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.
How Long It Takes For The Birth Control Pill To Work
You can start taking birth control pills as soon as you get them. It doesn’t matter if you’re on your period, or not. Just find a time of day where you can remember to take them regularly.
A combination pill containing both estrogen and progestin will start to become effective seven days after starting the pill. For progestin-only minipills, they can take effect after just 48 hours. Therefore, make sure to use a back-up method until the pill kicks in.
There’s a workaround to make combination pills work slightly faster. If you start the pill within 5 days after the start of your period, you’re protected immediately. This works because we know that you will not ovulate while on your period, so your risk of getting pregnant is very low.
In general, after stopping any form of contraception, it is a good idea to wait for your first normal period before you start trying to conceive.
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:
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Can I Take The Pill While Breastfeeding
The combination birth control pill contains estrogen, which can decrease milk production. If you are breastfeeding, your healthcare provider may recommend taking the progestin-only pill instead. However, some women may use estrogen-containing pills once milk supply is fully established, and a womans risk of blood clots is minimized.
Just Starting Out With The Pill
If you take the pill as soon as you have your menstrual period or sometime within a few days of starting your menstrual period, you stand a good chance of having the pill be effective. If, on the other hand, you randomly pick a day and start taking the pill, you may already have ovulated and may be pregnant, even though you have started taking the pill. That first cycle on the pill can be tricky and you might want to use a barrier method to carry you through the first cycle of the birth control pill.
These mistakes are exceedingly common and this is why the birth control pill isnt as effective as it says it is supposed to be according to the package insert. This is also why you should always consider a backup method such as a barrier method any time you arent sure about the effectiveness of the pill.
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Can You Get Pregnant If You Use Condoms
If you use condoms perfectly every single time you have sex, theyre 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. But most people dont use them perfectly, so in real life, condoms are about 85 percent effective. That means almost one in five women will get pregnant each year if they just use condoms.
The best way to make sure condoms are as effective as possible is to use them correctly. Some of the most common mistakes include:
- Putting them on too late, or pulling them off too early
- Not leaving space at the tip of the condom for semen
- Not checking one for damage before use
- Using an oil based-lubricant like Vaseline or massage oil, which can damage the latex
What Health Issues Might Limit Your Choices
Some birth control methods may not be safe for you, depending on your health. To make sure a method is right for you, your doctor will need to know if you:
- Smoke.
- Are or could be pregnant.
- Are breastfeeding.
- Have any serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, or diabetes.
- Have had blood clots in the legs or lungs , or have a close family member who had blood clots in the legs or lungs.
- Have ever had breast cancer.
- Have a sexually transmitted infection.
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Will Other Medicines Affect The Implant
Some medicines can make the implant less effective, such as:
- medicines for HIV, epilepsy and tuberculosis
- complementary remedies, such as St Johns Wort
- some antibiotics, such as rifabutin or rifampicin
If youre taking any of these medicines, youll need additional contraception , or you may wish to use a different method of contraception that isnt affected by your medicine.
Always tell your doctor that youre using an implant if youre prescribed any medicine. You can also ask them whether the medicine youre taking will affect the implant.
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Additional Factors That May Impact The Combination Pill And Mini Pills Effectiveness:
- Vomiting or having diarrhea for more than 48 hours
- Certain anti-seizure medicines
- Taking the herb St. Johns Wort, an herbal supplement used to treat depression
If youre taking any of these medications or have been vomiting or experiencing diarrhea for more than 2 days, which can affect the absorption of the hormones into your system, use condoms as a backup method of contraception.
If youve missed a day of the pill, take the next pill as soon as you remember. Youll need to use condoms for up to a week after youve missed a pill.
Additionally, talk to your doctor about any other medications you may be taking and whether they can impact the pills effectiveness.
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What Makes Birth Control Pills Fail
The pill. Human behavior is the most common reason that birth control pills fail . The majority of people using the pill forget to take one or more each month , while others have challenges filling the prescription monthly . Some people might stop taking it because they are concerned about side effects .
Signs You Might Be Pregnant On Birth Control
This can be tough because many side-effects of birth control mimic pregnancy. The only sure way to tell if you are pregnant while on birth control is a positive pregnancy test. Women on birth control may miss periods once in a while, they may feel nausea from the hormones, and possibly have light spotting in the middle of the month and there is no way to know if this is a side-effect or implantation spotting. Birth control pills can also cause breast soreness, altered sense of smell, and mood swings. If you are taking the pill and suspect pregnancy, see your doctor or take a home pregnancy test to prevent complications. But it helps to understand the early signs of pregnancy.
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What To Do If You Become Pregnant While Taking Birth Control
The good news is that studies show taking birth control into early pregnancy will not hurt the baby. Some small studies have shown there may be a possibility of early delivery, low birth weight or congenital urinary tract issues, but these are very rare.
The one complication of getting pregnant while on birth control is a possible tubal pregnancy. This is when the fertilized egg embeds itself into the fallopian tube and not the uterus. This can be a serious and life-threatening complication and needs medical attention right away.
The best thing to do if you think you are pregnant is take a pregnancy test at home. If you test positive, stop taking birth control pills right away. If the test is negative, see your doctor for instructions. You may want to stop your pills anyway and use another form of safe birth control like a condom until you receive the all clear from your doctor. Heres more on what to do after finding out you are pregnant.
Who Might Choose To Use The Contraceptive Implant
A woman who:
- wants effective, long lasting and reversible contraception
- is willing to accept changes to her menstrual cycle.
The implant may be especially suitable if you:
- have difficulty remembering to take birth control pills
- dont like other contraceptive methods or find them unreliable
- cant take the hormone oestrogen.
The implant is one of many different contraceptives. Talk to your health practitioner about the choices available and the one that suits you best.
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How Can I Have Fun Without Getting Pregnant
Guess what, kissing will not get you pregnant, nor will making out. Neither will dry humping if either you or your partner is wearing some kind of clothing that covers the genitals. You also cant get pregnant by masturbating, either by yourself or while masturbating in the same room as someone else. Searching for more frisky fun? Try using sex toys with yourself or a partner, or what Scarleteen calls manual sex, aka fingering and hand jobs. These are all risk-free from pregnancy and are great options if youre not using birth control and dont want to be pregnant.
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Am I Pregnant Did My Birth Control Fail
Thinking that you may have gotten pregnant while on birth control and do not want to be can be stressful. To add to the confusion, many early pregnancy signs can also be due to other reasons.
But, in general, the most common cause of a missed period is pregnancy. It is also important to note that many women who are pregnant may have spotting or staining right around the time they are expecting a period.
Hormones can complicate the issue further. When your period is just late , your body may just be affected by premenstrual anxiety .
Also, if you begin to stress about a missing period, you can further prevent your period from coming. On the flip side, if you are pregnant, hormones associated with pregnancy can make you feel stressed.
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You’re Over 44 Years Old
Thanks to that good-old biological clock, a woman’s chances of getting pregnant wane over time. Women are born with some 1 million to 2 million eggs there’s only about 300,000 left when they get their first period and 25,000 left by their late 30s. This means that a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant in her early 40s are pretty slim, though it’s by no means impossible. “As we get closer to 40, the ticking of our biological clock becomes louder and by 44, it can be deafening,” she says. “Fertility decreases by as much as 95 percent in women between 40 and 45 years of age.”
How hard is it to get pregnant over 44 years old? According to Dr. Ross, women over the age of 44 have a less than 5 percent chance of getting pregnant each month.
Youve Just Started Taking It
It may sound like a magic pill that stops all unwanted pregnancies, but it does not work immediately.
In other words, dont fall into the trap of thinking you can have unprotected sex the same day you start taking your Pill.
You should always be aware of where you are in your monthly cycle when you start taking it.
If your period has just finished then youre good to go as the Pill will stop you ovulating again.
But if youre in the middle of your cycle and want to start taking the Pill you need to use another form of protection for at least seven days to give it time to work.
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What Are The Different Types Of Birth Control Pills
There are 2 types of birth control pills , and many different brands.
Combination Pills :
Combination pills have 2 hormones: estrogen and progestin. Combination pills are the most common type of birth control pill.
As long as you take 1 pill every day, youll be protected from pregnancy. You dont have to take your combination pill at the exact same time every day. But taking it at the same time is a good idea because it helps keep you in the habit of remembering your pill.
Progestin-Only Pills :
Progestin-only pills have 1 kind of hormone these pills dont have any estrogen. You must take your progestin-only pill within the same 3 hours every day to be protected from pregnancy.
The one exception is Slynd : you dont need to take Slynd within the same three-hour window every day, but its best to take it around the same time if you can to help keep you on schedule.
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What Are The Advantages
- Long acting it lasts for up to five years
- Reversible you can choose to have it taken out at any time. After that, you will be able to get pregnant again
- 99% effective it works very well
- You dont need to think about contraception every day
Studies show that implants do not cause any change in your weight, mood, sex drive, or give you headaches.
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The Pill Can Be 99% Effective
The birth control pill is 99% effective when used correctly. Correct use means taking the pill at the same time every day and never missing a dose. Most people do not remember to take the pill perfectly, and this can be especially difficult if you have a hectic schedule like when traveling or taking care of young children.
There are also other factors that can reduce the pill’s effectiveness like vomiting right after taking it or certain prescription medications like:
- Antibiotics
- Antifungals
- HIV medicines
If your doctor prescribes you a medication, ask them if it will interfere with your birth control. If the answer is yes, use a back-up method during sex, like condoms or spermicides, for at least one week.
Accounting for human error, typical use of the pill makes it 91% to 93% effective at preventing pregnancy meaning around 7 out of every 100 people who use it will generally get pregnant.
More effective methods of birth control include IUDs and implants, which are 99% effective, or the birth control shot which is 96% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Can I Get Pregnant After Implant Removal
Once the contraceptive implant is removed your normal fertility will return to normal and you may be at risk of pregnancy. If you would like to learn more about the process of removing the implant, then check out our full guide on contraceptive implant fitting and removal.
If youre looking for further information on this form of contraception, then our blog on the contraceptive implant everything you need to know covers fitting and removal plus pros and cons of this method of contraception.
Other sources:
Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health
Reviewed and edited on 04/02/21in line with our content policy.
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How Do I Know If Im Pregnant
The most common early signs and symptoms of pregnancy might include: Missed period. If youre in your childbearing years and a week or more has passed without the start of an expected menstrual cycle, you might be pregnant. However, this symptom can be misleading if you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
