Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Flip

Original poster

ttc advice re pill

24 replies

rimmer08 · 31/03/2011 16:25

hi, bit new to posting seriously here. me and DH are going to ttc in a couple of months and i would like some advice or experience from you lovely ladies ( creep creep) I have been on microgynon since i was 16 without any breaks ( i am now nearly 32) i would like to know experiences of how long it has taken people to concieve after being on the pill and also the effect coming off has on you ( have not had a proper period since 16!!)

OP posts:

maybebabyR · 31/03/2011 16:30

Hi rimmer

I had been on the pill (femodette) for 10 years, and came off it in January.

Am only on cycle 2, so not sure how long it will take for that BFP

What I can tell you though is that a week after my breakthrough bleed, I turned into an emotional wreck. But it lasted 2 weeks exactly, and then all was well with the world again!

The hormones from the pill leave your blood stream 1-2 days after stopping taking it, so there is no long-term effects from them. I think the reason our bodies feel a bit messed up is due to our own bodies having to start regulating their own hormones again!

I'm sure you will bge just fine though, and good luck with TTC!

Original poster

rimmer08 · 31/03/2011 16:34

thanks for your reply maybe :) is it true dictors advise waiting about a month afetr coming off the pill? i am going to docs to talk about this in easter hols but think advice on here comes more from experience :)

OP posts:

maybebabyR · 31/03/2011 16:42

I think they say that to make it easier to date a future pregnancy. There are no harmful effects on the baby from the hormones.

I started straight away, and I know others who have, and have got a BFP first time round

Just make sure you start taking your folic acid

Original poster

rimmer08 · 31/03/2011 16:51

ooh yes, folic acid- should i start to take it before i come off the pill?

OP posts:

CaveMum · 31/03/2011 16:57

Drs recommend that you take folic acid for 3 months before ttc. You might also want to think about putting DH on a regime (stop smoking, cut down on drinking, change diet - if needed). It takes 3 months to create sperm from scratch so any changes he needs to make will take this long to have an effect on the quality of his swimmers.

Good luck and come and join us in the First Time Frolickers Thread when you are ready!

maybebabyR · 31/03/2011 16:57

ASAP, no need to wait. The higher the levels in your body are, the better!

silverangel · 31/03/2011 17:00

My nurse told me no need to wait - had been on the pill for 15 years. Got pregnant after 4 months. good luck!

Original poster

rimmer08 · 31/03/2011 17:02

thank you for this :) will go get some folic acid at the week end. Have already cut down my drinking (i drink waaay too much) and so has DH, neither of us smoke. I am fairly healthy as have IBS so have to watch what i eat and i exercise 4 times a week. will check out first time frolickers- is that on this board?

OP posts:

melliebobs · 01/04/2011 11:27

hiya, this is my 1st post on here! GO ME!

i'm in the same boat as you. Came off Femodene at the beginning of March after being on it for 7 years. I'd read all kinds of horror stories of some people coming off the pill. But so far not so bad. So it's been 2 weeks. I've had some banging headaches that will not go away and just lurk in the background and some painful abdominal cramps that at some points i've been doubled over. But even if it's months or a year down the line and i'm pregnant it'll be more than worth it. Eeeek so excited!

froggy16 · 01/04/2011 13:04

I caught first cycle with all 3 of mine after coming off pill, some people say your body goes into overdrive after stopping pill, making you very fertile. Was true in my case!

RufousBartleby · 01/04/2011 13:14

Oh Rimmer stop taking it now! I was on microgynon and was completely unprepared for how long it would take to get out of my system. Had tests for pcos and other things (inconclusive), but really convinced in myself that it was the pill that caused my ongoing lack of periods. I know it can vary from person to person, but it was getting on for a year before I had anything like a monthly period and even then they were very short.

kirrinIsland · 01/04/2011 13:22

I came off mycrogynon after nearly 12 years of taking it and got pregnant on my 2nd cycle. I'd heard it could take ages for things to settle down after stopping but that wasn't true for most people i know. Definitely start taking folic acid asap.

Original poster

rimmer08 · 01/04/2011 16:15

some good advice, will definately consider coming off it early but am going mexico in july so want to take advantage of all inclusive plus have to have jabs etc :(

OP posts:

MiniH · 03/04/2011 16:59

I'm not sure there is a perfect time to come off the pill. I've been off it now for 11 months, and still no bfp. Part of me wishes I'd come off it sooner, but for various reasons didn't want to start ttc at that point, and don't like condoms so there were reasons. I am year older than you and was on pill since 19. For me personally it has taken till this month for cycle to go back to normal (was very regular pre pill) - and hopefully if will stay that way now! I would say come off it when you are ready as there's plenty of people who've caught quickly and plenty who haven't. I would start taking vits though (good pre-pregnancy ones) right now as I've found that really helped me. Also invested in the cbfm as found it dificult to figure out when was ovulating - but it is expensive so I'd give it a few months of just shagging lots first! Prepare yourself it may take a while but hope it won't - that way you won't be dissapointed so quickly if it doesn't happen.

munki · 03/04/2011 17:41

I've been ttc for 10 months and came off pill 12months ago. I saw the doctor who told me it can take 12 months for your hormones to settle down, which may be why I haven't conceived yet. Even though my periods have been regular from pretty much the first month after coming off the pill and I'm pretty sure I started ovulating straight away, there are other thing that can stop you conceiving - my periods are getting steadily heavier which I think means my womb lining is getting thicker as my hormones settle down, for example.

However having said that I would advise you to start ttc immediately after coming off the pill - when you are extra fertile. I wonder whether if I had done this I would have conceived straight away.

Original poster

rimmer08 · 07/04/2011 21:04

thanks for the replies, have been taking the vitamins and will start TTC straight the way after coming off the pill. one more question how long did your first period last after coming off the pill?

OP posts:

buggerlugs82 · 07/04/2011 21:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns.

hairylights · 07/04/2011 21:24

Hi I stopped October and conceived in march. My very heavy periods returned straight away.

whatsoever · 07/04/2011 21:33

I was on hormonal contraception from age 16 to 29 and was worried about this too (variously three different brands of pill, depo and the implant). I was told my various doctors and nurses that the pill and depo can take up to a year to leave your system but the implant only takes 48 hours.

Having said all that, the last thing I used was the implant and it took 10 months (I'm now 6 weeks pregnant). However lots of my friends have had 10-15 years on the pill and been pregnant within between a month and 6 months.

Very hard to tell with all this anecdotal evidence I reckon, best of luck!

hairylights · 07/04/2011 21:49

PS: I came off the pill at forty one after over twenty years on it.

Original poster

rimmer08 · 08/04/2011 19:51

it is useful to hear of others experience. I klnow everyone is different but has convinced me to come off a little early. how long did your first period last for though?

OP posts:

hairylights · 08/04/2011 20:03

My first period was exactly the same as any other period. When I'm on the pill my periods last from 3-5 days, when I'm off, they last for 5-7 days. On the pill they are much lighter, off the pill they are heavy for the first 2-3 days.

Original poster

rimmer08 · 10/04/2011 07:17

Ok, thanks for the reply useful to get an idea of what to expect

OP posts:

Bexamundo · 10/04/2011 20:06

I'd been on cerazette for 1.5 years, came off started trying right away. Now on cycle 17 still no bfp. My af came 4 weeks after stopping pill and had regular cycle pretty much since (average 27 days). Trials and tribulations about swi though and health problems contributed to lack of bfp so far.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread