News Moms Need

If you’ve been using birth control and are ready to have a baby, you’re going to stop using birth control one of these days. There are no hard-and-fast rules about how long you should wait to start trying to get pregnant after stopping birth control, but talk with your health care provider about what’s best for you.

You can begin trying right away. But if you don’t have regular periods, it may be more difficult to determine the right time for conception.
• If you’ve been on birth control pills, you may not have regular periods for a month or two after stopping the pills.
• If you take Depo-Provera, it can take from three months to one year to ovulate regularly after your last injection.
• If you have an IUD (intrauterine device) or implants, you can start trying to get pregnant as soon as you have the device removed.
• The barrier methods - such as condoms, diaphragms and spermicides - stop working as soon as you stop using them.

If you’re currently pregnant, be sure to discuss the best time to start birth control after you deliver. (It’s important to wait a few weeks after delivery before taking some pills.) You’ll want to be sure to give your body enough time to recover before having another baby. If you’ve recently had a new baby, ask your provider how long you should wait to get pregnant again. For most women, it’s best to wait at least 18 months. But some women can’t wait this long because of their age or other reasons. Talk to your provider about what’s right for you.

Assuming your preconception visit with your health care provider shows you’re in good shape physically, conception may depend on the type of birth control you have been using. 

• If you have an IUD (intrauterine device), you can start trying to get pregnant as soon as you have the device removed.
• Barrier methods (such as condoms, diaphragms and spermicides) stop working as soon as you stop using them.
• If you’ve been on birth control pills, you may not have regular periods for a month or two after stopping the pills.
• If you take Depo-Provera, it can take from three months to one year to ovulate regularly after your last injection.

Check out our ovulation calculator to get an idea of your most fertile days.  If you have irregular periods, it may be more difficult to determine the best time to conceive, so talk with your doc or midwife about what’s best for you.