TTC After Stopping the Pill

[MintGreenLife]

Hi all ☺️

Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else - this is my second cycle after stopping the pill, but first cycle TTC.

I'm using OPKs to track ovulation, which I'm getting very frustrated with as haven't had any increase in the very faint lines that I get and am on CD17 now.

After I stopped the pill my withdrawal bleed came a few days later and AF exactly 30 days after, which I took to be a good sign my cycles were returning to normal.

Three days ago I got pretty excited as I had EWCM so assumed this meant ovulation was coming, but am still getting negatives on OPKs.

This seems quite late for ovulation. I've also been checking my cervix and it's low and hard which means am not in the fertile window.

Has anyone else had cycles/ovulation all over the place after stopping the pill? Especially after AF coming back quite promptly?

Thanks in advance x

I came off the pill in December and my cycles are finally levelling out.. one lasted 49 days! I now average 32 days which feels long when TTC and I don’t get a positive OPK until CD17 at earliest x

Thanks so much for your reply ☺️ I guess that must be quite normal after coming off the pill? I feel silly for fussing when I'm only on CD17 and first cycle TTC but hard not to worry when my first AF seemed to come like clockwork. Do you generally just do OPKs throughout the month to try and catch your surge? X

I'm on CD 70 after withdrawal bleed with no period! Nothing even approaching a positive on ovulation tests either. So I think my cycle hasn't actually started again at all.

I feel a bit stuck really- Even though we are having unprotected sex it seems like we arent really "TTC" yet. I'm basically just waiting till I can ask the NHS to intervene (3 months without period)

Ah that's tough! I think I got prematurely excited as I had first natural AF 30 days after my withdrawal bleed, so really thought everything had gone back to normal quickly.

I'm sure you've read almost everything you can on this, but I read this morning that cycle irregularity impacts around 40% of women after stopping the pill so it's very common. Appreciate it must be stressful going that long waiting to see if AF turns up though. Do you know if you've ovulated at all? Hope it turns up for you, but at least it's just a few more weeks to go before you can get help xx

@mintgreenlife - sadly I think no, no positive on ovulation tests (taking daily) and no indicators of ovulation (eg the mythical EWCM). Am also using pregnancy tests every 2 weeks just in case.

Yeah it is very common, I wish I'd come off the pill sooner! Feel like I'm waiting for the next stage of my life to begin in a way.

I had EWCM last cycle and this cycle which has really confused me. I wasn't using OPKs last month so couldn't say whether I ovulated or not, but AF arrived a week after I had EWCM, so if I did I had an extremely sort luteal phase. EWCM this month too about four days ago now, but no positive OPK.

I'm with you there - if I had known this would be an issue I'd have stopped sooner too. To be honest everything was so up in the air with me that I thought I was stopping with plenty of time anyway - we were due to get married in September, so I stopped with the intention of TTC after the wedding, but now wedding looks highly unlikely due to current situation so decided to start trying sooner.

I'm surprised more info isn't provided about this when you decide to go on the pill. I asked about how long it takes to get back to normal at my pill check back in Jan, and was told it was possible to get pregnant straight away with no mention of possible irregular cycles for a fair while after.

Yeah absolutely. I was on the pill for a long time (12 years!) But it was never mentioned at check ups etc, even as I aged. I'm 31 so keen to get going on this! My mum got pregnant straight off the pill and I agree that I think you hear more about those stories!

I remember you saying about your wedding in another thread, I'm so sorry it may have to be postponed. We were really lucky in getting married just prior to lockdown. We even got a few days away in Europe afterwards.

Same with me - 13 years, and I'm 31 too ha. I know I've read a lot of stories of women falling pregnant just weeks after coming off the pill. We didn't TTC in the first cycle off the pill as I read it was best to wait for first natural AF, but now feel a bit miffed that we missed a cycle.

Aww thanks, to be honest in the grand scheme of things it's not the end of the world as at least we still have each other and will get married when it's safe to do so. Deciding to TTC gave me something else to focus on, but finding myself worrying now about my cycle. Think I need to focus on the fact this is quite normal and unfortunately it may just take me a few months to get back to a regular cycle.

Ah that's brilliant, so glad there are people that managed to get married before this all kicked off. Must be a slightly strange way to start married life though.

It definitely was an odd way to start off - a few months of 24 hours together!

After posting here today, I've just gone and gotten my first positive ovulation test!!! Line as strong as the control! At least this means my body can do it!

Oh that's brilliant!! So happy for you. From what I understand your cycle length etc shouldn't impact your ability to conceive, so hopefully in a few weeks you'll get your BFP of AF, which either way is good news for you overall ☺️ Gives me hope I'll get a positive on OPKs soon, just got to keep going.

Hi, how long have you been on the pill for?
I came off the pill and even though my cycle sorted itself out straight away, I didn't actually ovulate for 9 months, I was on the pill with no breaks for 18 years solid.

@Foreverblowingbubbles18 I was on the pill for 13 years, I think I had a brief break, maybe 6 months about 10 years ago, but otherwise was on it solidly all that time. Oh that's interesting that you didn't ovulate all that time. Has ovulation come back for you now? X

I have been on the pill and then the implant for 13 years, and currently waiting for my first AF since having the implant removed. It's only been 2 weeks but I didn't have a withdrawal bleed or anything so starting to feel like something is wrong! We too don't want to TTC until I have had one cycle but I can't wait to get going!

@MintGreenLife yes I got pregnant the first time I ovulated (sadly MMC) but am now 15 weeks pregnant so it works x

Hi ladies. I was on the pill for 20 years (came off for the 9 months when I was pregnant with my DS).
Finished taking the pill at the end of last month and now not sure what to expect??
Had some pink spotting last week and all the signs and feelings of being pregnant. Have tested and got a BFN... have no idea though if I will have ovulated or when AF is due ?! Xx

@Foreverblowingbubbles18 sorry to hear about your MC, and congratulations on your pregnancy. That's brilliant things got back to normal for you in the end, although can imagine that felt like a very long wait! I actually read earlier today that women can experience problems with their cycles up to 9 months after coming off the pill, so looks like you hit that statistic exactly x

Hi All,
I’ve just joined the forum and found this thread. I’m having the same issue, I was on progesterone only pill for over a decade, haven’t actually had a period for over 60 days. I came off the pill at the end of April and although no period still, I have done an ovulation test and it has the smiley face indicating I’m ovulating.
Now my question is this, if I have not had a period at all, can I really be able to conceive etc and be having fertile days?? If anyone could help I would really appreciate it!!
Thanks in advance ladies xxx

@Bertyb7 ah I felt like that in the first month after coming off the pill, so desperately wanted AF to arrive! Was so happy when it did, but now waiting to ovulate and on CD17 😔 So hard not to be impatient haha. I'm sure there's nothing wrong and these things can vary from person to person. What did they advise when you had the implant taken out in terms of when to expect AF etc?

@Alargeoneplease hey ☺️ did you have your withdrawal bleed? I got AF exactly 30 days after first day of withdrawal bleed. I would say the first day of your withdrawal bleed would be CD1 and then AF could come any time after that. I've read that some women can ovulate just days after stopping the pill, and obviously AF comes around 14 days after ovulation, but took me 30 days to get AF and I wasn't tracking ovulation then so not sure if I ovulated first cycle or not x

@Foreverblowingbubbles18 I was on for ~12 years. Just got my first positive ovulation test on CD 70 (so 2 and a half months) after withdrawal bleed.

Hi @Lady1066 I have spoken to several people on here who didn't wait for AF before TTC and got their BFP. So it totally is possible to ovulate and conceive without AF. Did you DTD when you got your positive OPK? How long ago was that? If more than two weeks and still no AF I would suggest doing a test to check? X

Thanks MintGreen (can’t seem to tag you for some reason?
I took my last pill on 26th April and had a bleed (which I assume was my withdrawal bleed) on 28th April for 4 days. So I could get AF any day then.
I have no idea about tracking ovulation. Can any of you ladies make any recommendations please?! Xx

Now I can't tag you either 🙈 Yep that would have been your withdrawal bleed, so may get AF any day now, although like a lot of the posters in here have said it can take some time to kick back in. I'm using OPKs daily at the mo to get to grips with my cycle, I've just started tracking BBT too and am checking my cervix position once a day and CM. I'm basically doing everything as really unclear as to where I am in my cycle at the mo 🙈

@Alargeoneplease message for you above xx

Hi @MintGreenLife thank you so much for replying! I’ve been so confused 😂 OH and I have DTD for the 48 hour window but too soon to test. Very lucky I caught it as can’t gage without a cycle. So essentially no naughty alcohol and waiting for 14 days? I’m so nervous! Xxx