How to Wait to Get Pregnant After Being on the Pill

If you’ve recently stopped taking birth control pills or are planning to, you may become pregnant right away. If you’d prefer to wait a bit before getting pregnant, you’ll need to choose another method of birth control in the meantime. Depending on your preferences and need for reliability, you may choose a barrier method of birth control, spermicides or natural family planning techniques.

Instructions

• 1

  Choose condoms if you want to wait to become pregnant after stopping the pill. This method keeps sperm from entering your vagina, preventing pregnancy by blocking sperm rather than using hormones that could interfere with your body's return to its normal cycle and hormone production.

• 2

  Ask your doctor to fit you for a diaphragm. A diaphragm is a bowl-shaped device that is made of flexible rubber. You fill it with spermicide and insert it into your vagina up to a couple of hours before having sexual intercourse, positioning it to cover your cervix—neck of the uterus. You have to leave a diaphragm in place for several hours after sex as well, ensuring that no lurking sperm make their way into your reproductive tract.

• 3

  Get fitted for a cervical cap at your doctor’s office. A cervical cap is a small device that is shaped like a thimble and made of rubber. It is placed inside your vagina and over your cervix after it is filled with spermicide. You can place it inside your vagina up to 24 hours before sexual intercourse, but it must remain in place for eight hours afterward, for the best protection.

• 4

  Use natural birth control to prevent pregnancy after the pill. You can do this by purchasing ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) and using them to approximate when you’re most likely to ovulate. For example, if you use OPKs over two cycles and you determine that you are most likely to ovulate around the 13th or 14th day of your cycle, you can avoid sex during that time. As an added predictor, you can stick a finger into your vagina to monitor cervical mucus when you believe you’re close to ovulating. If the mucus is clear, stretchy and slippery, you may be close to ovulating.

• 5

  Buy a spermicide in gel, cream, suppository or foam form to block and kill sperm before it enters your cervix. You place spermicide as close to your cervix as possible, using it about 15 minutes before sexual intercourse. You'll need to reapply spermicide once after every 60 minutes of intercourse.