I'm off the pill...now what?

[glitzy07]

The title of this post is a ridiculous question, I'm aware.

I took my last BC pill last week, and DH and I planning to continue to prevent until at least July (per my doctor, who suggested trying to regulate for a few months before trying).

It's been almost 9 years that I've been on the pill and I have no recollection of what my cycle was like when I was a teenager. I think I was pretty regular, but who knows.

I'm a little nervous, because what if I don't know if I don't have my period because it just hasn't returned yet, or what if I'm pregnant? The main reason that it makes me nervous is because I have hypothyroid, so I'll need to confirm pregnancy ASAP to manage my levels.

I've thought about charting right away, but I think that will make me crazy.

What do you have to look forward to? I'm fully aware that every body is different, but what did you experience when you first went off BC? How long did it take to get your first period after?

[glitzy07]

May 15, 2012 19:40:38 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

I've been charting since Nov '10 when I went off the pill - we were and are TTA. I don't find it makes me crazy - I check my temp in the mornings, and casually check fluids throughout the day, and entering my info on Fertility Friend gives me an idea of when I ovulated and when my period is coming.

I've been pretty regular off the pill, but cycles have varied from 23-30 days, so having an idea of when I ovulated is more calming to me than guessing whether or not my period is "due".

I would recommend reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility - it's a fairly quick read and very informative. Fertility Friend also has a "course" you can take online which covers the same info.

I've actually got a hold at the library for the next available copy of TCOFY, and I bought a BBT thermometer from Amazon.

I'm kind of a control freak, so I knew that I would probably eventually chart, so I did that and signed up for FF already. I just haven't actually started temping. My DH is a total "go with the flow and it will happen when it happens" kind of guy, so he doesn't get it, but at the same time he understands that I want to know right away because of my thyroid.

[Deleted]

Not a doctor but mine told me I would be most fertile as soon as I got off the pill. She was a lying whore but maybe the same would apply to you. I wouldn't wait just to "regulate your cycles." That sounds weird.

[pugz]

my doc said I was fertile 2 seconds after removing my Mirena, unfortunately, such was not the case for me!

i liked charting but many find it makes them too focused on TTC, I found it interesting though.

[glitzy07]

May 15, 2012 19:49:09 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

Not a doctor but mine told me I would be most fertile as soon as I got off the pill. She was a lying whore but maybe the same would apply to you. I wouldn't wait just to "regulate your cycles." That sounds weird.

Either way, it would be more "ideal" if we didn't get pregnant until at least July. We wouldn't freak out if it happened right away, so I just figured why pay for three more months of the pill. If it happens sooner, it just might make my second job slightly more annoying later this summer. Oh well.

P.s. Our "prevention" method between now and July is the always effective "pull and pray" as my wonderful DH calls it...so, we're clearly not worried at this point. Ha.

[Deleted]

May 15, 2012 19:55:04 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

May 15, 2012 19:49:09 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

Not a doctor but mine told me I would be most fertile as soon as I got off the pill. She was a lying whore but maybe the same would apply to you. I wouldn't wait just to "regulate your cycles." That sounds weird.

Either way, it would be more "ideal" if we didn't get pregnant until at least July. We wouldn't freak out if it happened right away, so I just figured why pay for three more months of the pill. If it happens sooner, it just might make my second job slightly more annoying later this summer. Oh well.

P.s. Our "prevention" method between now and July is the always effective "pull and pray" as my wonderful DH calls it...so, we're clearly not worried at this point. Ha.

Ah ok, that makes sense. Good luck!

[jenjen]

I was on the pill for probably 8 years or so. I stopped taking them about 2 years ago now and we prevented by using condoms and the occasional pull and pray. We were going to start TTC last summer but that got pushed back when we sold/bought a new house. I downloaded a free FMC app to track my periods. My periods were really wonky - 24 to 49 days and after entering them for about a year it got really good at predicting them (I think the avg was like 35 days or so). It will tell you your "green" fertile days and you can track the length or flow of your period and mark when you have sex as well.

When I had the longer breaks between my period, I would just randomly test to make sure I wasn't pregnant. Usually it was something like "on day 50 I'll test" and then I'd start my period on day 49. Or "on day day 40, I'll test". I don't remember how long it took for my first period or if I had any weird symptoms.

[glitzy07]

May 15, 2012 19:56:34 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

May 15, 2012 19:55:04 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

Either way, it would be more "ideal" if we didn't get pregnant until at least July. We wouldn't freak out if it happened right away, so I just figured why pay for three more months of the pill. If it happens sooner, it just might make my second job slightly more annoying later this summer. Oh well.

P.s. Our "prevention" method between now and July is the always effective "pull and pray" as my wonderful DH calls it...so, we're clearly not worried at this point. Ha.

Ah ok, that makes sense. Good luck!

The funny part about my doctor saying that though is that she got pregnant her first month off the pill, literally the month after telling me that.

She just said it might be easier to time if you know your cycles, and that she's read that sometimes the body could release more than one egg in that first cycle because "it doesn't know what's going on." She said she's never had a patient with that happen, but was just letting me know it was a possibility.

[Deleted]

I agree that waiting is unnecessary and that you may even be more likely to get pregnant your first cycle off the pill. I had been on the pill for almost ten years and got pregnant two weeks after I took my last one. It was my OB who suggested not stopping until I was ready to TTC to increase our chances.

[hopeful2012]

Hmmm...this is interesting. I was thinking about getting off the pill after I finish this pack, charting and TTA-ing for a few months and actually starting TTC in September because I was under the impression that this might help us get pregnant with #2 quicker in the fall.

I would be interested in hearing opinions one way or the other...