Are You More Fertile After Birth Control
Lawson says that while it’s not likely, there’s information that suggests that being on a combination birth control pill that suppresses your ovaries raises the “possibility that you may have more than one ovulation event,” meaning two eggs could be released and the likelihood of at least one of them getting fertilized is greater.
Infertility doctors may also put their patients on birth control pills to keep their uterine lining “nice and clean” prior to pregnancy initiation, Nathan says. But for the average patient? “That’s a myth,” she says.
Read more to find out what happens each month and trimester of pregnancy, and what doctors say about COVID-19 vaccines and future pregnancy.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Best Birth Control For Breastfeeding Parents: Can I Start The Pill Right Away
Some researchers think that the estrogen found in combination birth control pills can cause a slight drop in breast milk production. That’s one reason Nathan and Lawson recommend breastfeeding parents choose the progestin-only or “mini pill” if oral contraceptives are their preferred choice of birth control.
Instead, the progestin-only pill or “mini pill” may be prescribed as soon as someone has given birth. Although, it is a little more finicky than the combination pill because it has a lower dose of hormone and has to be taken within a narrower window of time in order to be effective.
Even if you don’t choose to breastfeed, the ACOG recommends waiting three weeks after birth to start a combined birth control method with estrogen, which includes the combination pill, the ring or the patch. This is because estrogen increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots in the veins, for which there’s already an elevated risk during the postpartum period.
Your doctor may also advise that you choose another birth control method other than the pill if you smoke, are over age 35, have a history of breast cancer or have migraines with aura.
Is Breastfeeding An Effective Contraceptive
When you breastfeed, a hormone called prolactin is produced by your body, which stimulates the production of your milk. Prolactin also blocks the release of the hormones which make you produce an egg. This means that you are less likely to become pregnant whilst you are breastfeeding.
You can use breastfeeding for contraception if you are:
- Fully breastfeeding, meaning:
- Your baby is not having any solids or any other liquid or
- You are nearly fully breastfeeding – you are mainly breastfeeding and only giving your baby other liquids very infrequently.
- You are feeding at least every four hours during the day and at least every six hours at night
- AND not having periods.
- AND six months or less since having your baby.
Fewer than 2 women in every 100 using this will become pregnant within those six months. This is less reliable than some other methods – for example, the implant for which only one woman in every 2,000 will become pregnant per year.This method becomes even less reliable once you start dropping feeds, particularly night feeds. When you stop fully breastfeeding, you can become pregnant. Many women decide to use some contraception in addition to breastfeeding, to reduce their risk of an unplanned pregnancy. There are methods available that will not affect your ability to produce milk.
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Fertility Does Not Equal Pregnancy
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
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Is It Bad To Be On The Pill For A Long Time
Assuming you’re healthy, long-term use of birth control pills should have no adverse impact on your health. Taking a break now and then appears to have no medical benefit. Long-term birth control use generally doesn’t harm your ability to get pregnant and have a healthy baby once you no longer take it.
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Assessment Of Risk Of Bias In Individual Studies And Across Studies
Risk of bias in individual studies and across studies was assessed through evaluating reliability and validity of data for each important outcome variables. Methods used to assess the outcome variable in each study were also used to assess risk of bias. For all studies the study design, study participants, the outcome, presence of loss to follow up were assessed based on the eligibility criteria and quality assessment check list. Moreover all studies were prospective studies which employed the same participants and outcome was measured in the same standard. The risk of publication bias and heterogeneity was assessed through the standard statistical approaches. However there are still uncontrolled biases at the selection of study participants, analysis of the result and presentation/publication of the report.
How Soon Can I Get Pregnant After Contraceptive Injections
The depot injection or depot Provera as it is also known contains a high
dose of a progesterone-like hormone which is gradually released over a
three-month period.
Although it is a very effective contraceptive, it can
lead to some delay in return of your regular cycle and fertility after
stopping.
The hormone changes that lead to ovulation mean that you will almost
always have a bleed afterwards if you don’t fall pregnant. Thus regular
ovulation means a regular cycle. Studies have found that depot Provera
doesn’t make you infertile, but it can take up to even one year for you
to ovulate regularly after stopping it.
The only way to tell if you are pregnant is to do a pregnancy test in a
few weeks’ time. It is certainly possible that you fell pregnant
immediately without any ‘unsuccessful’ cycles first of all.
Chance
however would dictate that it is less likely, I’m afraid. It is common
to have a few light bleeds or irregular cycles before ovulation
re-commences properly.
Don’t forget to take folic acid tablets each day while you are trying
for a pregnancy which will reduce the risk of spina bifida. Good luck!
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What Happens If You Stop Taking Combination Pills
Combination pills are the most common forms of oral contraceptives. These contain both estrogen and progestin. When taken daily, these pills protect against pregnancy by preventing the release of an egg during ovulation. They also create mucus barriers to help prevent sperm from reaching an egg.
The rate of pregnancy after stopping these pills greatly depends on the type of combination pill youre taking. If youre taking the conventional type, which has three weeks of active pills, its possible to get pregnant the next month after menstruation. Its also possible to get pregnant if you miss a dose in the middle of your pack.
Some combination pills, like Seasonale, come in extended cycle versions. This means you take 84 active pills in a row and only have a period every three months. It may take longer for your cycles to normalize after taking extended-cycle pills, but its still possible to get pregnant in as little as one month.
Barrier Methods And Natural Methods
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.
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What Causes Issues With Fertility
Dr. Bersani points out that while the pill does not impact fertility, other factors do.
For instance, if you stop taking the pill after several years and find it difficult to get pregnant, it may be more likely related to your age and not your years of contraceptive use, she says.
With some women, genetic factors may impact their ability to get pregnant.
When it comes to conceiving, the more you know about your family medical history, the better, Dr. Bersani says.
For example, it would be helpful to know:
- At what age your mother experienced menopause
- If your mother or sister had trouble conceiving
- Whether your mother had a hysterectomy, and if so, at what age and why
- Your family history of reproductive disease or issues
Lifestyle can also have an impact on your ability to conceive. Consuming too much alcohol or caffeine can have an adverse effect on hormone production. And while it seems that smoking can be linked to all sorts of medical issues, studies have found that it may drastically affect your chances of getting pregnant, too.
Smoking can have a major impact on fertility, Dr. Bersani says. Cigarette smoke even secondhand smoke can be disruptive to your hormones.
Even your weight can be a factor. While being overweight is not a direct cause of infertility itself, it can also affect hormone production. The same is true if youre too thin.
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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.
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Can You Get Pregnant Before Your First Period Post
Yes, you can get pregnant before your first post-pregnancy period. Some women have a sterile first period in other words, they dont ovulate during their initial cycle. Others ovulate before having a period, which means they could conceivably go from pregnancy to pregnancy without ever unpacking the tampons.
Since you dont know which will come first, the period or the egg, contraception makes sense if youre hoping to plan your next pregnancy.
Iud And Miscarriage Risk
If you have an intrauterine device and become pregnant, there may be complications. Research suggests that if a person chooses to leave their IUD in during pregnancy, their miscarriage risk will increase to around 40%. Moreover, it can raise the likelihood of preterm birth by some 500%.
With these risks in mind, you should call your healthcare provider immediately to have your IUD removed if you find yourself pregnant and decide to continue the pregnancy. Removing the IUD early in a timely fashion can largely reverse those risks.
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How Effective Is Contraception
All the methods of contraception listed below are effective but none is 100% reliable. Reliability of each method is written in terms of how many failures there are for each 1,000 women using it. For example, between 2 and 60 women in 1,000 women using the contraceptive injection for a year will become pregnant. When no contraception is used, more than 800 in 1,000 sexually active women become pregnant within one year.
The effectiveness of some methods depends on how you use them. You have to use them properly or they are less effective. For example, 3 women in 1,000 using the ‘pill’ perfectly for a year will become pregnant. Nearer to 90 women in 1,000 using the pill normally or typically will become pregnant. Examples of ‘not perfect use’ might be missing a pill or being sick . In these situations it becomes less effective. Other ‘user-dependent’ methods include barrier methods, the progestogen-only pill and natural family planning, which has a very high failure rate of around 240 women in 1,000.
Some methods are not so ‘user-dependent’ and need to be renewed only infrequently or never. These methods include the contraceptive injection, contraceptive implant, intrauterine contraceptive devices , and sterilisation.
If I Had My Tubes Tied Can I Still Get Pregnant If I Want To
Getting your tubes tied is designed to be permanent. If you want to try and get pregnant, it is possible to have the procedure reversed. In general, research suggests 31% to 90% of those who have the procedure reversed will be able to become pregnant and depending on how the tubes were tied in the first place, how long it has been since they were tied, and how damaged the tubes are . Another option for pregnancy after getting your tubes tied is in vitro fertilization .
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Medications That Interfere With The Pill
Some medications can make the pill less effective. Medications include certain antibiotics, such as rifampicin, and anti-fungal drugs, such as griseofulvin.
A person should use backup contraception while taking these medications and for 48 hours after finishing the course.
Other more long-term medications and supplements may also affect how well birth control pills work. These can include:
- epilepsy drugs, such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine
- anti-viral medications used to treat HIV
- St. Johns Wort, which is a herbal remedy
Birth control pills are very effective if a person takes them correctly and does not miss any pill days. The following tips can help prevent unintended pregnancies while taking the pill:
- reading the packaging and following the instructions carefully
- taking the pill at the same time every day
- using an app that tracks periods and provides pills reminders, such as one of the apps from our review article
- always getting a new pill pack at least 1 week before the last pill pack is due to run out
- always taking missed pills as soon as possible
- using a backup method of contraception, such as a condom, if a person misses taking two or more pills in a row
If a person is concerned about not being able to take their pills consistently, they should speak to their doctor or gynecologist about other birth control methods. There are several options available that do not require taking a pill daily, such as an intrauterine device, or IUD.
Should You Use The Same Type Of Birth Control You Used Before You Got Pregnant
It depends some methods are more effective and comfortable pre-pregnancy and some are incompatible with nursing.
For example, some women who love their diaphragm before giving birth feel afterward that the spermicide is uncomfortable or drying. Do you find it inconvenient that you have to be re-fitted after birth to make sure it fits you properly ? Next, please!
Its also possible your period will change after pregnancy, though whether its for the better or worse is variable. Some women find that their cramps are much less severe once theyve had a baby, while others have the opposite experience.
If youre one of the unlucky ones, you may want to opt for a hormonal IUD or the pill, which will lessen the severity of your symptoms . Skip the Paragard since heavy, longer periods is a common side effect at least for the first few months.
And of course if you’re breastfeeding, your hormonal birth control options are limited to the mini-pill and others without estrogen.
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How To Prevent Your Birth Control From Failing
The best way to make sure your birth control works is to pick the method thats right for you. For example, if you dont think youll be able to remember to take a pill every day, youd be better off using a semi-permanent option, such as an IUD or implant. These also are the most effective options.
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