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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.

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Original poster

Come off pill - how long before "back to normal" (ovulating)

20 replies

Hippolyta20 · 02/02/2012 16:11

Started TTC this year (actually came off pill 1/1/12 - New Years resolution!!) Now a month later and no period yet. Is this normal? (Sorry, no such thing I can here everyone shouting).

I suppose just need some reassurance because really wanting a baby and starting to think something wrong.

How long did it take other people coming off the pill before periods started again?

I have been on the pill for 16 years because started very young due to heavy/painful periods when at school. I suppose worried I have done some permanent damage and ovaries not wanting to come back into action after so long.

OP posts:

PopcornMouse · 02/02/2012 16:15

I was on the pill on and off for 12 years. I came off it (Cerazette) and got my first period after 6 weeks, then 5 weeks, then 4 1/2..... it sometimes it can take a while for you to regain your rhythm. The pill won't have done any damage to your ovaries :)

Hth x

ilovedjasondonovan · 02/02/2012 16:19

7 months

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 02/02/2012 16:25

Thank you. Probably worrying prematurely!

Just so scary isn't it? When you are younger you just expect to have children but then you realise it may not be that simple when you actually want to have them.

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MediumOrchid · 02/02/2012 16:35

I came off the pill a year ago. I had two 70 day cycles, then a 32 day, then a 100 day (though this coincided with a period of stress and a holiday), then a 40 day, and then one that would have been ~36 days except I got pregnant! So for me I think it's taken the best part of a year to settle back into some sort of pattern, but this is reasonably unusual I think.

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 02/02/2012 16:40

Thank you MediumOrchid. Pleased to hear the happy ending!

I guess that is the underlying worry. Concerned that taking a long time to return to a pattern means that there is likely to be a fertility problem.

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neverinamillionyears · 02/02/2012 17:30

I had been on the pill for 20 years with only a couple of few month breaks. I finished taking the pill last Feb, had a period a few days later.4 weeks later I was pregnant. I'm now sitting here cuddling my beautiful daughter as she feeds. I'm 39 and she is my first. It can.happen VERY quickly.

I am extremely lucky that it happened so quickly but just wanted to let you know that it doesn't always take an age but even if it does they are so worth the wait.

Good luck and enjoy trying :)

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 02/02/2012 17:43

Lovely story. So pleased for you . Fingers crossed!

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Chocaholics · 02/02/2012 17:51

Was on the combined pill for about ten years, when I stopped it took eight months before I had a period but then started being a bit crazy with huge gaps or just a week between them. Ended up going to the doctors and had some blood tests and found i wasnt producibg progesterone. Had to take progesterone tablets to try and kick start the production and go see a specialist if it didnt work. Took 3 courses and fell pregnant straight after the third. DD is now 10 months old and still waiting for periods to restart.

Good luck x

lindsell · 02/02/2012 18:02

When I stopped combined pill to ttc for Ds I didn't have a period at all but was lucky enough to fall pg straight away - I'd assumed like you that as I hadn't had a period I wasn't ovulating so was shocked when discovered I was pg (bit stupid really seeing as we were ttc...!). So it's possible you are already pg... This time (currently pg with dc2) I got a period two days after stopping pill and again got pg straightaway. I know I've been really lucky.

Good luck!

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 02/02/2012 18:08

Good to hear all the happy endings

Lindsell that's amazing! Don't feel PG yet but that would be wonderfull!!

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dontcarehow · 03/02/2012 08:23

don't want to panic you but it took me over a year to have a period which was at christmas and thats the only one I've had. currently on fertility treatment to get them back. But my consultant told me there is actually no reason for the pill to stop your periods, and that a lack of periods after coming off the pill is likely to be down to an underlying problem. Now, I had all kinds of problems which were only foound out after coming off, but my advice is if it doesn't come within the next 6 months go to the docs for some blood tests. but its still early days, it might be that you're just having a really long cycle.

firsttimer12 · 03/02/2012 14:05

Hello Everyone
I'm new to this site, so don't know all the accromyns yet! So heres my dilemma... I have just come off the pill having taken it for about 7 years. I stopped just after Dec period (about 7th Dec) and then had another normal period as planned on Jan 4th. My DH and I had regular sex throughout Jan, esp around (what I thought!) was ovulation. About 9 days after OV I had a small amount of pinkish/brown stain in my knickers which I then convinced myself was implantation bleeding, but since then absolutely nothing! I am now on day 31 - and took a hpt (clearblue digital one) last night which was bfn! But I think my cycle is normally so regular. What do you reckon the chances of being pregnant are?! I don't really have any other symptoms - but am not sure whats going on. It's only the first month of trying and I'm already driving myself crazy!!
Any advice greatly appreciated!
x

combatqueen · 03/02/2012 14:28

I came off the pill, like you Hippolyta, on 1/1/12 had my normal bleed after stopping the pill then a real period on cycle day 26. I feel lucky that my period did come back so quickly but trying not to count my chickens ifywim because I know this month might be different.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I will get another normal period or a BFP this cycle. You might find it useful to get yourself a thermometer and get charting your basal body temp, or getting some cheap ovulation sticks from amazon so that you can work out if/when you are ovulating.

Take a look at www.fertilityfriend.com/

AttilaTheMeerkat · 03/02/2012 14:56

Hippo

If your periods were very heavy and or painful when younger the pill was a common thing for GPs to prescribe to try and cure the symptoms (but not the cause though). It may be that given time your periods will revert back into becoming painful and heavy again. A common reason for persistantly heavy and or painful periods is endometriosis.

Pill leaves your system very quickly after taking the last tablet; there is no real evidence to suggest the pill is responsible for failure to ovulate. It won't harm your ovaries.

What the pill can do though is mask hormonal imbalances and a lack of a period after six weeks may be due to such hormonal imbalances.

shesparkles · 03/02/2012 14:59

I came off the pill and didn't have any periods-I think I got pregnant 1st go!
After dd I had a mirena, had it removed and same again, no period and pregnant right away.
Just to be the awkward one when people say it takes a while to "get back to normal" DD is now 14, ds is 9, does that qualify me as back to normal yet?

(and yes I do know how lucky I was)

bettybat · 03/02/2012 15:19

Hi Hippolyta20, I'm very new to this still but I hope it reassures you that the only real fact is that it can completely vary - as evidenced by some of these ladies' cycles. So don't fret if it's not a textbook thing :)

I've had four cycles since coming off Cerazette - it was 25 days between coming off and first AF, and since then they have ranged from 27 - 33 day cycles. So don't worry - I am quickly learning nothing is ever textbook.

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 04/02/2012 12:37

Thanks All. Still no AF yet . Never thought I would actually want to feel hormonal with cramps!!

Trying to remember how bad periods were to see if might be underlying problems - will check with Mum (her decision at the time as I was under 16).

Will just try not to stress out too much in the meantime. ( Big deep breath and .)

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bearsarah · 04/02/2012 16:59

I'm going through exactly the same,very weird cycle at the moment. Came off the pill at the end of november,then didn't have a period for about 7 weeks. Now on day 24 of cycle and no signs of ovulation yet, don't know if I've got a freakishly long cycle or if they're just still a bit messed up at the moment. I just want it all to work properly!!
I'm trying not to stress,but easier said than done!

Original poster

Hippolyta20 · 15/02/2012 10:06

Any luck yet bear? I still haven't seen AF. Had stomach cramps and tender breasts at the weekend by no bleeding. Saw the doctor yesterday and she said it was probably ovulations pains so guessing that is a good sign. There is a very outside chance could be PG but think highly unlikely and don't feel it.

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Ttc1london · 03/01/2017 20:34

I know this is a really old post but I found it when I was looking for answers... I was on the pill for 14 years and I was panicking about not having a period as SO many people were telling me "oh mine came straight back" I got mine after two months and fell ph first month, sadly had a chemical but my sister didn't get periods for 3.5 months and then fell pg straight away and she's 20 weeks pg so don't panic :-)

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