For those that take birth control pills, 1 in 5 conceive the first cycle after discontinuing the pill, and a little more than half conceive after six months. By the one-year mark, about 8 in 10 are pregnant. However, your choice of contraception does matter. If you had implants or a hormonal IUD, your fertility may take longer to return. If you were on the birth control shot, it may take anywhere from six months to two years for your fertility to return.
Overview
In an ideal world, your choice of contraception should prevent pregnancy when you want it to and, when you decide you’re ready to have a baby, have no impact on your ability to conceive once you stop. Kind of like an on-off switch. Flip your birth control to “on,” and pregnancy should be a far off possibility. Switch to “off,” and pregnancy, here we come! Things are slightly more complicated than that. Here’s how it really works.
Timing
How soon your fertility will return depends on which form of birth control you were using. Depending on the contraceptive method, the return of your fertility may require:
Beginning to ovulate again The return of fertile cervical mucus The return of an “embryo friendly” uterine lining
Just because ovulation has returned, that doesn’t mean your endometrial lining is back to normal or that your body is producing fertile cervical mucus as it should yet. Getting a positive ovulation test at home doesn’t guarantee that things are back-to-business. Clearly, if your choice of contraception was a barrier method, your fertility has not physiologically been affected. You just need to stop using whatever you were using. This would include things like condoms (male or female), diaphragms, spermicides, or the sponge. (Your fertility may have changed with age, however, depending on how long you’ve been using contraception.)
Specific Considerations
Here’s when you can expect your fertility to return after discontinued use of some popular contraceptive choices: Birth control pills: Also known as oral contraceptives, birth control pills contain either estrogen and progestin together or only progestin. They work by preventing ovulation and thickening cervical mucus. After discontinuing the pill, ovulation and fertility should resume within a month’s time. Sometimes, it takes up to three months for fertility to return. Vaginal ring (NuvaRing) and birth control patch (Ortho Evra): Because the vaginal ring and patch are relatively new (compared to oral birth control pills,) there isn’t a lot of long term research available. However, they work similarly to oral contraceptives. The main difference is how the hormones are taken (orally vs. trans-dermally vs. vaginally.) As with birth control pills, your fertility should return in one to three months after discontinued use. Birth control implants (like Implanon and Nexplanon): Birth control implants, like Implanon and Nexplanon, work by releasing the hormone progestin. The implant is a thin, flexible, and matchstick-size plastic rod that slowly and continuously releases the hormone. Your doctor inserts it into the upper arm. Once inserted, birth control implants can prevent pregnancy for up to three years, but you can have it removed at any time. In other words, you could theoretically have it removed after just a few months. The long-term aspect of this birth control only applies if you keep it in place. You must see your doctor to have the implant removed. After its removal, fertility should return within one month’s time. There is a risk that the implant will be difficult or impossible to remove if the insertion was done improperly or it shifted after insertion. While removal complications occur less than 2 percent of the time, if this does happen, the effects of the implant will continue until it runs out. IUD: IUDs, or intrauterine devices, are small T-shaped devices that are placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. There are two basic types, copper IUDs (ParaGuard) and hormonal IUDs (Mirena or Skyla). Copper IUDs work by repelling sperm away from the fallopian tubes, which in turn prevents pregnancy. Hormonal IUDs work by thickening cervical mucus, thinning the endometrium, and possibly preventing ovulation. While IUDs are considered long-term contraceptive options—the copper IUD can be in place for up to 10 years, and the hormonal IUDs for three to five years—both kinds of IUDs can be removed at any time by your doctor. (Never attempt to remove one yourself!) Once removed, your fertility should return within a month. After a hormonal IUD removal, it may take a few months for your cycle to regulate. Birth control shot (Depo-Provera): Depo-Provera is the contraceptive that gives all the other birth control options a bad reputation. It is not a good choice for anyone hoping to get pregnant soon. With the birth control shot, the drug medroxyprogesterone acetate (sometimes abbreviated as DMPA) is injected into the muscle. The drug remains in the muscle and slowly releases, preventing ovulation and thickening cervical mucus. It may take between 6 and 12 months to have fertility return again after the shot. While 50 percent of women will conceive within 10 months of the last injection, some women will not have their fertility return for up to 18 months.
How Soon Can You Get Pregnant?
This is a different question… just because your fertility has returned doesn’t mean pregnancy will happen right away. This can be a really odd experience for someone who has spent years preventing pregnancy. You might assume that without birth control, you would have conceived immediately—but that’s not entirely accurate.
Research
One of the largest studies on pregnancy rates after birth control was The European Active Surveillance Study on Oral Contraceptives (EURAS-OC). This study tracked just over 59,000 women who used oral contraceptives and included participants from seven different European countries. Of the 59,000, about 2,000 decided to discontinue contraceptives and get pregnant after the study was completed. These women had been using contraceptives for seven years. They found that…
21.1% got pregnant one cycle after discontinuing birth control79.4% got pregnant within a year of discontinuationUp to age 35, the woman’s age had very little effect on her fertilityPregnancy rates were lower for women over 35 and for smokers
These results are similar to what you would see in women who never used birth control. In other words, oral contraceptives had no to little effect on their fertility. A separate study found not only that fertility was not negatively affected by birth control use, but, in fact, slightly improved after long term use. This study included 8,497 women from South-West England. The study took into account other possible negative effects on fertility (like lifestyle choices, weight, and so on), so they could see better how birth control use affected conception rates. They eliminated infertility due to other causes of their study. They found that after discontinuing birth control use:
74% of the women conceived in less than 6 months14% took between 6 and 12 months to conceive12% conceived only after a year
Another research paper reviewed numerous studies conducted between 1960 and 2007 and looked at the post-contraceptive pregnancy rates. They looked at conception rates after 12 months of trying. The varying rates represent low and high study findings.
72% to 94%were pregnant one year after discontinuing birth control pills71% to 92% after IUD removal70% to 95% after progesterone-only birth control91% after condom use92% after natural family planning
Fertility Complications
There is a very small risk that your body will need help jump-starting its fertility after birth control, especially if your cycles were irregular before you started. You should see your doctor if:
You don’t get your period back within three months. Your cycles are irregular or you have other worrisome symptoms. You’re over 35 and have been trying to conceive for six months. You’re younger than 35 and have been trying to conceive for 12 months unsuccessfully.
A Word From Verywell
Most women will get pregnant within six months after stopping birth control. However, in some cases, it can take longer. If you struggle to conceive after birth control, talk to your doctor. Whatever you do, if you do end up facing infertility, try not to blame yourself. Fertility struggles are not your fault, and it’s very unlikely to be a result of your contraceptive choices.
