Recently stopped the pill - wanting TTC but no idea?!?!

[Dixiechick1991]

Hi,
I've recently got back from a holiday and we've decided that maybe we could TTC. I've been taking the pill for 10 years, stopped taking it on 16th August & got my withdrawal bleed on 20th August.
We've been to Florida so we're waiting for 8 weeks at least anyway because of all the Zika business. But just wanted to know, how do I count cycles? Do I count from the last day of my withdrawal bleed to the first day of my next AF as my first cycle and then wait another month to see how many days on average.
Sorry, I'm not down with the lingo of everything & not sure how to make notes of everything. I was thinking of just going with the flow, but that goes totally against my nature haha.

Anyone help with an idiots guide to trying?! And anyone have any experience of conceiving soon after coming off the pill.

Thanks

[LauraK1987]

I would count the first day of your withdrawal bleed to the first day of your next period as your first cycle. There are some helpful apps to help track cycles etc so you can see how regular you are and they also explain the different types of cervical mucus that you get throughout your cycle which coincide with ovulation, they also give you a guideline as to the time in your cycle when you will be most fertile (depending on how much you want to track ovulation) I use ovia and fertility friend (I use two because if the fertile weeks coincide then they're more or less correct give or take a couple of days) depending on how much you want to track your cycles you can input as much or as little data as you like, some women track there basal body temp as this tells you when you you're ovulating or you can use ovulation predictor kits. I prefer to take a slightly more relaxed approach so use them to track my cervical mucus and my periods which like I said gives me a rough guide of my fertile week. My cycles have been different lengths the last few months and the apps track all of this info. Sorry for rambling lol....hope this helps

[delilahbucket]

Just fyi, the Zika virus guidelines state that any sign of the virus should show itself within two weeks, however there is current evidence to suggest the virus can stay alive in sperm for six months or possibly more. Just something to bear in mind.

[rhodes2015]

Hi op,
Me too, been on it 15years and I stopped taking it on the 8th August and had withdrawal bleed on the 12th August downloaded an app but I'm a bit all over the place as I've come back on this weekend?!? So not really sure what that's all about, if it's a true period or what so not gonna ttc until things have settled down.
I'd like to think we would just go with the flow too but not sure if that will happen.
X

[Diddlydokey]

You count each cycle from the first day of your period. We just dtd every other day bit was easy to stay enthusiastic as got pregnant in the first cycle.

It was a very long cycle though, about 6 weeks before I ovulated unlike 2 in a 28 day cycle. It is normal for cycles to be irregular for quite a while

[MrsToffee]

No useful info to add I'm afraid but was just about to put a thread up asking for this sort of stuff, I am a bit vague with signs of ovulation and not sure when I would be fertile, should I go to doctors before starting trying or anything, just feel so clueless! I've been off the pill for 9 months now but have been using condoms as wanted to see what having normal periods was like before ttc (this is one of the only acronyms I know on here lol!) We've decided we'll probably start casually trying nearer to xmas but I've been tracking just my periods which have been around 30 days between starting each one, up until this month and it is now 38 days and still a no show, did a test yesterday just in case which came back negative, I did notice what I think was ovulation mucus in previous months (see how clueless I am!!) and don't think I've had that this month but not 100% sure really?!. It's really bugging me because I was all smug that I'd settled into a fairly regular pattern straight after coming off the pill and now I'm not so sure.

[MrsToffee]

Woah sorry, didn't mean to write an essay!!

[Dixiechick1991]

mrstoffee we can be clueless together. My husband does a lot of working away so we can't try as often as I see a lot of people on here do. Also, I've been reading about Zika online and apparently you're meant to wait 8'weeks before trying to get pregnant. So think I'll just see how the next 2 months go with my cycle.

rhodes i think I'm coming to the end of my 'withdrawal bleed' so I'm hoping it's gonna be really simple and be 30'days till the next period.

I'm worried about no pill regulating me, I went on the pill quite young just to sort out my periods as they were very heavy and painful - hopefully I've grown out of it with age.

[Dixiechick1991]

diddlydokey how did you know when you ovulated? Did you take the tests?
I'm trying to stay away from
Any kind of charts or tests as my husband is a massive worrier and i thinks "going with the flow" is the best thing to do for us!
Just downloaded an app so I can try keep track of my period.
Last time I had to actually calculate my periods I was writing it in my high school planner!

[Diddlydokey]

I didn't know, we just had sex every other day to cover all bases

[Tumtitum]

I wouldn't bother tracking your cycle until you've had a first proper period, not just a withdrawal bleed. I stopped the pill after about 10 years, had withdrawal bleed then didn't get a proper period for 3 months. I started tracking them then, tried to conceive about 6 months later and hit the jackpot first time

[Diddlydokey]

I knew after my dating scan. They did it 13 weeks after the first day of my last period but I was only 9 weeks pregnant due to long cycle

[Tumtitum]

Re knowing when you're fertile you can load apps to track your cycle and they highlight fertile days. That's what we did (although we were also on our honeymoon at the time so also having sex every day!)

[Tumtitum]

Re knowing when you're fertile you can load apps to track your cycle and they highlight fertile days. That's what we did (although we were also on our honeymoon at the time so also having sex every day!)

[Dixiechick1991]

So my best bet is to wait out the 8 weeks post Zika zone. Then just do the deed as often as poss :)

[Diddlydokey]

Yep, enjoy!!

[Kaisha02]

I've just come off the pill too and have been enjoying my first few weeks off it. I used an app (Flo) to track my cycle. I started off by including the dates of my Withdrawal bleed. I then ovulated I suspect exactly when the app said I would give or take a day (one side cramping and ewcm). We have been dtd every other day for the past week so will test in a few weeks to see, but I'm expecting it to the a couple months to regulate. We also aren't using ovulation tests graphs etc yet as DH wants a relaxed approach.

[Dixiechick1991]

kaisha sounds like we're very similar - i think I'm just goin mad knowing I have to wait and can't "not try and not prevent" I actually have stopped the pill but I'm still not trying haha.

[MrsToffee]

So what does ewcm stand for?
And every other day?! We're about once a week at the moment which is more than enough for me, was hoping libido would pick up after stopping pill but it hasn't will have to get into the habit!

[Diddlydokey]

Egg white consistency mucus, I presume un - whisked

[Dixiechick1991]

toffee I have no idea what these acronyms mean and whether it's just typos?! I think we're gonna struggle more than once a week too, even if we wanted to. Hectic work life & husband is only in the same postcode on a weekend sometimes every other weekend.
Now when I think about it, we're really gonna struggle to actually try when I am ovulating. It's gonna end up being total pot luck.

[MrsToffee]

Bahaha! Mmm whisked mucus!

[MrsToffee]

I think we're going to start with just pot-luck approach but knowing me it won't be long till I'm obsessed!

[GinIsIn]

I had very similar 10 years on the pill then came off the pill end of March and was using Ovia to track. I didn't count my withdrawal bleed and tracked from my first proper period as my first cycle. It must have worked as am now 15 weeks pregnant! I would say use an app to track your cycle more exactly, and that it may take a few cycles for your body to fall back into a rhythm. Oh and also, bear in mind you are extra fertile when you have just come off the pill due to the extra hormones!

[Dixiechick1991]

I think I'll miss my extra fertile window due to the Zika worry!

[Kaisha02]

It must be so difficult waiting but knowing you are off the pill. I'm so impatient.. But playing it cool with DH of course!!
There's an acronym list on here that's definitely worth looking at but you soon pick it up.