In this episode, I decided to go solo to talk with you about the reality of coming off hormonal birth control. For some reason, numerous health professionals continue to advise women that they will get pregnant immediately after they come off the pill. The thing is that when you take a look at the research, most women who take hormonal birth control long term do experience a delay in the return of their fertility. For some women, it is a few months, and for others, it is over a year. In this episode, I talk about the transition period after coming off hormonal contraceptives and how long it typically takes before your cycles go back to normal. I also talk about how you can prepare for that transition period and optimize your chances of conceiving when you’re ready to start a family.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Topics discussed in today’s episode
- Why it’s unethical for your doctor to tell you that your period will definitely come back right away after you come off hormonal birth control
- Why it’s hard to know how long it will take you to conceive whether you’ve just come off the pill or if you’ve had natural cycles for awhile
- Why you can expect it to take you about twice as long to conceive if you’ve used hormonal birth control long-term
- The 5 factors that will influence how long it will take before your menstrual cycles return normally and be within healthy parameters
- Why hormonal contraceptives are contraindicated for women who have irregular cycles and why you’re at a greater risk of delayed return of ovulation if your cycles were irregular before you started taking the pill
- The impact of ageing on fertility on how long it could take
- Managing the transition period between coming off hormonal contraceptives and having normal healthy cycles
- How long it actually takes for a woman’s cycle to return normally after coming off the hormonal birth control
- The role hormonal contraceptives play in increasing the likelihood that you may and up needing additional interventions later on
- Why you may want to consider coming off hormonal contraceptives 2-3 years before you’re ready to start trying to have babies
- The importance of preconception nutrition
- Using Fertility Awareness for birth control in the interim period
- The connection between hormonal birth control to nutrient deficiencies
Connect with Lisa
You can connect with Lisa on the Fertility Friday Website, and on Facebook, and Twitter
Resources mentioned
- Cycle characteristics after discontinuation of oral contraceptives | Pub Med
- Is previous use of hormonal contraception associated with a detrimental effect on subsequent fecundity? | Pub Med
- FFP 100 | Anniversary Edition Part 2 | Multi-Episode Compilation | Fertility Awareness Method | Pregnancy | Birth Control | Women’s Health | Lisa | Fertility Friday
- FFP 009 | Sacred Fertility Foods | The key to having healthy babies and a healthy pregnancy | Sally Fallon-Morell
- Fertility Awareness Episodes | Fertility Friday Podcast
- FFP 012 | Recovering from Post-Birth Control Syndrome | How to get your period back | Laura Schoenfeld
- List of Episodes | Fertility Friday Podcast
- Cora Tampons | Organic Tampons That Work
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!
Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic
A Special Thank You to Our Show Sponsor | Cora Tampons
This episode is sponsored by Cora! Made from 100% organic cotton, Cora tampons were designed not only to help you manage your periods but also to preserve your health. For every month of tampons you buy, Cora gives a month of pads along with menstrual health education to a girl in need in India. Click here to receive your first month’s supply free of charge.
*Please note that Cora only ships within the United States.
Fertility Friday | Fertility Management Masterclass
This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Management Masterclass! Gain clarity and confidence using the Fertility Awareness Method and improve your cycle health at the same time! Click here for more information!
Do you know where the study was that found how long on average it takes women to conceive after being on hormonal contraception?
I would also like to read the original study 🙂
I updated the post with the links to the 2 studies!