Pregnancy worries
How long after stopping the pill can I get pregnant?
Quick answer
You can get pregnant in the first cycle after stopping the pill, sometimes within a couple of weeks. There is no need to wait for the hormones to "clear". Fertility returns without a significant delay after the pill.[src]
The first weeks after stopping
The pill works mainly by stopping ovulation. Once you stop taking hormone pills, your ovaries can start working again quickly.[src] A typical pattern if you finish a pack and do not start the next one:
- Within a few days: a withdrawal bleed (The bleed during the inactive or break days of a pill pack. It is not a true period.), like the bleed you get during the brown or break days. This is not a true period.
- About 2 weeks later, or more: your first ovulation. You can get pregnant from sex in the days before and on this day.
- About 4 to 6 weeks after stopping: your first natural period, if you did not get pregnant. It may come late. A first cycle that is longer or shorter than usual is common.
If your period does not come back within about 3 months, see a doctor. The pill may have been covering an irregular cycle from before, for example from PCOS. More in does birth control cause infertility.
Stopping in the middle of a pack
You can stop any time. Protection ends when you stop, not at the end of the pack, so use condoms from the day you stop if you do not want to get pregnant. You will probably get a bleed within a few days, and spotting is common. Finishing the pack makes the dates easier to follow, but it is not required for your health.
If you want to get pregnant
- You do not have to wait. Older advice to wait a few months for "dating" reasons is not needed. Some doctors still suggest waiting for one natural period so the due date is easier to work out from your last period. Ask your OB which they prefer.
- Start folic acid before you try. Health authorities advise folic acid before pregnancy and in the first weeks to lower the risk of spine and brain defects in the baby. [TODO: source: WHO recommendation on periconceptional folic acid] Ask a doctor or your barangay health center.
- Check your medicines. Tell a doctor about any regular medicines before you try.
- Give it time. Many healthy couples take several months. A late period after stopping is a reason to test, not to panic. A pregnancy test costs ₱64.75 at Watsons; our test timing tool shows the earliest reliable day.[src]
If you do not want to get pregnant yet
Because fertility can come back in the very first cycle, stopping the pill to "give your body a rest" is a common way people get pregnant without planning to. There is no medical need for pill breaks. [TODO: source: NHS or FSRH statement that breaks from the pill are not needed] If you want to stop because of side effects, switch straight to another method. See switching without a gap.
Other methods: fertility returns quickly after the implant or IUD is removed, but can take up to about a year after the last DMPA injection.[src]
Frequently asked questions
Ilang buwan bago mabuntis pagkatapos itigil ang pills?
Puwede kang mabuntis sa unang cycle pa lang, minsan ilang linggo lang pagkatapos huminto. Hindi kailangang maghintay na 'lumabas' ang hormones.
Is it safe to get pregnant right after stopping the pill?
Yes. Getting pregnant soon after stopping the pill is not known to harm the baby. Starting folic acid before trying is a good idea.
I stopped the pill and my period has not come. Am I pregnant?
Maybe, or your cycle may just be slow to restart. Take a pregnancy test. If it is negative and your period still has not come about 3 months after stopping, see a doctor.
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.