Getting Pregnant After the Pill

The poll analysis conducted by Jennifer De Pinto as published in CBS news says that more than half the population of America believes that 'the birth control pill has been one of the most significant medical developments of the last half century'. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1960, birth control pills are contraceptives used to prevent pregnancy. Women have been taking birth control pills to prevent their ovaries from releasing an egg for fertilization for the past 50 years, and 9th May, 2010 was the 50th anniversary of birth control pills. Ironically, this day also happens to be mother's day! Today, we also hear about birth control pills for men. With the amount of research and experiments being carried out on male birth control pills, it will not take time for this means of birth control to hit the market as well.

How Do Birth Control Pills Work

Birth control pills comprise synthetic forms of the female sex hormones; estrogen and progesterone. These pills maintain particular hormone levels in the body, while suppressing other natural hormones, which would otherwise stimulate the ovaries to release the egg. Thus, by taking a birth control pill one is preventing the release of the egg from the ovaries for that particular cycle. Moreover, the birth control pills also thicken the cervical mucous, thereby making it unreceptive to the sperm by slowing down the egg's pace, as it travels down the fallopian tube to meet the sperm. This is how birth control pills prevent pregnancy. The risk of getting pregnant after taking these pills regularly without missing is only 0.1%. However, is getting pregnant after stopping birth control possible? Is it difficult to get pregnant after taking birth control pills?

Getting Pregnant After Birth Control Pills

Years ago, people believed that consuming birth control pills would hinder one's ability to conceive. However, getting pregnant after stopping birth control pills is completely possible. Women in general, begin ovulating after 10 days of stopping birth control pills. Some women become fertile the same month they stop taking birth control pills, while others may take several months to ovulate. Getting pregnant after being on birth control pills can take couples even a year's time. It all depends on how long one's body takes to produce the natural hormones that the pills have been suppressing for so long.

Occurrence of regular menstrual cycle is the sign that your ovulation is back to normal and your chances of getting pregnant after the pill is high. It's quite natural to have the first 2-3 menstrual cycles to be long and irregular after stopping the pills. However, there is no need to worry. The menstrual cycle will be on track in sometime. Once your ovulation cycle is regular, fertilization time will be the same as that of any woman who wasn't taking these pills.

The next question that arises is 'how long should one wait to conceive after stopping the pills?' The answer to this is that is it absolutely safe to try to conceive as soon as you stop taking the birth control pills. To be on the safer side it is better to begin trying after the menstrual cycle has regularized. This will help you date your pregnancy and calculate the LMP for the due date. There are some side effects of stopping birth control pills like mood swings, reduced sex drive, weight changes and changes in skin, however, they are not something to be worried about.

If you're having trouble getting pregnant after stopping birth control pill, consult the healthcare provider. He or she will give you effective tips for getting pregnant after the pill. The best thing to do is to consult the doctor before stopping the pill consumption. This will not only help one plan the time to stop the pills, but will also ensure that the couple is in good health to avoid any complications in the future.