Really daft question I know, but how do you stop the pill?

[Whatfuz]

DH has (successfully) had the snip. I've been on the pill (Rigevidon) for 10 years and feel it's time to maybe stop.

I've always had problem-free, light, regular periods while on the pill, lasting around 3-4 days. Bliss!

I'm worried I'm going to end up with heavy, painful and irregular periods (always had heavy periods prior to having DC)

So, how do I stop the pill? Do I just finish my pack and then have my usual withdrawal bleed and then just not re-start?

Does anyone have experience of post-childbirth periods? I've heard they sometimes get heavier has you mature. I'm late 30's if that makes a difference.

I love the routine and sense of control while on the pill. But now DH has had the snip maybe it's better for my health to stop?

Gosh, I'm confused

You are going to have to suck it and see. No two people are the same.

My post-birth periods have been no pain (used to get mild-moderate cramps on Day 1) and about the same amount of bleeding as before. Yours won't necessarily get worse and could well be better. Yes, you just stop and don't take it again after the week off.

You say his vasectomy was ‘successful’ - presumably he’s had the required number of negative sperm tests?
If so you can stop your contraceptive pill at any time in the cycle, no need to finish a pack if you don’t want to. You can expect a withdrawal bleed when you stop.
As to your future periods, then you won’t know. There’s no method of predicting how they will be when you start ‘normal’ periods as opposed to pill withdrawal bleeds tbh. It varies from woman to woman.
However if they become a problem, you can discuss means of managing them: going back on an oral contraceptive, mirena IUD, or non-contraceptive means.

I'm like this too. I like being on the pill, knowing when I'll start, when I'll stop and being able to skip when I want. I'm not sure I could go back to unpredictability. I've been on it for 19 years, except for the 3 months it took me to get pregnant and then being pregnant obviously. I don't have an answer but I do know where you're coming from!

You say his vasectomy was ‘successful’ - presumably he’s had the required number of negative sperm tests?

Yes he has.

It's a weird dilemma isn't it Itstheprinciple I love being on the pill but now after DHs snip success I feel I should come off it.

Didn't he have the snip so you could come off the pill?

I'd just stop taking it, nothing else you can do really!

Didn't he have the snip so you could come off the pill?

Not necessarily. Our family is complete so he had the snip purely based on that factor. Me being on the pill wasn't really relevant.

If you like the sense of control the pill gives you, you could consider charting initially?

When I came off of hormonal birth control I chose to use the Natural Cycles app and to track my BBT. It gave me a sense of when I was ovulating, and therefore when my period would come. You may not fall into a precise cycle but generally, your luteal phase will be consistent month to month.

Natural Cycles is subscription-based, but one of the free ones would work if you're not using it for contraceptive purposes.

I have no idea what you're talking about SpaceCadet4000

Sorry

Charting? BBT?

Charting is just tracking your body's natural cycle phases. When you're ovulating, when you have your period, etc. Helpful when trying to conceive or avoid it. BBT is your body temperature - it fluctuates based on what part of your cycle you are in, so after a few months of monitoring these you will know your cycle and predict periods etc.

I'm not sure how relevant that would be for you. Basically you just have to chance it and come off of it. I came off the pill and my cycles stayed the exact same, no change and no heavy bleeding.

From experience, I would say finish the packet to avoid weird length periods.

I will definitely look into the charting thing, thanks

I think if you don't need to be on the pill for contraception or hormone balancing then you should come off. There are risks to being on it as with all medication so personally I wouldn't take it just to know when my periods will be! I use an app called period tracker which is helpful to get an idea (although I can be irregular so it's not an exact science!).