Getting Pregnant After Birth Control: All Your Questions, Answered

If you've previously been on birth control but are now ready to get pregnant, it's common to have some questions. After all, you might have heard that it could take longer to conceive if you've been using hormonal contraception. The good news? That's mostly a myth.

We reached out to several experts to help us understand the ins and outs and getting pregnant after birth control. Read on for everything you need to know.

How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant After Birth Control?

While it varies from person to person, for the most part, being on hormonal birth control shouldn't affect how long it takes for you to become pregnant, says Jill Purdie, MD, OB-GYN and medical director at Northside Women's Specialists.

"With birth control pills, rings, patches, and implants, once the patient discontinues use of these items, they may become fertile as quickly as two weeks after stopping," says Dr. Purdie. "With IUDs, the return to fertility may be even quicker." This means that despite popular belief, the chances of getting pregnant the first month off of birth control are very real.

The one exception to this is the birth control shot, known as Depo-Provera, which can affect your fertility for a longer period of time, even after you've stopped taking it. "Each shot lasts for three months; however, the return to fertility may be an additional three to six months longer," Dr. Purdie explains.

It's important to keep in mind that whenever we talk about fertility returning and getting pregnant after birth control, there are a lot of elements at play, including how intercourse is timed, your and your partner's reproductive health, as well as some elements of luck. In other words, fertility isn't just affected by whether or not you recently were on birth control.

"Patients may become pregnant anywhere from almost immediately, to two weeks or six months after stopping hormonal birth control methods," Dr. Purdie offers. "Generally speaking, healthy couples have an approximately 25% chance of becoming pregnant each cycle that they try," she says. That means that it's not uncommon for couples trying to conceive to try for several months before becoming pregnant, whether they've been on birth control or not.

When Should You Stop Taking Your Birth Control?

It's common to have irregular periods after you get off hormonal birth control, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University. "Periods can be a bit irregular for the first couple of months, but that doesn't mean you won't get pregnant," she explains. That's because you can still ovulate, although it may not be at the same time every month as your body adjusts to cycling again.

As such, Dr. Minkin advises people who are taking hormonal contraception to give themselves a few months to get regular after stopping birth control and to use a barrier method if they don't want to become pregnant within that time period.

Dr. Purdie advises patients to stop taking hormonal birth control around the time that they are ready to get pregnant. "If you complete a pack of birth control pills, remove your patch or ring, or have your birth control implant removed, you may potentially ovulate and be able to become pregnant as quickly as two weeks after that time," Dr. Purdie explains. If you had an IUD, that timeframe may be even shorter. "With the removal of an IUD, patients may become pregnant almost immediately depending on the time of the month in which the IUD is removed," Dr. Purdie says.

However, if you are someone who uses an injection form of hormonal birth control (Depo-Provera), you will need to give yourself a longer timeframe, says Dr. Minken. Some parents will get pregnant right away after stopping Depo-Provera, but most need a bit more time. "It can even take six months, or rarely longer, for the shot to disappear from the body," says Dr. Minkin. "So, I always advise people who would like to get pregnant after immediately stopping their contraceptives not to use the Depo-Provera."

Do Different Birth Control Methods Affect Fertility?

Studies back up the claims that different birth control methods have only small effects on fertility. A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Contraception and Reproductive Medicine found little difference in the time it took people to get pregnant based on the type of birth control method—whether barrier methods, IUDs, or hormonal birth control—they had used before trying to conceive.

Some studies, however, have found that it may take a few cycles for you to return to full fertility, depending on the type of birth control used. For example, a 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who stopped taking hormonal birth control pills and contraceptive rings usually returned to fertility in about three menstrual cycles and people who used IUDs (copper and hormonal) returned to fertility in about two cycles. People who used birth control shots took the longest to return to fertility—about five to eight menstrual cycles.

Signs of Ovulation After Birth Control

After you stop taking birth control, you'll probably be wondering at what point your fertility has started to return. In order to successfully conceive, you will need to ovulate again. (Most forms of hormonal birth control stop your body from ovulating.) But how do you know when you start ovulating again? One way to figure this out is by tracking your signs of ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs around two weeks after your period, though your periods might not be regular right after you stop birth control.

Typical signs of ovulation include:

• Increased cervical mucus, which may look clear and slippery (like raw egg whites)
• Pelvic and abdominal pain
• Increased sex drive
• Sensitive breasts
• Bloating
• Spotting or light bleeding
• Changes in mood

If you are looking for more definitive proof that you are ovulating, you may want to track your basal body temperature, says Dr. Purdie. "This is a temperature taken first thing in the morning before you get up," she says. "There will be a rise in basal body temperature around the time of ovulation."

You can also use ovulation kits or ovulation test strips, which check your urine for luteinizing hormone (LH), which rises as you approach ovulation. The strips will turn darker as you approach ovulation and turn darkest on the day before you ovulate.

Are There Any Risk Factors or Concerns When Stopping Birth Control?

Taking birth control rarely has any long-term impacts on your fertility, assures Dr. Minken. Still, there may be other factors that influence how quickly you can get pregnant after stopping birth control, including common fertility issues such as hormonal issues, thyroid issues, issues with your reproductive organs, and health conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Fertility is a two-way street, and problems with a partner's sperm or sperm production can contribute to fertility issues as well.

Infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant after 12 months of trying, but it also depends on your age. If you are over the age of 35, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that you visit a health care provider if you're having trouble conceiving after 6 months of trying; if you are over 40, it's recommended you see your provider even sooner.

For most healthy couples, though, it's just a matter of trying each cycle, and mustering up a bit of patience, knowing that it's normal for it to take a few months to get a positive pregnancy test. If you are looking to maximize your chances of getting pregnant once you quit birth control and are ready to try, Dr. Minken has some tips: "I would encourage anyone trying to conceive to eat a healthy diet, don't smoke, don't drink, don't take drugs, and do take folic acid supplementation daily to help prevent birth defects."