TCC post pill - BFN?? Help!

[superjo93]

Hi there. I'm very new to all this, but going a bit nuts here! I came off the pill at the end of April, had my withdrawal bleed starting 29 April for 3 days. No period since then, and no idea what my normal cycle would be as I've been on the pill for 14 years. I DTD on 22 and 25 May, had mild cramping around 29 May, and some breast sensitivity. 7 June had mild cramps and spotting, and a tiny drop of spotting 8 June. Did FRER test last week and this morning but both BFN, not even a faint line. Am I testing too soon or should I resign myself to the fact that I'm probably not PG??

Thanks in advance!

It's not really possible to say if you're testing too soon if you're not 100% certain on your cycles or when you ovulated. I was on the pill for 11 years and had previously had quite normal regular cycles, then they were 60+ days when I came off to TTC, it was very frustrating but it's normal to take a good few months to get back into a normal cycle. That of course doesn't mean you can't get pregnant but it does make it trickier trying to time it all. Best of luck x

@bluebell94 thanks for the response :) I guess I'll just need to wait and see what happens... it's pretty nerve wracking!

Hey @superjo93 - I'm CD 83 after withdrawal bleed with no AF. I only got a positive ovulation marker a couple of weeks ago so am hoping in the next few days to get either a BFP or a period! It can take months to normalise after coming off hormonal birth control unfortunately - I know how frustrating it is!

What to do:
Start taking folic acid if you arent already
Consider any other multivits you want to take, I stuck with iron and vitamin D which I was already on
Have sex roughly every 2 days (you'll likely catch any ovulation, even if you dont know when it is)
Trust that things will get back to normal.
If no period 3 months after withdrawal, talk to a GP.

If you want to get a bit more info:
Consider a tracking app that uses temperature and discharge details to predict cycles
Use cheap ovulation tests daily to see if/when tou ovulate (if you ovulated like I did a couple of weeks ago, AF or BFP should follow in ~12-14 days)

Sorry, meant to also say that I had a tiny bit of spotting 6 days after ovulation too - no idea if it was implantation, technically a period, random hormonal nonsense... who knows

Prior to getting an ovulation positive I was taking a pregnancy test every 2 weeks or so (not so frequent as to drive me mad, frequently enough to check)

@TheDaydreamBelievers oh really!! I assumed things would go back to normal pretty quickly, that's really frustrating. Thanks very much for the response - I've ordered folic acid and I take vitamins b12 & 6 supplements already. Unfortunately my OH works away so limited windows of opportunity ! I'll also look at getting some ovulation tests

Yeah, same, but it turns out it can be totally irregular for 3-6 months without anything being wrong. Depending on what kind of pill you were on they work by either stopping ovulation entirely (the type I was on - Rigevidon/Microgynon) or stopping your womb walls forming properly and both can continue to happen for a bit after you stop taking them.

Like the other poster I was also on microgynon. Some people do go back to a regular cycle straight away but don't stress if it takes a few months (easier said than done, I know!). Definitely try tracking and trying to pinpoint ovulation, it will help. Having said that, I never got the hang of it, never knew when I ovulated and got pregnant 6 months after I came off the pill with very long and irregular cycles so it's not impossible either way

Thanks both - it was microgynon I was on also. I'll have a go at tracking ovulation, and see if/when I get my period! And I guess I'll need to hope that my ovulation coincides with my OH being home :)

@bluebell94 congrats on the pregnancy!