, even when I was at my most fertile. Trying to get my cycles normalized before TTC as well.

Lilpunch · November 2013

I was using the nuva ring when we had decided to move to condoms. I had my period like I was scheduled to, stopped the nuva ring, and was pregnant two weeks later...... My doctor says he is very surprised though since I was on BC for 7 years before that!

momthatlifts · November 2013

I have been on and off BCP since I was 16. I was on the depo shot and it took me a year to get my period. Luckily I wasn't ttc and I was so young i didn't think anything of it. It would worry me now. I was only on the pill for 3 months before I got back off it and ttc. I think my last pack was in March or April and I got my bfp in September. We didn't try immediately

JessLB1014 · November 2013

I had been on BC since I was 18. I am now 27 and I got pregnant in February when I switched to a different pill.

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