Hi,
I am hoping that your doctor provided you with some information about your birth control being removed, how soon you can be expected to ovulate and/or have regular menstrual cycles again??
It can take up to a cycle or two after stopping any type of hormonal contraceptive before your menstrual cycle is back to "normal", which includes ovulating. The synthetic hormones in the birth control help to prevent ovulation, among other things, which is why they are up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. It takes time for our natural hormones to begin the natural process again.
You may want to read about the menstrual cycle process (or, let me know if you are interested, as I'm happy to share the information!). The basic information is: it's a cycle; a process. You do not ovulate overnight, just as you do not become pregnant overnight. Your natural hormones need to begin working to signal to your ovaries to start maturing an egg. Once the egg matures, it is released (called "ovulation"), and the egg is fertile for about 24 hours. If it is fertilized within this small-window, the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tubes to implant in the uterus...this all takes 10-14 days.
Do you see where I'm going with this? Expecting to be able to conceive the day after you stop hormonal contraception is not realistic, and it would be great to get to know your body and your cycle before trying to conceive for many reasons. You have not had a period for a year (the bleeding you experience is "withdrawal bleeding" and not an actual menstrual period), and it is recommended that when women stop taking birth control, to wait a cycle or two before trying to conceive, so they know when their last menstrual cycle began.
To answer your last question, you can only take a home pregnancy test once you have missed your period...no earlier than 14 days after unprotected sex.
Let us know if you would like to learn more about your body, menstrual cycle, conception, etc. How old are you, by the way? I am assuming you are trying to conceive, but please let me know if I mis-read your question.
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Hi,
I am hoping that your doctor provided you with some information about your birth control being removed, how soon you can be expected to ovulate and/or have regular menstrual cycles again??
It can take up to a cycle or two after stopping any type of hormonal contraceptive before your menstrual cycle is back to "normal", which includes ovulating. The synthetic hormones in the birth control help to prevent ovulation, among other things, which is why they are up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. It takes time for our natural hormones to begin the natural process again.
You may want to read about the menstrual cycle process (or, let me know if you are interested, as I'm happy to share the information!). The basic information is: it's a cycle; a process. You do not ovulate overnight, just as you do not become pregnant overnight. Your natural hormones need to begin working to signal to your ovaries to start maturing an egg. Once the egg matures, it is released (called "ovulation"), and the egg is fertile for about 24 hours. If it is fertilized within this small-window, the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tubes to implant in the uterus...this all takes 10-14 days.
Do you see where I'm going with this? Expecting to be able to conceive the day after you stop hormonal contraception is not realistic, and it would be great to get to know your body and your cycle before trying to conceive for many reasons. You have not had a period for a year (the bleeding you experience is "withdrawal bleeding" and not an actual menstrual period), and it is recommended that when women stop taking birth control, to wait a cycle or two before trying to conceive, so they know when their last menstrual cycle began.
To answer your last question, you can only take a home pregnancy test once you have missed your period...no earlier than 14 days after unprotected sex.
Let us know if you would like to learn more about your body, menstrual cycle, conception, etc. How old are you, by the way? I am assuming you are trying to conceive, but please let me know if I mis-read your question.
June 15, 2010 - 6:51pmThis Comment
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