Can I Get Pregnant On The Patch

What If You Cant Seem To Get Pregnant

What should I do if my birth control patch falls off?

Its always a good idea to talk to your doctor about getting pregnant before you start trying. While most women conceive within a year of trying, there are many different factors — like age, health history, and weight — that can impact your fertility. If youre under 35 and its been more than a year since you stopped using birth control and you havent been able to get pregnant, its a good idea to let your doctor know. If youre 35 or older, you should see your doctor after 6 months of trying. An OB/GYN, family practitioner with experience in womens health, or a fertility specialist can evaluate you and make suggestions that may up your odds of getting pregnant.

What Makes The Patch Less Effective

The main thing that makes the patch not work is not using it correctly. That means youre more likely to get pregnant if you dont put on a new patch every week, or if the patch falls off for more than 1 or 2 days, depending on which patch youre using 1 day for Twirla, and 2 days for Xulane.

Some medicines or supplements can also make the patch less effective:

The antibiotics Rifampin, Rifampicin, and Rifamate

The antifungal Griseofulvin

Certain HIV medicines

Certain anti-seizure medicines

The herb St. Johns Wort

Use condoms as a backup method if youre taking any of these medicines while youre on the patch. Switch to a different type of birth control if youll be taking them for a long time.

The patch may not work quite as well to prevent pregnancy if you have a higher weight. Your nurse or doctor can help you decide if theres any reason the patch wont work well for you.

Being in water for more than 30 minutes at a time may make it easier for the Twirla patch to fall off. If youre a swimmer or often spend more than 30 minutes in water, talk with your nurse or doctor about the best method of birth control for you.

Where To Put The Patch

Stick the patch directly onto your skin. You can put it onto most areas of your body, as long as the skin is clean, dry and not very hairy. You shouldn’t stick the patch onto:

  • sore or irritated skin
  • an area where it may get rubbed off by tight clothing
  • your breasts

It’s a good idea to change the position of each new patch to help reduce the chance of skin irritation.

Also Check: Vagisil Safe During Pregnancy

What If My Patch Falls Off

If you have noticed that your patch is off or almost off for less than 24 hours, try to put it back on or replace it with a new one. In research studies, less than 2% of patches came off and less than 3% of patches loosened.

If you dont know how long your patch has been off or you know that its been more than 24 hours, youll need to apply a new patch as soon as possible to prevent pregnancy. You must start a new 4-week cycle with a new patch change day. Its very important to use another method of contraception for at least a week to prevent pregnancy.

What To Do If You Forget To Put A Patch On After The Patch

In this Article

Put on a new patch as soon as you remember. This is the beginning of your new patch cycle. You’ll now have a new day of the week as your start day and change day.

If you’re more than 24 hours late sticking on the patch , you may not be protected against pregnancy and will need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days.

See a GP or nurse for advice if you’ve had unprotected sex in the patch-free interval, as you may need emergency contraception.

Also Check: Can I Use Vagisil Wash While Pregnant

Combination Birth Control Methods

Combination birth control methods include combination birth control pills, NuvaRing, and the patch. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there about these methods.

You may have heard it takes at least three months for ovulation to start up again after you stop the pill. This is not usually true. For most people, ovulation will start within weeks. For some, though, it can take one to three months.

Think about it like this: The pill works because it stops ovulation. If you miss a couple of pills, you might ovulate and you might get pregnant. Some healthcare providers even say you are most fertile just after you stop taking the pill.

So where does the three-month myth come from? Your healthcare provider may tell you to use a condom until you have had three periods. This is just because waiting will help you keep track of your cycle. That way, if you get pregnant, it will be easier to guess when the pregnancy happened.

There is no medical reason to wait after you stop birth control before trying to become pregnant. Just be prepared that your fertility may return within the first month.

NuvaRing and the Patch work the same way as the pill, so the same goes for these methods. Fertility should return quickly. Most research shows that 80% of people who stop using these methods and want to get pregnant will get pregnant within the first year. This number is the same as that of the general population.

Up To 48 Hours Since The Patch Came Off Or Patch Left On For Up To 48 Hours Too Long

  • Apply a new patch as soon as possible.
  • Keep the new patch on until the day you usually change it.

If youre in the first week after a patch-free break, you dont need additional or emergency contraception, as long as youve used the patch correctly every day so far this week and in the week before the patch-free break.

If youre in any other week, you dont need additional emergency contraception as long as you’ve used the patch correctly for the previous seven days.

Also Check: Can You Take Nutraburst While Pregnant

Bleeding In The Patch

Some women don’t always have a bleed in their patch-free week. This is nothing to worry about if you’ve used the patch properly and have not taken any medicine that could affect it.

See a GP or nurse for advice if you’re worried, or do a pregnancy test to check if you’re pregnant.

If you miss more than 2 bleeds, get medical advice.

Fertility Does Not Equal Pregnancy

Can you get pregnant while on your period? – Pandia Health

You may not get pregnant right away even after your fertility returns. Some people become pregnant within a month. Others may try to get pregnant for a long time.

At this point, your ability to get pregnant has nothing to do with previous birth control use. Your age, health, and lifestyle can all make it harder to get pregnant. You may also experience infertility.

You may have concerns after you stop birth control. Talk to your healthcare provider if:

  • Your period doesnt come back after three months
  • The number of days you have your period changes
  • Your cycle is irregular
  • There is a major change in how heavy your bleeding is
  • You are younger than 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for 12 months
  • You are over 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for six months

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant

Other Fertility Factors To Consider

As a rule of thumb, your fertility should go back to the way it was before you started birth control. If you had regular cycles before, you should have regular cycles again.

Your age may also play a part. That is because fertility drops as you get older. This is especially true once you turn 35.

There has been a lot of research on the return of fertility after stopping birth control. A review of studies showed that birth control use does not harm fertility. Pregnancy rates within one year of stopping birth control look like this:

  • Birth control pill: 72% to 94%
  • Condom/barrier method: 94%
  • Progestin-only birth control: 70% to 95%
  • Natural family planning: 92%
  • IUD: 71% to 96%

What To Do If You Think Youre Pregnant

If you think you may be pregnant, find out as soon as you can so you can begin prenatal care. Over-the-counter pregnancy tests are extremely accurate. Take more than one if you want. You can even ask your doctors office for an at-home test.

Alternatively, make an appointment to see your doctor to discuss the symptoms youre experiencing. As part of the routine checkup, your doctor will likely conduct a pregnancy test. You can request one, too. By the end of the appointment, youll know if youre expecting or not. Take this quiz to see whether you might have the symptoms of pregnancy.

With typical use, birth control pills are still a highly effective form of pregnancy prevention. You can actually make it more effective by following a few simple strategies:

Recommended Reading: Can You Get Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant

Protection During Your Patch

You will be protected from pregnancy in your patch-free break provided:

  • Youve used the previous 3 patches correctly
  • You start your next patch cycle on time
  • Youre not taking any other medicines that will affect the way the patch works. These medicines include St Johns Wort and those used to treat epilepsy, HIV and TB. Check with your clinician about using the patch if youre on any of these treatments.

Barrier Methods And Natural Methods

How To Get Off Birth Control &  NOT Get Pregnant

If you were using a barrier method, there is good news. These methods do not interfere with fertility. Barrier methods include:

Barrier methods block sperm from reaching your egg. These methods do not stop ovulation. Whether you are using them or not, your monthly cycle does not change.

As an added bonus, condoms also protect you from sexually transmitted infections . Left untreated, some STIs can lead to infertility.

Some people use natural family planning methods. If this is you, you may be able to get pregnant faster. Many of these methods have you keep track of your most fertile days. So now, just do the reverse. Instead of avoiding sex around those days, go try to make a baby.

Also Check: Giving Plasma While Pregnant

How Does It Work

The Patch releases progestogen and oestrogen, the same hormones used in the combined contraceptive pill, into the bloodstream through the skin.

A new patch is applied every week for three weeks. On the fourth week no patch is applied, to allow for a period bleed after which the cycle begins again. Full instructions of how to apply the patch correctly are available from the prescribing doctor and also with the accompanying instructions.

Birth Control Patch Effectiveness

If you use it perfectly, the patch is 99% effective. But people arent perfect, and it can be easy to make a mistake so in reality, the patch is about 91% effective. That means about 9 out of 100 patch users get pregnant each year.

The better you are about changing your patch on time, the better it will work. But theres a very small chance that you could still get pregnant, even if you always use the patch correctly. In fact, your chances of getting pregnant on the patch depends on how well you follow the directions for using it.

Make sure the patch always sticks tightly to your skin. Dont reapply a patch that is no longer sticky enough to stay all the way on, and dont use tape or other materials to stick a non-sticky patch back on your skin. Check your patch every day to make sure all the edges are sticking correctly.If you often forget or misplace things, you may want to use another method that you dont have to remember to change every week, like the IUD, implant, or shot. Theyre easier to use and better at preventing pregnancy. But if you decide the patch is right for you, make sure you always put your new patch on on time so it works as well as possible.

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Lasik While Pregnant

How Do I Take My Patch Off

  • When youre ready to change your patch or take it off, lift a corner of the square and gently pull it back until it comes away from your skin.
  • Next, fold the patch in half, so the sticky part is folded on itself, then throw it away. .
  • If there is any sticky adhesive left on your skin, you can remove it with a little bit of baby oil on a cotton ball.
  • Be sure to put your new patch on a different skin area that is clean and dry. Lotions, oils, cream, tanning products and makeup on the spot where you place your patch will prevent the patch from sticking.

Where Is The Birth Control Patch Available

Birth Control Patch?

A doctor or a nurse practitioner must prescribe the patch. He or she will ask questions about health and family medical history, and may also do a complete physical exam, including a blood pressure measurement and a pelvic exam. If recommending the patch, the doctor or nurse practitioner will write a prescription and give you instructions on how to use it.

Those who start using the patch may be asked to return within a few months for a blood pressure measurement and to make sure that there are no problems. After that, a doctor may recommend routine exams once or twice a year or as needed.

You May Like: Can I Use Vagisil Wash While Pregnant

Getting Pregnant While On The Patch

I started the patch on september 6th , my boyfriend and i waited 5 days to have unprotected sex, and from that day on we never used anything. I’ve looked up the chances of getting pregnant while on the patch and every website I’ve been on doesnt answer the question im asking. Have any of you gotten pregnant while on the patch or knows anyone who has gotten pregnant on it

How Can You Tell If Youre Ovulating

The surest way to know is to take an ovulation test. They test your pee for levels of luteinizing hormone , which rise 24 to 36 hours before you ovulate.

Your body may also show signs that youre ovulating or that you will soon. For example, your body temperature rises slightly around the time of ovulation. And mucus that comes from your cervix may become stickier or feel more like raw egg whites.

Don’t Miss: Can You Donate Plasma When Pregnant

Who Can Use It

Not everyone can use the patch so your doctor, nurse or online provider will need to ask you about your own and your familys medical history. Do mention any illnesses or operations youve had or if you think you might already be pregnant. The patch may not be suitable if:

  • you smoke and are 35 years old or over
  • youre 35 years old or over and stopped smoking less than a year ago
  • youre very overweight
  • you take certain medicines
  • youre breastfeeding a baby less than six weeks old

The patch may not be suitable for you if you have now or had in the past:

  • thrombosis in any vein or artery or a member of your immediate family had thrombosis before they were 45 years old
  • heart disease or a stroke
  • systemic lupus erythematosus with positive antiphospholipid antibodies
  • a heart abnormality or circulatory disease, including hypertension
  • migraine aura
  • youre immobile for a long period of time or use a wheelchair
  • youre at high altitude for more than a week.

If youre healthy, dont smoke and there are no medical reasons for you not to use the patch, you can use it until youre 50 years old. Youll then need to change to another method of contraception.

What Should I Know About My Period When Using Xulane

Can I still get pregnant on birth control?

When you use Xulane you may have bleeding and spotting between periods, called unplanned bleeding. Unplanned bleeding may vary from slight staining between menstrual periods to breakthrough bleeding which is a flow much like a regular period. Unplanned bleeding occurs most often during the first few months of Xulane use, but may also occur after you have been using Xulane for some time. Such bleeding may be temporary and usually does not indicate any serious problems. It is important to continue using Xulane on schedule. If the unplanned bleeding or spotting is heavy or lasts for more than a few days, you should discuss this with your healthcare provider.

You May Like: Accidentally Donated Plasma While Pregnant

Getting Pregnant With An Iud

IUDs are a very effective method of birth control, says Costescu. The copper IUDs failure rate is a mere 0.8 percent, while a hormonal IUD has a failure rate of just 0.2 percent. A copper IUD is immediately effective when placed, and the hormonal type is effective within five days after being placed, he explains. And, since you dont have to do anything after its in place, and youve had a follow-up to make sure it was inserted properly, theres no chance for user error.

The one risk is that over the five-year life of your IUD, there is a three to five percent chance it may be expelled by your body. If someone does notice they suddenly have heavy bleeding with clots with an IUD inside, that could be a sign that the IUDs been expelled, Black explains. If this happens, do a string check to make sure the IUD is still in place if you cant find the string, make an appointment with your health-care provider so they can make sure everything is where it should be and, in the meantime, use backup birth control, such as condoms.

If you suspect youre pregnant, take a home pregnancy test. If its positive, its important to see a health-care provider as soon as possible to get an ultrasound. Its an urgent matter because if you get pregnant with an IUD there is a higher chance that it will be an ectopic pregnancy, which means the embryo has implanted in one of your fallopian tubes rather than in your uterus, which can be dangerous, and needs to be treated right away.

Related Posts

Recent Stories