Fertility After Oral Contraceptives

Many women have concerns that their fertility is affected after long term use of oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives are one of the most common choices for birth control among women who want to delay getting pregnant for a short or long time. Many women who want to conceive will have to discontinue use of oral contraceptives for a designated period of time before they successfully conceive.

How Long Will It Take To Conceive After Using Birth Control?

There are not many studies that examine the effects of long term use of contraceptives on pregnancy timing. Of those that do exist, many suggest that more than half of all cycles' women experience after using oral contraceptives are ovulatory. This means a woman's chances of conceiving are greater than 50%.

Some women's bodies however will take some time to readjust. Some women for example may find they temporarily experience shorted luteal phases after using birth control pills, which may decrease the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.

Many factors aside from oral contraceptive use may contribute to the time it takes a woman to conceive after discontinuing birth control. Women who are younger will generally have an easier time conceiving than women who are older, particularly women aged 35 and older. If women have given birth prior to taking birth control pills, some studies suggest the effects of oral contraceptives are very minimal.

Other women who have not had children but are younger than 30 may only experience a temporary delay of return to fertility after discontinuing treatment with oral contraceptives.

Generally women who are 30 or older will experience longer intervals between their return to fertility and discontinuation of birth control pills. Despite all this there is other evidence that suggests that oral contraceptive use increases the likelihood that women will produce quality eggs for fertilization, particularly if egg production or ovulation is suppressed resulting form oral contraceptive use.

Still other women find that use of oral contraceptives helps inspire greater cycle regularity and hence increases the likelihood that they will have normal or more regular periods and hence successfully conceive after they discontinue oral contraceptive use.

The strength or dose of hormones used in oral contraceptives may also factor into a woman's likelihood of conceiving. Women who are taking low dose oral contraceptives for example are much more likely to conceive quickly after discontinuing use of oral contraceptives then women taking higher dose oral contraceptives.

By and large, most women can expect that their fertility will return to normal after they discontinue use of oral contraceptives. Some women may find that their fertility returns immediately, while others may have to wait up to six cycles or longer to return to full fertility.

One of the best ways to track fertility after discontinuing oral contraceptives is to chart your cycles. This will provide you with ample information about your fertility and help you pinpoint ovulation. It will also help determine what if any effect oral contraceptives may have on your cycle and when your fertility returns to its peak. Most women will find they are able to conceive relatively soon after discontinuing use of oral contraceptives.