Expert: Bob Kambic - 7/2/2007

Question
I stopped my last pack of pills on May 26 and had a normal cycle starting on May 30th. On the pill I would have a 28 day cycle and I expected it on June 27 and still nothing. I have taken 4 pregnancy test and they are all negative. Is there anything I can do to make me start? We wanted to try to start getting pregnant this month, but if I don't have a cylce then that means I don't ovulate, right? We already have a daughter and we conceived her the same month I quit my pills. I am just worried about what I can do to make me start so that we can start trying to get pregnant.

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 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.