Hi everyone, not sure if any of you can share the same experience..
This past Tuesday, I decided to stop taking the pill (not trying to get pregnant). I was also on the last day of my ovulation. Well, this morning (Saturday), I woke up to what looked like a period? Except darker and more maroon color than blood-red. I shouldn't be having my period until at least 2 more weeks since I just ovulated, right? I'm usually very regular with my period. I don't have any irregularity issues. Is this a symptom of stopping the pill?
btw, my husband and i also had sex Tuesday night (stupid me had forgotten that I was ovulating...duh!). But don't think it would be possible to get pregnant then anyway (the same day I stopped the pill). Nonetheless, can you bleed that soon after getting off the pill?
Prior to having my children, I was taking birth control pills for almost 9 years and don't remember bleeding when I stopped. So this is weird.
Any thoughts would be most appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you for the quick replies! I feel so much better now. Was a bit worried :)
But since I 'm starting my period today, on a Saturday...does it look like I'm stuck with starting my period around the weekends now (my cycle is usually 28 days)? Oh no! LOL I guess i stopped the pill on the wrong day.
I second the comment made by Amanda C. Birth control pills PREVENT OVULATION that is why they also prevent pregnancy.
Sounds normal. When you are on the pill, your body's signal to start bleeding is when the pills stop coming. So, you have sent it that signal and it will take your body a few weeks or months to pick up its natural rhythm again. I lost my pills while on vacation once (argh) and started bleeding 24 hours later. It wasn't quite the same as a "normal" period but still annoying.
When I was on the pill, if I forgot for a day or two, I would get fairly heavy bleeding. I would just stop taking it completely and then get back on track, so I figure that you are probably just getting something similar!
Birth control pills BLOCK ovulation. Unless you have history of ovulating while on the pill, you have a very low probability of being pregnant. However, you can start ovulating at any point after stopping the pill and should use other contraception.
Since you stopped mid-cycle, you are probably experiencing break-through bleeding. Your body changes after having children and isn't going to react the same as before.
It may take several months for the hormones to completely clear your system and for your periods to regulat.
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It sounds like you stopped mid-cycle, so that would probably explain the bleeding. I had to stop taking the pill mid cycle several months ago because I started a new brand and the side effects were so severe I was forced to stop. I bled like a period, but darker. It will regulate itself after a bit but if you are worried, wait a few weeks and take a pregnancy test, but stopping the pill itself won't cause any long-term damage. Just an annoying extra period!
Your body's used to the supplemental hormones of the pill keeping it on schedule. When you take the placebo's at the end of each pack it signals your body to shed it's lining because of the sudden drop in hormones. Thus, if you stopped taking the pill, your body thought it was time to start shedding again. Good luck!
Your body is just adjusting and will be doing so for the next few months (not saying that you're doing to spot/bleed that whole time, just may spot more than normal). It takes a while for the BC to get out of your system so what you described sounds completely normal.
