Hello - My husband and I abruptly decided to start trying for a second child. I am on the patch for birth control. My last period was on Tues 7/22 - on the following Sun (7/27) I put on my first of three patches for my next cycle - on Wed (7/30) I took the patch off since we decided to start ASAP. My question is - does anyone think I should be expecting a period now since I just ended my last one last weekend and I only had birth control for about 3 days? Any help/advice is much appreciated!!!
In my experience, my system didn't take long to get back to normal after my first child and as far as the three month "rule" my doctor told me that we could try ASAP but to not expect much til about three months. Since hey, trying is way too much fun!
It may take a while to get your cycle back. BC really messes up the natural hormones in you body and at times it takes a while for your body to recover. Other times your body may bounce back very quickly. When I was young, we had problems getting pregnant so we learned Naprotechnology, a form of NFP to better under undertand when I was fertile. In other words, we used it in reverse. The period isn't nearly as important as ovulation when trying to get pregnant. The easiest way to tell if you are ovulating is to observe mucus that comes form your femine organs. (wipe yourself before and check what is on the tissue and then again after you use the restroom and once again check what is on the tissue.) If you are fertile your mucus will be very clear and stretch at least an inch. Then you are fertile, if your body is funtioning normally. Usually 14 days after that mucus stops, you will have your period.
my doctor told me to wait till I was off birth control for three months before I started trying. This will ensure the extra hormones are out of your system.
I don't know about your period, but I want to suggest waiting a few months before trying to conceive. (At least talk with your doctor first.) I have heard that there is a greater risk of miscarriage if you become pregnant right after stopping b.c. and it is best to give your body 3 months to get it out of your system.
Good luck to you!
Keep in mind that when you are on hormonal BC--such as the patch or the Pill--the week you don't take BC and then bleed is NOT a real period. It is "breakthrough bleeding" due to hormone fluctuations. You can't have a period if you don't ovulate, and you don't ovulate on BC.
What will affect when your real period returns is (a) how long you've been on hormonal BC; and (b) how regular your real periods are, when you're not on hormonal BC.
Your body has more to adjust to than you taking off the patch on 7/30. The longer you've been on hormonal BC, the longer your body may take to get back in the swing of things and ovulate, thus producing a period.
When I went off the Pill after 10 years, it took me several months (like 3 or 4) to get a regular period again. I would bleed for 2 weeks straight and then not start another cycle for 50 or 60 days. But that was my experience--some women's cycle snap back within a month or two.
I guess if I were in your shoes, I would use non-hormonal contraception until you can track your cycles, especially ovulation. It might only take a month or two. If you get pregnant very soon, you and the doctor could end up arguing over how far along you are. (This has happened to women I've known.) Also, with absolutely no idea of where you are at in your cycle, how would you know when to take a pregnancy test? What would you gauge as "late"? Just food for thought; take it for what it's worth, and good luck!
I would call your doctor. On another note...I have heard and my dr. recommended having at least 3 cycles after stoping b/c before trying to get pregnant. There is a higher rate of miscarriage if you do not wait, I think due to hormone levels or something like that....not sure if that is correct I'm not a doctor! However I got preg. after just 2 regular cycles and everything was ok for us.
S.,
Almost any scenario is possible. I went off the pill after 8 years and got pregnant before my first period. Others need to wait until their cycle is more regulated. Try not to think about it for a few months and see what happens.... I know that sounds difficult! But, God has a plan for you!
You may get your period soon since you usually get your period when you remove the patch. My Dr. said that you are more likely to get normal periods after 3 months & then you are more apt to get pregnant. That wasn't the case with me I had one period after getting off the pill then got pregnant. So anything could happen but you should set up an appt with Dr. & get everything checked out. Good Luck!
