Stopping Birth Control to Get Pregnant
You’re ready to get pregnant soon, but you’re on birth control. When should you stop?
I love answering this question because I want to help people have their families when they are ready. The answer to this question depends on what type of birth control you use. Some contraceptives can be stopped immediately, and you can get pregnant shortly after. Others, you should plan to figure out how long it might take to get pregnant after you stop that birth control.
Let’s break it down.
Barrier methods
The first type of birth control is short-acting. These are generally barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms. These help you avoid pregnancy because it doesn’t allow the egg and sperm to find each other, and if you don’t have fertilization, you won’t get pregnant.
When you’re ready to get pregnant, you could stop using contraceptives (condoms, diaphragms, spermicide) and theoretically get pregnant. Of course, this form of birth control isn’t foolproof, but that’s how this type of contraception works. Since barrier methods don’t impact your menstrual cycle, you should typically be ovulating.
Hormonal methods
The most common form of contraception is birth control pills, but patches, Nuvaring, and hormonal IUDs also fall into this category. These contraceptive methods prevent ovulation through the presence of estrogen and progesterone.
When you stop using these forms of contraception, you should be able to conceive shortly after. It might take a couple of months for your body to find footing with your menstrual cycle and start ovulating, but theoretically, you should be able to conceive soon.
While everyone is different, there have been instances of people getting pregnant right after stopping hormonal birth control, even before their first period. When you stop the hormonal contraception, your ovaries will “wake up,” and you’ll ovulate. If you don't have intercourse and get pregnant around the time of ovulation, you will get a period about two weeks after ovulation. But, if you happen to ovulate and have unprotected intercourse that leads to implantation, you could get pregnant without having a period after stopping hormonal contraception.
So, if you don’t want to get pregnant before September, keep in mind that you could get pregnant as soon as you stop.
IUDs
Another contraceptive method to consider is the intrauterine device (IUD). Two main types of IUDs are copper and hormonal (such as Mirena or Skyla).
The IUD is a tiny device inside the uterine cavity that prevents pregnancy in a few ways:
It prevents the thickening of the uterus’s lining, which stops the embryo from implanting
It thickens cervical mucus, which impairs the ability of the sperm to get to the egg
When you’re ready to get pregnant, you’ll need to get the intrauterine device removed. Many people try to remove it themselves, but I do not recommend this. I recommend removing the IUD with a healthcare provider. It’s a straightforward procedure that feels like a pelvic exam.
It may take anywhere from one to three months after removing the IUD to see regular menstrual cycles. But, just like hormonal contraception, you could get pregnant before having a period because, again, the first thing that happens is you ovulate. If you ovulate and have unprotected intercourse, you could get pregnant without a period. So, if you’re not getting a period, ensure you aren’t pregnant.
Contraceptive implants
Another medium-length contraceptive method is a contraceptive implant, commonly known as Nexplanon. It’s implanted in the arm, and you often will ovulate quickly once removed. It might take up to three months to get back into regular cycles and ovulation.
Contraceptive injections
If your current contraceptive method is via injection (Depo-Provera), you will have to plan ahead if you want to get pregnant. This is an intramuscular shot of progesterone, typically administered every three months, that can stay in your system for a long time. The extra progesterone affects ovulation, cervical mucus, and your uterine lining to decrease the chances of pregnancy. It’s a very effective contraceptive method.
If you’ve been receiving contraceptive injections for some time, it can take anywhere from 7-10 months to start ovulating after you stop. With this method, you’ll want to stop at least six months before you try to get pregnant and use a barrier method if you don’t want to get pregnant immediately.
Misconceptions about birth control and fertility
There are so many misconceptions about fertility and birth control. Birth control methods do not decrease your fertility. Sometimes, people get off the birth control pills or stop hormonal treatment, then experience irregular or painful periods or be diagnosed with PCOS. The birth control methods didn't cause these new symptoms. Birth control does not cause PCOS or endometriosis, but it can mask these issues, particularly when many people start birth control pills when they’re young.
Suppose you do not get pregnant within a reasonable time after stopping your contraceptive method. In that case, you should see a doctor like me, such as a fertility specialist, reproductive endocrinologist, OBGYN, or even your primary care doctor. Ask questions and advocate for your care.
Most people will say to try for at least a year before seeing a doctor and getting testing, and that’s because about 80 to 85% of people will conceive within the first year of trying. If that’s not happening for you, or you don’t have regular menstrual cycles, you will likely have a challenging time getting pregnant. (Listen to my Baby or Bust podcast episode with Hilariously Infertile’s Karen Jeffries, who wishes she’d seen a fertility doctor earlier than one year because she was unknowingly not ovulating.)
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, comment in my YouTube video.
