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

Hi @Tiddlertoddler thanks for replying ☺️ Ah that's so interesting, I don't know why I was relying so heavily on my OPKs and my app, should have just listened to my body and the fact I was getting EWCM! I'll carry on with OPKs but won't take them as gospel if not getting positives. Congrats also ☺️

@Alargeoneplease yep it measures your LH surge - LH basically kicks in to tell your body to release an egg. On the OPKs you have a control line, and when the test line is as dark as the control line that's a positive and means ovulation should happen in the next 24-28 hours. It's the two days before ovulation that are meant to have the highest chance of conceiving.

I use Premom to track my cycles and input my OPK and BBT results. It charts everything for you to help you understand when you might ovulate and follow your cycles etc x

@MintGreenLife yes I was too, I was very surprised when I found out I was pregnant as I was awaiting a positive ovulation test first to know that everything was working again after being on the pill for so long! But definitely can work, I now have an 8 month old baby girl so the proof is there haha!

@Tiddlertoddler awh well that's really helpful and makes me feel more positive ☺️ Seems silly when you think about it to rely so heavily on those little sticks and an app that knows absolutely nothing about my body 🙈 Feeling much better now as was stressing about why I hadn't ovulated yet and getting anxious about doing OPKs. Thanks so much for sharing your story ☺️

Thanks @mint green... your advice is amazing and very helpful. I’m sure I’ll get to grips with it at some point but just seems so much to take in.
I’ll have a look for the app and get it downloaded.

Lovely to hear it all worked quickly for you @Tiddlertoddler. I’ve been on the pill 20 odd years and am so worried my body is going to take a while to adjust xx

No worries at all, let me know how you get on ☺️ There are lots of apps but that's the one I've ended up using and do find it really helpful x

@Alargeoneplease

@MintGreenLife @Alargeoneplease good luck to you both I was on the pill around 12/13 years so quite a long time too. Just try not to worry about all the logistics too much and enjoy the process :)

@Tiddlertoddler I was on the pill for 13 years so same as you ☺️ Thanks so much, really appreciate the advice x

Afternoon ladies,
So my ovulation sticks arrived today and couldn’t help but have a go...
does this mean my body hasn’t ovulated yet after coming off the pill? I’m so confused! X

I am still getting the hang of them myself but I think it means that your not having signs of ovulation now (you may have ovulated in the past few days though so doesn't necessarily mean you haven't at all).

Thank you @Bertyb7.
I’d not long gone for a wee when the tests arrived so not sure if I should have waited 🙈
I’ll do another one later and see if it’s any different.
I thought it meant I wasn’t ovulating but thought it may mean I haven’t at all. This is such a minefield!

The OPK result doesn't mean you haven't ovulated at all - if it detected that ovulation had occurred at some point, then it would be a constant positive. It detects the LH surge which happens around 24-48 hours before ovulation. It essentially gives you a warning that you are about to ovulate, although it can't confirm that you have/will 100% ovulate. A positive is when the line is as dark as the control line. A positive tells you that ovulation is about to happen, and so you should aim to DTD asap. Your most fertile days are the two days before ovulation, hence why you want to DTD when you get a positive OPK. Hope that makes sense?

I agree! Total minefield! I haven't had an AF since having my implant removed three weeks ago and according to Natural Cycles, I am due to ovulate soon. I did a test yesterday and both lines were pretty dark, but I still classed as negative as the control line was slightly darker. Today only the control line appears (I expected it to be positive!). Maybe I ovulated yesterday despite the technically negative LH test....

@Alargeoneplease message for you above x

Thanks @mintgreen. That’s really helpful and so informative. I shall carry on testing daily then and see what happens.
I’m the same @Bertyb7 and came off the pill a month ago. I’ve had so many pregnancy symptoms but also tested negative there. Think I need to give my body a chance to get back to “normal” and just enjoy DTD! 😉 xx

Yeah @Alargeoneplease - you would only be expecting your OPKs to be positive a couple of days a cycle. Mine has gone down a bit today after being a peak yesterday.

Morning ladies...
So Af arrived today... at least I know where I am in my cycle now and will start testing once finished xx

Hey @Alargeoneplease - sorry there was no BFP but happy you can start knowing where you are at! For ovulation tests you could now take a cheap wee one each day, or I know some posters wait till its predicted based on their apps etc to test. Personally, I take a cheapie each day but will cut back as things regulate

@Alargeoneplease that's good news about AF as should help you track your cycle now ☺️ Like daydream I do a cheap OPK everyday as not really sure what my cycle is like post pill x

I was on microgynon for 11 years - no idea exactly what my cycles were like before that but pretty regular as far as I remember. I came off it in September, had my withdrawal bleed then it was 59 days before my first proper AF. Then 71 days until my next and never noticed any signs of ovulation and never had a positive OPK. It was getting me really down and I was considering going to to GP as it had been 6 months off the pill with only 2 AFs when I got my BFP on cd42 - I have no idea when I must have ovulated, knew nothing about it at the time. That cycle we'd decided to DTD every other/every 3 days throughout the whole cycle as not knowing when or if I was ovulating made it impossible to plan as accurately as some people do!
I've got no real advice as such but wanted to let you know you're not alone in feeling a bit all over the place after the pill, I'd have never spent so long on it trying NOT to get pregnant if I'd have known it'd do this! All those years spent thinking if I missed a pill I'd be pregnant but hey it just isn't that easy for some of us unfortunately. I'm sure you'll get there, I never thought I would but did. Best of luck x

@bluebell94 thanks for your reply ☺️ Really good of you to share your experience. That's amazing that you got your BFP with such long cycles and not knowing if you ovulated. We are DTD every other day, so we should have things covered like you mention ☺️ I've just found it so frustrating/disappointing when I feel like I did everything I could to try and track ovulation, and it's either not happened or I missed it, but I guess that's not the overall aim here, and actually DTD every other day could be enough even without knowing if I ovulated or not ☺️ X

Just when I convinced myself I must have missed my peak or wasn't going to get one this cycle, this happens! I don't usually test until after 2pm but we are out for a long dog walk today and so tested quickly before we left this morn and seem to be very close to a positive OPK!

Thanks ladies: I feel absolutely fine about a BFN and AF arriving. I’m just pleased I can track my cycle and let my body get back to normal.
I took your advice @TheDaydreamBelievers and @mintgreen and did a test earlier when I got in from work. Rose slightly on yesterday so all good: was more panicked yesterday when it was zero as I worried that being aged 40 my hopes of being a mum again were over!
Thanks @bluebell94. Really nice to hear someone else’s story and know that every body works in a different way! And congrats on the BFP!
Exciting @mintgreen 😊
Happy Friday ladies xx

Hey @Alargeoneplease - to reassure you, my ovulation tests have been a complete zero on other days, then super strong 2 days ago and strong yesterday. Back to zero today! So I think they should be a zero any time you are not ovulating.