How long were you off birth control pills before conceiving?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are thinking about starting to try to conceive. I have been on birth control pills since college (I'm now 32). I started the pills to regulate my cycle, which was all over the place, so I really have no idea what my cycle will be like after stopping the pills. Just wondering, how long were you off birth control pills before you conceived? Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Sorry, posted in the wrong forum.

[Anonymous]

I'm 33 and have been off the pill since March (was 32 then). No dice. I was nervous about getting pregnant right away and nervous about timing it right. I have since learned that it is totally out of your control. I started using opk in April and charting and temping in May. Clearblue fertility monitor in Aug. I would recommend reading Taking Charge of your Fertility and going off the pill so you can see what happens with your cycles. You can always use a back up. I had always been regular before the pill and and still pretty regular now but still no luck. Better to know what's going on then wait too long. If I had known this wouldn't be so easy as going off the pill and having a bunch of sex for a few months I probably would have wanted to start trying a year or two earlier. Best laid plans... You never know what will happen until you go for it. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Went off the pill in May. Pregnant in July. M/c in late August. Pregnant again the following spring and gave birth to a perfect baby.

best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

+1 to 12:49. Also 33, been trying for 19 mos after stopping BC pills. Nothing yet. Also +1 for good luck and a different outcome for OP!

[Anonymous]

3 months for #1, 2 months for #2.

[Anonymous]

I am 32. Got off the pill in mid June 2011 when I was 31. I finally found out I was pregnant in July 2012. I was on the pill for about ten years. It did a great job of regulating my cycles. Off the pill, I found that eventually I settled into a 32-35 day cycle that did not include a two week period like I had years ago. Definitely take the time to get to know your body post-pill. I also recommend the Taking Charge book. I used the smile face clear blue easy ovulation sticks for two months. You should also pay attention to your cervical fluid/mucus. I never got into charting, but lots of women do.

[Anonymous]

Took the pill from 20 to 34, got pregnant four cycles later. A little older got pregnant two weeks after taking out an IUD!

[Anonymous]

Went off pill in September. Realized that periods were very irregular (happening every few months). Got pregnant in August JUST before seeking fertility treatment.

[jindc]

I went off when my husband left for afghanistan, so well over a year ago (August 2011, we were married March 2011). Upon his homecoming, used back up methods.

Turns out he has pretty bad MFI and we're starting the IVF process early next year....hopefully it works and hopefully on my day 3 blood test, we don't find out that I'm f'd up too.

If I were you, knowing what I know now, I'd prepare for the worst JUST in case - get your FSH and all that checked, and ask your husbands to get an SA. You wouldn't want to spend 6 months trying only to find out something is wron that you could have known from day 1. Our RE said we were very smart to get checked out early on since my DH was born with two undescended testes.

So, in short, you never know - and information is power. I would go off the pill STAT and use condoms.

(I wish I'd known earlier as I'd have saved a lot of money on birth control!!!! oh well!)

[Anonymous]

13 months (at 31) after being on BCP for 11.5 years. My cycles immediately regulated (I O'ed my first month off BCP), but finally discovered endometriosis. As soon as I had surgery and an HSG to clear (one of) my tubes, I got a BFP. GOOD LUCK to you!!

[Anonymous]

7 months for the first one, 2 months for the second one (reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility, charting and OPKs was what made the difference).

[Anonymous]

Whoa, some of you are telling her to go get her FSH charted, etc? She hasn't even tried to conceive yet! Give it some time, don't stress her that something is wrong when it's most likely not. While hindsight might say it was good PP acted soon to pursue fertility info, there's also a downside to adding that much stress and inventing problems before they appear. Stress itself can interfere with your cycles. Then again, everyone has a different threshhold so maybe the advice will speak to OP. In OP's shoes, though, if there are uncertainties about the cycle, I'd just do an every other day sex plan, or I'd watch my cycles for a few months while "trying" and then if no-go in about six months, start charting or using an OPK or fertility monitor.

To answer your Q, OP, I got pregnant on the second try (so, second month) after taking my last pill. My cycles are fairly regular, though, and I hadn't been on it for very long. I was 35 then. Now I'm 39 trying for number 2 and it's been six months. My close friend went off around your age after literally a lifetime of being on it, (went on it at 13 for very painful periods) and she conceived within six months. Another close friend of mine went off it for a health reason and had an oops (now an awesome little four year old) that same exact month. It does seem to vary.

[Anonymous]

first month!!!

[Anonymous]

3 years!