Conceive After Birth Control

Many women worry about their ability to conceive after taking birth control for years. It has been shown that birth control does not negatively affect your ability to get pregnant, provided you are no longer taking the pill. Some women get pregnant immediately after ceasing birth control pills while others take more than a year to conceive. For some people, it may take a few months for your body’s hormonal levels to naturally stabilize once you have gone off birth control pills. There are, however, things you can do to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

Things You'll Need

• Folic acid

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Instructions

• 1

  Understand how birth control works. Birth control pills use hormones to stop ovulation, thereby preventing pregnancy. Once you stop taking the pills, the hormones should be flushed out of your body within a few days. You may ovulate normally within a few weeks.

• 2

  Know that every woman is different. While some women return to normal ovulation and menstrual cycles immediately, it takes others a few months. If you haven't started menstruating regularly within three months, visit your gynecologist.

• 3

  Wait three months after you stop taking birth control pills before conceiving. While there is controversy on the subject, some doctors believe that you are more likely to have a miscarriage if you get pregnant immediately after stopping birth control. Three months is sufficient time to ensure any trace of birth control hormones is out of your body.

• 4

  Be aware that it may take a while to get pregnant regardless of your prior birth control use. For most women, it takes about five months of trying to conceive, and for many, it takes up to a year. You can rest assured that your birth control use is not inhibiting your ability to get pregnant, regardless of how long you took the pills. Conception simply takes time due to your limited window of fertility each month.

• 5

  Calculate your ovulation window. You can use online ovulation calculators such as those found at Baby Center and Web MD. You'll need to enter the first date of your last period as well as your average cycle length. The calculator will then tell you the days of your cycle when you most likely ovulate. Have intercourse during this window.

• 6

  Take folic acid supplements. Folic acid has been shown to decrease the chances of birth defects and miscarriage. Begin taking 400 to 600 micrograms daily at least two months before you try to conceive to prepare your body for pregnancy.