Menstrual Cycle After Quitting the Pill

Updated on August 26, 2010
S.G. asks from East Wenatchee, WA
8 answers

Hi, I don't post on here very often....My husband and I decided to start trying for our second child. I have to admit I had been pretty aprehensive when talking about it. I took the first two pills in my new pack of birth control pills, then we both strongly agreed to start trying. So after taking only the first 2 pills I got another period a few days later, and was very much like a normal period. Now, my question is: Do I use my second period as a starting point to count days until my fertility? Or do I use my first normal period? My periods were only about a week apart. Also, which period should I use to know when I "miss" my period? Thanks!!

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D.C.

answers from Portland on

Pardon the pun, but just go with the flow. lol. I agree with Brenda. Use both dates and if it doesn't happen right away then you will no when to start counting. In the meantime, have fun!! :)

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B.M.

answers from Bellingham on

I'd say use them both this month. Why not? Count your days from your first period, try to get pregnant during that window of ovulation and then count your days from your second and use that window as well. If you don't get another period then great, you're pregnant, but if you do then you'll be able to just use that cycle in the future for figuring out your ovulation cycle.
To save money on pregnancy tests I'd use the second period to know when you "miss". :) If you do get pregnant this month you can tell your OB both period dates but they're going to use an ultrasound to determine your due date anyway so it doesn't really matter when your last 'real' period was.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Seattle on

If you have only been off the pill for a week, I would suggest giving it at least a month or two before you start trying. Residual hormones may still remain, and that will also give you the chance to know your cycle's rhythm by then. Given that you had two periods because of taking the pills, I can't say I know how my own body would react. You might have another period in two weeks, you might not have one for a bit more. Your body may need to adjust a bit more before its ready for the pregnancy part.

Just a suggestion. I am not certain that there is any risk, but one my earlier gynecologists suggested waiting several months if I'd taken the pills for years, so I did. I haven't read any research backing him up (but I tend on the cautious end).

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C.S.

answers from Medford on

If I were you and wanted to become pregnant quickly, I would just treat this first month as "if it happens, it happens", and starting after your next period I would use an ovulation predictor kit. I used one this time (trying for our third) and we got pregnant the first try. Good luck!

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B.S.

answers from Portland on

To be honest, it'll likely take from 6 months to a year for your cycle to straighten itself out, so trying to figure out when you're ovulation based on the Standard Days Method will be impossible. If you REALLY want to know if/when you're ovulating, and thus fertile, you'll need to take your BBT.

Best of luck to you!

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N.O.

answers from Phoenix on

Your body was just reacting to being off the pill. I would use the most recent period as your determining timing period.

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D.H.

answers from Indianapolis on

If your last period was normal, then use it......you can explain what happened in between to the doctor......if you did nothing between the two periods, then it doesn't matter......

Good Luck and take care.

G.M.

answers from Seattle on

Use the second period.

We did the same thing before getting pregnant with our first, and we were pregnant first cycle (after being on birth control for 6 years), and the timing was from the second period. Basically, your body was trying to start it's OWN schedule, rather than the hormone based one it was on.

As was said before, if you get pregnant, great - it's very possible that your body will bounce back to the non-hormonal state immediately (especially as you DID just have a body-based rather than pill-based period), but it's also possible that it won't happen immediately. Not just because of the pill, but because that's how it works sometimes!

Good luck!

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