Does the length of time on bc...........

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
Does the length of time on bc...........
8
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 4:41pm
affect your chances of getting pregnant? I have been on bc for almost 10 years now and my husband and I are hoping to start a family in the next couple of years. Should I be off the pill for a few months before we start "trying"? Has being on the pill for so long hurt my chances of concieving quickly? I know that I probably asked my gyno these questions when I first started the pill but being a cocky 19 year old I thought, "I won't need to worry about that for years!" This has been a worry of mine for the past couple of months (my bestest friend in all the world became pregnant in January and babies have been on my mind...........turning 30 in about a year might have something else to do with it).

Any comments or answers would be most welcome!

Thanks!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2004
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 4:56pm
I can tell you that I have been on BC on and off for 8 years. I got pregnant with my first child while still on the pill. Now I am off the pill and have been since January and I can't get pregnant for anything.... Figures huh.

I was told at one point that it only effects your body for the first couple of months after you stop taking it. I don't think it has long term effects, but hey I could be wrong!

Good Luck KitKat!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2003
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 5:13pm
Obviously we're all going to be different....

That being said, my doctor (whom I'm lacking trust in), told me that it would probably take 6 months to a year to get pregnant after getting off the pill. She said the fact that I have been on for 11 years probably won't affect my chances.

I don't think I get pregnant very easily, there have been many times, where I really should have been.

My best friend on the other hand got pregnant twice while on the pill.

It really depends on you. I have heard that the older you get, your chances get lower to get pregnant.

Good luck with starting a family! How exciting!

=)

Jamah

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 5:21pm
in my experience NO...I was on bc pills (different ones over the years) for about 13 years before having a baby...got pregnant the first time within a month of being off the pills and the second time I think I had been off 6 months....(I started taking the pill for period regularity when I was 18 and had a baby at 31)...good luck
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:03am
Theoretically the pill isn't supposed to affect future fertility--we have several members who used the pill for years (9-15) before having children, some with easy success, some with a little more work. Even without the pill, conceiving isn't always a walk in the park!

For those of you that are trying and not successful as quickly as you'd like, you might try FAM (Fertility Awareness Method). I know we promote it here as a means of contraception, but the same fertility indicators that we look for to determine fertile days to avoid having sex you could use to plan to have sex. It's done by a lot of women who are having trouble conceiving, many women don't have the typical 28-day-ovulation-on-day-14 cycle, but try to use that as timing and for obvious reasons it doesn't work! A great book on the subject is Taking Control of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. I'm on hormones and have no intention of having children for another few years, but I have it and it's really informative. It will teach you what to look for as far as basal body temperature, cervical mucous indicators, and cervical position to determine when you're ovulating (a several day window). If you find out that you're not ovulating or that your luteal phase is too short (the time between ovulation and your period--you need that time for the blastocyst to implant and the embryo to develop enough to keep your progesterone up and prevent future periods), there are things your doctor can do to help you.

Once you get the hang of things, you'll know whether or not to worry about a missed or late period. My twin sister used FAM as birth control and then to conceive her first child and she knew she was pregnant before she even missed her period (the doctor laughed at her until she got the ++ test). And since it can take a few months to start cycling again after the pill, that's a great time to start taking prenatal vitamins and getting the bad stuff (alcohol, tobacco, caffeine) out of your diet before there's somebody else that needs you.

Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2004
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:46am
Well I guess I spoke too soon. I took a pregnancy test this morning and it came out positive. My conception occurred in April so it only took two full months of being off the pill to conceive.

My advice, don't get off the pill and assume that it'll take awhile to get pregnant. It could happen the next month. You never know. I think it's in someone else's hands if you ask me.

Many Blessings and Best of Luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 9:00am
CONGRATULATIONS!!! (Yes, I believe it is in someone else's hands too!) Remember to take your prenatal vitamins and eat right. If you take care of yourself, you will be taking care of your baby! I am so thrilled for you! Have a great 9 months and check in with us to let us know how things are going!

Best wishes!

Josie

PS- I aslo conceived a child in April a few years back. She was born in early January. Christmas shopping was tiring but it was so joyous knowing the baby would be coming soon!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 10:38am
I am so happy for you! Congratulations!

I hope things go well for you and your baby.

Hugs

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
Fri, 05-21-2004 - 6:01pm
CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is sooo great to hear!! Makes that clock tick even faster ;)!

Thanks to everyone for the much needed advice. I'm not as worried , now!

Thanks again!

Kitkat_ginger