To stop the pill or not to stop the pill???

[Pheebe]

Hi All

Just been browsing through the threads here as we're thinking about number 2 sometime next year. Any thoughts on whether its best to stop the pill then wait a bit before TTC? Is it safe to start trying straight away?

[WigWamBam]

As far as I know the recommendation to wait a while after stopping the Pill is only because it makes it easier to date a pregnancy if you've had a natural period before you conceive ... but if you wait for a period you could wait a long time! It's safe to try as soon as you come off the Pill, it just could cause confusion with your dates for a while.

[LilacLotus]

i asked my GP about this. i had stopped taking the pill and he said it was ok to try straight away. the reason to wait would be to regulate your cycle.

[Kidstrack2]

Before we conceived baby no2 I went to a pre-natal app at my local surgery, and I was told to come off my pill and use condoms for 3months to give my body time to have at least a few true periods before becoming pregnant so that they could date the preg accurately. However it took us 18m to conceive! Good luck

[loubag]

I asked and was told it was ok to try straight away. i've also read that you can be more fertile as soon as you come off it - here's hoping!

[jersey]

I was told it was ok to start straight away with both pills I've been on. This time I am on Femulen (the one you have to take same time every day) and my doc told me I would be ok immediately!!

I do know that it can take upto 6 months to get the pill out of your system, although touch wood I haven't experienced that so far.

[Hulababy]

It is safe to just start TTc straight away.

However, if it were me I would stop taking the pill now and spend this next few months getting your cycle back to normal, and watching yur cycle so that you know what is right for you - OV time, cycle length, etc. I found that it takes ages to get the pill out of my system. o long as you take precautions whilst watching your cycle, you can then make your TTC a bit easier - hopefully.

[Artoo]

I would have started TTC as soon as I came off the Pill, but I was advised to wait for the results of my smear test to come back. So I couldn't actually try for the first two cycles. But I charted my temperatures, and used the time to get to know my cycle. Which was really useful, as I've identified a possible problem with my cycle, and the doctors are taking me seriously about it because of my chart data.

So I don't think there is any harm in doing as Hulababy says and stopping your Pill and watching your cycle a few months, if you're not ready to start right away.

You'll get conflicting reports. Some people say you are much more fertile the first couple of months off the Pill. Some people take a few months before they even get their first period. You can't predict how the hormones have affected your cycle, or how long they will take to get out of your system, until you actually stop and see.

As wigwambam says, the only reason I have ever been given for not starting to try as soon as you're off the pill is that doctors find it more difficult to give you an accurate due date. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me...

Hugs,
Artoo.