getting off pill

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-2005
getting off pill
5
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 11:48am

my husband and i decided i would get off the bc pill for a few months before we try to have a baby. i have been on the pill for about 8 years and i was wondering if anyone got off the pill and did or didnt notice changes in their mood or behavior with the change in hormones. i am so concerned about that for some reason. i fear to tamper with something that is not a problem. i didnt really notice any changes when i got on it, but i wanted to see if anyone else noticed anything.

Thank you!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2006
In reply to: karm12
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 1:00pm

I noticed that my libido was better once I was off the pill. I didn't really think it had affected me going on but I noticed once I was off. Your cycle may change for a month or two also, so if it doesn't start when you expect it too don't panic. I was on the pill for 4 years when DH and I decided to start TTCing.

According to my doctor the average couple takes between 8 months and a year to get pregnant after going off the pill. It took us about a year and a half though. Good luck!

-Mel


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: karm12
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 4:57pm

I myself just came off Yasmin 3 weeks ago and I haven't noticed any mood changes ... i have felt totally "normal" ... i.e., just as I did before I came off the Pill ("normal" is open for debate! lol). I think my skin might actually be clearing up but that's the only difference. I've been on the Pill for 6 years.

The other poster is right though, it can take awhile for your cycles to regulate themselves, so don't panic if AF doesn't show up in 28 days ... or 38 ... or 48. I have a friend who came off in August because she and her husband wanted to TTC and her first AF *just* showed up.

Best of luck!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-2005
In reply to: karm12
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 8:25pm
I am also taking yasmin. i have been on the pill (estrostep then yasmin) for about 8 years and for some reason i feel like my body is so used to it and i became concerned that my hormones would RAGE-and i would not be able to control myself-but it guess its not an antidepressant..its birth control. also, i figured my AF would come any time it really wants to after i stop taking the pill. i appreciate the input because i would probably go through a ton of pregnancy tests because i would wonder...
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: karm12
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 10:29pm

It is impossible to tell how exactly you will react to being off the Pill, but I doubt your hormones will "RAGE" (lol, the mental pic of a woman with "rampaging" hormones is kind of funny). If I were you, I'd use a barrier method like condoms until my first AF came, just to avoid the guess-work and potential $10 per pregnancy test!!

Along those lines, I am going to more or less quote Jill here, and recommend maybe trying the Fertility Awareness Method(FAM). I don't know if you are familiar with it, but in a nutshell, what you do is meticulously keep track of your fertile signs - basal body temperature, cervical position and cervical fluids to determine when you are fertile. If you are not TTC, then you use a barrier method if you have intercourse during your fertile days. If you *are* TTC, then there you go - the guessing about when you are fertile is gone! You might want to think about FAM because it might help you dually: to both interpret and react to the changes your body goes through as it begins to produce its own hormones again, and help you conceive more easily when you are ready. The book that teaches one how to practice FAM is called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler.

As for me, I'd LOOOOOOOOOVE to be able to do this just because it's so neat, but my schedule is such that it doesn't allow me to track the way is necessary. However, I did read the book, and it's totally worth it! The things you'll learn ...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: karm12
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 10:40pm

When I quit using the ring for two months a year ago, I felt so FREE.

Judie Cl for Birth Control