Timing And Conception After Stopping Birth Control
Birth control is a great option that gives many women lifestyle control. Whether to pursue a career or not be ready for children at a younger age, the benefits of birth control can’t be overstated. But when a desire to start a family arises, many women are curious about how quickly conception can occur after stopping birth control. Obviously, with non-hormonal birth control like diaphragms or condoms, pregnancy can happen within the first cycle of trying. But for hormonal birth control, is the timeline different?
What is hormonal birth control?
Hormonal birth control relies on a steady release of hormones to regulate ovarian activities. Specifically, birth control can prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg either through one or a combination of estrogen and progestin hormones. While most people think of the pill, other hormonal birth control options are available, including intrauterine devices (IUDs) inserted into the uterus through an in-office procedure. For women wanting to conceive, stopping the pill means no longer taking oral medication. But with IUDs, women must schedule an appointment with a physician to remove the device.
Pregnancy after the pill
Contrary to popular belief, women can get pregnant quickly after stopping the pill. For combination pills that contain both estrogen and progestin, ovulation can occur within one to three months after stopping the medication. In contrast stopping a progestin-only drug, known as a minipill, can have faster results. In some cases, women may get pregnant within a few days or weeks of stopping the pill.
Pregnancy and IUDs
Like the pill, removing an IUD can allow a woman to get pregnant fairly quickly. Typically, women will begin ovulating within one month after removing the device. However, the average is for pregnancy to occur within six months to a year after birth control cessation.
Remember to be flexible
Stopping hormonal birth control allows the body to return to a routine ovulation schedule. But the process can take time. Depending on the method of birth control, and if any underlying fertility conditions exist, some women may take longer to begin ovulating again. Still, a study of 59,000 women who took birth control followed 2,000 respondents who stopped birth control and later conceived. From the study, roughly 20% of women who stopped using birth control could get pregnant within one cycle, while in total, 79.4% got pregnant within the first year. The figures are similar to those in women who don’t take birth control, proving that hormonal contraceptives have minimal impact on fertility.
