Expert: Bob Kambic - 5/9/2007

Question
I was on Depo for two years and then I switched to birth control pills (tri-cyclen lo 28 day cycle)  My husband and I are planning on trying to conceive and I would like to know how long after coming off the pill will I be able to conceive? I thought it took a month or so for the pill to wear off but I would like to be a little more sure about it.

Answer
Let me answer in two parts. First when 100 couples try to get pregnant, no pills, no birth control, at the end of a year 80 will be pregnant. Some get pregnant the first month, some the second month, etc. It is impossible to predict which couple will get pregnant when. The 20 couples not pregnant after a year are considered infertile and usually go for medical help. You can't tell where you are until you try.

Now second, coming off the pill is similar. Some women return to normal cycling with no problem, others take sometime to resume normal cycling. You can't predict what will happen because as you say, all women are different.

So putting the two issues together, coming off the pill, first you will have to resume a "normal" cycle, then you will have to try to get pregnant. I suggest monitoring fertility will increase your understanding of all this and your confidence that your body is working correctly. Check http://www.irh.org/nfp.htm

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/HelpCenter/FFBook/ff_fertility_signs.html

Be sure to try to get a teacher to work with you until you really understand your fertility.