Light periods after stopping pill

[HRMC87]

I stopped taking my pill in December and TTC since. I have had really regular periods since but they are so light! The same every time, period pains start on the Sunday night and I don't get it til the Friday. Last for 2-3 days and I can get away with wearing only one pad everyday. Getting worried now, I know it takes time for them to get back to normal but I have had 4 and they were never like this before! Anyone had anything similar with success?

Thank you @Tinkertailor88. Hopefully there is a bfp around the corner for both of us :) best of luck to you and I'll make sure I keep you updated!

Hi @Tinkertailor88 and @Bassie34, sorry for not replying sooner! I'm still very much in the same position as last time - STILL waiting to start IVF after our clinic shut down for a second time because of covid, as we were literally about to start (after waiting since May) 😭 Anyway, we've given up on the NHS and gone private so we are now booked in for IVF in Feb. Will hopefully learn a lot more about my lining issues then...
@bassie I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this problem too :( It sounds like you're doing all the right things with getting diagnosed and getting some form of treatment going, so hopefully you'll see some results, or at least get some answers soon 🤞
I'm actually talking to quite a few different women with this problem now, and I was thinking of maybe setting up some sort of private group where we could all chat and share stories/swap tips. The most obvious option is a secret Facebook group - would either of you be interested in joining of I set it up? X

@Hope365 what a brilliant idea I’d be interested in a private group definitely. I’ve not met anyone else with this issue which is quite isolating! We went private too (hence how we were able to fast track the IVF) but my fertility consultant doesn’t seem bothered about trying to find out why I’m having this lining issue. He denies that it’s the pill but I can’t give me any answers as to what else it could be! He doesn’t seem bothered about investigating the cause just wants to press on with IVF which is good on the one hand but on the other I’m worried that it may not work anyway if the lining problem isn’t resolved. He told me our chances at IVF are a lot lower than normal due to my lining problem so I’m not feeling as optimistic as I’d like

@Hope365 sounds like we’re going to be February IVF buddies. Let’s keep in touch!

Hi @Hope365 and @Tinkertailor88
I agree- a private Facebook group would be a great idea!
@Hope365 I'm so sorry you're still going through this- I hope you get your bfp soon. What a coincidence you will both be doing ivf next month!
@tinktertailor88 in regards to your situation, because the estrogen has worked for you, will they give you this leading up to the transfer to thicken the lining? It sounds promising to me if that's the case, but I am obviously still learning about all of this.
I've also been doing a lot of googling and have come across a rather new treatment called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) which is supposed to help thicken the lining. It is really new and I came across it when I was researching a fertility specialist here in Melbourne. I don't think everywhere offers it yet and I think it needs more research but the results so far sound promising. It could be worth mentioning to your fertility specialist if what you try next isn't successful (but hopefully it is)? I have no idea what the criteria for it is but it's something!

@Bassie34 yes there are a few different options but my clinic is pretty old school. The most progressive clinics all seem to be based in London which is miles away from me. Theres also vaginal viagra and reproductive immunology (which they’ll do testing for if you have multiple IVF failures). I think they try the basic IVF protocol then if I still have problems they start looking into other options.

Yes they will give me the normal stims injections then they’re putting me on the estrogen tablets and patches leading up to transfer. I got to 6.9mm in my trial challenge still not ideal but better than 2/3mm. My consultant just had success with a lady who had 6.6mm lining shes now pregnant with twins so he is happy to go ahead based on my results. I feel so relieved that I’ll finally have a consultant in charge of things that can actually make decisions and try different options as nothing I’ve done myself has made any difference. Excited to start but also nervous in case my body just doesn’t play ball. Leaving it to the universe! 🤞

@Tinkertailor88 I know exactly what you mean about feeling excited to start but nervous it won't work. I have read lots of success stories of women who have had successful pregnancies with lining as thin as 5mm. I know it's still not ideal but it can definitely happen! It sounds like you are on the right path now too. I have my fingers crossed for you ❤

@Bassie34 thank you I’ll be sure to report back 🤞❤️

Hi @Bassie34 and @Tinkertailor88, sorry for slow replies! How are you both? @tinkertailor yes it sounds like we'll be doing IVF at the same time! @bassie I've heard of prp - another lady I've been speaking to from Greece had success with that, pregnant with twins despite a still relatively thin lining (I think 5.9 in the end)! I wanted to add her to the group but unfortunately she doesn't have Facebook - I thought that might be a problem as not everyone has it, but I can't think of where else to set it up... So I've finally done it! If you're still interested in joining, DM me your email addresses and I'll invite you in Facebook - the group is totally secret so can't be seen unless you're a member xx

Hi @Hope365, @Tinkertailor88, @Bassie34, I was wondering if I might join your group? I think I'm in a very similar situation to you all, but a bit further behind in treatment.

I'm 34 and on cycle 12 of TTC. I was on microgynon from ages 17 to 29. When I came off the pill, I went 6 months without a period, which only came through use of vitex. Over the next year, they gradually became regular again.

I've been having private tests over the past few months, which have confirmed that I ovulate and have good, normal hormone levels. My tubes are fine and the uterus looks healthy except for a small polyp which I had removed last month. DP's semen analysis was normal but not stellar. The only abnormality picked up was my thin endometrium. It's been measured at 4.5mm (day 10) and twice at 5.5mm (day 13).

My periods have been really light since coming off the pill (and for the last year of being on the pill - which was partly why I came off it, as I was concerned). I do get red blood, but it's very light. Ironically, I was put on the pill as a teenager for horribly heavy periods. I am now regretting that decision, but I was explicitly told the pill would not affect my fertility!

I'm not quite sure what my next step is at the moment. I've tried acupuncture, which did not seem to help. I'm also looking into Chinese herbs. I think I will try to arrange another scan this month just after ovulation to check the thickness again, and if it is still poor then I may ask if I can have some additional oestrogen supplements. Did someone say menopur was the one they had on here? (I've just been reading the whole thread). I'm just not sure if it will help, as my natural oestrogen is totally fine! My lining just barely responds to it.

@Dinosaurus86 yep sounds like you’re in the same boat as us! I’m the same as you all my hormones are normal as is ovulation but even though my estrogen is the right level my lining doesn’t respond. I’m doing my first round of IVF l now which isn’t going amazing on the embryo front but my lining did get to 7mm with the extra estrogen (my doc told me i need IVF as the amount of estrogen I need for the lazy receptors in my lining to respond is too excessive so would prevent natural ovulation). @Hope365 could send you the link to the fb group I’ve no idea how to do it, she had the menopur I think. My doc wouldn’t do that unless it was part of an IVF cycle. Yep I’ve done acupuncture and all the supplements and natural remedies I could find but nothing has worked for me, only extra estrogen

Hi @Tinkertailor88! Yes, I do wish I wasn’t, but it’s sort of nice to know we aren’t alone. I just find it so frustrating that there isn’t a clear treatment path. If you aren’t ovulating then that seems to be fixable; whereas I seem to make eggs perfectly well but then can’t support them. It’s been devastating really. I’m a bit uncertain also if I will be a candidate for extra estrogen outside of IVF as my levels were already pretty high and I’ve had two dominant follicles on 2 out of 3 of my scans - so I’m not sure if more would put me at too great a risk of multiples... (we’re open to twins but I’m not sure about more than that!) Of course, that’s all besides the point when I can’t even get one to implant! It’s like my body is trying so so hard to get pregnant but the lining just isn’t having any of it.

I am still a bit clueless about IVF. Will you have any embryos put back in all in the same cycle, or do they make them in one cycle and put them back in the next? That’s great news about getting to 7mm and I hope your embryos pick up.

@Dinosaurus86 yes seems to be a problem with a lot of women with long term pill use but the Doctors don’t admit it yet as in the grand scheme of things it’s pretty rare. At my clinic they transfer the embryos in the same cycle and freeze any left over. Mine aren’t good quality on day 3, they like them to get to day 5 at my clinic the blastocyst stage before they transfer. They’ve said there’s still a chance they’ll make it but it’s low as they’re growing too slow. I spent so long worrying about my lining then I can’t even get good embryos! Not sure if it’s something to do with my protocol or just my age. I have 2 children from a previous marriage which were both conceived first month of trying so I know I was able to conceive once upon a time (they’re 18 and 14 now though). IVF is such a complex process and there are soooo many stages it can all fall apart. I never considered not even having anything to transfer so it’s been a bit of a traumatic learning curve for me. The NHS won’t do anything until you’ve been trying 2 years and wouldn’t help us at all as I already have children so we went private. Both consultants I’ve seen have said It’s still possible for the lining to recover after 2 years after the pill apparently but we just didn’t want to wait due to our ages. I also know a few women in the group who are past that point and their lining still hasn’t recovered. My NHS consultant did also say that we don’t really know in nature what thickness lining works so it’s hard to say whether that’s really the issue at all! In conclusion it’s a minefield 😂

Hi @dinosaurus86
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this too. I'm actually still relatively early on in my journey and I don't know as much as the others. I came off the pill in May 2020 and TTC since August. I have my first appointment with a fertility specialist next week which I'm so excited for. I haven't really tried any treatment yet other than natural things such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, fertility massage and yoga. I was told that my estrogen was normal but this cycle I'm almost on day 50 with still no ovulation and apparently my estrogen is low this cycle. I'm hoping the fertility specialist might be able to help with that and maybe it opens a few doors treatment wise, but I really have no idea! I have ovulated in previous cycles which I think indicates my estrogen would have been normal then.
Hopefully @hope365 can help with the Facebook as I'm not sure either how to do it

Hi @Dinosaurus86, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this same problem - it's so upsetting coming off the pill after all those years and realising that things aren't right... I'm the same - everything seems to be working normally, and normal levels of estrogen, but my lining just doesn't respond enough. We tried a couple of rounds of low dose menopur at our fertility clinic to stimulate my ovaries into producing more natural estrogen, and that did seem to help a lot on the lining front, but I still didn't get pregnant. Doing our first round of IVF now - lining so far has responded beautifully, which I'm very grateful for, now just waiting to see whether we have any embroys 😬🤞
If you'd like to join the private Facebook group just send me DM on here and I'll let you know how! There's a few of us on there, all with similar versions of the same story, and all at very different stages of the journey - some quite early like you and @Bassie34, some just starting out with IVF like me and @Tinkertailor88, and some who have had multiple rounds, some successful some not. So be prepared for perhaps a little information overload! But hopefully it's useful for sharing tips and support, and not feeling so alone with this problem that's upsettingly often not recognised by doctors. And please remember that for some women lining does sort itself out naturally over time, so there is still hope for you that it could happen naturally 🤞😊 xxx

Hi @Bassie34! Yes, I’ve tried acupuncture etc but it doesn’t seem to have made much difference for me. I’m trying to do a short daily yoga video now because I feel like it can’t hurt. I quite liked the acupuncture even though it didn’t give clear results, but I’m not sure I can justify the cost at the moment, as I’ve been paying for so many other tests! But perhaps there is still time for you to improve? I don’t remember my dates exactly because I wasn’t TTC at the time, but it definitely took me at least a year to get back to a regular cycle after stopping the pill. I had 6 months with nothing, and then it was quite irregular probably for another year - sometimes with normal length cycles, but other times really long ones like ~60 days. But I really hope you ovulate soon.

I’m on so many vitamins now that I rattle when I walk. My doctor also has me trying baby aspirin.

Hi also @Hope365! I would quite like to join the Facebook group and will send a DM! I am still holding out some hope that it might happen naturally. I want to see what my scan this month shows, and then I think I’ll make a decision over whether to try naturally for a bit longer or ask about some kind of medicated cycle. Although I seem to get better results when I’m ovulating from my right side and I think this month will be a left! I’m so pleased to hear that your lining has responded for the IVF! That’s great news and gives us all hope!

I hope also that you will get some good news @Tinkertailor88. You’re so right that there’s so little understanding of what is required of the lining.I’ve read a few anecdotes of pregnancies at

Hi everyone, I found this thread today and am so glad that I did.

I was on the pill for 15 years, came off in July, and have been TTC since. After my withdrawal bleed in July I have had extremely light periods, my cycle usually lasts 30-34 days with ovulation around CD19/20. I had regular bloodwork done in November and they said my numbers were normal. The OBGYN told me to just keep using OPKs and timed intercourse and really weren't concerned at all. I've been using two different OPKs and temp tracking with the Ava bracelet. I'm now on cycle 7 with no luck. I have an appointment with a fertility doctor at the end of March because it's really concerning me how light my periods still are. I know I haven't been off BC for that long and that it can take time for things to regulate but as I'm sure you all know "giving it time" is much easier said than done.

I'd love to join your facebook group because this thread is the most info I've been able to find about this and I've been obsessively googling for months. It would be great to have the support of others who are experiencing the same issues.

I know it has been a looong time since anyone posted in this thread, but I stumbled across it while trying to find information. I'm like you all - was on the pill for 15 years, came off in August 2021 and been TTC since. First period was pretty normal, and then they've been very very light.

I'd love to hear how things have been going for you all, and if there's still a Facebook group, I'd love to join.

Hi @PlantOwl , so sorry to hear you've been having the same problem, it's so hard... I'll send you a private message with details for the Facebook group.
I've been very lucky and now have a 7 month old little girl after a successful round of IVF - we never really worked out for sure whether my light periods/thin lining were the problem... x

Hi @PlantOwl, I think - happily - a number of us have had success, though that does not help for those who haven’t yet. I had a small polyp removed, which the doctor said could be affecting the whole lining. I got pregnant not long after and now have a five month old.

Thank you for replying @Hope365 and that's so wonderful to hear - congratulations on your girl!! 💛That makes me hopeful that things will work out in one way or another. Such a great update after reading this thread!

Hi @Dinosaurus86 and that's so good to hear, congratulations! It does help though - it gives me hope that it can happen even after having these issues. Googling thin endometrial lining brings up quite depressing results.

That's soooo interesting with the polyp. A couple of years ago, my gynocologist thought I had a polyp and I went in for surgery. They didn't find one though, and assumed they'd been mistaken. The surgeon however said something was thin, I'm guessing the lining, and that maybe I should go off the pill. I had no idea then that it could affect fertility and nobody told me either, just that I might bleed easily during sex. Back then I thought I might have endometriosis since I used to have very painful periods in my early 20s and my gynocologist said I should absolutely not go off the pill, and I switched brands instead.

I'm mighty angry that they didn't give me the full picture and that I didn't just go off the pill then. But, anyhow, maybe there is a polyp after all! Maybe they missed it at surgery... 🤔

Hi all

Could I please be added to the private group too? I’ve been TTC for 7 months (off pill for 10 months) and as I was concerned about the light periods, have had some scans which should lining 5-6mm around ovulation so pretty thin. Tried some low dose oestrogen and that only helped marginally - they didn’t give me much so as to not prevent ovulation. Wondering whether there’s much point continuing to try naturally or whether we should go straight to IVF given the circumstances. Would love to hear about peoples success stories and general views and thoughts? @Hope365 - your experience has been a completely life saver as it reassured me I wasn’t going crazy and there was likely an issue.

Hi @Desperateforababa , I'm so sorry you've been having similar issues... Of course, I'll send you a private message with details about the Facebook group.
With regards to going straight to IVF or not, that's a really difficult one and a very personal choice... Some women do get pregnant with thin lining (might just take a little longer) so in that respect 7 months isn't very long to have been trying (don't hate me for saying that - I know it will feel like forever!) - so it definitely could still happen for you naturally... But if you're really struggling with the wait (I found it impossible...) of course you could move things along. There's also other things you could try before IVF - I tried a protocol using the drugs they give for ivf to stimulate ovaries but at a much lower dose, just within a natural cycle, and it was actually quite successful at thickening my lining. I didn't get pregnant but then it's never 100% successful even when there are no issues so hard to say from that one cycle... I was supposed to do a few cycles of that but then everything shut for covid, so in the end we went straight to ivf when things finally reopened.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble! I'll message you about the group 😊

In case anyone ever comes across this issue and wants some hope, I had extremely light periods for 11 months after coming off the pill. They were slightly slightly heavier towards the end but still really only one proper day of bleeding and two three days of brown spotting. When I had scans, they confirmed that my lining got to about 5.8mm on ovulation. However, my research showed that there isn't really any clear evidence as to what thickness is needed in natural conception (mostly research is focused on IVF cycles and this is extrapolated) and many many women get pregnant with light periods. It took us 8 months (which might be down to light periods or sheer roll of the dice) but we have just had our BFP. So please don't waste months panicking like I did!