How quickly can I get pregnant after coming off the pill?

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How quickly can I get pregnant after coming off the pill?

For many women, it can take a bit of time before you start ovulating again – roughly 6 months. Sometimes, it can take a little longer.

However, the answer to this question is unique to every woman, and it may just be that you can become pregnant much, much quicker.

In fact, a fair few of our MFMers have found themselves pregnant almost straight away, just weeks after coming off the pill.

Should you wait before trying to conceive after coming off the pill?

You might want to give your body a little break before actively trying (if you get the chance, LOL.)

The NHS reckons it’s a good shout if poss, as it gives your body a chance to regulate its hormones and increase its stores of essential minerals and vitamins.

The advice on their website is to have one period before you give it a go. They also say it will be easier for them to date your pregnancy more accurately - something that you might have heard from your doctor, too.

Generally, we'd say you need to listen to your body, do what's right for you, and don't put any unnecessary pressure on yourself to conceive straight away.

As Dr Gorgy, of The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy, reminds us: "It is safe and useful to try straight away after stopping the pill."

Can coming off the pill affect your ability to conceive in the future?

Lots of women start ovulating again 6 months after coming off the pill, but rest assured: there’s no evidence to suggest the pill affects your fertility negatively in the long term.

"After discontinuing the pill, concerns arise about the possible negative effect of the pill on the menstrual cycle and the current ability to conceive,” says Dr Gorgy.

“These worries are not backed by scientific evidence."

The NHS backs this up, too: "It's unlikely that how long you have been on the pill will cause fertility problems. Some women conceive immediately after they stop taking the pill."

That said, every single experience of coming off the pill is different. Some women start ovulating immediately and can fall pregnant within weeks, others may have to wait several months, a year or even longer before their cycles return to normal.

What happened to our MFM mums post-pill

We asked our Facebook mums about getting pregnant after coming off the pill – and the times it took really, really varied.

Some were bang on the ‘expected’ 6 months – while for others it took way longer, or way less time, too.

MFMer Nicola told us: “My second baby came only 4 weeks after coming off the pill and I was on it for 12 years give or take.”

Zoe also got pregnant really quickly, too: “2 weeks to fall pregnant after being on the pill for 10 years,” she told us.

While Caroline said: “I was on the pill for 5 years and got pregnant within a month of stopping it.”

Yup, the body can get back into a natural rhythm way ahead of the predicted 6 months - so be careful.

However these were the luckiest ladies of the bunch, and for some of you, things happened somewhat slower.

Louise didn’t conceive for 15 months after 5 years of being on the pill, and then became pregnant with her 3rd child.

And, for Nicola, it was 3 years after 11 years of being on the pill.

Keep in mind that there’s no real evidence to say that the pill is definitely why it took one of the Nicolas mentioned here 4 weeks and another 3 years – there are lots of factors that could come into play, that we just don’t know for sure.

Have your say

Did you get pregnant just after coming off the pill – or perhaps you struggled to conceive after using the pill for many years?

Please do share your stories in the comments below, on Instagram, or over on Facebook

Image: Getty Images

Read more:

• Can you get pregnant while you're ON the pill?
• Is it possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding?
• No period but negative pregnancy test? Possible reasons